Brad and I decided that, instead of having a DJ at our wedding, we would set up an iPod with a pre-made playlist to shuffle through at our reception. The whole thing cost about $100 (excluding the iPod). Brad was kind enough to write up the shopping list (as well as renting/borrowing list) and a set of instructions for how to make it happen! Just so you know, you can also interchange the iPod with a laptop and follow the same set of instructions. This actually allowed us more freedom for when we needed to pick a specific song for us to dance to!
Purchased (from radio shack or similar): About $50
- one stereo 1/8″ male to dual RCA male cable
- two RCA female to 1/4″ TS adapters
- one female XLR to 1/4″ TRS cable (about 25′ in length) or female XLR to 1/4″ adaptor
- a 50′-100′ good quality grounded extension cord
Rented or borrowed:
- one Roland KC-150 or KC-550 (or similar) Keyboard Amplifier (make sure to get they include the power cable! if not, they use the same power cable included with most desktop computers and monitors)
- one SM58 (or similar) dynamic microphone (with a switch if available!) and a 25′ cable
Setup
Attach the RCA to 1/4″ adapters to the RCA ends of the 1/8″ to RCA cable and plug them into two of the 1/4″ inputs on the keyboard amplifier. Set the output level of your IPOD at about 50%, then use the gain control on your amplifier or powered speaker to adjust the volume to your desired loudness.
Plug the microphone into the keyboard amplifier (using the XLR to 1/4″ adapter if the amplifier doesn’t have it’s own XLR input). Set the gain knob to a desired loudness and encourage users to speak in a full voice, but not directly into the microphone; sort of angle the microphone to one side of the mouth. Also try and set up the amplifier so that the speaker is never directly behind the microphone to prevent feedback!
by Lara
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