This issue includes articles on:
- Choosing the Right PA System (Part 1)
- CD/DVD Label Printing: Thermal vs. Inkjet
Choosing the Right PA System (Part 1)
This is the first in a series of articles, which review some criteria for choosing PA systems that fit your presentation needs and your budget.
If you're reading this article then you already know that there are many options to choose from when selecting a PA system - portable systems vs. permanent installations, multi-channel vs. single channel, high-end vs. moderately priced - not to mention choices among accessories including microphones, stands, lecterns and headsets. Hopefully, these and other questions will be answered in this and the following issues of our newsletter, but if we somehow miss your critical concern do not hesitate to drop us an email and we will try to address your particular needs in future reports.
The first and perhaps most important criterion is:
"What is the size of your audience?"
Implicit in this question is the corollary "What should my budget be?" In general, the larger your audience the more you need to budget.Sounds simple - right? Well, not really.
For example, if you need a PA system for less than 50 people, shop in the $150-$500 range. Notice that megaphones, which have made impressive technical advances in recent years, may be a logical and cost effective option. Larger venues can require systems costing $1000 or more.We've combined these two concerns in the accompanying table, along with some recommendations on what products might best fit your needs.
Representative PA Systems suitable to different Audience sizes:
If your audience exceeds 1000 people you may also want to consider a customized installation with high-end (read expensive) Pro-Audio Equipment. Call 1-800-516-6955 or email your request for a free consultation on these self-contained systems.
NOTE: If you already have an idea of what you want to buy, you may want to consider some of our current special sale items including:
Fender Passport Deluxe PA Systems are currently offered by AudioLinks.com in combination with high-end, pro-audio wireless microphones and/or stands. The Fender Passport line is world famous for portability, dependability, high quality and high fidelity; they're a great solution for audiences in the 50 to 500 range.
Anchor Audio PA Systems offer a wide range of PA system configurations. The Explorer, Liberty and Xtreme PA's comfortably cover audiences from 5 to 5000 people. AudioLinks.com also offers a wide array of accessories, such as wireless microphones, stands and mounting hardware.
If you are still uncertain about which PA is right for you, consider issues of mobility, cost, ease of set up, fidelity, the need for multiple channels, speakers, power limitations and available accessories. These and other factors will be discussed in detail in later editions of our newsletter, but please feel free to contact us at any time for a Free Consultation so we may address your specific questions or concerns.
Now, let's take a moment to focus on an entirely different area of Pro-Audio:
CD/DVD Label Printing: Thermal vs. Inkjet
Duplicating audio CD's or DVD's is a relatively simple task. There are many copying decks available on the market.
When it comes to label printing, however, it is much more difficult to choose a universally superior solution.
Traditional CD/DVD duplication suffers from slow speed and high cost especially due to the bottleneck created by conventional labeling. Most Tower based systems have relied on one off printing of self-adhesive labels using Lexmark Printers (among others). AudioLink Services now offers a major improvement through one of our newest technology lines - Microboards' Print Factory.
This one-step desktop solution with auto loading capabilities can process as many as 50 CD's or DVD's at a single time. Moreover, it is expandable (in units of 50) to accommodate hundreds of CD's and DVD's in a single pass.
Especially important is that the Print Factory is compatible with generic brand inkjet cartridges, which means that your cost per label can be kept low. The manufacturer suggests that the cost per label is $.09 per color label and $.01 per black and white (based on optimal usage parameters).
AudioLinks.com offers Taiyo Yuden (the original creator of the Compact Disk or CD) CD-R silver and white surface discs that will produce excellent results for inkjet printers. The advantages of these high-end discs are quick drying times, clear, sharp text, and excellent graphic image quality with high quality colors.
Alternatives to Microboards' Print Factory include purchasing inkjet printers by Rimage or upgrading to thermal printers. All of these options are available at audiolinks.com
Following is a handy printer comparison CHART:
| PRINTERS
|
PROS
|
CONS
|
| Rimage
|
Conserves ink
|
Labels one disc at a time
|
| Print Factory
|
Capable of 1000+ disc printing per day
Capable of printing 200 discs in one hour
Can be used in series for expanded output
Best value for price |
Loads 50 Discs at a time
Uses Inkjet Printable Media only (Matte Surface)
Not Mac compatible |
| Primera
(thermal) |
Holds up to 400 Discs
Choice of 3 different printers (Signature PRO, Signature IV and Aurora) |
No Networking capability
Not Mac compatible |
A more complete discussion of printer technology for CD and DVD printers appears on our website:
Click Here
Now let's take a brief look at thermal printers vs. inkjet printers:
The advantage of thermal printers is their flexibility; the disadvantage is that they cost more initially. With a thermal printer you can print on the entire range of available disc media (Printable surface CD-R/DVD-R, 12.0cm CD-R/DVD-R, 8.0cm Mini-disc, 5.9cm x 8.5cm CD-R business card etc...), many of which are less expensive than the printable surface CD-R/DVD-R type disc. The less expensive CD's can significantly outweigh the greater cost of the thermal printer - the decision depends on the volume you intend to print.
Hopefully this information has helped you in deciding what equipment best suits your needs. If you have questions or want our help in deciding, please send us an email.
Here are a few of our current Specials should you be in the market for a solution to your presentation requirements:
Anchor Audio PA systems -- from portables to high end pro-audio -- including the MiniVox, Megavox, Explorer, Xtreme, Liberty & Seville lectern PA -- available now for immediate shipping at below MAP pricing!
Click Here
Fender Books, CD's, videos, DVD's & Collectibles, now offered at extraordinary discounts including, for a limited time, an additional FREE GIFT with every purchase of $50 or more from this line of special gifts and media.
Click Here
Order a Williams Sound deluxe multi-channel Tour Guide System now and get unbeatable functionality plus flexibility at more than $600 off list. Also, while supplies last, order a repacked Williams Sound wireless FM tour guide system at more than 30% off list. Repacked receivers available separately.
Click Here
In our next issue we will continue the article on choosing the right PA system and share our thoughts on exciting developments in the arena of CD/DVD duplication.
In future issues we plan to offer reports and updates on different types of audio equipment, links to useful sites and to answer questions posed by you and other readers. We hope you will find this newsletter useful and we welcome your feedback.
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