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Audio Stocking Stuffers! + Live Audio Starter Kit
40
items The essentials you need to start running live sound anywhere!
Sections
6
Small Essential Stocking Stuffers
Recommended Learning Resources
Cables
Microphones
Recommended Mixers
Essential Live Audio Equipment
Small Essential Stocking Stuffers
Perfect stocking stuffer items for the audio person in your life!
These items will fix an issue in a pinch, and are great items to have in your gear list.
This is quite possibly the most important adapter to have in your gear kit. Get anyones cellphone or laptop connected and sending music to your mixer in no time. Simple and low-price from a trusted source!
Apple USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter
I cannot express how many times these adapters have saved me. If you want to connect headphones to your mixing board, this adapter is a must-have.
Rode HJA-4 3.5mm to 1/4 inch TRS Headphone Adapters (4-pack)
We have all run into this issue:
Sometimes you only have a power plug with a USB-A port. This cable is an absolute must if you need to connect or power your phone via its USB-C port, but dont have a way to do so.
Sometimes you only have a power plug with a USB-A port. This cable is an absolute must if you need to connect or power your phone via its USB-C port, but dont have a way to do so.
Hosa USB-306CA SuperSpeed USB 3.0 (Gen2) Type C to Type A Cable
If your headphone cable is just a little too short for your comfort, this cable is dependable and built tough.
Hosa HXMM-005 Pro Headphone Extension Cable - 3.5mm REAN TRS Female to 3.5mm TRS Male - 5 foot
The standard in quality closed-back headphones that have a near level eq curve. What you hear in these headphones during mixing is going to be very helpful in hearing potential problem areas in your mix.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 ohm Closed-back Studio Mixing Headphones
Need to send a bluetooth signal to your mixing console and sound system? This Bluetooth receiver is exactly what you need. A great small footprint that can be powered with and without 48v Phantom Power!
Switchcraft AudioStix 318BT XLR Bluetooth Receiver
You'd be surprised how many Laptop DJs don't know about this product! Any time you need a quick way to connect a laptop, music player, or any headphone jack to your sound system, this item makes that process painless and simple.
Radial StageBug SB-5 1-channel Passive Laptop Direct Box
The lowest price for a new Passive DI box that you can trust. Radial is a solid reliable brand that you can count on for quality.
Radial StageBug SB-2 1-channel Passive Instrument Direct Box
If you or your boo need to connect an acoustic guitar to a live sound system, this is the lowest price and easiest way to get things moving! Great price for such a vital piece of equipment.
Radial StageBug SB-1 1-channel Active Instrument Direct Box
Looking to start a podcast or just need a mixer for speaking events, maybe a DJ?
This is a great way to get up and running quickly. Easy to understand, versatile, light in frame, but heavy duty in build.
This is a great way to get up and running quickly. Easy to understand, versatile, light in frame, but heavy duty in build.
Yamaha MG10XU 10-channel Mixer with USB and FX
Hands down best deal on a brand new Audio Interface! If you are interested in recording live shows, or using instruments you have on your DAW live, this is a reliable, simple, and easy way to bring your room recordings to life!
Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 3rd Gen USB Recording Interface
This item is SO valuable to many troubleshooting situations. It is able to quickly let you know how signal flow is working, along with so many other tests to narrow down a problem. WELL WORTH THE PRICE.
Sonnect Sound Bullet
Run out of availabe XLRs on your mixer? If there are Quarter Inch Inputs still available on your mixer, this adapter will be the best quick fix, connecting another microphone or instrument to your mixing console.
Hosa GXP-143 XLR Female to 1/4 inch TRS Male Adapter
A great and handy adapter when you may have ran out of XLRs and only have a quarter inch cable left, or if there are no more quarter inch ports available. Things can get tricky! Always be prepared.
Hosa GXJ-235 XLR Male to 1/4 inch TRS Female Adapter
It may look like just a roll of tape, but this is THEE tape necessary for the stage and front of house. If you need any cables kept out of the way, and dont want to ruin any surface or the cable itself, this tape will save your life!
Pro Tapes Pro Gaff Premium 2-inch Gaffer's Tape - 55-yard Roll - Black
Whenever you have to make sure something you're taking off the stage needs to be placed back where it needs to be, this tape is how you mark a stage without leaving any residue or issues behind. Use colors to coordinate and communicate!
Pro Tapes Pro Spike Stack 1/2-inch Gaffers Tape - Fluorescent Assortment (5-pack)
Cable not working? This best of a box has you covered. Test any type of cable to narrow down an issue or know which cable needs fixing.
Hosa CBT-500 Audio Cable Tester
Knowing your outlet to power is pushing what you need is very important to making sure your gear is safe from any potential power issues. Always a good first step:
If it doesn't turn on, check the source.
If it doesn't turn on, check the source.
Klein Tools RT110 Power Outlet Receptacle Tester
Recommended Learning Resources
As a budding live audio engineer, remember that learning never ends! Keep up your chops and learn something new every day.
This site is a great resource for those just starting out! It is all free information and will lead you to plenty of video playlists that break down Live Audio in easy to understand steps.
Audio University Online
A fantastic resource for new & used gear with a great knowledge base to tap. It is always better to help local shops sell gear and keep local shops busy and open. Margins are tight for local music shops so please support those around you!
Musical Instruments For Sale - New & Used Music Gear
Cables
All the cables you need to get started building your own Live Audio Mixing setup. Always the best approach to start your setup with new cables that can be trusted.
10 Foot XLRs are great for connecting drum mics to XLR Sub Boxes and leave little clutter.
10' Balanced Cables: XLR to XLR - Sweetwater
20 Foot XLR cables for longer distances between microphones and input location
20' Balanced Cables: XLR to XLR - Sweetwater
30 foot XLR cables are great for lead singers who run around on stage, and also great for microphones that are far away from where they need to be connected to the mixing console.
30' Microphone Cables - Sweetwater
50 foot XLR cables are great for running outputs to your main speakers or monitors from your mixing console.
50' Microphone Cables - Sweetwater
A MUST HAVE for playing music off of your phone or laptop into your mixing console.
Hosa CMP-159 Stereo Breakout Cable - 3.5mm TRS Male to Left and Right 1/4-inch TS Male - 10 foot
A solid SHIELDED CAT5E ethernet cable is a must-have for any digital mixer, as it will save you time and money. Connecting a digital mixer to your digital stage box will be vital. Not every venue has one for you either, so it is always smart to bring...
Keep in mind the different lengths, as this cable must reach from your location of your mixing console to the stagebox on stage. I have always used at least 100 foot cables, and always shielded.
I will never recommend getting any cheap cables, but it is a MUST that this cable is of high quality and can be kept safe. Your live show depends on it!
Keep in mind the different lengths, as this cable must reach from your location of your mixing console to the stagebox on stage. I have always used at least 100 foot cables, and always shielded.
I will never recommend getting any cheap cables, but it is a MUST that this cable is of high quality and can be kept safe. Your live show depends on it!
Pro Co PCE2-100 Excellines ProCat Cat 5e Cable with etherCON Connectors - 100 foot
XLR Snakes will help clean up the stage and will allow you to use shorter XLRs to connect things like drums or an area on stage that needs plenty of inputs specifically. I have personally not had any issues with Pro Co snakes and snake boxes.
Pro Co SMAST 8-channel XLR Drop Snake - 25 foot
Microphones
Microphones are the most important part of your setup and journey into live audio. It's also all about how you use the mic, not always how expensive it is!
The reason for using a site like Sweetwater to buy your first microphones is to guarantee new and quality product. Reverb.com is a great space for new or lightly used microphones, but unfortunately, fakes and rip-offs exist. So in my opinion, it's be...
The Shure SM57 is THEE instrument mic. You can even use it for vocals!
This microphone is so versatile and so common that you'll have a hard time finding a good replacement. Truly is a staple of the live audio industry. Built very tough as well. Highly recommend to have a few of these in your arsenal of microphones.
This microphone is so versatile and so common that you'll have a hard time finding a good replacement. Truly is a staple of the live audio industry. Built very tough as well. Highly recommend to have a few of these in your arsenal of microphones.
Shure SM57 Cardioid Dynamic Instrument Microphone
THE essential vocal mic. Tried and true, and built to stand a beating. You'll find this mic everywhere, because it is the standard in vocal performance and quality. You can never go wrong with a real SM58!
Shure SM58 Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone
An incredibly well rounded and clear transient microphone, built for Drum snare, toms, and floor toms. This smaller version that was just released is incredibly versatile and delivered unmatched quality. Seriously a best bet for sound when it comes t...
Sennheiser MD 421 Kompakt with MZH Drum Microphone Clip
The Audix D6 is an excellent Kick Drum or Bass Amp microphone. The transient pickup on this microphone make it a solid staple for any style of rock music and then some!
Compared to other kick drum mics (on the cheaper side) not many other kick mics hold a candle.
It's also built incredibly well and is nice and light in weight for a kick drum mic.
Compared to other kick drum mics (on the cheaper side) not many other kick mics hold a candle.
It's also built incredibly well and is nice and light in weight for a kick drum mic.
Audix D6 Cardioid Dynamic Kick Drum Microphone
Recommended Mixers
From just starting out, to fantastic digital mixers where anything is possible, these are the mixers I regard highly and trust when on the job.
If you are more familiar with analog mixers at first, Yamaha makes tried and true analog mixers for the beginner, or for rooms that don't require much. These smaller style analog mixers are much easier to travel with and are much more straight forwar...
I would always recommend having a board with at least 16 channels, unless your situation will never need to mic drums.
I would always recommend having a board with at least 16 channels, unless your situation will never need to mic drums.
Yamaha MG16XU 16-channel Mixer with USB and FX
The Midas M32 (EXACT SAME BOARD LAYOUT AS THE X32) is the standard in most small venues across the States. In fact, when first starting at a church or local venue, you will most likely run into this board there. This board is solid, but when broken, ...
This board will get the job done in almost any situation. However, the Behringer Wing line of new digital mixing consoles are a step up from this board.
This board will get the job done in almost any situation. However, the Behringer Wing line of new digital mixing consoles are a step up from this board.
Midas M32 LIVE 40-channel Digital Mixer
An incredible and quality built digital mixer. This mixer is my personal favorite. The amount of features this mixing console has compared to others in its starter price range is undeniable. Can push and record 96khz!
Allen & Heath SQ-5 48-channel Digital Mixer
A fantastic a recently released digital mixing console with everything you need to make your live mix top quality. This mixer is straight-forward to use and can be used with older Behringer equipment, making it fit easily into most venues and rooms. ...
Behringer WING Compact 48-channel Digital Mixer
This is the rackmounted version of the new Behringer Wing console. It is a perfect console for running monitors and in-ears from the side of the stage. It is easily expandable to be used for Front of House too. Seriously amazing product that I've see...
Behringer WING Rack 48-channel Digital Mixer
Essential Live Audio Equipment
This is where you can find trusted websites that sell gear, as well as a list of my recommendations of what is essential to run a safe and successful live sound gig.
I Always check through this Reverb site before checking out major retailers like Sweetwater or Guitar Center.
There will usually be a better deal for lightly used gear on this site, and you will be able to communicate directly with sellers, giving you the opportunity to ask those pesky questions you havent found an answer to yet, regarding a niche item or sp...
There will usually be a better deal for lightly used gear on this site, and you will be able to communicate directly with sellers, giving you the opportunity to ask those pesky questions you havent found an answer to yet, regarding a niche item or sp...
Musical Instruments For Sale - New & Used Music Gear
One of the best website where you can find the gear you need! They are located in Nashville which is a popular central hub for most musicians.
Tour Supply, Inc. - Serving Touring Professionals Worldwide!
A Power conditioner is absolutely necessary and I swear by them. Never plug in any mixer without one! This conditioner is very helpful as it shows the wattage while also containing lights you can use. It's a one-stop-shop for a secure power source fo...
Furman M-8Dx 15A 8+1 Outlet Power Conditioner
Radial DIs are very popular and highly recommended. This Passive Direct Instrument box is single channel and works perfectly for Mono. It is a must-have for connecting DJs or any other type of electronic equipment to your mixing console.
Radial ProDI 1-channel Passive Instrument Direct Box