A vocal sound system can be set up and used for a number of things. You can set one up in your living room for the kids and kit yourself out for karaoke night, all in one go. Of course, these vocal-focussed sound systems excel when used to amplify the solo performances of a singer that uses backing tracks or a guitar or keyboard. Vocal sound systems are also an essential addition to any band's rehearsal space so that the vocals can actually be heard over the drums as well as the bass and guitar amps.
What's the Minimum Set-Up?
In the very least, a vocal sound system will need a speaker, an amplifier and a mixer. As well as the microphone, an instrument or any external audio equipment can be connected up to the mixer so you can create a balanced amplified sound. It's also a pretty good idea to mount the speaker on a stand, so that every audience member can hear the sound. If even more spread is needed, it might be worth adding a second speaker. More and more sound systems actually combine all of these features into a nice and compact, all-in-one solution like a column speaker system, or a portable line-array. These systems will usually have a subwoofer forming the base to give the low-end frequencies more impact, while the mid-range and high-range frequencies are taken care of by one or more smaller speakers stacked on top.
How Big Can You Go?
Since these systems can get pretty big, it's worth asking yourself what you're going to be using it for before deciding how big you want to go. If you're only amplifying vocals, you don't necessarily need a massive set of speakers to do - even if the performance space is relatively large. If you want to use backing tracks played back by something like a smartphone, then the bass of the music will have a lot more presence when played through a set of larger speakers. But, if you're planning to set up your system in a really small space, then the woofers (the speakers that reproduce the bass) certainly don't need to be big. The general rule of thumb is: the bigger the space, the more ground your sound needs to cover, and the bigger the woofers of your system need to get. In most cases however, a vocal sound system will have a nice, compact construction so that it's easy to carry and easy to load in and out for gigging solo performers with a car.
