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Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:22 pm**

A little advice from my bros. Budget strings loose enough for me to invest in a mixer or a conga. Which would you choose if:

You had an existing 3 drum setup with accompanying clip mics, a big djembe with a stand mic (4 mics total), a giging schedule outlook that's flat for the moment, but when it heats up, having a mixer with four mic inputs and one out would be of value.

Verus:

A desire to have, learn to play and enjoy the 4th drum
(a conga) as the apex to my "diamond" setup (tumba/left, quinto /center. conga/right, and new conga at the top of the "diamond".)

Given this choice of circumstances, would you buy the conga or the mixer?

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2007 2:38 pm**

Greetings CongaTick,

I've had the same dilema recently except microphones vs conga..

Conga always wins!

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2007 3:50 pm**

Alafia Abures!
I hope that you are both well and abundantly blessed my brothers!

Okay, it sounds like your decision centers on personal gratification (the fourth conga), and sound business (the mixer).

I see it this way; at the moment business is slow so to speak, but will pick up eventually, if you have potential gigs on the horizon, as I understand it, you currently have the equipment needed to meet the giggin' expectation, but the "mixer" would make things so much convenient for you as well as the group(s) you play with.

Ask anyone here who has a mixer on a gig, the group leader is always stoked to see when percussionists are "self-contained" (having all the professional equipment). It also frees up, in most cases up to 3 lines on the PA system. But the biggest plus is that YOU are in control of your mix/sound.

Now after having said all of that, let me add yet another element to the conversation. Last year I added to my rig a Mackie 450 powered speaker. So now, I show up with my drums (3 or 4), my mixer to send the signal out to the mains, and my Mackie to hook up for my "own" monitor! I recently ordered the Mackie 150 (which is smaller and much more convenient) but the manufacturer hasn't begun supplying them to the dealers as of yet.

Okay, I know that this has probably added more fuel to the fire but I hope I've at least contributed to a decision on your part my brother!

Many blessings!

Onile!

Edited By onile on 1183564305

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2007 4:20 pm**

I knew my brothers would come through with great insights. Thanks guys.

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2007 4:36 pm**

Hey CongaTick,

More fuel to the fire:

For me the conga would win, as Charangaman said, BUT in this case it would only win if I absolutely fell in love with the drum. A world of sound is available from even one drum as you know, two is classic and three is beautiful and even more fun and offers more than enough variety... so 4, well, that's also amazing and even more fun...

But if the mixer could help on the financial front, maybe it's better to invest in that first.?

Aw, gee, it's a tough one, and like so much else, it comes down to personal preference.

Well I hope this helps more than hinders!

All the best,

Yoni

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2007 5:02 pm**

I like the sound of onile s idea , his set up sounds pucka to me .
But if you feel the need to buy the conga go with your own feel , It will broaden your sound apeal come next gig you will have more variations . :cool:

I play 2 and 3 set up with variety of rudements and exercises . but always ending in sweet melody improvisation with the 3 . ???

Onile thanks for the insite to a decent sound set up Im sure more than I will have benefited from your wise words my brother

marco :p

Edited By Congadelica on 1183568751

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2007 5:08 pm**

I truly enjoy healthy contributions to a thread like this. I will add however that I have been where the brothers are with the recommendation to go with the 4th conga, hence the 17 congas I currently have and the four that are on the way from Matthew Smith soon.

I love the belly of a conga, and when it begins to respond to the attack of it's player, the timbre is all so beautiful and in most cases mesmerizing!

But then there is the business aspect....................

BTW! You can pick up a good mixer with 4 inputs (XLR) for approximately $80 on-line, just google search for it!

Many blessings to all of you my dearest brothers!

Respectfully,

Onile!

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2007 5:36 pm**

Ahhh....love and money...there's the rub. Or maybe, it's love or money....hmmmm. maybe it....oh hell! This is the only place where I can find brothers who understand, appreciate and can smile lovingly at this conflict. So grateful to fall back on this home.

Posted: **Wed Jul 04, 2007 9:16 pm**

This type of decision is a killer CongaTick. But as Onile pointed out, small mixers don't cost too much. The cost of 4 input mixers are very affordable, if you're just passing the outputs to main PA system. But if you're looking to supply 12+ input channels, the budget starts going up pretty fast.
Depending on your budget, you could get a small -ish mixer and it should pay itself off in a gig or 2.

Then off to get another conga!!

T

Posted: **Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:43 am**

I find my mixer very useful, as a practice mixer ...guitars, bass, mandolin, keys, vocals, congas (four mic pres...8 other inputs) all go in there...as an emergency backup for our band...as a submixer for me in the band...lots of stuff you can do with one. I have six congas, and none of them was as inexpensive as the mixer. I'd vote mixer.

God bless!

-Ron

Posted: **Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:15 pm**

Mixer it is (for now). Having three drums + djembe+bongos and playing them all at any given point in a number gives me a solid workout. I know I would gain immensely by perfecting control of all these melodic elements with increased speed, fludiity, and timing that startles with pleasure. My current setup is a treasure trove of possibilities and I will continue to work it. The 4th conga? My candy in the store. Pure impulse, desire, love... while the mixer will offer me the advantages you all have enumerated, and will be a solidly useful addition.

That being said, the "candy" -- like the siren of rhythm it is--- draws me to her! Oy vey.

Posted: **Fri Jul 06, 2007 6:45 pm**

At our gig saturday, the lead guitarist broke an important string during his solo while out in the audience...the rhythm guitar player was out there too, and didn't see why the lead stopped playing. I had to come up with a totally improv solo. I used three congas and the bongos for over a minute while the lead guitar changed guitars, after getting back on stage..never really thought too much about using them all together live as a set of five, but it did work out that way and got some pretty awesome responses from the audience! Later I found out everybody figured it was how we did that song. I'm working on that idea more now, just in case the need arises again...something to think about.
God bless!

-Ron

Posted: **Fri Jul 06, 2007 10:41 pm**

peace&bless!
as is often the case in music, it's a matter of self gratification versus serving the collective. this apply to buying instruments as well.
the mixer will give you more power and control and also will prove to a potential band-leader he is hiring a responsible and wise musician.
so it will turn into a business investment.
3 tumbadoras will cover any working situation, more work will come and you will soon have the funds to invest in your fourth drum, if you so want.
charlie parker recorded on a plastic saxophone more than once, art blakey, mongo or any other great musician would play just as great on any (and any size of) instrument.
elvin jones said he played on a four piece drumset untill he felt he reached a point of no expansion (after 30 or 40 years), then, and only then, he added two more drums.
only if you feel you already explored everything is there for you to explore on 3 drums then you should add a 4th.
no dissrespect for anyone but when i see dozens of (the same kind of) instruments sitting in somebody's living room i know just one of them would make all the difference in the world for some poor, extremely talented kid who's out there in the street beating on a oil can or wood box.

Posted: **Sat Jul 07, 2007 3:29 am**

I agree with three being plenty..last night I used two that were provided by the venue, and I brought my bongos...made transport alot easier for a short gig two hours away. Really two is pretty common also. I prefer three for some melodic stuff I do in pop/rock genre, but two worked okay last night with the bongos used a little differently than usual.

God bless!

-Ron

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