Portable PA Systems
 

I manage a gorup of trainers who travel from city to city doing presentations.

Now, it's easy enough to present to a group of 20-30 poeple without a microphone, but it does get tiring.

I'm looking for a portable, wireless microphone/amplifier/speaker system that my trainers could use in a room that accomodates up to 50 people or so.

My goals are to make it easier for those in back to hear everything, and to reduce speaker fatigue when the presenter has to conduct multiple sessions throughout a day.

I'd also like to use it at trade shows for 1 to 1 or 1 to few dicusssions so my trainers don't need to speak loudly for 10 hours a day just to be heard over the white noise of a show floor.

The mike has to be wireless, and the system had to be protable and durable enough to survive jumping around to different cities and stand up to baggage handling.

Has anyone used such a system, or is there one you might recomend? What features should I look for in such a system?

Thanks,
Cromely.

I've had and used the Peavey Messenger, Fender PD250 and the Amplivox SW905. Personally I like the Amplivox SW905. Bigger then what you probably need but it held up the best. The Fender PD250 was damaged via travel the Peavey Messenger as actually held up pretty good. Don't worry about items that come with wireless mic's, I've found that I've had to replace and get seperate wireless mic's over time.

On the Amplivox, I like the built in CD and Tape player, the other systems you need your own external plug ins. Plus it has held up on international travel and held up in humid and not so nice conditions. Another person here likes the Peavey the most.

Bang for the buck, this one is hard to beat:
http://www.mipro.com.tw/products/e/ma705.asp

I have one and it works extremely well for the size of group you're looking at, rather lightweight even with an internal battery. The modular wireless transmitter/receiver works rather well, you can configure the system to meet your specific needs with any combination of wireless receivers/cd player. Contact a local AV dealer to get pricing.

Edit: Here's another excellent portable PA system:
http://www.lightspeed-tek.com/default.aspx?id=5

I have several system from the Fender PD250's to full concert rig, for what you are talking about I would choose the Fender PD-250 system with the wired mic. They do have some wireless mics that are inexpensive if you wanted to add those on.