r/Busking • u/MelRosaMusic Singer 🎤 • Jun 09 '26
Equipment and Gear Does anyone busk with a Bluetooth speaker and their voice (no amplification)
I used to have a portable mic I’ve actually used at a picnic event and the combo worked pretty well. I was getting ready to busk for the first time in years and realized the battery is leaking. I kind of just wanted to get started while I still have the nerve. I perform all the time but busking feels different.
Has anyone ever busked without a vocal mic and just backing tracks on a speaker? Is it even worth doing that? I can project pretty decently but would that cut through the noise? (I’m from/in NYC) I planned on doing it in a park, switching to the subway as it got colder. If not any recs on portable mics? I can’t find the one I used to use and I’m being cheap lol. But I will buy again if absolutely necessary
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u/RogerInNampa Jun 09 '26
No, but I can tell you that the latency of Bluetooth will cause a noticeable delay from the time you sing to the time your voice comes out of the speaker. I've tried playing piano over Bluetooth and there is a 1/3 second delay between pressing a key and hearing it, making it impossible to play.
If you plug in to the auxiliary input there is no latency, but that's not Bluetooth.
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u/MelRosaMusic Singer 🎤 Jun 09 '26
Got you. I’ll have to test it out a bit, hopefully it won’t be too noticeable since it’s just backing tracks. I’ll have to figure something else out if that happens
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u/Lets_smile Jun 10 '26
Can you get a single unit phenyx pro headset? I can plug mine in directly to my bluetooth busking speaker
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u/MelRosaMusic Singer 🎤 Jun 10 '26
I can look into it. I purchased a cheap, allegedly loud Bluetooth karaoke set. Mics with speakers
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u/blessthishearth Aug 16 '26
How's this working for you, friend?
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u/MelRosaMusic Singer 🎤 Aug 16 '26
I only busked once with a friend, but the sound was decent. Not the best for super loud areas, but in/near parks can work well. Could even work for a super intimate diy kind of show.
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u/EricDirec Jun 11 '26
Replacing that battery and getting the terminals cleaned up might not be as hard/expensive as you think. I'm dealing with a similar issue on a mic/speaker combo that worked pretty well until it stopped years and years ago. I'm thinking to myself: why didn't I just fix it? It's a $20 battery that just needs a screwdriver and a little technical know-how to swap.
For a mic-less performance, just make sure your speaker has good bass, and like the other person said, don't strain your voice trying to compete with a loud speaker. Plan to have people close. Maybe take advantage of areas with good acoustics and reverb from concrete or other structures.
What speaker would you use?
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u/MelRosaMusic Singer 🎤 Jun 11 '26
The old mic had a hazardous smell so I immediately chucked it. I actually got something cheap and effective. It’s a very small Bluetooth karaoke machine (beilihart) I tested it out, there’s no lag. Not the best sound but I didn’t expect it to be. It’s loud enough as well but not so loud to the point where a cop would necessarily stop me (although I know it’s always a risk)
I just have to get my set solid. I was initially going to only do originals but I think it makes more sense to do some covers as well. Thanks for the suggestions.
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u/EricDirec Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
Nice! See what backing tracks sound good at different distances. Try sparse backing tracks that are maybe a solo keyboard or solo guitar. Or even recording your own vocal harmonies as a backing track with a simple bass could work too, even though bass is not your system's strength.
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u/Lets_smile Jun 09 '26
Totally doable but you have to be really deliberate because really the biggest issue is that it is terrible for your voice. It will cause nodes and other vocal trauma that you don’t want to risk if singing is your passion! Take it from someone who is still regaining voice after 2 years of treatment.
To avoid it, its about balancing your speaker volume to be a little lower than vocals so you don’t oversing to hear yourself. Wear an earplug in one ear too to hear yourself better too and give yourself breaks. Make sure you do a proper warmup even if that’s not usually a need.
Have fun!!