What's the Best Pro Media Player for Me? |
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Most units in our range of professional media players can be mounted into a 19” rack and, depending on the model, allow you to playback music via Bluetooth, CDs, DAB+, SD cards and/or USB sticks. To provide you with a clear overview and to point you in the right direction, we’ve written this helpful Pro Media Player Buyer’s Guide. If it doesn’t answer all of your questions, feel free to contact us! What is It? | Cassette | CD | USB | SD | Bluetooth | Radio | External Gear | Recorder | Making a Choice | More 1. What’s a Pro Media Player?When we say pro media players, we’re referring to various kinds of 19-inch audio players that can be mounted inside any flight case or rack that has a standardised, 19” width. Professional audio players are commonly found in bars, cafés, theatres, venues and inside racks and flight cases as part of bands’ and performers’ live rigs. Question 2 to 7 will cover specific playback options including tape, USB, SD, Bluetooth, radio and CD. Most players feature professional XLR outputs and extensive control sections. You can recognise 19” gear by the mounting brackets (rack ears) fitted to either side of the unit. Each piece of 19” audio equipment has a standard height measured in rack units, where one rack unit (1U) equals 4.45cm. Needless to say, the width is always 19 inches (48.26cm). Tips:
Pro Media Players
2. What’s a Professional Cassette Player?While they’re a rare sight nowadays, there are still pro audio players available that offer playback via cassette tapes and help to keep the nostalgia alive. 19” players equipped with a cassette deck are perfect for anyone with an old-school collection of hits and, fortunately, modern models often offer playback via CD and/or USB as well, making sure you’re not limited to antiquatities only! Professional Cassette Players
3. What’s a Professional CD Player?CDs have been around for quite some time and are still a popular storage format for audio files. If you’re a sound technician, you’re no doubt familiar with people coming up to you to ask if you can play one or two tracks off of a CD they’ve brought. Conveniently, the slim size of CDs ensures that pro audio players equipped with a CD player usually take up a minimum amount of space: 1U in the case of rack set-ups. Also, CD players are often outfitted with USB ports and other playback options as well. Tip: Looking for a 19” media player focussed on DJs? Check out our range of 19” CD & Media Players for units equipped with jogwheels, pitch adjustment options and double CD players.
4. What’s a Professional USB Player?USB is probably the most popularly used playback option when it comes to pro audio players. As a storage medium, USB is fast, compact and easy to use. In addition, USB sticks aren’t exactly burdensome to carry and offer loads of storage capacity. A single 128GB stick can hold an entire record collection, saving you and your back from having to lift crates crammed with vinyl. Not all professional USB players support the same file formats (e.g. MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC), so always check the product descriptions and specifications.
5. What’s a Professional SD Player?In terms of practical use, SD cards are very similar to USB sticks which is why there are plenty of pro audio players that come equipped with an SD card reader. While SD cards are even more compact than USB sticks, they’re more sensitive as well. Don’t worry iIf you can’t decide between SD and USB, there are lots of players that support both as playback options. Not all professional SD players support the same file formats (e.g. MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC), so always check the product descriptions and specifications. Professional SD Players
6. What’s a Professional Bluetooth Player?Bluetooth was already commonplace among portable speakers but has also found its way to more professional gear. Pro audio players equipped with Bluetooth technology are not only popular but come in handy when people come up with their phone in their hands requesting a song you don’t have. Professional Bluetooth Players
7. What’s a Professional Radio?In most cases, professional radios are audio players that have a built-in analogue radio and an antenna (connector). With higher-quality, interference-free digital radio (DAB+) on the rise, analogue radio is becoming more and more outdated. Don’t confuse DAB+ with internet radio. These are different digital audio broadcasting systems, where audio players with a built-in internet radio can tune into any internet radio station in the world via WiFi. Professional Players with Built-In Analogue Radio
8. What Kind of Gear Can I Connect to a Pro Audio Player?If it’s equipped with a line input (‘AUX in’), you can use an audio cable to connect something like smartphones or laptops. In most cases, you’ll need either a mini-jack cable or an RCA cable. Some audio players feature a microphone input (jack or XLR), turning them into an all-in-one solution for places like pubs and conference rooms. Since audio players never have built-in amplification, they must be linked up with a pair of active speakers or a pair of passive speakers driven by an external amplifier. To connect an audio player to other external gear like a wireless microphone system or musical instruments, you’ll most likely need a mixer to merge the various sound sources. Pro Audio Players with Line Input(s)
9. Can I Use a Pro Audio Player to Record Audio?Check out our range of 19” recorders if you’re looking for a device that can both playback and record audio!
10. What’s the Best Pro Audio Player for Me?If you’ve read the FAQs in this Buyer’s Guide, you should now have a clear understanding of the various playback options that pro audio players offer. Which exact model is best for you depends entirely on your preferences. In other words, whether you need access to a cassette deck, USB ports, an SD-card reader, Bluetooth, radio, or any combination of these playback options. While we can’t decide for you, what we will say is that you can make picking out what you need a little easier by using the search filters to browse our assortment of Pro Audio Players! Pro Media Players
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