How to connect Choir Player to a PA system for live and rehearsal use

While most choir members use the Choir Player App as individuals for learning and rehearsing parts, one of the best features is that you can also use it for full choir rehearsals and live performance.

Simply by turning off the vocal parts, you have a ready-made backing track for the live run throughs and performance. No need to find CDs or MP3s, just connect your phone or tablet to a speaker and away you go!

Here’s how:

1. Get a cable to connect to your amp or PA

In most cases this will be a simple mini jack to phono cable (picture 1) or it could be mini jack to 1/4 inch jack (picture 2). They are very inexpensive and can be bought at most supermarkets or Amazon. Just look at the inputs if your speaker or PA to see what is required.

2. Connect the Phone/ Tablet to the PA

Make sure that the volume on the PA is down as far as possible i.e. Zero (see photo below):

Fader Zero

Plug the mini jack end of the cable into your phone or tablet.

Jack cable in phone

Set the volume on your phone/ tablet to about 60%.

Volume up down on Choir Player

Plug the other end of the cable into the PA as shown below (jack inputs option shown on left and phono cables shown on right):

Jack inputs into PA Phono cable plugged into PA

Choir Player app using backing track only

3. Play a song and set levels

Open up ChoirPlayer and select a song.

Mute the vocal tracks either by pulling down on the images of each vocal section or by using the mute buttons.

This means that all you will be able to hear is the backing track.

Press play.

Start to lift the volume slowly on the P.A. until you find a comfortable level.

Get the choir to sing along and adjust the level of the backing track up or down until it feels right.

You’re all set!

Tips

You may need a extension chord to extend the lead out of your phone if the distance to the PA is more than a couple of metres. (Obviously this depends on the length of cable you chose when you purchased).
You can adjust the volume live in real time by increasing or decreasing the headphone output levels on your phone or tablet.
If one part of your choir is a little low in numbers or needs a bit of help, you could add a little of the recorded choir section in to support them. E.g. If for the live performance you don’t very many bass singers and the choir sounds a bit unbalanced. You could add a little of just the bass part in the mix to support them.
Many modern speakers support Bluetooth. So all you would need to do in that situation is connect your phone or tablet to the speaker wirelessly via bluetooth. In this scenario you don’t need a cable.
It might be worth switching your phone to ‘Flight mode’ to stop the danger of a call or text coming in, in the middle of your beautiful performance and playing on the PA!
Make sure that you download all of your songs before putting the phone in flight mode.