In a facebook magic group someone asked about sound systems for bday parties. I was kinda amazed by the response of the people. I think one of the interesting responses was , “you don’t need one for a dozen kids…”, i find this interesting because while a dozen kids in average, having 30 is not uncommon.
Another factor is production value. Having music in your show adds a lot to it. It kills dead time and opens up other things to do, like musical gags and bits. Whenever I do shows without music, I feel the show isn’t living up to its full potential.
Then there’s the core issue, having your voice heard. I’ve seen too many shows where you can’t hear the performer and it’s a small group. It could be because the show is outside and there’s a lot of background noise, or it could be the performer not projecting.
Finally there’s the whole, 3 or 4 shows a day thing. You can blow out your voice in a weekend. A $300 bday party isn’t worth it if it wrecks your voice for the $1K gig you have saturday night.
Invest in the best sound system you can afford.