Traveling Snack @ Ueno Station Poreia Plaza: Powering Through Noise with a Portable PA and Powered Speaker

Hello.
Previously, I appeared in “Street Snack,” and in November, I had the opportunity to perform again during a traveling event at Ueno Station as “Traveling Snack.”

Here is the article about the “Street Snack” performance in September:

⇒ Street Snack: Performing Using the Outdoor Amp Cube Street EX

This time, I will talk about the “Traveling Snack” event and the equipment I used for the performance.

About Street Snack, Traveling Snack, and Street Music

“Street Snack” is a new type of community-focused eatery. It creates spaces for multi-generational interaction and urban development, and various events around different themes are hosted there.

Street Snack

“Street Music” refers to the music performances held at “Street Snack.”
“Street Snack” also occasionally opens as a traveling pop-up called “Traveling Snack” at the request of companies. This time, as part of a PR event for JR East’s Morioka branch, we held a live music performance in collaboration with local Morioka products, which included bread and sake.

The venue was lined with Morioka sake. Non-alcoholic beverages were also available.

There were also sausages and bread.

I performed solo guitar with a setlist themed mainly around travel.

The plaza just outside Ueno Station had a beer stand with a live music vibe. It was great—if my nearest station were like this, I’d stop by all the time (laughs).

Scenes from “Traveling Snack”

Live Equipment and Setup

Unlike the indoor live performance in September, this “Street Music” event was a fairly challenging environment for acoustic performance.

• There wasn’t much time, so detailed sound checks and rehearsals weren’t possible.
• Major roads, train tracks, and a huge screen were nearby, so surrounding noise was quite loud.
• The stage area couldn’t be made very large.

During the performance, I was concerned about potential feedback and whether I could monitor my own sound properly.
But no problem! With the equipment below, I was able to handle it successfully.

PA System (Mixer, Main Speaker)

YAMAHA / STAGEPAS 600BT

Multi-Effects Processor

Line 6 / HX Stomp

Floor Monitor

CLASSIC PRO / CS104P

How Each Piece of Equipment Was Used During the Performance

This is how everything was connected.

About the PA System: YAMAHA STAGEPAS 600BT

The YAMAHA STAGEPAS 600BT is a PA system that can produce high volume while remaining very easy to set up and use.
Take it out of the box, detach the mixer from the speaker unit, connect the speaker cable to the mixer, and then just plug in your microphones and instruments and raise the volume. Easy peasy.
Within about 15 minutes of arriving at the venue, I was able to get sound from the main speakers. Its simple configuration is also convenient because, in the event of rain, I could quickly move it under a roof.

Operating the mixer is also very straightforward. Each knob and button has an icon, so once you touch it, you won’t get confused again.

I was a little concerned about the volume, but it wasn’t an issue at all. In fact, since it can produce produce at an extremely loud volume, I actually played with the volume turned down a bit.

This time, I used a higher-wattage model, but if the speakers had been placed on stands, a slightly lower-wattage unit might have been sufficient—or perhaps using two smaller-wattage units could have worked as well… maybe. (Or would it have been overpowered by the surrounding noise? This part is hard to predict without actually trying it first.)

YAMAHA / STAGEPAS 400BT

YAMAHA / STAGEPAS 200BTR (Battery Model)

About the Floor Monitor CLASSIC PRO CS104P

People who already own this product might say, “Hey, wait a minute!! Don’t lie!! The CLASSIC PRO CS104P isn’t a floor monitor!!”

CLASSIC PRO / CS104P

But no, that’s not the case. Placed at an angle like this, it works perfectly as a floor monitor.

Scene of Floor Monitor Adjustment (In the back is the YAMAHA STAGEPAS speaker, front left is the CS104P)

The monitor is propped up using the L-bracket that comes with the product. Honestly, it feels like the bracket was made for this exact purpose (laughs). The CS104P has a 90° × 90° coverage angle, so even if you move around a bit during the performance, you can still monitor your own sound perfectly.

Being a powered speaker, it’s also a plus that you can adjust the volume directly on the unit. For example, during ballads, when you want to make your own sound louder, it’s much quicker at a small event like this to just turn up the volume on the speaker at your feet rather than adjusting the mixer each time.

Weighing only 2.5 kg, it’s easy to carry and doesn’t take up much stage space, which is really convenient. For outdoor events or situations where monitoring your own sound might be difficult, I decided I’ll always bring it as a backup.

Looking Back on Traveling Snack and Street Music

This event was held over three days, from Thursday to Saturday, with great weather, and it successfully ran from the evening into night.
Instrumental music from various performers added extra charm to the event.

I would be happy if it became a memorable experience for those stopping by after work or traveling, or if it served as the reason for someone to visit Morioka in the future.

Summary

This time, I introduced the “Traveling Snack” event, the music performances held there, and the equipment I used for the outdoor live show, focusing on the YAMAHA STAGEPAS and CLASSIC PRO CS104P.

Outdoor performances tend to be challenging for both performers and sound engineers. However, the freedom of casually stopping by, enjoying a drink, and listening to live music in comfortable weather is a unique pleasure of outdoor events. Considering this environment as an exchange for a valuable experience for both listeners and participants, it’s not so bad (probably).

I hope this article provides useful information for those organizing outdoor events.

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