cheap pa

crj14525 · #1 07-20-2011, 06:08 PM

Ok... my band has absolutely no form of amplification for our singer. We can't afford a very nice pa system. Please tell me about any jerry rigged equipment that would work for a practice space until we get the money for a pa.

jefkritz · #2 07-20-2011, 06:11 PM

i got a used behringer kx1200 back in the day for pretty cheap. not a pa (it's a keyboard amp), but it does okay. it has 4 inputs, with 1 or 2 allowing XLR or 1/4" and the rest using 1/4"

jefkritz · #3 07-20-2011, 06:13 PM

also, if you're good at tinkering, you could probably find some sweet deals on craigslist. especially if you get minorly broken stuff and can fix it.

crj14525 · #4 07-20-2011, 06:19 PM

I have a sort of idea... I do have a pretty nice stereo. If I could get a quarter inch to av adapter or something along those lines, could I plug in a mike and crank it up?

NoiseNinja · #5 07-20-2011, 06:29 PM

Get some Behringer active pa speakers along with a cheap mixer from Behringer too.

crj14525 · #6 07-20-2011, 06:30 PM

How much do they cost?

NoiseNinja · #7 07-20-2011, 06:40 PM

I wouldn't know in $, but in danish kroner it'a around 1500 a piece and you can get a mixer for around a 1000. That would be around 800$ but musical equipment is usually cheaper in the U.S. So my guess would be around 600-700$.
But why don't you look it up your self at some online U.S music store.
Tecnically you could go for less and just use one active speaker with the microphone direct into the microphone in plug at the back, that would leave you around 250-300$.

crj14525 · #8 07-20-2011, 06:46 PM

I will.

waleross · #9 07-20-2011, 07:11 PM

I won't knock Beheringer because next door are Kustom PA's. They are are the bottom feeders and if you blow them up, you won't be out that much money. I first bought a Kustom 100 watt PA that even had special effects for $200 what the heck. I re-sold it for $80...................I didn't push it but for vocals you can do worse. I then bought (2) powered 15" Kustom speakers for $125 each new. These are good with a Yamaha PA but I don't use them for vocals just drums. )...................You might do ok with a used PA since most of the time bands come and go and equipment
gets re-sold.....

MNAirHead · #10 07-20-2011, 10:15 PM

Small used mixer and solid state guitar amp

seanm · #11 07-20-2011, 10:51 PM

Get one of the acoustic guitar amps with a built in mic (XLR) input. You can usually get them fairly cheap and they are generally well built.

T-Bird · #12 07-20-2011, 11:26 PM

Hi.

Any combo around 100W will do.

IME bass combos will perform slightly better in vocal use.

Don't worry about LoZ-HiZ mismatch using XLR->phone, the inadequacies in the amp/speaker section will blanket that.

Regards
Sam

MuzikMan · #13 07-21-2011, 12:59 AM

A powered speaker with a microphone input will be the cheapest legitimate way to go these days.

phatbass · #14 07-21-2011, 01:13 AM

One of these:

BEHRINGER: B212A

with a Shure SM58 plugged directly into it.

Later, buy another couple and a small mixer:

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/1002.aspx

and a second mic (if needed) and you've got a vocal PA for small gigs.

The singer should own all this stuff ^ anyway; when you go to bigger gigs hire a system.