PA System

[santucci218]

so i have like say....700 dollars to play around with for a powered mixer and probably two, 1x15 monitors. I'm hoping for 500 watts and a powered mixer with some effects. Please, give me suggestions, im new to PA stuff and i dont know what is good for the $$$$. Ty, Paul.

[Deacon_Blues]

It's hard to get anything great for that price, but one alternative could be to get a Behringer mixer (those are actually really OK IMO) with effects for 100-200 dollars, and a couple of cheap-brand active speakers or some used ones for about 300 each (if you can find something that cheap). If you lived in Europe, I'd suggest a pair of T-box active speakers from Thomann, but perhaps you have something similar in the US too.

Powered mixers can be OK, as long as they have enough features and enough power. I have some experience with cheap 6-channel sets with speakers included, and those were really crap. But I've also played with one that was really ok, that one was more like a regular mixer with most features you need in a mixer plus power amp. I don't remember which brand it was and have no clue about the price).

Check out what used stuff is available. Try to buy either a good mixer or good speakers if you cannot get both of good quality. If both are too cheap and crappy you might want to buy a completely new set later...

[iamoldschool]

How about putting $300 back in your pocket? MF has the Phonic 7 channel w/effects @ 440 watts bridged along with two 15" cabs that can be used as mains or monitors for $400. The cabs are rated @ 600W max. They're on backorder, though. I've had mine ordered for three weeks now. I am buying based solely on the price and reviews on the MF site. At $400, I thought it was worth taking a chance on.

[TyronPotamkin]

Originally Posted by iamoldschool

How about putting $300 back in your pocket? MF has the Phonic 7 channel w/effects @ 440 watts bridged along with two 15" cabs that can be used as mains or monitors for $400. The cabs are rated @ 600W max. They're on backorder, though. I've had mine ordered for three weeks now. I am buying based solely on the price and reviews on the MF site. At $400, I thought it was worth taking a chance on.

A good friend of mine got this set up and it's not bad for the money. Not a power house by any means but a real good piece of gear for practice or smalls gigs where two mains and moniters are needed.

[wurmhole]

I've had really good luck with yamaha SR gear. Do yourself a favor and buy something just once. Less than $400 for a powered mixer. you can get by with some inexpensive speakers at first, then move them to monitors once you save up enough money for some mains. If you go with a Yamaha mixer, select the ClubV speakers from them to get a really good sound as the mixer has circuitry built in to match up with the speakers.

[santucci218]

I was hoping for two 15 inch monitors that can get at least 400 watts each...any other suggestions for monitors and a powered mixer? The behringer powered mixers seem nice, but do they last..god knows the reputation on behringer bass cabinets.

[Ibanezzer]

Well within your rather limited budget for a PA you're gonna have to compromise a bit. Beringer's may be okay but I personally wouldn't trust it for gigging use. I use a Mackie board that I bought refurbed a little while back, in your price range I'd look at the lowend Yamaha unpowered boards and then buy used speakers and put the rest of the money into a decent poweramp. If you went used on everything you could probably get a real nice setup, though I personally would buy a board that is either new or in relatively new condition since it's probably going to get abused a lot.