Would you consider this Overkill??

[spectorbass83]

This past Saturday I went out for a drink with some friends in a small bar. This place had a capacity of around 100 people.
The house band had their system seat up for the night and I was pretty surprised to see such a big rig.

Their PA system consisted of 2-2x15 speakers up top PLUS 2 more 2x15" speakers for the bottom. So they had 4 2x15" speakers in a bar with a maximum capacity of 100 people..Not to mention they had a huge rack loaded with power amps and a mixer...Does this seem like a little much for such a small venue or am I just crazy??

[infect]

Originally Posted by spectorbass83

This past Saturday I went out for a drink with some friends in a small bar. This place had a capacity of around 100 people.
The house band had their system seat up for the night and I was pretty surprised to see such a big rig.

Their PA system consisted of 2-2x15 speakers up top PLUS 2 more 2x15" speakers for the bottom. So they had 4 2x15" speakers in a bar with a maximum capacity of 100 people..Not to mention they had a huge rack loaded with power amps and a mixer...Does this seem like a little much for such a small venue or am I just crazy??

Seems a bit overkill.. But if the volume is used sparingly, it'd give a nice coverage soundwise I would think. It all depends on how smart the soundguy is

[tZer]

Yes - and I cannot tell you how sick I am of playing it tiny bars that have DJ's and sounds systems that could handle a venue 5x's the size. We play at a tiny place in Barnhart and run our own sound from the stage (our own PA) - I wear one earplug (right side) to reduce the abuse of the guitars and drums that are coming from over there.

We finish our set and the god-awful DJ cranks up the god-awful mid-set music at such a volume that I end up putting in both ear plugs to save my poor ears from this ridiculously overblown system. If the weather is ok, I just go outside until the next set. This gets me out of the smoke too - which is another topic altogether... The damn DJ sits in a plexi-glass booth - and I am guessing he is either half deaf is somehow not effected by this volume. And I cannot understand how this crowd of mindless knuckleheads seems to enjoy this painful volume level - do they think it is cool? I have no idea - but forget about talking to anyone - which, judging by the crowd of regulars here, is probably not on their priority list anyhow.

Man, if something hurts, it hurts. Weather it is a punch in the nose or 150dbs in the ears! Freakin' idiots....

[Pajama_Bottoms]

How big was their backline?

[DWBass]

Sounds like my old band! 2-2x15 subs, 2-2x15 mains, 4 wedge monitors, rolling rack with Mackie 16 channel mixer, 2 1500+watts amps, reverb unit, compressor unit, eq unit, wireless mic for lead singer, in ear monitors x3, Guitar #1 using a Mesa Boogie combo +ext. cab, Guitarist #2 using, a Marshall combo (small but loud as hell), very hard hitting drummer completely mic'd into his own mixer patched into the main board with the kick maximized! Pretty frikkin' loud for a pop cover band! Onstage volume always louder than the P.A. with the mics feedbacking like crazy at every gig! I was always asked to use my big rig and to boost the volume and lows! I refused to because I always told everyone that they were too loud and if you can't hear me it's because you're too loud!

Overkill?

[Lazylion]

Originally Posted by tZer

...I cannot tell you how sick I am of playing in tiny bars that have DJ's and sounds systems that could handle a venue 5x's the size.
We finish our set and the god-awful DJ cranks up the god-awful mid-set music at such a volume that I end up putting in both ear plugs to save my poor ears from this ridiculously overblown system. If the weather is ok, I just go outside until the next set....forget about talking to anyone...

I've played a few places like that...if you expect to have any voice left for the next set, you don't even try to talk to anyone. The place that sprang to mind was the place in Anaheim CA, it went by several names, was called the Cowboy Boogie for a while. It wasn't small, but they played the break music at least double the volume of the bands! Conversing was tough at best.

[theshadow2001]

I wouldn't consider that a particularly big rig. It would also depend on what wattage they were putting through it. The type of speakers etc. For the venue it might(or might not) be a lot but as the saying goes "Its better to be looking at it than looking for it"
I played some serisouly small venues with one of these. But I've played large venues with it as well. Basically the band I was in that used it needed something with a lot of power for larger venues but it's all we had when it came to smaller venues so we just pulled back on the volume a bit.
The PA used before that was a 2x15 tops plus 2x18 subs powered by a 1000 watt desk which was ok but when it came to larger venues it just couldnt hack it. I refer you back to the "old saying" above

(Surely one thing we all must have learned from talkbass is that there's no such thing as over kill)

[ldiezman]

I wouldn't say its overkill really.. You have plenty of head room and as long as you aren't trying to blow the walls down, you'll probably get a much better sound with a larger system that you aren't pushing to fill a space than a smaller system that you are pushing its limits...

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by mb1

If the guys ever hear about this, I'll be in real trouble.

Ha! I saw a "Pimp My Ride" episode and they actually put one of those in a vehicle! Literally made his rear seats useless!

[spectorbass83]

Originally Posted by Pajama_Bottoms

How big was their backline?

I didn't get to see the band play because I had to go before they started, but all I seen on stage was 1 peavey bass combo and one fender guitar cab..I am guessing they were just a trio...