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Amateur PA Setup Questions

theory028

theory028

Really Loud Hamburger.
Jul 4, 2007
1,291
16
Cedar Falls, IA
#1
I must mention that I am very new to the world of PA gear. I have been looking at this stuff for a while but still have a lot to learn.

My band wants to start putting together our own PA system. Since we're all students and have other expenses to put first, our budget is fairly tight. It seems like the most budget friendly option would be to start out with some powered speakers. From there, we could add some bigger mains and demote the powered speakers to the job of monitors.

Would this be an acceptable path to take? My line of thought is that I could get two powered speakers (probably of the 12" variety, unless 15s would be a better investment) and a mixer of some sort. Then I could later use my Carvin B1500 to power some mains by sending a signal from the mixer to the return of the effects loop.

Perhaps a more logical thing to do would be to get a powered mixer from the beginning and send a line out to feed the powered speakers? That way I wouldn't have to get a separate power amp later.

Any thoughts or recommendations? I'm seeing a few pairs of used powered speakers on eBay that I'm tempted to jump on but am trying to hold off until I'm more confident in my decision.

Thanks a lot! I'm looking forward to reading some responses and learning more about PA setups. :hyper:
 
#2
A friend of mine who works for a sound company loves powered speakers. Set them up, plug them in, and you're ready to rock and roll. I myself prefer passive speakers with separate power amps just because of the weight consideration. I'd rather make more trips, and carry lighter stuff. (Can you tell who the guy that humps everything through the door is??)

I would recommend 15" 2 ways to start. And when the opportunity arises, get a pair of subs that you can pole mount the 2 ways to.

A powered mixer is great for running monitors, but you'll get no where near the power out of it for running mains. I think 300W is pretty standard for a powered mixer.

If Passin Wind should reply to your post, I would take everything he says as gospel and everything I said with a grain of salt.
 
#3
Go with the powered speakers. Anything half decent will have built in processing so they should sound better. As far as Phalex post about weight most powered speakers that I can think of only weigh about 10 pounds more than their unpowered versions. If you are just planning on using them for vocals then a 12 will work and be lighter.
 
#4
Thanks for the quick and helpful reply, Phalex!

I'll look for some 15" 2 ways. My initial setup is looking like it may be two speakers and a powered mixer. I'm stuck between passive and active now. I'd love to not have to plug each speaker in and save on weight. It would also be nice to use the power section of the mixer, since it's already going to be there. The power issue was also a good point that I did not really consider. It does seem like it may be more flexible to get a separate power amp for the mains when it comes time to upgrade.

Thanks again for sharing your opinion! :bassist:

--

Thanks to modulusman as well. It's nice to have varying opinions to consider. Those are also very good points. I'll definitely consider both options before jumping into anything.
 
#6
For a while I was looking at the Behringer B212As because of the attractive price and generally positive feedback they receive. I have since been looking more at 15" speakers. I would like some Carvin LM153s or the two-way version. I'm not sure about buying new speakers, though. They offer two LM15s with two 50' cables for about $540 after shipping. That doesn't seem too bad since I love all of my Carvin gear that I have in my bass rig, but they are passive. I'll still have to cruise the used gear shop circuit in the area. I'm not particularly set on a particular model or brand.

I'm always open to suggestions!
 
#7
what exactly are you looking to put in the pa?
just vox 12's will work, but 15's might be better in the long run if they are to eventually do monitor duty and/ or have instruments added to the mix.
definitely with the camp of powered speakers on stands to start,
then add subs, demote the tops to monitors... very logical start.
i really don't see much extra weight in most powered cabs, as the more affordable models are using digital amps and composite materials and/or plastic for the cabs.
the new jbl eons can do 450 watts at 32 lbs. each, for example:[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
(not the cheapest though).
powered mixers are good at giving you basic eq, fx and power in one package, but are obsolete once you upgrade to a larger system with more power and channel needs...
there are some powerful ones though, yorkville makes one with two 800 watt power sections and two 280 watt power sections, for example.:
Invalid Link Removed
anyway, budget-wise and upgrade-wise a small mixer is most likely a better way to go.
however, you then should consider getting a proper equalizer to tune the system with and perhaps an effects processor. luckily, these would continue to work in an upgrade situation.
 
#8
I will mainly be using the setup for vocals but I would like to be able to add some instruments to the mix if need be. The 15" speakers seem to be the way to go.

I'll keep what you said about equalizers in mind. It would be nice to have one component that will be useful even as the system evolves. ;)

I definitely agree with what you're saying about the powered mixers. I don't want to spend a lot on one because I would eventually like to have more powerful amps that aren't typically offered in powered mixers (all upgrades will depend on the band's needs, of course). I suppose that is one big advantage of going with powered speakers from the beginning. I'll keep searching for a mixer to use with some powered speakers. My eBay searches seem to turn up quite a few powered mixers that are rather affordable. There are some Peavey mixers that seem like solid options. I like the form factor of the rackmountable units as well. I have an empty rack that would work nicely as a PA rack.

Thanks again to everyone that has been offering their opinions and recommendations!
 
#9
A couple of the posts sound a little confusing, so just to clarify you need either powered speakers OR a powered mixer, but probably not both. I don't recommend a powered mixer for monitors because most of them have very limited EQ options.

Also in terms of weight, I don't think that's a real concern either. Most of the powered speakers aren't all that heavy. It depends on what your options are.

I really like my powered speakers. They sound great, are easy to setup and give me a lot of flexibility. If you are buying new anyway, powered really deserves some attention. If you are buying off Craigslist, there are better deals on passive stuff and very little quality used powered stuff (at least in my neck of the woods).
 
#10
If you are just starting out you will be way better off with powered speakers. The companies and engineers who designed them have spent alot of time and money to make them sound good. There is no way a newbie is going to be able to make a powered mixer/passive speaker setup sound as good.
 
#13
cabrego said:
Behringer B215a's are probably the best choice for you. They have a good warranty and are pretty reliable and affordable. It is pretty easy to make these sound good.
Click to expand...

What do you folks think of these?-- Tapco TH15As and they look IDENTICAL to the Mackie TH15A that are $100 more. They're 15s, 400 watts. Active.

Invalid Link Removed $260 with free speaker stands (at the moment)
 
#14
I got the impression that the Tapco 15HA was getting phased out and replaced by the Mackie (seeing as they are the same company, and look identical). I could be wrong though.

I've heard good things about them, and from memory they're a lot lighter than the Behringers. I have a pair of the Behringer B212A and they arent bad, but there is better out there. I suspect the Mackie would be better but can't say.
 

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