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basic PA for reggae band

stinger12345

stinger12345

Jan 24, 2009
202
2
37
Hayward, CA
#1
I'm a total n00b in the world of PA's, in every sense of the word. I searched for a basic PA thread with the specific focus on reggae sound, but nothing came up. The gig size would probably be a MAX of 200 in a backyard party setting. What is all the basic stuff I need? Based on info i've gathered from looking thru this forum, a mixer and amp, mains, and a subwoofer, is that enough? My rig is a LMII thru a Megoliath 8x10, which I can get plenty of bass thru. But the thing is, reggae bands are kind of over the top with the bass, so would a powered subwoofer be a good idea? My rig could probably get enough for a small indoor gig, but I don't think I could get the heart-shaking lows if its outdoor.

EDIT: I should add that what would be going thru the PA in addition to bass are 2 guitars, 2 vocals, and drums

Does this give you guys enough info to help me put together a basic set up? Keep in mind, we're a college band so the best bang for the buck is the name of the game.

stinger
 
#2
It sounds like your bass rig can stand on its own. I have a real small Kustom PA 100 watts($200) and I tested my SvT4pro with it and the PA speakers held up but not with any Head room. My PA is best for Vocals and maybe 1 guitar. Running the bass through the PA sounds great but would require a powerful set-up You're looking at lot of $$$. IF you need it for one gig maybe renting a PA would be better this way you could really get to know what you'll really need in the future. :cool:
 
#3
What's your budget? Figure that out first.

stinger12345 said:
I'm a total n00b in the world of PA's, in every sense of the word. I searched for a basic PA thread with the specific focus on reggae sound, but nothing came up. The gig size would probably be a MAX of 200 in a backyard party setting. What is all the basic stuff I need? Based on info i've gathered from looking thru this forum, a mixer and amp, mains, and a subwoofer, is that enough? My rig is a LMII thru a Megoliath 8x10, which I can get plenty of bass thru. But the thing is, reggae bands are kind of over the top with the bass, so would a powered subwoofer be a good idea? My rig could probably get enough for a small indoor gig, but I don't think I could get the heart-shaking lows if its outdoor.

EDIT: I should add that what would be going thru the PA in addition to bass are 2 guitars, 2 vocals, and drums

Does this give you guys enough info to help me put together a basic set up? Keep in mind, we're a college band so the best bang for the buck is the name of the game.

stinger
Click to expand...
 
#4
Go here Link Removed

Ask your question there and they should be abe to provide advice, direction and guidance. Sound is all they do...

If that link does not work simply go to Link Removed do a little searching and you'll probably have the answer to this queation and several more relating to sound reinforcement.
 
#5
tmw said:
Go here Link Removed

Ask your question there and they should be abe to provide advice, direction and guidance. Sound is all they do...
Click to expand...
PSW is an awesome resource for the OP or anyone else interested in pro audio. I've been lurking and occasionally posting there since the old LAB days and those guys know their sh!t. One caveat, head over there with an open mind and no attitude because they will school you (in both good and bad ways ;) ).

The first question they will ask is: what is your budget?
 
#8
I would just get a used Yamaha in the 1000-1200 watt range and use it to mic the vocals and possibly the kick drum. If you're playing a venue that you need the bass and guitars to go through a PA, they probably have a house system.
 
#10
stinger12345 said:
Thanks for the answers guys. There's actually a ProSound in my town that rents PAs, I think I might do that for the first show.

Anyway, could I make a rig like this with $1000 or less?
Click to expand...
I think you'd be sorely disappointed a PA in that price range for a reggae. If you're looking for full range reproduction with solid sub output you'll need some pretty serious power and good quality cabinets.

My previous band had a decent bar/club PA with Yorkville top and sub cabinets, monitors and power amps (3600 watt main system), 16-channel mixer (built in effects), several EQs, crossover, associated mics/cables/stands/racks+cases/etc. For our ensemble doing shows of up to a couple of hundred people it was really the bare minimum necessary, and we were playing acoustic/pop music. A system like that will run upwards of $5,000+ with modern systems, even with fairly budget components.

If you've got a pro audio rental house that may be the best way to go on a gig to gig basis. Even better, see if they can provide the service in its entirety for you, supplying transport for the rig and an engineer to set-up, operate and tear it down.
 
#11
stinger12345 said:
Thanks for the answers guys. There's actually a ProSound in my town that rents PAs, I think I might do that for the first show.

Anyway, could I make a rig like this with $1000 or less?
Click to expand...

1000 bones won't even get you close to a full rig with subs, tops, monitors, mixer, and amps. Thats just not in the cards. Even buying used gear and or budget gear, you are looking at $4000 to $5000.

Just rent a PA or hire a soundguy till you get things rolling.

Derek
 
#12
konodl18 said:
1000 bones won't even get you close to a full rig with subs, tops, monitors, mixer, and amps. Thats just not in the cards. Even buying used gear and or budget gear, you are looking at $4000 to $5000.

Just rent a PA or hire a soundguy till you get things rolling.

Derek
Click to expand...

+1 on hiring a production company

It does cut into the bands profits a little, but once you do have a 'band PA', you'll be dying to hire someone to haul it around and run it for you anyway... Most of the soundguys/production guys around here also throw lights up too.. One less thing to worry about..
 
#13
konodl18 said:
1000 bones won't even get you close to a full rig with subs, tops, monitors, mixer, and amps. Thats just not in the cards. Even buying used gear and or budget gear, you are looking at $4000 to $5000.

Just rent a PA or hire a soundguy till you get things rolling.

Derek
Click to expand...

I've played in Reggae bands, done sound for Rggae bands, as well as Reggae DJ's, and what D said is spot on.

It is highly improbable that on could put together a system that will provide those chest thumping lows, while keeping the other freq's in balance in the price range mentioned.

Down in JA even the back yard homemade sound systems utilize 4 subs at least. But then again, the vast majority of those speaker cabs are homemade as well.

One thing though, while Reggae is most certainly bass heavy, one reason it seems to be so pronounced is the other instrumentation they play with. Each of the instruments holds its own sonic territory, additionally bass doesn't need to compete with wailing distortion& blast beats. ;) ( Unless you play "americanized" reggae; which is a totally different beast.

What you could do is start to piece together a system and add on to it as your budget increases, and/or better deals on gear can be had.

For an "authentic Sound System", components would basically be:

1.mixer

2. "pre-mixer" (for drums if using a board with few channels. typically an 8 channel mixer for drums will suffice. Can be obtained fairly cheap; or you could just talk your drummer into buying one for himself or tell him he will have to make due with how many channels you can spare on the main board. :smug:)

3. power amps ( IME, a good rule of thumb; 2 watts per audience member, and amp('s) rated for 2x the power that you will need.) So for a party of 200, 800 watts for bass and 800 watts for mids/highs)

4. crossover
5. snake box/snakes
6. speaker enclosures
7. monitoring solution ( in ear or floor monitors)
8. mic's/mic. cables/boom stands
9. rack enclosure


If you prefer new gear Carvin has some good package deals:

Invalid Link Removed


Either way, you can get a decent PA that will be adequate for your needs in your price range, just dont have high expectations.

For a backyard party, if your all electric, your amps should be plenty. You would only need a P.A. for vocals.

For added flexibility I would consider something like this:

Invalid Link Removed



JackANSI also brings up an excellent point; hauling, setting up/tearing down, and running a large S.S. can be a major undertaking in and of itself. Something worth discussing w/ bandmates for sure. trust me. :D
 
#14
4lPh4n0m3g4 said:
3. power amps ( IME, a good rule of thumb; 2 watts per audience member, and amp('s) rated for 2x the power that you will need.) So for a party of 200, 800 watts for bass and 800 watts for mids/highs)
Click to expand...
I'm not sure were that rule of thumb came from but I don't think it can be applied with any degree of accuracy without knowing the sensitivity and power handling of the loudspeakers, the actual audience coverage area as well as the desired sound pressure levels. A 2 watt/audience member system could work, if those numbers suited the speakers you have and the area your trying to cover. It'd be somewhat of a miracle for all those things to align at the same time, though.

Using power amps that can deliver 2 times the continuous rated power of the speaker is a good Invalid Link Removed for an experienced operator, but can also result in blown speaker components if gain structure isn't set properly and the system is allowed to clip. A more conservative power range in combination with some system protection precautions (high pass filter on the subs, clip limiting on the amps, avoiding clipping the mixer, etc.) would be a better route for someone new to running a sound system.
 
#15
My small club rig was $15-20k. Don't forget the few thousand bucks in stuff like cases, cables, mics, stands, power distro, insurance if you want your butt covered and how are you going to transport. There is no glory in owning a sound system. It can be fun for a while and then burn out time!
 
#16
thanks for the responses guys. i've been spending the past few weeks weighing my options and seeing what my realistic budget is. and my guess of around 1000 was right, although it's probably closer to $800 if the pieces fall as i've anticipated. i now see that expecting a relatively okay PA in that price range is ludicrous. so with the money i'm just gonna try and get a system that's suitable for vocals and guitar. (I'll add subs once it's even monetarily relevant). But for now it sounds like my bass rig should be enough to cover the low end for backyard party gigs.

So here's where I'm gonna really need your help. What of these alternatives is the best, considering price, quality for the price range, and ability to add-on down the road.

1.) powered 15s and unpowered mixer.

2.) passive 15s and powered mixer.

3.) passive 15s and mixer + power amps.

Right now, the first option is how I'm leaning. Simply for the fact that in the immediate future it would only be used for vocals during jam sessions. A lot (maybe all?) of the active speakers I've looked at have mic inputs straight into them, so I wouldn't have to get a mixer quite yet. Another pro about option1 is that I would save money down the road on crossovers if I get powered subs, correct?
 

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