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Crossover with Powered Speaker Setup

L

lilcrate

Tortdaddy
Sep 9, 2013
335
35
St. Louis
#1
I have 3 to 4 powered speakers (Alto 15s, JBL Eon) with a passive mixer. I am thinking about adding a B-52 Matrix 1000 to my setup. It is a powered combo with a 15" sub and two 10" speakers. They all run of the same built in amp and have a built in crossover.

How could I go about using the 10" speakers for monitors and the sub for lows (kick drum, etc)?

If I just run it all together as is, the lows would still be going to my other powered speakers. Any ideas on how to partition the combo?

Even if I put a crossover before everything, the 10" B-52 speakers would then only be getting lows along with the sub right?
 
#2
What makes this attractive to you? I don't sure don't get it. Essentially it's a powered sub and two passive speakers, and terribly inflexible. I've never seen one used by anyone, anywhere. Why not just buy a couple of powered monitors or buy new mains and use what you have for monitors, get a decent powered sub. Most powered subs have built-in crossovers, and the Peavey PB118D (and many others) have the option to switch the outputs to either a high pass or thru (all freqs passed).
 
#3
Well, the reason I am considering adding it is because I have heard good things about it for what it is. It is only 350, and would supply a sub and 2 sufficient speakers. So essentially the bang for your buck is what is attractive to me. I could buy another low end powered speaker for 350, or maybe a used powered sub, but I don't think the bang for the buck would be comparable. On the other hand, inflexible is definitely true. Which brings me to this post. Maybe that is weighing against the "bang for your buck" aspect.
 
#7
lilcrate said:
Well, the reason I am considering adding it is because I have heard good things about it for what it is. It is only 350, and would supply a sub and 2 sufficient speakers. So essentially the bang for your buck is what is attractive to me. I could buy another low end powered speaker for 350, or maybe a used powered sub, but I don't think the bang for the buck would be comparable. On the other hand, inflexible is definitely true. Which brings me to this post. Maybe that is weighing against the "bang for your buck" aspect.
Click to expand...
What is it? A standalone all in one PA ... and not much of one. Lacking scalability I can't quite understand why anyone would want one, I don't see any bang for the buck. A word of advice from someone who has made many PA mistakes in the past 40 years ... size your PA for the gigs you do NOW, not for what you expect to do. Buy gear after you find you need it, not in anticipation of needing it "someday". Got one big gig coming up? Rent or borrow what you need. Don't buy cheap components ... as the old adage goes, "buy cheap, buy twice". What genre are you trying to amplify?
 
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#8
RustyAxe said:
What is it? A standalone all in one PA ... and not much of one. Lacking scalability I can't quite understand why anyone would want one, I don't see any bang for the buck. A word of advice from someone who has made many PA mistakes in the past 40 years ... size your PA for the gigs you do NOW, not for what you expect to do. Buy gear after you find you need it, not in anticipation of needing it "someday". Got one big gig coming up? Rent or borrow what you need. Don't buy cheap components ... as the old adage goes, "buy cheap, buy twice". What genre are you trying to amplify?
Click to expand...

Touché.

After thought it would probably be smarter to just get by with what I have while slowly piecing together higher quality components.

Bluesrock, but to highlight your point, I really don't NEED much right now. Just planning ahead. And to highlight your point even further, planning ahead doesn't consist of rushing into a less than ideal purchase. Might as well take my time and do it right.
 
#9
I'm a consummate gear head ... and I know it's hard to resist sometimes, and sometimes I act too fast. Anyone who has played for as many years I have probably has a closet (room?) full of gear that was purchased and hardly used. Resale on music gear is awful, maybe 50% of retail (if you're lucky). Which is a good reason not to buy new gear impulsively, and a good reason to seek out bargain sales by those who did ... grin!

I'm glad you took my post as friendly advice and not as criticism.
 
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#10
well, i'd argue that maybe you should buy with an eye towards future capability, but that means buying stuff that makes sense, that actually will integrate into and improve what you have.

the small tops you buy now could become monitors when you get bigger tops, that sort of thing.

powered mixer heads and weird little all-in-one creations pretty much never qualify.
 
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#11
RustyAxe said:
I'm a consummate gear head ... and I know it's hard to resist sometimes, and sometimes I act too fast. Anyone who has played for as many years I have probably has a closet (room?) full of gear that was purchased and hardly used. Resale on music gear is awful, maybe 50% of retail (if you're lucky). Which is a good reason not to buy new gear impulsively, and a good reason to seek out bargain sales by those who did ... grin!

I'm glad you took my post as friendly advice and not as criticism.
Click to expand...

I know, I have a major problem. I have only been playing bass (or any instrument for that matter) for 1 year now. I have 4 basses, 4 guitars, 2 bass rigs, a guitar rig, and now I'm getting into this PA stuff. Of course a bunch of odds/ends of gear too. It is very dumb and impatient. I need to slow down. New gear is just too damn exciting. I do buy most of my gear used or at least on some type of special sale though FWIW.

walterw said:
well, i'd argue that maybe you should buy with an eye towards future capability, but that means buying stuff that makes sense, that actually will integrate into and improve what you have.

the small tops you buy now could become monitors when you get bigger tops, that sort of thing.

powered mixer heads and weird little all-in-one creations pretty much never qualify.
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree. I think I'm going to invest in a high(er) quality main. Then get another one down the road. Then I will have 2 nice mains, and a handful of more than sufficient monitors. THEN, will come a sub.
 
#12
If you are going to start over, and want to upgrade, look at RCF, FBT, Yorkville, JBL 12's for mains with matching subs.
If not, purchase a GOOD sub or two to go with what you have, then later on you can upgrade your mains. You will be amazed at how much pressure good subs take off the mains - can get cleaner and louder without having to reproduce below 100-120 Hz
 

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