How Loud of a PA?

[gotmule?]

My band has played a couple gigs and are right now running our mic through a 15 watt guitar amp. Well, my guitarist just got a 65 watt amp and I plan on upgrading my amp soon, so we need to upgrade. Right now, we only have 1 mic, but we are getting another 1 so that I can do backing vocals (the guitarist sings). I'm not really familiar with PA systems, so I need help. How big of a system do we need? Like I said the guitarist plays a 65 watt and I will probably upgrade to a 150 watt amp. Thanks!

 

[TimmyP]

I've had to ask a guitarist playing a 20 Watt Blues Junior to turn down in a 250 seat theater. If your guitarist is getting his distortion from cranking the amp up into power tube overdrive, 65W is way too much. And if that's the case, and you are playing through a PA that cannot handle your bass, you may well need more than 150 Watts. (In the old days it was a 100W Marshall full stack and a 300W SVT with a pair of 8x10s. So 65W and 150W would seem to be about right. But guitarists use more overdrive than in the old days, and those 16 10" upped the volume a lot, so the modern bassist is more handicapped unless he has a big PA to help.)

As to the PA: For vocals only, over a 65W guitar amp cranked, I'd think 500W per side to be safe, 250 might cut it if you have a compressor to mellow out the loud parts.

 

[gotmule?]

Well he mostly plays clean, it is solid state, not a tube, and he usually doesn't turn it past 9 o' clock. Sorry I didn't mention that before.

 

[TimmyP]

That may well be quite a difference then. I'd try to get something that has 250 per side at least. The Yamaha 5000 series powered mixers seem to be very well thought of. Anything from Allen & Heath would likely be a good unit.

 

[gotmule?]

Ok, thanks for the help!