K10,K12 or KW122?

[Calaverasgrande]

Same here. I'm going with powered cabs to avoid power amps and having to adjust gains when you add or subtract cabinets. I'm also kind of sold on the whole DSP transfer function thing. In fact I am not even considering the cabs that don't have DSP built in to control the speakers.
Some of the Yorkville powered cabs look interesting. The 21" sub for instance?
<nigel tufnel voice> "that's 6 inches deeper innit?".</nigel tufnel voice>

 

[D.A.R.K.]

I've used and installed a bunch of yorkville gear,
it's awesome stuff at the price point but their compact stuff suffers from the same issues as the rest- you really hit the nail on the head with the dsp being the key to proper performance with this stuff. I'll check ito their current crop of powered offerings. Going to go do a comparison thios week with the current QSC and RCF cabs. The RCF is quite a bit less expensive at my dealer, we shall see how it measures up.

 

[jnumme]

Looking into a smaller compact pa sound reinforcement for my four piece band and venues up to 400 peeps.
Looking at Qsc 2-k12s and 2k subs
And the yorkville elite excursion 2000
If you had a choice of those two what would pick in your experience ?
This is for a rock pop cover band .

 

[Calaverasgrande]

I had to defray my PA purchase due to some car issues and a forced relocation to a new apartment. (man moving ends up getting expensive!)
I'm actually about to buy one of each;

• QSC K122
• JBL PRX612M

I'll fire them up in place of my current power amp/cabinet setup.
Whichever one wins will stay, the loser will be returned. After I get my refund I'll buy a second.
Of course I'm hoping the cheaper JBL wins, but my goal isn't to save money, it's to buy the right portable PA rig so I won't have to revisit this decision for a long time.

 

[Joe P]

I own (2)K8, (1)K10, (1)KW181.

When I'm hired for Sound, I use the '8s and '181 for mains, and the '10 for stage monitor.

When I'm playing Bass to a house system, I use a crossover in the GK700rbII's loop, with freqs below 700Hz back to the the amp return, then to either an SVT215E or (JBL)JRX125, and 700-3800Hz going to a K8 (3-way crossover, with the >3800Hz highs going to 'nothing').

Alternatively, I've tried using the KW181+K10 as a bass rig by itself, with a Sansamp DI as the Pre (usually a KeelyC4 to AquilarAGRO to Univibe to EBSMulticomp to Sansamp). THIS is relatively astounding sounding. The lowest register is very deep and full.

BUT: when I do that, I miss the burpy, barking tone I can acheive in this below-700Hz region with the JBL or Ampeg, especially because of the BOOST control on the GK (remember now, that the freques ABOVE 700Hz are NOT growled-up with the boost distortion). I must say that although that cheap JRX is missing the low-register that the 215E or '181 have, it DOES have a very pleasing boost-bark (don't think of using the JRX125 for PA, though: they sound terrible on mixed material and vocals - but for Bass; I'm tellin' ya: even when used full-range!).

Anyway: My only complaints about the Ks are thus:
They have a power cable lock, BUT NOT AN XLR INPUT LOCK.
- The cable DOES fall out if the speaker's mounted on the woofer. Use tape on the input connection!
There is a peaky harshness in the lower-treble.
- It causes sibilance problems and the like, which DON'T show up in phones or other systems.

Overall, though, they are definately killer, KILLER speakers! I always get compliments - very often "that's the best that band's ever sounded" - and even the occasional "that's the best sound I've ever heard"!

-Joe

 

[Calaverasgrande]

I'm aware of the QSC upper mid/lower treble harshness. The JBL sound tends toward bright, but its a smooth brightness. My music may actually benefit from some midrange peaky-ness, or it may suffer from too smooth high end response.

 

[Joe P]

Especially when I mix a Lady Vocalist, this sibilance shows up more prominantly. On Drums, it tends to make the snare harsh - when I EQ or mix it down, I'm surprised by how relatively quiet it turns out sounding on my reference board recording.

I realize that drums will tend to sound quieter on a board recording, because of the live-sound that I hear in the room - but the big test is when - now back to the rehearsal hall - I set up the exact PA that I ran for the show, and play back the board recording to IT!: Now I'm allowed to exactly A/B the tonal differences between phones and mains.

But like you say: there are some things which hype-up pretty nicely with that extra 'clarity', like guitars.

Joe

 

[Calaverasgrande]

Especially when I mix a Lady Vocalist, this sibilance shows up more prominantly. On Drums, it tends to make the snare harsh - when I EQ or mix it down, I'm surprised by how relatively quiet it turns out sounding on my reference board recording.

I realize that drums will tend to sound quieter on a board recording, because of the live-sound that I hear in the room - but the big test is when - now back to the rehearsal hall - I set up the exact PA that I ran for the show, and play back the board recording to IT!: Now I'm allowed to exactly A/B the tonal differences between phones and mains.

But like you say: there are some things which hype-up pretty nicely with that extra 'clarity', like guitars.

Joe

I like to do a parallel compression bus for the drums if I know the board tape will be a keeper. The kind of popping dynamics that make drums cut through in a live situation just do not translate to a car stereo or home listening environ. So you kind of have to shorten up those transients and bring up the decay. Especially on them toms.
Ah I miss doing live sound sometimes. But it sure is nice to have my weekends back. (and not have to deal with rockstar egos)

 

[Joe P]

Oh, and another thing which folks might find interesting: I can hardly believe how feedback resistant my PA is. I mean that MUST say something about spectral flatness and phase coherance and such! I don't even HAVE a 1/3-octave EQ - I don't even have one.

What should exacerbate the "no 30-band" problem is that I run compression on every channel, as well as on the master bus (WITH blinkin' GR lights). I'd say an average of at least 3-4dB on each during louder bursts; a downright maximum yell/scream will get me 9-10dB on a vocal channel (that's when I'm extra glad I have'em!).

Now, just yesterday, I finally picked up a dbx AFS224. I have had some minor feedback problems, I admit - but even at that, it's never the ol' big-sudden full-blast surprise SCREECH; it's always a much slower buildup than I'm used to with other systems on small stages. I'll mainly only use the first several 'fixed' filters (the '224 isn't too good at telling music from feedback, and it's espially not good at doing its 'auto'-thing when there's soft-knee compression all over the place, and an expander on the main bus). I suppose I'll leave a couple narrow 'live' filters in there, set or 1min or something.


Joe

 

[Joe P]

I like to do a parallel compression bus for the drums if I know the board tape will be a keeper. The kind of popping dynamics that make drums cut through in a live situation just do not translate to a car stereo or home listening environ. So you kind of have to shorten up those transients and bring up the decay. Especially on them toms.

Interesting! Another bus, huh? Sheesh - guess I should have gotten the Soundcraft GB2r 12/2, instead of the GB2r 16 ... I go NO extra busses. Hey: if I can make some money at this, I'll be moving on to a GB4 or GB8 - oh yeah.

Joe