Need help with outdoor gig questions.

[kaleel2g]

My 5 piece funk band will be playing for a few hundred people soon. The venue is open air except for a roof over the band and we need to project our sound to about 60-80 yards.
I'm looking at buying a P.A. for drums, vocals, keys, but I have no idea how much power I need to make it loud enough..
For the bass I plan on using my Rumble 500 + 2x10 extension cab.
Should guitar be run through P.A. as well?

 

[drpepper]

My 5 piece funk band will be playing for a few hundred people soon. The venue is open air except for a roof over the band and we need to project our sound to about 60-80 yards.
I'm looking at buying a P.A. for drums, vocals, keys, but I have no idea how much power I need to make it loud enough..
For the bass I plan on using my Rumble 500 + 2x10 extension cab.
Should guitar be run through P.A. as well?

A few hundred people?

Everything should be through the PA...for control of the mix as well. You might consider hiring sound for this gig and start your research on suitable band PA systems at the same time.

What kind of budget are you looking at? Do you have some pieces already?

 

[kaleel2g]

A few hundred people?

Everything should be through the PA...for control of the mix as well. You might consider hiring sound for this gig and start your research on suitable band PA systems at the same time.

What kind of budget are you looking at? Do you have some pieces already?

A few hundred people walking around and maybe 50-100 (hopefully!) in front if the stage. We'd be looking to project at least 60 yards in front of us through open air.

 

[kaleel2g]

A few hundred people?

Everything should be through the PA...for control of the mix as well. You might consider hiring sound for this gig and start your research on suitable band PA systems at the same time.

What kind of budget are you looking at? Do you have some pieces already?

A few hundred people?

Everything should be through the PA...for control of the mix as well. You might consider hiring sound for this gig and start your research on suitable band PA systems at the same time.

What kind of budget are you looking at? Do you have some pieces already?

I have no idea where to even start as far as wattage goes

 

[drpepper]

A few hundred people walking around and maybe 50-100 (hopefully!) in front if the stage. We'd be looking to project at least 60 yards in front of us through open air.

Ah, gotcha

Are you wanting to know what the minimum you can get away with would be? And again, what are you planning to put into this budget wise?

I've done roughly similar things with a PA with 12" or 15" inch tops and one or two 15" subs or a double 12" sub (JBL, Mackie, QSC, Yamaha, Behringer). If you're not trying to get that involved, push volume from the amps and a system with no subs could get the job done too. It really depends how much you're planning to spend.

 

[kaleel2g]

Ah, gotcha

Are you wanting to know what the minimum you can get away with would be? And again, what are you planning to put into this budget wise?

I've done roughly similar things with a PA with 12" or 15" inch tops and one or two 15" subs or a double 12" sub (JBL, Mackie, QSC, Yamaha, Behringer). If you're not trying to get that involved, push volume from the amps and a system with no subs could get the job done too. It really depends how much you're planning to spend.

No more than $2k if possible. no less than $1k probably.

 

[p12bassnut]

I agree with hiring a sound reinforcement company for this. Do more research before you spend money, it can get quite expensive.
If you buy your own equipment, do you have a sound engineer that can mix for you ?
It's heck trying to mix and play at the same time. I've done it and it is Not fun.
The band needs to be able to play their best, letting a good engineer handle it for you takes the stress and pressure off.
For the price of the equipment needed to sound good outside, you could hire a company many times.
$2000 might get you there if you buy all used at very good deals.

 

[kaleel2g]

I agree with hiring a sound reinforcement company for this. Do more research before you spend money, it can get quite expensive.
If you buy your own equipment, do you have a sound engineer that can mix for you ?
It's heck trying to mix and play at the same time. I've done it and it is Not fun.
The band needs to be able to play their best, letting a good engineer handle it for you takes the stress and pressure off.
For the price of the equipment needed to sound good outside, you could hire a company many times.
$2000 might get you there if you buy all used at very good deals.

Renting might be the way then.

 

[drpepper]

No more than $2k if possible. no less than $1k probably.

Okay. Another suggestion would be to peck around on youtube. And try to stay in information intake mode without cementing any firm ideas.

Less than $2000 for a full PA (are we talking everything? mixer, mics, cables, monitors?) puts you in "budget gear" territory.

In that territory, I'd probably be giving my strongest consideration to a system with 15" mains and pushing and mixing stage volume. I'd be looking at budget brands and budget lines

Let's see, as a pricing exercise...

Soundcraft Ui12 Mixer $375
(2x) Harbinger 15" Mains $600
Speaker Stands $100
(3x) 10" Monitors (pick a budget brand) $600
(5x) Budget SM58 Clones (Samson?) $100
10 Pack of XLR cables $100
3 Pack Mic Stands $100

$2000

 

[Discount Bassy]

If this is a situation that you would anticipate happening repeatedly, I would hire/rent sound reinforcement for this go and then spend some time researching what equipment needs to be piled. A competent sound guy, such as (ideally) the person you are hiring would be a great resource to tap for information, notably in what he brings to the table and any suggestions that you might get from him after the gig. Having a backup sound guy, even if you dive in on equipment, is never a bad thing. I'd rather bide my time a bit and purchase known quality equipment than to take a gamble or be disappointed in the heat of the moment.

 

[AGCurry]

The information I haven't seen is:
a. What do you already have for a PA?
b. Are you being paid enough to justify the expense of additional gear and humans?

IF you already have a PA, and IF it's not a high-paying gig, just go with what you have and are accustomed to. There is no rule stating that you need to be loud 80 yards from the bandstand. Lots of people (like me) prefer to sit far away so they can enjoy the music at conversational levels. Imagine your band playing on the street. People would surely be able to hear you fairly well at 80 yards. Would they hear every nuance? No, but they could surely move closer if they want to.

Now if you DON'T have a PA, or if this is a high-visibility high-paid gig, hire the PA and someone to run it.

 

[kaleel2g]

The information I haven't seen is:
a. What do you already have for a PA?
b. Are you being paid enough to justify the expense of additional gear and humans?

IF you already have a PA, and IF it's not a high-paying gig, just go with what you have and are accustomed to. There is no rule stating that you need to be loud 80 yards from the bandstand. Lots of people (like me) prefer to sit far away so they can enjoy the music at conversational levels. Imagine your band playing on the street. People would surely be able to hear you fairly well at 80 yards. Would they hear every nuance? No, but they could surely move closer if they want to.

Now if you DON'T have a PA, or if this is a high-visibility high-paid gig, hire the PA and someone to run it.

We're getting $750 for a 4 hour show as a 5 piece. Our highest paid yet, and if we do a good job it could easily land us more gigs. It's more about the opportunity than the $$ for us right now.

 

[31HZ]

You need a soundman with a rig that will make you sound good.

$2k won't get you the system that you need for funk, and even if you spend all of that and get something decent, you still won't have someone skilled to run it.

 

[trevcda]

Are you trying to make an impact and gain listeners or just trying make some noise that isn't too annoying. Hire a sound company that's provided for this stage before and find out why they use what they use there and why they spent what they spent on it. With nothing but a roof over you, there is not reinforcement from back walls and you'll have no idea what it sounds like fifty out into the crowd.

 

[JMacBass65]

As others have said, you need to hire a PA and engineer to run it. $2K won't get you what you need, and running sound from the stage won't be any fun nor will it show you in the best light.

 

[DanGroove]

No more than $2k if possible. no less than $1k probably.

IMO you are probably not going to be heard well at 60 yards with naything in your budget. You're looking at probably a minumum $6000 - $10,000 in powered speakers or passive speakers + amps. That still doesn't cover stage monitors or the mixer. For the distance you want to throw I'd be looking at 2-JBL SRX835p tops and 2-JBL SRX828p subs. I've used smaller but things were thin about 40 yards out. Your 100 people in front vould probably be served by a smaller configuration, but even then you probably need around $3000 in speakers/amps before the board and stage monitors.

Edit: I was just reading someone else's response and reminded you are a funk band. I'd probably increase my recommendation for subs to 3 or 4 of those SRX828SP.

 

[kaleel2g]

After the replies I'm reading I think my best bet is to rent the equipment + sound guy from a local company that has served this venue before.

 

[JRA]

i think you could make a lot of systems work for you, but "a roof over the band" could work for you or against you with regard to your overall 'effect' at 60-80 yards. do you know this venue, have you seen others perform there?

Renting might be the way then.

if it's an important gig = you might consider renting if for no other reason than to take some "worry" out of the equation for you, at that particular event.

whatever you do: good luck with your gig --- break a leg!

 

[JRA]

After the replies I'm reading I think my best bet is to rent the equipment + sound guy from a local company that has served this venue before.

perfect!

 

[Wasnex]

$2,000 is not going to buy what you need to do a good job.

As others have said, ideally everything should go through the PA. So you're talking 12 - 16 channels of mics and DIs' minimum. On top of that you will need mic cables and mic stands. So just buying these items is likely to push you over $2,000.

If everyone has a powerful amp, you can run a vocal only PA. This can sound fairly decent IMHO, but you get better results with a PA that is capable of actually delivering balanced sound at the desired SPL. Probably 6,000 to 10,000 watts total system power minimum. By total system power I mean monitors, mains, subs.

Usually the next thing you really need to put in the PA after vocals is the bass drum. In order for it to work well outdoors you need subwoofers. When you do this the cost goes up quite a bit.