The noise of 500 people in a typical club requires at least 1000W of PA to get vocals over, and that doesn't include subwoofers. Unless you're playing a mellow folk for a mormon convention, PA support is absolutely necessary. On NYE I'm playing a rock gig in a 175 cap room and I'm bringing a 2600W PA. Granted I've played bigger rooms without PA support for bass, but for that crowd any less would be shortchanging the venue. It's gonna be nuts. Crowd noise is just as big a factor as room size for power requirements.
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No PA support-whaddaya use for cab(S)?
- Thread starter emblymouse
- Start date
Yep. I played a two story place in Lancaster once and I could have gotten away with a very little rig. The place held a ton of people but wasn't really all that big.
To the OP, I run my Mesa Walkabout Scout 15" with a matching extension cab..... but then again, I take that to gigs even if I don't need both........ cuz it looks so freakin cool stacked up there.
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I really wouldn't worry about it because it doesn't matter. The bass needs to be at the right volume for the drums. That's all there is to it. If people want to listen they'll just come in closer. You might as well buy a PA maybe the rest of the band will chip in?
Are we talking about a 500 cap room that's full or nearly empty? If the room is full, then surely there is the budget to at least rent a PA and hopefully a tech to run it. If it's full and people need to move to the front to hear the band, the people at the back might not know there's a band there at all.
I don't know about you guys, but when I play a room, I make sure everyone gets an earful of what my band has to offer. The last thing I want is people attending and not really noticing the band's strengths. And no it doesn't mean blowing everyone's heads off.
That's definitely all there is to it.
If there's no PA support for the bass, there isn't any for the drums, either.
Doesn't matter what size room, or how many people are in it. All you need is enough rig to keep up with the acoustic output of the drums.
(Actually, the same applies even with full PA support.)
Depends on the gig. In most of ours, the band needs to have a nice, full, "main attraction" type sound on the dancefloor and in the front 1/2-2/3 or so of the room, but the folks in back, and especially bartenders, etc. need to be able to hear drink orders and things.
That said, IMO, as loud as drums can play acoustically is as loud as my rig needs to be. There are some "in-between" gigs where my rig can still carry the room with a little taste of kick and maybe an ambient mic helping out the drum kit in the mains. Once you get past that, my amp level comes down some, it gets mic'd, and I put us all in the PA.
Which is true and utterly indeterminate. Might as well say: "Your rig is required to meet requirements." That might be 35 watts or it might be 1.35k watts.
Do you play with an old man drummer with a soft touch and a deft one handed snare roll on a trap kit in a restaurant/pick-up bar where the ability to converse must be preserved, or outdoors at a biker rumble / parts swap meet with a tripled footed juvenile delinquent with a dual woofer fEARful stack where the bitches boo when there aint no thump to push the boogie?
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Barefaced Big Twin T and a Crown XTi1000 amp bridged into mono... 1400w into a cab designed to handle it.
You can turn down to suit the application and the room, you cannot turn up beyond the capacity of your amp or cab.
You can turn down to suit the application and the room, you cannot turn up beyond the capacity of your amp or cab.
"Where the bitches boo when there aint no thump to push the boogie?" I luv this...
Weelll, I just started with these guys but it is going to be more the biker/blues crowd I predict. Old but loud drummer. Only 2 gigs, both in the same tiny bar. The guitar does use a plexi shield in front of his amp, that's mighty thoughty of him
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My rig was up to the task last gig but was starting to get squishy. Till now I'd been thinking cabinets. What would I get with the M6 or M9 paired with my same 1X12 1X15 cabs? These Bag End drivers seem to take whatever you give - rated at 400W.
Weelll, I just started with these guys but it is going to be more the biker/blues crowd I predict. Old but loud drummer. Only 2 gigs, both in the same tiny bar. The guitar does use a plexi shield in front of his amp, that's mighty thoughty of him
.My rig was up to the task last gig but was starting to get squishy. Till now I'd been thinking cabinets. What would I get with the M6 or M9 paired with my same 1X12 1X15 cabs? These Bag End drivers seem to take whatever you give - rated at 400W.
"Where the bitches boo when there aint no thump to push the boogie?" I luv this...
Weelll, I just started with these guys but it is going to be more the biker/blues crowd I predict. Old but loud drummer. Only 2 gigs, both in the same tiny bar. The guitar does use a plexi shield in front of his amp, that's mighty thoughty of him
My rig was up to the task last gig but was starting to get squishy. Till now I'd been thinking cabinets. What would I get with the M6 or M9 paired with my same 1X12 1X15 cabs? These Bag End drivers seem to take whatever you give - rated at 400W.
What amp are you currently using?
Really you are limited to the power handling of your 112. It will dictate if additional power is usable or not.
You say a small gig for you is 500 people In a club, you must being playing with some famous people and would think you would know that you need p.a. Support for that. Something is fishy about this statement.
It certainly sounds good to me but I'm on top of it
. I've used this type of rig for decades with a few deviations. I never used to have to worry about this, I was always taken care of FOH. Now, it's Back to the Bars. 
I'm right about at my weight and size limit with my current setup but was looking to maximize. I've tried a bunch of cabs and am back to my Bag End's. I have a line on an Epifani UL 310 series 1, size and weight fit but it's strengths seem to lie in the standalone-ability, rather than adding to my current 4 ohm cab load. The Walkabout can do 2 ohms tho, but 8 + 8 + 3.5? Wuzzat?
. I've used this type of rig for decades with a few deviations. I never used to have to worry about this, I was always taken care of FOH. Now, it's Back to the Bars. I'm right about at my weight and size limit with my current setup but was looking to maximize. I've tried a bunch of cabs and am back to my Bag End's. I have a line on an Epifani UL 310 series 1, size and weight fit but it's strengths seem to lie in the standalone-ability, rather than adding to my current 4 ohm cab load. The Walkabout can do 2 ohms tho, but 8 + 8 + 3.5? Wuzzat?
