PA system/mixer bored/speakers

[FerK]

Although I'm a non-native English speaker, it pains me to see flagrant spelling mistakes. On the other hand, they're just mistakes. Anyways, I recommend:

- Option 1: buy a used FULL PA. You'll save the trouble of putting it together.
- Option 2: put the pieces together. You'll need a rack (something like a 6 RU should be RU), a power conditioner (some people say they're not needed), a small board (8 channels should do), and a mic amp. Mics stands, speakers, monitors and cables are pretty self-explanatory. With your budget I am afraid you will have to limit yourself to pretty entry-level stuff, which does NOT mean that you'll sound like c&ap. I think you can build a half decent PA with:

• Rack flight case: Invalid Link Removed $73
• Power Conditioner: Musician's Gear Power Conditioner $50
  
• Mic amp: Invalid Link Removed $150
• Mixer: Alesis MultiMix 8 USB FX Regular $150
• Monitors: Invalid Link Removed $80 (each, which means $240 for all 3)
• PA speakers: Invalid Link Removed $60 each ($120 for both)
• Subwoofer: Invalid Link Removed $199

That's already a grand...all of it pretty entry-level.

 

[Vic Winters]

The great thing about PA systems is you can always expand. I'd recommend starting with a basic setup for rehearsals and building off that if necessary. Search out used. Lots of great deals can be had.

 

[hennessybass]

I would be looking used, and for a packaged deal... trying to find someone who is trying to unload their PA system. All the little stuff can really add up fast.

I was in a 5 piece band, with three singer, 2 guitars, and keys, and I had the PA system. Used it only when we had to, but used if for outdoor parties, weddings, small gigs, and some pretty big gigs too... Nothing fancy, nothing big, just the basics, and we did just fine.

I had...
Mackie powered head (808 i think). 8 channels, that can run mains and monitors. I got a padded case for my head to protect the knobs.
2 mains - (get 15" mains)
2 tripods for the mains
2 monitors - 12s are propably ok here
4 speaker cables (2-mains, 2-monitors) - I recommend getting a combo of a couple 25' and a couple 50'
A good extension chord, and a good powerstrip
A cable to hook up an ipod to the PA
I also always had one mic set up (mic, stand, cable) that I did not tell anyone about unless I had to
I also had an extra power chord, a few different adapters, like a XLR->1/4" for hooking up an extra powered monitor or something like that.
An extra XLR for my bass amp, and a DI box with short 1/4" cable (that I always had for my bass set up anyway).
A box to carry all the cables and stuff in.

I did the PA, and made everyone else responsible for their own microphones, stands, and cables - so a singing guitar player would need a 58, a 57, a stand, and 2 cables. The Keyboard player usually helped out with a kick mic, short stand, and cable.

Get good quality speaker cables, an extra speaker cable, mic cable, power cable, etc are good things to have.

If you don't need a PA a bunch, you might look into renting. In austin, there was a place where you could rent what I just described above for the whole weekend for like $100 bucks. If you have to "do your own sound," be sure to build that into your fee.

 

[honestjohnny]

If it's a vocals only PA, you're going to need at least 2 speaker stands, cables and A FLOOR MONITOR or Mic stand monitor, so the vocalist can hear himself. Or he can use ear plugs to hear himself.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Can u go back and correct all my spelling for me? Cause no one else really cares.

I thought the thread was about being bored with your PA system.

Maybe your're doing the guitar player a favor. No wonder he has a 'tude.
Someone has problem with constructive criticism.

 

[Andyman001]

Too bad you are in CT, I have a power amp and a pair of Yamaha mains I'm looking to get rid of.

 

[DirtDog]

So - reading through all the spelling mistakes , the requirements are:

• 3 channels for vox only
• 2 monitors
• 2 mains
• Under $700
• presumably to be able to fill small venues and/or compete with loudish amps and drums.
• NO need for cables, mics, stands, etc.

Solution options include:

1. mini unpowered mixer with small (10") powered monitors and 12" mains - recommend minimum 500-1000W per speaker
2. powered board with 10ooW output into unpowered monitors and mains (10-12" would be ideal)

Option 1 *could* be inexpensive, as in a sub $100 Behringer Xenyx 1202/Alesis Multimix 8 mixer into Behringer/Alto/similar powered mains and monitors.
Option 2 would likely be less expensive than option 1 IF you can find this stuff used. Yorkville, Yamaha, Harbinger are the names you'd be seeing here - you'd be looking at 8-12 channel "mixer in a box" most likely.

You can save money by going used. You're likely to have a bit more selection in the used market for Option 2.

Pieced together from my local classifieds - to give you an idea of what you can get for under $700. All items are used.

1. Yorkville MPX powered mixer ($349) + pair of Traynor 12 wedge monitors ($125) + pair of Yamaha s32115H mains ($180). Total $654.

OR

2. Behringer Euromix 602 ($50) + Yorkville AP1800 power amp ($319) + speakers as above. Total $674.

Anything of higher quality or newer vintage will cost appreciably more.

 

[squirefan]

Can u go back and correct all my spelling for me? Cause no one else really cares.

No.
And you are correct!

 

[electracoyote]

Lol I don't scare that easy and I know that isn't true

Don't be so sure.

I bought a quality QSC PA, two powered subs, two powered mains, Touchmix 16 mixer, Behringer powered monitors.

Went to play our first gig, added up how many XLR cables I needed to connect everything on a 24' stage.

$450.00. Just for generic XLR cables.

 

[modulusman]

Don't be so sure.

I bought a quality QSC PA, two powered subs, two powered mains, Touchmix 16 mixer, Behringer powered monitors.

Went to play our first gig, added up how many XLR cables I needed to connect everything on a 24' stage.

$450.00. Just for generic XLR cables.

Yeah on an average gig for my band we use 32 xlr cables from 3ft to 30ft in length.

 

[electracoyote]

If you don't need a PA a bunch, you might look into renting. In austin, there was a place where you could rent what I just described above for the whole weekend for like $100 bucks. If you have to "do your own sound," be sure to build that into your fee.

That's incredible. You can't touch that in Denver. If we could, I'd have gone this route and charged it to the client. Owning, maintaining, purchasing a P.A. is a huge time and money suck.

 

[JRA]

quality equipment not cheap

I would think of a budget in the $500-700 range

which?

 

[Bullitt5135]

My first PA was cheap stuff I cobbled together off Craigslist. It wasn't long before it either died or out-lived it's usefulness. That being said, you might have to up your budget...

I'd consider a Behringer XR-18 Digital Mixer (or XR-16). I got an XR-18 used on Ebay for $500, and I love it. You'll need an iPad or Android tablet to run it. That'll give you all the mixer you'll ever need, plus all the built-in rack effects you'd ever want -- all in the size of a shoebox. It'll work great for gigs and rehearsals, and will make it possible to record multi-track demos if you decide to get into producing.

For mains, find a couple decent 12" powered speakers -- either used on CL (Yamaha, Yorkville, JBL, RCF to name a few), or something new like Alto TS212 from Musicians Friend. Yamaha DBR12 have a 7-year warranty. These are not top-of-the line by any means, but they'll get you by. For monitors, I like Alto TS210 from Musicians Friend. Of course, I just blew out your budget without including mics, stands and cables. Seismic Audio has pretty inexpensive cables (avail on Ebay too). For vocal mics, either Shure SM58, Sennheiser e835 or AKG D5 will all run you about $99 each, but should last forever if you treat them with care.

You can get a discount on new gear simply by calling Musicians Friend or Sweetwater and asking. I just got 17% off a new pair of Alto speakers and mic stands yesterday just by calling and asking for their best price. Also, if you sign up for Musicians Friend's rewards card, you get 8% credit back to use on future purchases. Both Musicians Friend and Sweetwater offer financing options. You may be able to get 0% interest with payments spread over 48 months.

 

[Rockbobmel]

We might have the same thing, but the guitar player is not a dink. He just is preoccupied with other interests and has no clue how to run the digital mixer. I am thinking about a PV XRS powered mixer and piecing the rest together.

 

[ThuzzleFump]

It DOES matter and people DO care. It's our language and a special part of our culture and identity as people. Its form should be honored.

You might be able to find a steal on a powered mixer with mains and monitors for your budget.

Ewe mite bee Abel two fined a steel on a powered mixer with manes and monitors four yore budget.

TIFIFY. :***:

 

[BAG]

Whatever they tell you, add like a thousand dollars for cables, mic stands, power, etc.

Lol I don't scare that easy and I know that isn't true

Yes..... it is true!!

Only a few months ago I went around my house and took photos of every piece of sound gear and every instrument for insurance purposes and entered it into a spreadsheet. I also took stock of every cable, adapter etc etc. Now, our PA is just two 12" and horn RCF top boxes, a powered 18" sub, one wedge and a powered Mackie mixer. We use two vocal mics, a kick mic, an SM57 and two acoustic guitar DI's so it is by no means a full-on system for a loud rock band.

I was extremely surprised to find that the replacement cost of just the mic leads was easily over $1500. The mics add another $1200. And that's before adding mic stands, speaker stands and the PA.

I didn't pay anywhere near that as i've always shopped around for bargains and the bigger price stuff i've bought second hand, BUT.... if it were stolen I wouldn't have the option of waiting for bargains to appear and would have to replace most of it at short notice.

And thanks to this thread I just realised that my spread sheet doesn't have the stands on it or my new Schertler combo.

 

[modulusman]

Yes..... it is true!!

Only a few months ago I went around my house and took photos of every piece of sound gear and every instrument for insurance purposes and entered it into a spreadsheet. I also took stock of every cable, adapter etc etc. Now, our PA is just two 12" and horn RCF top boxes, a powered 18" sub, one wedge and a powered Mackie mixer. We use two vocal mics, a kick mic, an SM57 and two acoustic guitar DI's so it is by no means a full-on system for a loud rock band.

I was extremely surprised to find that the replacement cost of just the mic leads was easily over $1500. The mics add another $1200. And that's before adding mic stands, speaker stands and the PA.

I didn't pay anywhere near that as i've always shopped around for bargains and the bigger price stuff i've bought second hand, BUT.... if it were stolen I wouldn't have the option of waiting for bargains to appear and would have to replace most of it at short notice.

And thanks to this thread I just realised that my spread sheet doesn't have the stands on it or my new Schertler combo.

Yeah from what I recall I have over 80 different XLR and specialty cables this isn't counting a snake that I bought used for $500.00 about 5 years ago that I have used only a handful of times.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Even if you roll your own cables, good XLR connectors can run upwards of 5-6 bucks each. So $10 per cable not counting the mic cable, which should also be of good quality, especially for PA where things gets plugged and unplugged a lot.

 

[FunkHead]

Someone like Sweetwater needs to step up and offer Complete kits. Maybe they even do. But.......For now you could fire your guitarist and hire him back for 3 times the price to be your sound man.

 

[ajschnitzelbank]

I like getting an unpowered mixer and powered speakers because it makes it easier, I think, to upgrade gradually.

I've had good luck with Mackie CFX series unpowered mixers. I now have a very basic 24 channel mixer with some built in effects by Soundcraft that was like four or five hundred bucks from Sweetwater.

The grey Mackie powered speakers are tanks and fairly readily available used.

I've been happy with cables and connectors/adapters from Monoprice. I also have a mic stand from them I like okay (for a budget stand).

Shure makes a mic, I forget what it's called, SM48 maybe, that's basically a cheaper SM58. I got one on sale from Guitar Center for like twenty or thirty bucks. It's a great mix for that price!

I've seen some really shotty power at gigs, and (knock on wood) plain old surge protectors have always been enough to save me.

I think it's gonna be very hard to get anything on your budget. But double it, shop smart, and have low expectations, and you can get something going that'll work well. Good luck.