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PA

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psychobass

Feb 18, 2010
3
0
#1
HI all,

My cover band is about to get out and paly some gigs. We play mostly classic rock and a little metal. We will need our own PA for most of the clubs we will play. More than likely a couple outdoor gigs as well. I am about to purchase our PA. I have done some research but I could use some input on what we might need. I don't see a need to run the guitars thru the board. Our drummer plays very loud so I don't he needs to be mic'd. Except maybe the kick. I have narrow it down to a Mackie 12fx board but really have no idea on power and speakers. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
#5
I'm probably going 2 get a reputation here, but if you're new 2 PA, look at Carvin. They have complete systems put together ranging from small coffeehouse to arena.
I swear I don't work for them or get any kickback from them but they have decent gear at decent prices & I'm developing a lot more appreciation for 'made in the USA'.
 
#6
Buy used and locally. You can find some stellar deals on CL, etc. as PA gear can be bulky, heavy, and expensive to ship...a wise seller will be motivated to cut you a deal just to avoid the headache and expense of shipping. The real bargain is in "lead sled" power amps as owners are doing the cut 'n run in favor of the newer lightweight stuff (Peavey IPR). What's your budget? We can use that figure and go from there.

Riis
 
#7
Zooberwerx said:
Buy used and locally. You can find some stellar deals on CL, etc. as PA gear can be bulky, heavy, and expensive to ship...a wise seller will be motivated to cut you a deal just to avoid the headache and expense of shipping. The real bargain is in "lead sled" power amps as owners are doing the cut 'n run in favor of the newer lightweight stuff (Peavey IPR). What's your budget? We can use that figure and go from there.

Riis
Click to expand...

Buy local gets a +1!

There is alot of good used gear from bands breaking up and guys getting out of the biz all over the country. Craigslist (CL) is a great place to find things.
+1 on the self powered gear as well. QSC has a lot of great cabs in the K-series, cannot go wrong! JBL's new EON stuff is also good as is the Mackie.

On non powered stuff, you should look more at QSC (older USA-series stuff is heavy but very reliable). The new QSC GX-series amps are very good and very cheap. I stay away from Crown more often than not. I know things are getting better at Crown, but I see way too many burn outs. I just replaced 22 5 year old Crowns at the Milw. Auditorium with QSC's because their amps were dying left and right. And the old Crown CE-series amps are something to shy from if you have the option.

Speakers, man, there are many great sounding speakers. I'd stay with either EV or JBL and you will get good gear and great sound capabilities. Not a big Peavey speaker fan. They sound fine and they usually are at good used prices. But the high frequency response as well as the bottom end tend to be a little tighter in the EV and JBL lines. There are certainly many good brands of boxes available, but remember, the cheaper it is, the less power it probably handles usually. JBL has a nice assortment of lower cost subs with built-in crossover filters too so you can get a 15" or 18" sub box with a pole and put a nice 12" with a horn on top. A 12" two-way top box with a sub is a bit smoother than a 15" two-way on top of a sub box.
 
#9
psychobass said:
Great info! I still have questions on amps. How much power should I buy to play a typical pub style bar? We will be running two mic's and possibly the kick drum. I am thinking 12" 2way tops and 15" subs.
Click to expand...

I'm using QSC RMX 1450's and 2450's. They were very inexpensive and can be run in stereo or bridged and re-assigned as necessary. As it stands, I'm using one 1450 / bridged (850 watts / 8 ohm) for each of the mains and a single 2450 / bridged for the subs.

Riis
 
#10
Here's some things to consider:

Powered speakers cost more but are easier to set up and less gear to drag around. You also save money over passive systems as you don't need amps, cases, and speaker cables.

example: JBL PRX612m 1000w powered cabs $1400 a pair (marketing hype is 1000w each but average power is prob more like 500w)
a mixer and EQ, about $2000-$2400 total

JBL MRX 515 $1250 a pair
Power amp min 400w to 800w per ch $600+
Amp case $200
Speaker cables $100 pair TOTAL $2150 with out mixer and EQ

Get a basic mixer with enough channels and maybe a built in EQ and effects and spend the money on quality powered cabs, that is what your audience will hear.

do some gigs save up and add the subs on later. When you outgrow your basic mixer upgrade as well.

powered is less setup time, less gear to carry and all you need is a dozen mic cables. You can't set it up wrong except for proper gain staging your mixer.
 

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