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What is your bands PA set-up like?

#101
2 QSC K12s mains
1 QSC KSub
Alto 12" monitors (getting ready to go in ear)
Mackie DL1608 Board

That's it. The whole thing fits in the back of my Pathfinder without having to lay down the seats, leaving plenty of room for my personal bass gear. Once we go in ear, I won't bother bringing a bass cabinet anymore.
 
#102
With all the 215 hate, I'll get that out of the way first. Two Peavey 215s (complements on our sound from owners and patrons) that we run everything through - drums (kick and overheads), keys, sax, vocals, guitar, bass.) We're a blues outfit, so we don't need thundering lows (my bass rig carries most of the bass, drummer gets good projection from the kick, mic'ing just gives a little better dispersion.) Older Peavey 12 channel board, 2 monitor mixes (next upgrade.) ART tube pre/compressor for each vocal channel (2), Lexicon MPX 500 for vocal reverb/delay/chorus (when needed,) DBX 266 for kick and key compression, dual 15 band EQ for mains into IPR 1600 (soon to be swapped with a DSP model.) The monitors run through a Peavey Q215F (a 231 would be better) into a CS800X (which is being retired and replaced with the IPR) into 2 Carvin 12" monitors (drummer and guitarist/lead vocal) on one monitor channel and my JBL hotspot (vocals only) on the other. Simple rig, we can break it down and pack it up in under 15 minutes, it all fits in the back of the drummer's pickup (along with most of his drum hardware), and we have about $2k into it (lots of bargain hunting.) I run sound from the stage via a G50.
 
#103
Most of the 215 hate applies to rigs that include subs, particularly 18" subs. I can empathize though since I am currently running 215 cabs as mains. And they are the dreaded JRX cabinets to boot. We're running a lot of crap through them though and they sound decent enough to me.
 
#105
My band has to have two PA systems available. One rig gets used about 15 times a summer at a weekly gig. It consists of a Presonus studiolive 16.0.2, a pair of EAW NT59 tops over EAW NTS22 subs and IEMs. This rig is used at a guest ranch with usually about 50-75 people in the audience. We leave this rig except the IEM rack at the venue in a storage closet so we don't have to load in and out every week. The other PA consists of a Presonus studiolive 16.4.2, 4 JBL PRX535s and 6 QSC HPR subs and IEMs. We can use as much PA as the gig requires. I also have 4 JBLPRX512ms for wedges/frontfills if we need them.
 
#106
In the process of upgrading my PA. I ordered the final pieces, and here's what it will look like.

2 QSC K12s
2 QSC KSubs
2 Yamaha DXR10s
2 Samson Auro D12s
Mackie DL1608
Soundcraft 124FX
2 Shure PSM200s

I'm reducing a bunch of PA gear, and going with a flexible format. The K12/KSub pair will be a 'big' setup, and I'll bring one or two subs depending on what I need. I've been playing around with these speakers and I like the sound. The DXR10s will be monitors or mains for a smaller setup. I'll use a single for an acoustic gig. I'll keep the Auros around since they are cheap, compact, and I can use them as an extra monitor, or use them as the main monitors and use the DXRs as additional mains. I have a couple of IEM transmitters, but unfortunately, not all the musicians I work with have receivers.

I really pondered over the DL1608 vs the Presonus 16.0.2 and went with the Mackie because it had more inputs. The Presonus also makes you use a channel for the RCA ins, which is lame when you have to supply the music during break. Along with a refurb iPad 2, they were similar in price. I'll miss out on the superior recording capabilities of the StudioLive, but I may pick one up later when the prices are cheaper. And, I can still use the aux outs on the DL1608 to go into a multi-channel interface. I'll use the little Soundcraft mixer for acoustic gigs.
 
#108
5StringFool said:
The thing that sold me in the Mackie vs. Presonus decision was that the Mackie DL1608 is an all in one unit... you don't need to have it connected to an additional laptop for wireless operation, and it's more compact as well. Those two things gave it a slight edge for a mobile setup imo.
Click to expand...

I'm really liking the DL1608 and I'd seriously consider it for my small wedding band if my analogue board dies on me (not much chance of that happening).

I use the bigger presonus 24.4.2 and carrying the laptop with me isn't a big deal at all. Set up involves connecting the laptop to the mixer and powering both up then the laptop connects wirelessly to the router and I'm set. I also like that the presonus has inserts on every channel and that I can use the laptop with firewire returns to affect the channels with plug ins from the laptop. But in a comparison with the 16.0.2 the DL1608 might just have the edge. Its a tough one.
 
#109
I used to use a 24 channel, rack mount Sampson mixer (great specs), and a huge rack with big power amps, rack effects, usually Alesis Quadraverb, compressor/limiter, feedback destroyer (monitors only), and later a PV Kosmos. Big rack, but I could get it into my truck and on to a stage by myself. I have larger speakers available, but found them unnecessary, using 4 top cabinet with a high wattage 10" and horn in each cabinet, and two compact 15" subs. I build my own speakers.

I replaced the big rack with a powered mixer and still carry a small rack for subs and monitors. We're a 3 piece, and this system even worked well with outdoor gigs. We aren't trying to slam the audience with kick drum. Our monitors are also 10's with horns. The drummer uses a Hot Spot.

The guitar player recently bought a new system, four K12's and one K212 sub. Smaller gigs, we use two of the K12's for monitors, larger gigs, all four K12s go into the PA and we use my monitors. It's plenty for us. We always get compliments on our sound. He also bought a nice, compact 16 channel mixer.

One monthly gig is a small place. We have little room and it's a small stage. We use two K12's and the sub, all stacked on one side of the stage. There we use a small Behringer mixer on top of my bass rig, with a small digital mixer. No monitors needed there. Another monthly gig is at a place with it's own PA, again, small with no monitors needed. I like that place.
 
#110
When I got my stolen band trailer back, empty, I decided to go powered speakers and digital board. These new digital mixers some of you guys got weren’t shipping at the time, so I just went with the PreSonus 16.4.2. With that, I didn’t need to replace the heavy/cumbersome “big black box”, processing or snake.

The RCF ART312-As were going a bit cheaper than they are now… got six of those, and I got a good deal on two 12” Alto coaxial wedges, and they’re sweet- smaller/lighter and better wedge angle than the RCFs.

I initially got one sub, JBL PRX618S-XLF, plenty for a small bar, but recently got a good deal on another (20%-off, free shipping) so I got it.

Hercules mic (and guitar) stands, another SM58, Blue encore 200, and Heil PR35 for me. Fortunately I had a second/rehearsal Shure ?? condensor headset mic for the drummer, but I guess I still want to get another for a backup.

Lost my TC Electronic BG500 115 combo (loved that thing), but my GK MB500 head and 212MBE cab does the job just fine.

Okay, I went beyond PA and I’ll spare y’all the rest, but suffice it to say, I’m presently happy with what I went with, and I owe a lot of it to advice I’d gotten (some of it initially resisted) from guys who knew what they were talking about.

:)
 
#111
jive1 said:
In the process of upgrading my PA. I ordered the final pieces, and here's what it will look like.

2 QSC K12s
2 QSC KSubs
2 Yamaha DXR10s
2 Samson Auro D12s
Mackie DL1608
Soundcraft 124FX
2 Shure PSM200s
Click to expand...
Sir Jive - I know you're involved in several bands (so there's some duplication in the equipment listed) - thought I'd ask you and the great collective about the Mackie DL1608. I'm putting together a smallish (5 pc + 5 vocals) - but it might expand to add 3-4 horns at some point. 1608 good with that? (I dunno! I've never had to worry about the board before..!)
 
#112
We use the DL1608 at church and here's our channel list:

Instruments:
Drums - 4ch
Bass - 1ch
Dual Keys - 1ch (through a stereo direct box)
Acoustic - 1ch
Electric 1 - 1ch
Electric 2 - 1ch
____________________
9ch

Wireless Handheld (vox) - 1ch
Headset (sermon) - 1ch
Male Vox 1 - 1ch
Male Vox 2 - 1ch
Female Vox 1 - 1ch
Female Vox 2 - 1ch
PC - 1ch

The DL1608 does a great job at handling all that and I really dig the DAW like structure of all the comps, gates, EQ's and effects. I don't see why it wouldn't be able to handle that addition of a small horn section to a 5pc/5vocal setup.
 
#113
Bassorama57 said:
Sir Jive - I know you're involved in several bands (so there's some duplication in the equipment listed) - thought I'd ask you and the great collective about the Mackie DL1608. I'm putting together a smallish (5 pc + 5 vocals) - but it might expand to add 3-4 horns at some point. 1608 good with that? (I dunno! I've never had to worry about the board before..!)
Click to expand...

I like the DL a lot for minimalist set ups when you don't plan to record. (Otherwise, I'd go with a StudioLive or Mackie Onyx or other board friendly to multi-tracking.) Whether it will work for your channel count depends on what your 5-pieces are; but I'd think you might want a sub-mix board for flexibility when you get to that track count. Assuming your 5-piece is two drums, bass, 2 guitars, and keys, here's the channel list I'd want to add horns w/ the DL:

inputs 1-5: vox 1-5
6. Kick
7. Snare
8. Hats
9. OH L
10. OH-R
11. Bass
12. Guitar 1
13. Guitar 2
14. Keyboard 1
15. Keyboard 2
16. Horn section (via submixer)

Depending on stage volume and the kind of drum sound you're after, you could go with a minimalist 3-mic (kick + overheads) drums. If your keys player uses more than two keyboards, you'll probably want to run those through the submixer, as well, running horns to the DL through one aux and keys through another.
 
#114
Bassorama57 said:
Sir Jive - I know you're involved in several bands (so there's some duplication in the equipment listed) - thought I'd ask you and the great collective about the Mackie DL1608. I'm putting together a smallish (5 pc + 5 vocals) - but it might expand to add 3-4 horns at some point. 1608 good with that? (I dunno! I've never had to worry about the board before..!)
Click to expand...

I haven't received mine yet. It's one of the final pieces of my setup. It's replacing my big mixer (Mackie CFX16) and my small mixer (Soundcraft EFX8). I went with it because it had more inputs and outputs and the Presonus 16.0.2, and those 4 extra inputs would come in handy for a situation like yours. I only wish that it had some bussing options like the 16.4.2 or my old Mackie.
 
#115
Thanks very much - everyone. Hadn't thought of a submixer! Seems as though there's not much bad to say about the 1608, so I'll start building a system around that.
-->> ONE more question if I might - I'm pretty settled on the QSCs - is there any substantive difference between the K12 and KW122, other than the the K12 is in an ABS enclosure and 9 lbs lighter?
 

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