Author Topic: PA advice please! (Read 189 times)

robinc · « **on:** April 28, 2009, 02:42:02 PM »

Greetings all,

I'm on the hunt for a PA setup that can accommodate my band. We really only need about 6-10 inputs for mics/micing acoustic instruments, the amplified instruments can go through their own amps and drums are loud as hell anyway so no need to worry about that just yet. Powered mixer or mixer and power amp, it makes no difference to me, so long as it can handle restaurant/bar gigs and small (200-400) outdoor venues. We already have two speaker stands, just need cabs to put on them.

There seem to be a lot of different options out there. I've been watching cl for the past few days and I've seen a lot of units that looked like they could work, but in the interest of doing my homework and not ending up with a piece of sh!t I bring my enquiries to the forum.

Any advice on gear to jump on or steer clear of would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

jerryme · « **Reply #1 on:** April 28, 2009, 02:48:45 PM »

www.carvin.com
www.musiciansdiscountwarehouse.com

lbpesq · « **Reply #2 on:** April 28, 2009, 03:03:42 PM »

Robin:

A few years ago I got rid of my big rack P.A. and bought a Mackie 808s. One of the best moves I've made. Small and relatively light, it has two 600 watt amps that can either run both mains and monitors or, for larger venues or outdoors, I can run the mains with 600 watts to each side and take a monitor send off the Mackie to a separate power amp. I LOVE this thing. It's more than adequate for every situation where I've had to schlepp the P.A. For bigger situations, there's usually a P.A. already there.

Bill, tgo

terrace · « **Reply #3 on:** April 28, 2009, 04:34:21 PM »

Yorkville & Yamaha make great gear that's just about bulletproof.The Yorkville Powermax board
has 4 internal poweramps and great patching abilities.

keith_h · « **Reply #4 on:** April 28, 2009, 04:37:01 PM »

You didn't give a budget.

Look at the Allen & Heath MixWizard boards. They are very highly thought of in the small format mixer arena. The 12:2 has 8 XLR mike inputs and built in effects. The 14:4:2 has 10 XLR mike inputs and no effects but a 4 channel bus. The 16:2 has 16 XLR mike inputs and built in effects (this is what I use). If you decide to add subs later on you can drive them through Aux 6 (i.e. Aux fed subs) Aux 1-4 are great for monitor mixes.

Match this up with some self powered speakers like JBL's PRX or QSC HPR series. This should give you a pretty decent small system that can easily be expanded to subs and monitors later.

It would also be a good idea to look at and search the ProSoundWeb forums. They have all types of discussions about PA's and equipment in the LAB Lounge.

Keith

crobbins · « **Reply #5 on:** April 28, 2009, 05:19:57 PM »

This is what I use..

lbpesq · « **Reply #6 on:** April 28, 2009, 05:35:05 PM »

Looks a lot like my Mackie.

Bill, tgo

mike1762 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 28, 2009, 07:10:59 PM »

I have a Phonic Helix 24 MKII mixer. It is rack-mountable and has FireWire output; therefore, it's a decent back-up for my studio set-up. If you don't already have digital recording capability, this would kill 2 birds w/1 stone. My speakers are powered Behringer EUROLIVE B415DSPs. They are bi-amped at 600-Watts with a 15 woofer and a 1.75 titanium driver... very loud (but heavy).

crobbins · « **Reply #8 on:** April 28, 2009, 07:44:30 PM »

Mackie makes good board. I have a 1640 onyx with the firewire card in my home studio...

crobbins · « **Reply #9 on:** April 28, 2009, 08:14:38 PM »

Double post oops.

(Message edited by CRobbins on April 29, 2009)

terryc · « **Reply #10 on:** April 29, 2009, 02:27:48 AM »

JBL make some good powered speaker units, the last band I was used them, we were steered clear of the Mackie stuff as the grills were 15 but the drivers were 12.
The JBL Aon had 15 drivers in them and were plenty powerful for small venues.
Having said that it may be different for you USA guys

bsee · « **Reply #11 on:** April 29, 2009, 07:48:56 AM »

The 808s is a great choice. If you need a few more channels for whatever reason, you can slave a cheap mini-mixer to one of the stereo channels. Most gigs, mono with 600 watts for the mains and 600 for the monitors is plenty.

Alternately, Mackie makes a larger version called the PPM1012 that looks even better if you want to deal with transport.

As for cabs, I like neo speakers for transportability. If you have the budget, JBL gets high grades for the EON line. If not, Peavey has a cab that can be picked up for $200 a piece.

If you're thinking about powered cabs, you should consider the weight in throwing them up on the stands. It's why I opted for the powered mixer alternative.

As a side note, my bass rig runs through a QSC 24xx power amp. I only need one side, so the other side can back up or augment the PA if more power is needed.

robinc · « **Reply #12 on:** May 03, 2009, 04:02:41 PM »

This unit
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-PMP2000E1220-PA-Package?sku=630219

is available to me used. He is asking $650. Anyone had any experience with it? Seems to have gotten strong reviews...

olieoliver · « **Reply #13 on:** May 03, 2009, 04:11:23 PM »

I've had nothing but bad experiences with Behringer PA gear. The boards are noises and not very durable. While their price is very enticing you get what you pay for.

OO

bsee · « **Reply #14 on:** May 03, 2009, 04:19:20 PM »

Based upon their past history, I would never buy anything Behringer for a critical application. They're fine for a home practice amp or even something I might use for home recording, but I wouldn't gig any of their stuff without a backup.