PA for acoustic performance

[LI Slim]

I want a simple but quality PA system for acoustic guitar and vocals. I know that generally Mackie is well regarded as are the JBL Eon's. It's also more expensive. There's also Peavey, Crown, Crate, Samson and I'm sure several others.

I've been expecting to get a powered mixer and passive speakers but I see that some of the active speakers are getting good reviews (although it looks like a mixer with powered speakers will cost more than a comparable powered mixer with passive speakers). I'm going to want a monitor also.

So is any of the above particularly good for an acoustic act? Should I mix brands? What will I get for two thou that I won't get for one? What else should I ask?

[Gidge]

Im partial to Peavey, but Ive been out of the live scene a while.....a key question is how large of a room do you think you will be playing and how many people?.....this will determine wattage requirements and speaker sizes which in turn determines $$$$....I cant imagine going up to 2 grand....I cant imagine 1 grand......

[vox]

There are two models of EONs, the new G2 is more expensive than the original. The original EONs are also great speakers, the basic differences are:

The G2 is 300 watts each, the original is about 200 watts each.

The G2 is Dark grey almost black, the original is a lighter grey.

The G2 has the word 'EON' stamped into the grill, the original didn't.

The biggest change is the power output, the new Eons are selling mainly on the strength of how good the older ones were.

[LI Slim]

Do they still sell the originals? 200 watts is plenty for me.

I expect to use these in fairly small venues like coffeehouses, although it's possible I may want to bring them into a modest auditorium at some point also; still, we're talking about spaces large enough for between 30 and a couple hundred people.


Anyone else have 2 cents on this one?

[battleminnow]

I just bought a Dean acoustic amp that has great sound, but is probably a little smaller than you are looking for. I have used it as a filler guitar amp in a church of a bout three hundred people, and it doesnt quite keep up, but it kills for a coffee house gig. Two 1/4" inputs and an xlr channel to boot. Fender makes some nice acoustic amp stuff, if you go that route.
Anyway, it sounds like you have the basics worked out, you just need to try some stuff out and see what you like!!
Don't forget to spend the extra money on nice cables, and make sure you have an effects unit or one built in to the mixer, or at least some decent reverb.
Good Luck!!

Pete

[LI Slim]

Yeah, I have a Fender Acoustasonic already (the bigger one with the side-facing second speaker on the bottom), and it works okay in a coffeehouse, it has two separate channels and all, but it's really not as good as having a real mixer and two separate speakers, and also, you can't plug in a monitor. It certainly would be great for the acoustic guitar only as part of a band, but it's really not right for the guitar plus a vocal mic.

I was perfectly happy with it until I got into home recording and started to learn about sound!

[Hard2Hear]

LI-
I think that with what you're doing, you'd be best off with a little mixer and 2 powered speakers there. I too think the Eons are good, the Mackies just kill. Just depends on your $, ya know? Try getting 1 powered Hotspot for your monitoring. That would work great for the one guy acoustic thing.

H2H

[Gidge]

Im such a cheapskate Id get this...

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ex/sh...733?pid=608003

[Gidge]

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ex/sh...733?pid=600952

or this....

[LI Slim]

Thanks H2H; why do you prefer the powered speakers over the powered mixer?

Gidge, I'd sure like to be a cheapskate. I wish I could understand what distinguishes the Mackies of the world from that stuff.

[battleminnow]

How much do you want to spend?

Pete

[Gidge]

Yamaha isnt a name to sneeze at in the live audio world, but I havent been in it for awhile....

[Gidge]

you could always bring your guitar and mics to the nearest pro audio shop and hook up to some of these guys vs. the "big boys" and let your ears tell you what the difference is.....

[LI Slim]

Gidge, you are of course right about that.

battle, I'd rather be around one thou than two.

[Hard2Hear]

LI-
I like the whole concept of powered speakers...always having the correct amount of juice running to the speaker. Some of the band is wanting to get away from the in-ear system I'm using (I don't know why) and use some wedges also. I want to use powered monitors for this, just seems so easy to use!

H2H

[dhosek]

Good powered speakers have a built-in crossover and biamp (sometimes triamp). That right there makes them a better value than the powered mixer/unpowered speakers route.

And you'll find that unpowered mixers will give you better flexibility for doing home recording as well...

-dh

[engineear]

The ACTIVE Mackies(ie. 2x 450's and 1x 1500 sub) with their corresponding balanced driver amps and proper x-over WILL undoubtedly and DO sound fee-nominal!! $2200 clams and IF you blow an amp or driver OR have any sort of electronic glitch.......OH BOY! It is alot easier to slam a passive driver into your rig or slap an amp inline than trying to find another active speaker. QSC and Hafler amps are ROCK solid, with any number of passive and readily available speaker systems. Having said all this...... I have the Mackie set up and I am IN NO WAY sorry. It will dust your ruffles from Riverhead to Muttontown and back!! I do sometimes, for a moment, think what if....... but hey, if there ain't no risk it simply is not a challenge.... and life is boring. Risk/reward. These Mackies with that KICK ASS sub, in a small portable package..... WOW, listen to this set up, you may just walk away scratching your head saying "I've got ta have this rig" like me, then go into hock, get the buyer's remorse, sour stomach, fart a little, then go out and listen to this well balanced and fantastic sounding system and rationalize, hey, if I can find an amp deal on e-bay, pick up an inexpensive pair of EV's I'll have a back-up system. Naaaw... just get 2 more 450's for back-up or they make great wedges. Not to bad mouth anyone or anything, but, A-B the Mackies & JBL G2's b4 buying those EON's, Really! Listen to both.

[Prism]

I really like the JBL EON powered series... they sound real nice and have XLR inputs. I hate Peavey.

Isaiah

[VOXVENDOR]

Get a "Box PA/mixer"...

Yorkville MP6D

325W @ 4 ohm, Better power than 160W @8 ohm

32 Footswitchable digital effects....9 band graphic EQ

$699US

[Gidge]

http://www.carvin.com/cgi-bin/get.ex...G=2&SearchStr=(I.ItemNumber='620-805')+AND+(CID2='SYS1')

Voted best PA package by Acoustic Guitar Magazine Readers Poll......

200 wts....7 band eq.....256 digital effects....

[Gidge]

http://www.carvin.com/cgi-bin/get.ex...G=2&SearchStr=(I.ItemNumber='410-805')+AND+(CID2='SYS1')

the 100wt, 4 channel version......

[LI Slim]

Thanks, Gidge.

How about it, guys? I've heard that Carvin makes good stuff. A Carvin system would cost half what a Mackie would. Is the Mackie worth it or am I paying for the name?

[Treeline]

I'm nosing around the AG100 acoustic amp myself, but I already have a mixer and a set of powered speakers would be the next logical step. I've heard good things about Carvin, and the stuff I have used (long time ago) seemed overbuilt. But I'm nervous about buying without hearing it first.

As far as I can tell, you really do get what you pay for. Mackies rule for live acoustic sound, but that comes at a price. I don't see a lot of used Mackie stuff around; people tend to hang onto their Mackie gear. I have a friend that runs a benefit concert every year using his standard issue TAPCO mixer. That was built about the time Greg Mackie moved his operation out of a garage and into an EV factory - about 25 years ago. The stuff is built like a tank.