Cheap PA systems

[ambi]

A friend of mine is looking for a cheap 2 speaker pa system for her singing. She needs one when she goes off to music school, and she wants me to help her find one. She says a guy at a local music store had one on for about half price, down from 799 Canadian. Could you guys just throw out a few names to avoid, and some good cheap systems? I'll look into the brand and model of this one, currently i have no more information.
thanks guys.

[jeap]

there is a crate system at musician's friend with a powered mixer and 10" 2 way speakers with dome tweeters.

its about 400$ us.

i think it would be sweet for a small vocal system.

the brand name is crate.

i would make sure to get the speakers with the dome tweeters cause they also have some with piezo horns which are harsh.

i think i would avoid squier and nady.

the cheapest one is kustom for around 200 us and would be ok if thats the most she could afford!

yamaha has a nice looking small system.

good luck!

[TexRoadkill]

Get a JBL Eon Powered Speaker with built in mic preamp.

I would avoid any powered PA 'Heads'. They are heavy, noisy and a big waste of money IMNSHO.

[jeap]

Originally posted by TexRoadkill
Get a JBL Eon Powered Speaker with built in mic preamp. They are heavy, noisy and a big waste of money IMNSHO.

i have seen literally hundreds of acts using small pa systems with powered mixers and they work just fine. with the smaller ones each piece is very lightweight and they are plenty quiet. if you get the right speakers they sound great.

[Roel]

I would also go the powered speaker way. Instead of a powered mixer and speakers, get a mixer and powered speakers. Way more logical. And if you expand your system, the older powered speakers can serve as powered monitors.

[littledog]

The lure of all-in-one powered mixers is compelling:

•Set up time is fast and easy - just plug in two speaker cables and a power cable.

•You don't need to research and purchase a lot of seperate components: power amp/mixer/effects all included, no external cabling needed.

•No more expensive (usually) than buying seperate components - sometimes even cheaper!

That being said, I usually discourage all-in-one combo solutions for most people for the following reasons:

•Individual components can be upgraded and or repaired seperately, without the whole system becoming useless or traded in.

•There is more flexibility and choices in creating the exact system that best matches one's needs.

•The quality control on many powered mixers is often questionable.

•You usually end up with a much better sounding system

A compact mixer such as something in the Mackie or Behringer line, paired with one of the lightweight design power amps from companies like QSC (PLX series), Carvin, or Stewart; plus an inexpensive reverb unit from Digitech, Lexicon, etc. may add up to a greater initial investment, but will be much more stable, better sounding, and satisfy most people's needs for a longer time.

Powered speakers would be an alternative to the power amp possibility - there are advantages and disadvantages to each. My personal preference is for a power amp. Subject for another discussion perhaps.

[Roel]

The advantages of a powered mixer with amps are all valid too for a mixer with powered speakers... The only difference is the need of one more powerconnector for each speaker...

For a small system, I think those powered speakers would be a better choice. This IS the place for that discussion. Reading all this will get the dudes mind of buying a powered mixer.

[ambi]

the problem is my friend knows nothing about this kind of stuff, and has to beable to just plug it in and use it, and she wouldn't notice a differnece really. And it has to be really cheap! Im goin to call really soon and find out what system it was she was looking at

[littledog]

Roel:

I think powered speakers are a better solution than a powered mixer, but i still prefer all seperates.

The argument is an extension of the one I used in the above post: putting your power amp in your speaker reduces the flexibility of both designing, upgrading, and operating your system... and means that if something breaks in either the speaker or the power amp section, you may lose the use of both.

In addition, speakers are one of the few things that are commonly lifted high in the air and set on poles/stands, etc. Powered speakers are heavier than their equivalent unpowered models. Plus, instead of all the AC power being obtained in one central location, now you have to get power out to a speaker that may be 10 meters away.

My personal idiosyncracy (although certainly not mine alone) is also to way "overpower" speakers to get the best sound. (e.g. 400W amp powering 200W speakers). Usually the speaker/amp combinations in the powered units don't give you that option. So I don't think they perform as well.

None of these are insurmountable problems, but taken in total they are the reasons why I prefer seperate units.

Now, on the other hand, for STUDIO monitors I definitely PREFER powered units. But that REALLY is another discussion!

[littledog]

Originally posted by ambi
the problem is my friend knows nothing about this kind of stuff, and has to beable to just plug it in and use it, and she wouldn't notice a differnece really. And it has to be really cheap! Im goin to call really soon and find out what system it was she was looking at

The part she MIGHT notice is when she turns it on and nothing works...

[ambi]

ha, yea thats true.
im gonna try and find the number for that place and call....
damnit
no phone number, ok, im gonna go there, i'll be back in a few...

[ambi]

well they didn't have any left.
it was a sound (something, can't remember, but not craft), the modle was c100
made in canada.
the stuff made by them looked bad quality, i had never heard of it. What about those fender little pa systems?

[Even]

personal opinion...... Crate sucks. Their contacts are tin thin. High heat or less than surgeon delicate removal of all jacks can and eventually WILL sever the contacts.

[jgourd]

If you don't care out the unit being great, Fender has a nice little suitcase unit that works really well and is so simple to use that I can send my sales force off to a trade show with it and not have to go and set it up myself.

[jeap]

the arguments against powered mixers sound a lot like the arguments against stereo recievers.

they are made cheaply

you cant upgrade the tuner, preamp, and power amp seperately

there are better alternatives

well whatever.

i still like stereo recievers and most others agree with me.

you can have a 60 or 100 watt little box with 4 mic preamps and reverb or digital effects. a child can carry it.

your 85 lb. powered speakers with 15" woofers are a little impractical for a student to take to class. they are more expensive and rather unneccessary for simple vocal reproduction.


now here is what im talking about:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/.../base_id/35590

cheap, easy to carry, and if you dont overdrive them they sound fine.

[ambi]

i totaly understand about the all in one units being cheaply made, un-upgradable, etc... and if it were me i'd definatly buy a unit with a mixing board and seperate speakers, the whole thing, but for her, it doesnt really matter. Not that i don't care what she buys, but for her budget, and her needs, one of those cheap all in one fender units would be idea, very portable, and super simple. Thats what i had in mind for her before, i had checked one out a long and mcquade, then she told me about that one she saw at some other local store. i guess i'll get prices on the fender units, and take her down to see what they have and what she wants. if i find any other options that long and mcquade has, i'll post em up for some advice from you guys.
thanks a lot.



"from looking at the fender website, im guessing this one would be closest to her pricerange, the p150 , http://www.fenderaudio.com/gear/gear...tno=0691006003"

[jgourd]

Here is that little Fender unit I was talking about.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/.../base_id/35505

[jeap]

the fender would be very nice yes.

and note that this is a powered mixer system.

its more than twice as much as the kustom.



the crate that i think would be sweeeet and the one that i want to get for a small kick around vocal pa is:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/.../base_id/39501

i have tried these speakers and the dome tweeters have a VERY nice sound.

here is the description of the speaker and they are only 29 lbs each.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/.../base_id/38065

the mixer has digital effects.


this system with a small sub would kick major patoot for a single vocalist!

[jeap]

Originally posted by littledog


A compact mixer such as something in the Mackie or Behringer line, paired with one of the lightweight design power amps from companies like QSC (PLX series), Carvin, or Stewart; plus an inexpensive reverb unit from Digitech, Lexicon, etc. may add up to a greater initial investment, but will be much more stable, better sounding, and satisfy most people's needs for a longer time.

lets see:

mackie board at least 3 or 400
cheapest qsc power amp 300
cheap lexicon 180 on sale

so were at almost a thousand u.s. BEFORE we even look at speakers.

this is your idea of a cheap system for a girl to sing into for school? this is what semipro bands use at clubs. think about who this is for. she probably doesnt have a van and roadies for hauling equipment.

[Gidge]

sorry guys, but i like Carvin.....

http://www.carvin.com/cgi-bin/Isearch.exe?P1=SYS1



but if you just need cheap, the Kustom one jeap mentioned would definitely do.....

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/.../base_id/35590

[Richard Monroe]

She'll love the Fender Passport P150 system (under $500). It's super portable, and will easily meet her limited needs. It really is a girl thing. Now before y'all jump on me. Yes, I know it's not the most cost effective way to do it, and I know it's not the most versatile, expandeable or powerful way to do it, but to the person who's going to use it, for what she will use it for, it will be perfect. Easy storage in a dorm room, easy to carry or roll on wheels, easy to pack in a subcompact car or take to a class. If you want to know what a college woman would want in a PA, don't ask a bunch of recording engineers, hard core rockers, and MIDI geeks. They'll suggest the most effective tool for a job she probably isn't ready to do (and at a bargain price). Really, have her pick up the passport (with one hand) and she'll be in love at first sound byte. What the hell, throw in an SM58.-Richie

[jgourd]

The Passport comes with an SM-58 clone which isn't half bad. Like I said, I bought one for my company, knowing full well that it wasn't great, but the women in the office can set it up without me.

[jeap]

ok you freaks this is what she needs and no more arguments

http://www.cameronproaudio.com/picts1.html

[ambi]

ok small update here. She doesn't really want to spend any more than 400, i guess she could be pusehd to 500, but that would most likely just be a 400 dollar system with tax. The fender p150 being 699 canadian is kinda outa the budget. So she may have to settle for a crap system, if all she wants to pay for is a crap system. BTW, 400 Canadian is approx 265 US.

[ambi]

i know this doesn't leave much to deal with, only 256 bucks US, but, i guess thats what we have to deal with. The kustom doesn't sound bad, but im on Vancouver island in Canada, and my selection is greatly limited. Vancouver is an options, with a Massive long and mcquade, tom lee, and probably a hundred other stores. So keep in mind you'd have to beable to get it in canada, she won't be ordering over the net, pick ups only, sorry. Its kinda tight, probably limited to a choice between 2 or 3 shitty systems. But she doesn't know anyhting about equipment, and anything will do for her, shes going to music school somewhere in the middle of canada, and she just needs her own portable pa system with a few mic inputs for practicing i guess, yea, no big shows, so no big system.