Can I use studio monitors as PA spearkers?

[artebrut]

I am putting together a home recording studio that will also be used as a place to jam with friends. The space is small. I have a drum set and three amps, electric piano and recording gear in it. Did I mention that it is a small place? I am thinking of buying a pair of used Tannoy PBM 6.5 speakers that come with gear to mount them from the ceileen. I have a Hafler Power amp that I bought at a garage sale. Can I use the speakers as a low volume PA?

Second question. Is there such a thing/difference between Tannoy PBM 6.5 speaker and Tannoy PBM 6.5 monitors. Are they the same thing?

Thanks for your help.

Richard

 

[Kingofpain678]

I am putting together a home recording studio that will also be used as a place to jam with friends. The space is small. I have a drum set and three amps, electric piano and recording gear in it. Did I mention that it is a small place? I am thinking of buying a pair of used Tannoy PBM 6.5 speakers that come with gear to mount them from the ceileen. I have a Hafler Power amp that I bought at a garage sale. Can I use the speakers as a low volume PA?

Second question. Is there such a thing/difference between Tannoy PBM 6.5 speaker and Tannoy PBM 6.5 monitors. Are they the same thing?

Thanks for your help.

Richard

Here's your answer: yes you could.


But here's my question: if you're in a small room with a drum set, 3 amps and an electric piano what do you need a PA for exactly?

 

[artebrut]

Well,
No matter how hard we try to play soft, we always end up playing louder and louder and louder. I am planning on buying a mixer, or possibly seeing if I can use my computer as a mixer. And I want to be able to get the vocals loud enough to hear over the guitars and drums.

Thanks for your input. I appreciate any advice you might have.

R

 

[shortedaman]

of course you could. but IMHO you'd probably be better off using a guitar amp or something similar. you wouldn't want to mess up those monitors, at least i wouldn't. also, watch your ears! in small places SPL's can build and may damage your hearing.

 

[artebrut]

Perhaps a small amplifier would work better. I got the Haffler for next to nothing and I thought I might as well use it.

Thanks for your time. I appreciate your insight.

R

 

[darrin_h2000]

Just go on craigslist and get the cheapest set of PA speakers that you can and route them through to your tracking room and switch the speakers when you need to...I have a small set that clients listen back on.

We actually jam with the headphones on sometimes...only the drums are loud...but they are soft outside of the room they are in.

 

[dintymoore]

If you were careful and were just using it for vocals for light acoustic it might be ok, but I think the speakers are too small to play along with a drum set.

Plus there's a chance somebody will do something stupid and blow one.

 

[Dani Pace]

I use my studio for a practice/jam room also, we have a small PA, 4 chanels, 65 watts into 2 12 inch speakers. I know that doesn't sound like much of a PA but in a small room it ts plenty loud enough to hear the vocals over the drums. I gave about $100 for it at a pawn shop. Something similar would be your best option, save your monitors for mixing. As an added benefit, a small PA works well for stage monitors, especially in smaller venues.

 

[saads]

We used to use the singer's monitors as PA. Until one of them got fucked up . So i'm not sure you'd want to do that...

 

[Richard Monroe]

Sorry about Saad's experience. What was said above about your hearing is true. You need to deal with headphones, and see how your drummer hates his new V-Drums! Aside from that, given that you already own a Hafler- how many watts into 4 ohms and 8 ohms? I just happen to have a pair of old Audio Centron small PA array/wedge monitors. 50 watts handling each 8 ohms impedence. I bought these used at a yardsale. They're ugly and neglected, but they sound good, work,are wicked small, and can handle 100 watts, give or take. I paid $50 for the pair, which means I'd sell them to you for $65 plus real shipping. Feel free to send me a PM. Other than that- check pawn shops, if you have any where you live, for PA components. And yes, you can use those monitors as PA arrays. I can't think of a better way to damage a studio monitor. They feed back real good, too. Get some PA speakers!-Richie

 

[witzendoz]

Perhaps a small amplifier would work better.
R

No, in fact a small amp running into clipping due to being turned up too loud damages speakers quicker than a loud amp running clean.

Always select an amp with more power than the speakers.

By a couple of cheap PA speakers and run them off the Hafler (I have one running my main studio monitors by the way) and save you studio monitors from being damaged.

Cheers

Alan.

 

[johnnymegabyte]

I have a setup where I have studio monitors (KRK Rokit 6 mkII) and Pioneer 150 watt 20+ year old stereo speakers (which I got for free off a friend). Doh. I have blown 2 pairs of speakers before, but they were also over 20 years old. Queue TAPS.

My Tacam M-164UF mixer has 2 buss, SUB and Stereo. SUB goes to the Rokit, where I control the volume with the fader and Stereo to my 100 watts per channel Sansui receiver and the Pioneer speakers, the volume knob on the receiver controls volume (mixer is set at 0 db). The loudest output is the Sunsui/Pioneer route. NOTE: I use to have some great Peavey 15" PA even for gigs before the Pioneer, but I had to sell them + other gear to make rent. They were loud with hardly any power to them.

So, after reading a few comments, what I think might be a cheap route would be use the Haffler amp + look for some stereo speakers or PA speakers than can handle more power than what the amp can pump out.
A) you might know someone or Craigslist might have some for free or dirt cheap
B) PA speakers might be more robust to handle a live situation, but may not be cheap as name brands can hold a bit of their value
C) do you have a budget ?

Also, 26 years ago, my band used to rehearse in a jam room and we used my old guitar amp as a PA for the mics. We did not mic instruments or drums in rehearsal, but at least we could hear our singer. Again, if a guitar amp comes your way, try it out and see if it works.

 

[moresound]

26 years ago, my band used to rehearse in a jam room and we used my old guitar amp as a PA for the mics. We did not mic instruments or drums in rehearsal, but at least we could hear our singer. Again, if a guitar amp comes your way, try it out and see if it works.

To add to this get that amp up in the air don't leave it on the ground so a good 4 feet or so.

 

[dementedchord]

pbm 6.5's for pa???

bwahahhahhahah... thnx i needed that...

they should last for 15-20 min with tweeters another 15 without.... i think i've got some of those twetters here... an old partner used to blow them @ once /month...

 

[Richard Monroe]

What the hell? I tried to help the guy out. 100 watts handling in 2 very small packages for cheap. Oh well.-Richie