Cheap PA systems

  • Thread starter Thread starter ambi
  • Start date Start date
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
 
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.
 
small one

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.
 
hmmn

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.
 
Carvin AG100D, a one piece 3/4 channel PA/acoustic guitar amp. It's reliable, sounds good, and most importantly, toatal weight is 37lbs. They're about $400 new, but there's one on ebay right now with a day left on the auction..........$250 just might get it.
 
well,

on the positive side...

ambi is getting his/her moneys worth out of this thread!

:p
 
Alright, Ambi. Even though you ignored my first suggestion (which is still the best one ;) )

Here is the link http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...0202416718/search/g=home/detail/base_id/51988

See if you/her can find a used one of those JBL's. They are very popular and shouldnt be that hard to track down. It is powered, has xlr mic input and you can add more of them later for a bigger system. I have used the 15" versions and they are the best overall deal for a compact travel PA.
 
oops

sorry tex i didn't mean to ignore your first post, i just wasn't sure if one would be available near me, but i will look into it, from the page it looks good!
thanks.
 
oop[s

small prob, we're look at around 250-300 US for the whole thing, and that eon is like, 500, looks like just a speaker, but you were saying it had build in mic pres.
 
ambi lives on an island and theres only like 3 or 4 stores and they sell mostly food and home furnishings and clothes and stuff like that.

back in the corner they might have a little PA system! its always a brand that nobody has ever heard of!

:p
 
hmm

a little exadurated jeep, but pretty much right. Vancouver island, Victoria is the biggest city near me. Its, a decent size i guess, but lacking in the variety, as far as consumer products are concerned. It has everything, just very limited selection of everything. Vancouver is and option.
 
C'mon ambi, time's running out on ebay, that Carvin is a sweet little amp and has saved me many times when running more than one setup. If you can get one in your price range it's well worth the money.

Man, I love Victoria Is., it feels so much like Yurrup compared to the rest of western Canada.
 
wascal's criticisms of some of my points were excellent, as usual.

in this particulaqr woman's case, given her extremely limited budget and very specific needs, she obviously is in the position of being forced to take a chance on one of a very limited amount of options, and hope for the best.

what i tried to (probably unclearly) state at the beginning of my discussion was that IN GENERAL i don't recommend all-in-one design units, and proceeded to explain why. This was more aimed at the "general public" reading the thread, rather than the woman buying the P.A. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

my advice is also colored on years of personal experience showing up on gigs where the female vocalist was "providing" the P.A. - usually one of these types under discussion. Leaving aside for the moment that most of them sounded like "ass", invariably one or more features (like the reverb, or one side of the power amp, etc.) were broken or otherwise unusable, and it was not unusual to find out that the unit had already been returned, repaired, or exchanged a number of times for various flaws.

finally, wascal, i also agree with you on home stereo receivers. I've never bought a seperate tuner in my life. But it's apples and oranges. Most people set up their home stereo receivers in one spot, and leave it there for years. The wear and tear is negligeable, so you can more easily get away with cheaply made components. On the other hand, a piece of road gear has to withstand much more bumps and bruises, vibrations of riding in trunks or vans for miles, extreme variations of temperature and hunidity, and other variables (cigarette smoke?) that quickly expose (and decompose!) shoddy design or manufacturing.

It's kind of like buying a car for $300. You know it's gonna break down - you just hope you can get some use out of it before it happens.

I don't know about all the features on Tex's recommended JBL system. More than one mic pre? Any fx?

But if it will fit her needs, I'd definitely look in that direction if you can find one for the price. The eons at least sound decent and are road-worthy.
 
ads

ok shes over now browsing through your advice and looking at the systems. Shes considering ordering one from a website, and having it shipped to a friend in the US, then to her. "the sites don't ship to canada" CHEAP, is the word, so we're looking at that Kustom system on musicians friend for 179, apparantly down from 499 (ha, yea right), so would this be any good? Just for small shows, little gigs, busking, practicing, kinda stuff.
 
asdlkj

Ok, shes looking at the Kustom one, http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...2114265815/search/g=live/detail/base_id/35590
but she also saw this one, http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7...2114265815/search/g=live/detail/base_id/54491
she would consider spending the extra money, IF, its worth it. Is this other system really that much better than the cheaper one? Would i tbe worth it to pay the extra money and get it? Or, would you recomend a different system for about 300 US? We have a friend in Seattle so we could get it shipped there. And if we get it shipped to Seattle, and then take it across the border, would we get hit with a lot of extra charges?
 
Ooops, I checked ebay again, 6 days left on the auction on the Carvin and it's up to $150 (reserve met). It'll probably go in the low 300's and out of your range with shipping.

Still, you should scour the used market.
 
what is asdlkj???

yes.

ambi.

short for ambidextrous?

kustom came out with that newer little PA and it is much cuter and has digital effects!

it costs more but it may be worth it for the cuteness factor!!!

i would get the cheaper one cause the speakers are more substantial.

believe me when i say that the cheaper one, while not as cute, is a very nice looking little unit. the head unit is really small and solid.

in other words they are both cute.

i say pick which ever one appeals to you. kustom has always been a very interesting brand name and they have always had some good products. does anybody remember the sparkly plastic tuck-and-roll upholstered amps and cabs?

i have actually tried the cheaper one and i like it for what it is!

:p
 
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