Hey Everyone: PA System???

  • Thread starter Thread starter IronsideMessiah
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Generally, in-ear monitors are quite a bit more expensive because they have to be small (what's cheaper, a desk top, or an equivalent laptop?) and wireless. Given that you are at a beginning level as a sound guy, I advise you to get a complete system reather than buying all the parts as separate components. It might be cheaper to build the thing piece by piece, but a package deal will insure that all the components you need are there, and are compatible with each other. Just figure out how many things could possibly be plugged into the board at the same time, and get a system with at least 2 more channels than you think you'll ever need. Then look at where you are at right now, and figure out approximately how many watts you will need, and get 200-400 more. Then start asking questions about mics. Carvin isn't a bad place to start in package deals, they have a bunch of PA systems at different power levels. Oh, and most importantly, *don't* have the members of the band chip in to buy a PA. When the band breaks up or a member leaves (they *always* do), it's like a child custody fight. Just buy the damned PA, and know who owns it. In any band, that is the person with the real power, the PA owner.-Richie
 
pandamonk said:
I'd recommend getting at least 12 XLR inputs. A mixer like this will usually come with 2 stereo jack channels to make it a 16 channel mixer. If i was in your situation I'd probably get this mixer. It has 16 XLR input, which may be a bit much.
Click to expand...

although the mixer looks all very fine, i dont have that kind of money. I'm looking to spend a grand TOPS on this system. is that possible? i was getting pretty hopeful with the systems that some of the other people were recommending.
 
I have done a quick search and found the mixer for just over $400 with shipping, and 450w active speakers for under $400 for the pair. Here and here. I'm sure if you search anough, you will find others like them for cheaper. I got a pair of stage monitors for £150 here which is around $200. Multicore i got my 30m 1 for £85. Then you need mics leads and stands. If you shop around and buy quite cheaply, i think you could get something like i recommended for around £1000, that's about $1300. Check out ebay for second hand stuff. But educate yourself before you look.
 
Gotcha, thanks. but just in the opinion of everyone here: IS it possible to stay under 1000? is that a stupid standpoint to take? Here's what im looking for:
12 input mixer
2 nice speakers
2 nice monitors
and provided the speakers or monitors or mixer doesn't have it built in...
as many power amps as i need.

can i get a good, loud set up for under 1000? MUCH closer to say, 700 would be much appreciated. sorry, thats american dollars. gotta remember im on the world wide web. :p
 
All that for a grand is probably going to be tough. You're going to want speaker cabs with 15" woofers, and those generally don't come cheap. If I were in your situation, I'd check out something like Carvin and find the best package deal for the max you can afford, and then add in the amenities as you go. The first thing I'd temporarily sacrifice would be the monitors, but you really don't want to go without those unless you absolutely have to.

You also need to consider the cost of mics and quality cables (if you don't already have them), mic stands, speaker stands, and possibly a snake with a stage box on it. It adds up quickly, but if you buy right the first time around, you'll have gear that will last you for years and years to come.
 
IronsideMessiah said:
IS it possible to stay under 1000? is that a stupid standpoint to take? Here's what im looking for:
12 input mixer
2 nice speakers
2 nice monitors
and provided the speakers or monitors or mixer doesn't have it built in...
as many power amps as i need.

can i get a good, loud set up for under 1000? MUCH closer to say, 700 would be much appreciated. sorry, thats american dollars. gotta remember im on the world wide web. :p
Click to expand...

Staying under $1000 with a 12 channel system will be tough if not impossible. If you can go with a 10 channel system, here's an option for $750:

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--ZZOPA3

Includes:
1 x Behringer PMH880S 10-Channel Powered Mixer with FX (800 Watts)
2 x Peavey PV115 2-way PA speakers
2 x CBI 14-gauge speaker cables (25 ft.)
2 x On-Stage SS7761B tripod speaker stands
3 x AKG D60S microphones
3 x On-Stage microphone clips
3 x Whirlwind MC20 microphone cables
3 x On-Stage 7701B tripod/boom microphone stands

The only thing else you would need is stage monitors. Here's one for $80 each:

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--NDYPFW12

That puts you at $910 if you get two monitors. This isn't the highest quality stuff, but I'm sure it would meet your needs...
 
I don't think those stage monitors are active, so you'll need an amp too. Cheapest active stage monitors I've seen, and now bought were £75 each, that's around $100 I'm guessing. I think if you feel brave and want to buy everything separately, then you'll get a better(well one which suits better)setup for cheaper. Such as Behringer EUROLIVE B215A. They are 450w active speakers with a 15" woofers and 1.25" tweeter. You can buy a pair for under $400, like i showed earlier. A 24 channel(16 xlr input) mixer for $400 or look around for one which suits you more. Do you need 12 XLR(mic)inputs? Monitors for $200-300 and mics, DIs, stands and leads for around $200-300.
 
Found a nice peavy mixer for you. 12 XLR inputs. Here for $360. It has balanced XLR main and monitor outputs, which is perfect if using a multicore.
 
pandamonk said:
I don't think those stage monitors are active, so you'll need an amp too.
Click to expand...

With that powered mixer, you don't need active monitors. The powered mixer will also powers the monitors, so those monitors would work fine...
 
Yo Ironside! Pandamonk used a Brit term you may not be familiar with- multicore.
The U.S. equivalent term is "snake", a single big mucking cable that contains a large number of smaller cables, usually, but not always, mic cables. This transmits multiple mic cables from the stage to the board at the front of the house. That is why the engineer at the board is often called the FOH engineer (front of house).-Richie
 
Here's a suggestion that might get you off and running. Many of the P.A. system manufacturers have excellent tutorials involving the use of the equipment they sell. Peavey has a whole group of live sound booklets that go over the basics using Peavey products as an example. Mackie is wonderful in this regard because its owners manuals show alternate ways of hooking up stuff, diagrams of how balanced and unbalanced jacks and plugs are wired, and lots of stuff like that.

The really cool thing is that most of these products work in very similar ways. So you can look at the owner's guide to a Mackie mixer for instance, and it will help you figure out how to use a Carvin or a Soundcraft mixer. Almost all of the knowledge you gain applies across the board.

So, with that in mind, I've got a few links for you to explore. Look for the downloadble materials - usually .pdf files - and then print 'em out and go over them until you start seeing familiar territory.

Here's a start:

Mackie mixer hook up guide:

http://www.mackie.com/pdf/vlzproseries_hu.pdf

Mackie Arcane Mysteries Guide (Damn. I'm gonna have to read this myself):

http://www.mackie.com/pdf/arcane_mysteries.pdf

Mackie 1624VLZ Mixer Owner's Manual:

http://www.mackie.com/pdf/1642vlzpro_om.pdf

Carvin Manuals index (click each for .pdf downlaod)

http://www.carvin.com/manuals.php

Here's a Peavey mixer info page with a hyperlink to download the manual.
http://www.peavey.com/products/brow...9/number/00512140/cat/86/begin/1/PV%AE+14.cfm

If you look through this stuff you will see more similarities than differences. In the process you will begin to get an idea of how this stuff goes together. Live sound is the kind of thing where the basics come reasonably quickly, but finessing the difference between "sound" and "OhMyGodThatGivesMeChills sound" can take the rest of a lifetime to master. I think that's why I like this stuff so much - the learning curve never ends and each thing you learn really does make a difference.

Good luck!
 
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Carvin 620 mixer

:cool: APL's suggestion of the Carvin 620 is a good powered mixer choice. I have used one of these for about 3 years now and it is a great little mixer/amp for smaller live sound use. You can only run it down to 4 ohm impedence though so 2 PA speakers are all it will handle, luckily there is a shutdown built in that will turn it off when it starts to overheat. It's a strictly mono amp but its good for small clubs, with my electric band, and I use it for my bluegrass/folk acoustic band quite often. It has a nice clean output and a graphic equalizer to adjust to room acoustics as well, I do wish it had a preamp in and out for a compressor at times but it has digital effects built in. Hope this will help a bit.
 
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