How Much Power, not quite a poll

[Dani Pace]

This is for all you working guys:
I thought it might be interesting to know how big or small the PA systems most of you are using. Some things are obvious like, the bigger the room, the bigger PA you can use, and small venues only require small PAs. Without getting into any specifics like brand names lets just discuss power/output wattage, not so much for amps but mainly the PA system and monitor system. Even though many clubs now have their own PA, many do not so every working band either needs to have their own or be able to rent one so lets all put our heads together and work out a formula to determine mow much we really need without going into overkill.
There are many variables to consider, how many band members, size of venue, style of music etc... sitll it seems like there should some basic rules to use in determining how much is enough (or too much) to get the job done.
For myself, I'm in a four piece band (drums, bass and two guitars, two of us sing) our style is mostly southern rock, most of the clubs we play have a capacity of 200 or less, our amps are all 100 watt or less, our PA is 300 watt with a 150 watt monitor. How does this compare with what the rest of you are useing? All input will be appreciated, thanks guys.

 

[boingoman]

I think it's too subjective. Check out ProSoundWeb sometime . Ask a question about a given situation, and you will get anwers that vary by a factor of 10 in terms of power.

But in general, I'd say for most bands who run their own sound, you need way less than you think, and the higher you get the speakers, the better.

Many people can get by with the exact setup you have, and the audience will be more than happy. That's about what I use when I play out, sometimes with maybe a small sub if there is a drummer and I need some kick.

It's pretty easy to get caught up in the sex factor of a PA.

I do sound, and have been thinking about this very subject a lot lately. I'm trying to go with "less is more" for a lot of things. I end up at the end of a lot of gigs saying "Geez, I could have brought a lot less gear." The customer sets the agenda, though. I just make sure I charge for what I bring, whether I use it or not.

Right now I'm speccing a PA to let me do any number of gigs, of just about any size up to 1,000, in a limited fashion.

 

[HangDawg]

You guys are either playing in closets or doing wussy music. We do current "on the radio" heavy stuff. We use 6000 watts for the mains and about 1800 on monitors. And no, we aren't so loud we drive everybody out. But, we mic everything. And you just can't feel the kick drum if you don't have the power.

 

[boingoman]

LOL. Calm down there, scrappy doo. I bow to your inflated nutsack. Thank you for showing me the way.

Obviously you have different needs for bigger gigs. That's kind of the point. How bout telling us club size, lineup, etc. as well, plus ratio of subs/tops. Do you use a soundguy? All that. At a certain point, running it yourself gets to be a hassle.

BTW, the monitor rig is on my "A" system is 6,000 watts. Doesn't mean I gotta use the whole thing. I also use it as my two small PAs.

 

[boingoman]

Ok- I crunched some numbers from gigs I did last year, and some numbers from some big national events. It seems like there is kind of a bell curve type thing going on, sort of. I made a list of watts per audience that were used, not including monitors.

Acoustic acts, quiet environment, up to 200 people:
1-3 W/person

Minimal to full reinforcement, up to 1000 people:
1-10 W/person, depending on desired level of coverage, and stage volume

Full reinforcement, crowds up to 10,000:
5-25 W/person, depending on desired levels

After this, power level/person seems to curve back down to about 10W/person or below for really big crowds, probably because PAs get really hard to rig after 2-300,000W. They are also a lot nicer, and can cover more people with a given amount of power.

 

[Dani Pace]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses. Like most people I like the idea of having more than I really need, that one is simple, if I don't have to push the system hard it sounds better/clearer. On the flip side I hate to lug around more gear than we have too. It's the hauling and set up that is a pain in the butt. We don't have roadies so we have to do all the behind the scene stuff ourselves. Any advice on systems which are small (size wise) and quick/easy to set up and break down would also be appreciated. When and if the occasion arises, and we move on to larger venues a larger system will become nessassary but for now small clubs are out thing. The space limits in these places is another factor we have to deal with too, small clubs don't normally give a band very much stage area. (Like no one else has ever noticed that.)

 

[boingoman]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses. Like most people I like the idea of having more than I really need, that one is simple, if I don't have to push the system hard it sounds better/clearer. On the flip side I hate to lug around more gear than we have too. It's the hauling and set up that is a pain in the butt. We don't have roadies so we have to do all the behind the scene stuff ourselves. Any advice on systems which are small (size wise) and quick/easy to set up and break down would also be appreciated. When and if the occasion arises, and we move on to larger venues a larger system will become nessassary but for now small clubs are out thing. The space limits in these places is another factor we have to deal with too, small clubs don't normally give a band very much stage area. (Like no one else has ever noticed that.)

What is your line-up, and current equipment? I love telling people what to buy.

What type of music, etc. as well. Crowd size, any info like that.