P.A. What does your band use? And is it any good?

[pete.young]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1361119725' post='1981324']

People don't mind paying £800-1000 for a photographer but struggle to see that value in a band..??


[/quote]

They'll be looking at the photos for the rest of their lives, but will forget the band after a few days.

[JTUK]

That maybe true (but then that isn't a band that should be doing these things anyway, IMO..,) but as an event to remember which is what the day is supposed to be....??
But it is upto them if they want to go down that path and pay cheap rates... no problem with that after we have
quoted the price..

Edited February 17, 2013 by JTUK

[Gully35]

Sometimes there might be photos they would also want to forget! lol

[crez5150]

We've just dumped a load of PA to go with one brand (looks much better on stage to have a uniformed appearance). Have used most brands in the past our minimum FOH rig these days is around 4kw. We've gone with the Dynacord V-Array system and so far it's been outstanding.

http://www.dynacord.com/en/products/1/2/78_va-215-218-415-4.html

[icastle]

SIGNAL PROCESSING:
Yamaha 16ch mixer flightcased with Alesis Reverb and Behringer Compressor.
20 way multicore

FOH:
2x Studiomaster Amps (2000W)
2x Alesis bass bins
2x Alesis tops

MONITORS:
4x Peavey wedges
1x Studiomaster amp (1000W)

MICS:
4x SM58s
6x AKG Drum Mics

[Geddys nose]

Just sold my HK Actor and gone with the new Line6 Stagesource L3T's,L3S's and the quite incredible M20D mixer.Its so easy to set up and near impossible to induce feedback even with a open mic in front of FOH speakers.

[swanbrook]

[quote name='Geddys nose' timestamp='1361145773' post='1981969']
Just sold my HK Actor and gone with the new Line6 Stagesource L3T's,L3S's and the quite incredible M20D mixer.Its so easy to set up and near impossible to induce feedback even with a open mic in front of FOH speakers.
[/quote]
I am so tempted to buy these, they seem like real value for money. What is your set up and what type of gigs are you doing.

Cheers
D

[Geddys nose]

My last band played large pubs and clubs and was a 4 piece so the Actor was ample, but now we are a sleek Trio playing just pubs so the Actor was overkill and weighed a ton. I have 1xL3t 1xL3m and 2xL3s , Double the power of the Actor and better SPL but lighter so We have got more headroom for the bigger venues if we choose to play them. The L6 link is so easy to use just one cable from the mixer configures the entire system even the monitors if you use the L3m as a wedge.

They do the smaller L2T's now I might buy them as wedges in the future.

[Norris]

Our covers trio mainly does pub gigs and a few functions. The PA belongs to the guitarist - a Yamaha 8 channel mixer with bult-in effects and a pair of powered Mackie cabs ([url="http://www.mackie.com/products/srm450/"]SRM450[/url]'s ?). Simples.

Edit: Having read more of the comments, we just use this for vocals & the 'disco' (iPod). We don't put the guitars through it & don't mike the drums either.

Edited February 18, 2013 by Norris

[Gazm]

I play in 2 bands,

I provide and drive the PA for Mrs Miggins' Pie Shoppe: 2x BFM Tuba 30 subs & 2x BFM DR250 tops through a PSE Audio controller (crossover) and a couple of Crown amps. We use a Behringer X32 mixer.


Although we stack the tops on the subs as in the pic, we still get a great sound from the BFMs but I know it could be better if the subs were v-plated. Also the titan 39 may have been a better choice but the tuba 30s are awesome!

In the Ant Hill mob we use HK Audio tops and unbranded subs powered by Peavey amps from a Presonus StudioLive 24.4.2



For large venues we also have a 10kW tri amped Peavy rig with 2 2x18 subs plus tops.



I prefer the sound from the BFMs but then again I would as I built them

[gapiro]

Hmm
Interesting thread!

The band I am playing in, we have an "extremely light" setup - We run either no foldbacks (drummer/singer use IEMs anyway) or maybe one for the keyboards , everything di'ed / mic'ed. Set up into a gigrac 1000w (2x500w) powered mixer into a couple of unknown tops, with a mini 5 channel mixer so the two singers can control their mix a little (volume etc between each other)

We have also got a "super heavy" setup, however weh ave a soung guy to do that, and i've never had a chance to look at it.....



I actually run sound for another band, who have a rather nice amount of kit. They have a A+H Zed 428, a large array of amps for particular occasions, a huge stack of effects, which I usually end up just running compression on vox, reverb and some gates on drums....

[Ian Savage]

As an aside, to help with cost and luggability it will often sound better having just one well-placed sub as opposed to two spaced either side of the stage, which can (and does!) cause phase issues which can actually DECREASE the perceived bass levels.

Downsides of course are possible loss of visual symmetry and having to take stands for your tops, as well as finding somewhere to position the sub (centre-stage is perfect, but obviously not practical most of the time), but if you can get it right it's one less big, heavy box to cart in and out and one less amplifier channel needed.

For a decent sound with a bit of headroom I'd be looking at 800-1000W for the tops and not much less for the sub(s), properly crossed-over; if I were building from scratch on a budget (and actually will be soon!) I'd want something like a 2x800W power amp, crossed-over at about 70-80Hz (experiment with this, it's worth it!) with one side feeding the homebrew EV Delta 12" speakers in Celestion cabs I already have (300W RMS handling, eight ohms) and the other side feeding a single 600W-ish four-ohm sub.

Of course if you're buying active you're slightly more limited, but brand-matching should ensure that each speaker gets fed with exactly the power and frequency range it needs. I'm actually in a minority in having got (what I thought were) quite pleasing results from a Mackie SRM setup, but these were the original RCF-made Italian ones; from what I understand they've gone downhill since production went Far-Eastern.

[EBS_freak]

A&H GLD80, A&H Zed 16, DB tops, RCF bins.

Big smiles.

[thumperbob 2002]

The band I'm in- 7 piece soul band uses ab Fbt versus system. With two bass bins either side and two mids/tops each side. About 4k in total. Really good punchy sound but a bit fiddly to set up. Don't think these are designed for bands probably duos etc.

We use a machine 1608 mixer- the one that uses an iPad wirelessly. This is the part of our rig that has revolutionised our sound and set up.

Two mackie erm 450s for monitors. Set up in 30 mins.

[EBS_freak]

This iPod remote malarky really is the business. Can't wait to get my desk wired up for it!

[Telebass]

Grandad on H&S re PAT. It's not the law. Some places insist on it, some places' insurers insist on it, but PAT is not a legal requirement anywhere that I am aware of.
That said, it's a very good idea to get things tested. All too easy to let things get tatty!

[BassBunny]

We are also hunting around for a new PA and it is a nightmare deciding.
Really fancy an HK Elements system as the idea of a modular system that breaks down so small and light is very attractive. QSC K12/K Sub is also in the equation and then along comes the HK Audio Linear 5.
Arghhhhhhhhhh decisions decisions.

[redstriper]

We are also looking foe a new PA for the band and to hire out.
That Mackie i-pad desk looks brilliant - what a great idea.
Powered cabs and monitors seem the simplest solution, but which ones?
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The HK Audio stuff looks great.[/font][/color]

[Chrismanbass]

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1361810895' post='1991254']
We are also looking foe a new PA for the band and to hire out.
That Mackie i-pad desk looks brilliant - what a great idea.
Powered cabs and monitors seem the simplest solution, but which ones?
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The HK Audio stuff looks great.[/font][/color]
[/quote]

worked with the HK stuff quite a lot its great and worth the investment check out qsc stuff as well i've heard good things about them

for a desk check out the new behringer x32 desk dont be put off by the name its really a great bit of kit and as far as i know it can be synced to an ipad or iphone too

[Gazm]

[quote name='Chrismanbass' timestamp='1361814855' post='1991340']
for a desk check out the new behringer x32 desk dont be put off by the name its really a great bit of kit and as far as i know it can be synced to an ipad or iphone too
[/quote]

Indeed just add a WiFi access point and load the XiControl and XiQ apps - awesome stuff.
Only downside is you can't restrict the iPhone app to a specific bus yet, you need to trust whoever has access not to screw your mix.

[JTUK]

For a medium prices and decent performance, HK and QSC do well.
You'll need subs, for sure if you want to put anything heavy thru QSC...altho the KW12 will allow grt and key bleeds at a loud pub volume.
I think the older heavier (wooden) HK is better than the newer stuff....but that is more anecdotal than experience.

The Elements isn't going to work on a band, IMO and it VERY expensive for what you get... i,e you are paying a LOT for small and compact.
QSC K series WITH subs works out at £4k -ish and I think it will handle a pub no problem.
If you put it in a room for 200 people or a decent sized marque.....??? you'll find its limit.

This is not so bad as you should be hiring in for those gigs IMO.

We use KW12' tops for 100 odd people and the band can get very loud... but all from backline. The P,A ..without subs just about stays with it.
Subs would extend the use, IMO ... but in practical terms, not by £2k's worth...which is what you'll pay for Ksubs...there or thereabouts.

We think a small sub/subs like EV ZA1 for £1000 the pr would do us far better in term of just enough ooomph and half the price of Ksubs.....
The K subs are either 212 which is weighty or the 118 which is a monster...

[crez5150]

Also it's worth bearing in mind that in reality for most function work you really only need enough PA to cover the dance floor area.

[Roger2611]

We are using a pair of old Martin CX2's powered via a Peavey XR680 and an LD powered sub to give some low end clout, it sounds fantastic but the CX2's came with some big problems as in replacement diaphragms for the duel concentric horn are quite simply unavailable anyway anyhow. I have had the internal crossover altered so we now run a pair of Beyma CP25's in a little horn box on top of each Martin cab to give us the top end

[JTUK]

Plus 1 For Martin Audio

Our ICT500's were brilliant and I regret letting them go for a steal...WITH controller...!!
I think a controller with your kit with be a big help, if they run it like that.

I think Martin Audio is a step up from the QSC and HK stuff...but you may suffer from a parts issue.
This is natural when kit no longer is supported or made, but you can pick up some great kit for silly prices, IMO
is you are careful and lucky.

[swanbrook]

I don't know what the second had market is like in the uk but in ireland there is some unreal deals. I paid nearly 15K for our KME rig about 5 years ago and I just picked one up second hand in better condition than mine for 2K. Don't be afraid to look at used gear.