PA/Active Speaker Advice

[alexjbassist]

We're upgrading our PA... Ideally looking for 2 active 'tops' that will handle everything (ie no sub) so looking at 15s?

 

Bands are trios, we use backline (but put through the PA for support), kick & snare and 3 X vocals through the PA.

 

Can anyone recommend anything that might work? Or anyone have a similarish setup they are happy with?

 

Thanks 👍

[Phil Starr]

Hi Alex, you'll probably be better off in the Amps and Speakers sub forum where most of the tech nerds hang out. There's lots of experienced people there. PA doesn't really have a home unfortunately so it pops up everywhere.

 

Do you have a budget in mind and are you looking for new or used? The good news is that PA has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and there is lots of really capable kit at OK prices.

 

Starting at the top firms like Yamaha, RCF, QSC are making some great kit. RCF for me are the ones to beat and even the bottom of the range are decent speakers. I've just bought a couple of used ART 745's for £1200 if that is within budget. A pair of new ART 715's will be around £1100. They've just discontinued the 3 series so there might be some bargain ART 315's coming up.

 

If around £1000 is too much don't worry there are plenty of other choices

 

Welcome to Basschat

 

 

[jimmyb625]

What's your budget for this and what sort of places do you play?

 

At the less expensive level, I use Alto TS312's (obviously not 15's). I use them without a sub when we're running a 5-piece set (using a cajon instead of a full kit), but we have done the kit through it as well. We're not an overly bass heavy group, so it works ok for us in your average pub.

 

A DJ friend has used the TS315's (although a friend of his managed to blow the hf driver) and he was very positive about the bass response and volume available.

 

Alto have just released the TS4 series, so there may be a price reduction coming along, although that's purely speculation. 

 

As Phil's just said, higher up the price line, the RCF's are quite well regarded, particularly the ART 745's. Again the 900 series has recently been released (I'm now odly considering a pair of 945's) so prices for the older series may drop.

[alexjbassist]

Cheers for the replies 👍

 

We've been using 2x Alto TS310's and an alto sub - they're fine, and have served us well, but have struggled at a couple of bigger events, and we'vehad them for around 4 years now.  The need to get a new desk has prompted a re-think really.

 

I've been looking at the Yamaha DH series - yamah stuff always seems to be great, and the play cabinet appeals.  A previous band I played in had a set of RCF's - is there much difference between the 3/7/9 ranges?

[EBS_freak]

36 minutes ago, alexjbassist said:

is there much difference between the 3/7/9 ranges?

3 to 7 yes, absolutely.

 

7 to 9 - much less significant

[jimmyb625]

2 hours ago, alexjbassist said:

Cheers for the replies 👍

 

We've been using 2x Alto TS310's and an alto sub - they're fine, and have served us well, but have struggled at a couple of bigger events, and we'vehad them for around 4 years now.  The need to get a new desk has prompted a re-think really.

 

I've been looking at the Yamaha DH series - yamah stuff always seems to be great, and the play cabinet appeals.  A previous band I played in had a set of RCF's - is there much difference between the 3/7/9 ranges?

If you can, it might be worth doing a comparison between your current setup and whatever you're thinking of getting.

 

If it is just a couple of larger gigs, it may be better value to hire something specific for those and keep the current setup you have.

[Phil Starr]

2 hours ago, alexjbassist said:

Cheers for the replies 👍

 

We've been using 2x Alto TS310's and an alto sub - they're fine, and have served us well, but have struggled at a couple of bigger events, and we'vehad them for around 4 years now.  The need to get a new desk has prompted a re-think really.

 

I've been looking at the Yamaha DH series - yamah stuff always seems to be great, and the play cabinet appeals.  A previous band I played in had a set of RCF's - is there much difference between the 3/7/9 ranges?

That would mean a budget of £1100 if you are looking for new which gives you a bit of choice. I've always liked Yamaha as reliable and well built and I've had a couple of Yamaha's over the years. I chose the RCF's after auditioning them next to Yamahas. To me the midrange is just that little bit better so vocals come out really well. The Yammy's are still good though and I too quite like a wooden box. If your South West is anywhere near Bristol then a trip to PMT would let you hear both next to each other.

[alexjbassist]

3 hours ago, EBS_freak said:

3 to 7 yes, absolutely.

 

7 to 9 - much less significant

 

Cheers for that - and what about the catergories within that - ie 915 vs 945?

[alexjbassist]

2 hours ago, jimmyb625 said:

If you can, it might be worth doing a comparison between your current setup and whatever you're thinking of getting.

 

If it is just a couple of larger gigs, it may be better value to hire something specific for those and keep the current setup you have.

 

I think the upgrade wouldn't just be volume, but sound/build quality as well - with those being a big focus for me.

[alexjbassist]

1 hour ago, Phil Starr said:

That would mean a budget of £1100 if you are looking for new which gives you a bit of choice. I've always liked Yamaha as reliable and well built and I've had a couple of Yamaha's over the years. I chose the RCF's after auditioning them next to Yamahas. To me the midrange is just that little bit better so vocals come out really well. The Yammy's are still good though and I too quite like a wooden box. If your South West is anywhere near Bristol then a trip to PMT would let you hear both next to each other.

 

Great to hear - as you say Yamaha stuff always seems to be brilliant - not showy, just good reliable stuff that gets the job done - but interesting to hear the comparison with the RCFs... sounds like you got a pretty good deal on them!

 

Theres a pair of JBL PRX815's available locally - hardly used for a similar price a pair of DHR15 - new they seem to be a step up?

[EBS_freak]

1 hour ago, alexjbassist said:

 

Cheers for that - and what about the catergories within that - ie 915 vs 945?

Big difference between the 915 and 945 due to the quality of the compression driver in the 945. The crossover is very low for a full range box meaning that most of the musical content is going through the super high quality horn, freeing up the woofer for the heavier lifting in the lows. Most boxes in this price range would have nothing near the quality of the horn in the 945 - which makes the 945 such an oddball. (Same as the 735... 745)

[Phil Starr]

19 hours ago, alexjbassist said:

 

Great to hear - as you say Yamaha stuff always seems to be brilliant - not showy, just good reliable stuff that gets the job done - but interesting to hear the comparison with the RCFs... sounds like you got a pretty good deal on them!

 

Theres a pair of JBL PRX815's available locally - hardly used for a similar price a pair of DHR15 - new they seem to be a step up?

I'm not sure, but JBL are ridiculously overclaiming to be honest. You can't get 137db out of a 15" driver, 127db will cause permanent hearing damage in 1sec at this level and is about what you might hear close to the runway with a jet aircraft taking off never mind 137db which would involve 10x more acoustic power. The compression unit on the horn is 1.5"  and power handling is going to be around 35W so the amp might be 750W but the one driving the tweeter is throttled down to 50W at least. That being said JBL are a reliable brand and make competent gear. I doubt they are much better sounding, if at all than the better Yammy's or RCF's but to be fair I haven't heard them. 

 

[Jack]

On 06/09/2022 at 16:44, alexjbassist said:

 

Cheers for that - and what about the catergories within that - ie 915 vs 945?

We moved from borrowing a set of 712s to our own set of 732s and the difference the bigger magnet made was remarkable. 

 

Caveat is that neither set was new so they may have had easier or harder lives, accounting for some of the difference. 

[alexjbassist]

Cool - I've found a set of discounted RCF Art 935's that are looking like a good deal, and worth a bit of extra of the Yamaha DHR15s...

 

Really appreciate all the input from everyone 👍

[Dan Dare]

Can't go far wrong with RCF for the money. I worry about putting big boxes on poles, so would look at 10 tops with a sub, but that's just my preference.

[alexjbassist]

So... To throw a spanner in the works, an Evox8 setup has come up locally (a pair) for a chunk less than the Art935s.

 

Don't suppose anyone has any experience of those for a loud band setting?

[EBS_freak]

Stick with the 935a. Evox 8 setup will not be a patch on the 935s.

[warwickhunt]

1 hour ago, alexjbassist said:

So... To throw a spanner in the works, an Evox8 setup has come up locally (a pair) for a chunk less than the Art935s.

 

Don't suppose anyone has any experience of those for a loud band setting?

 

Search out the thread on putting bass through a line-array, lots of relevant info re the Evox 8 and various speaker set ups.  

[Jack]

2 hours ago, alexjbassist said:

Don't suppose anyone has any experience of those for a loud band setting?

 

2 hours ago, EBS_freak said:

Stick with the 935a. Evox 8 setup will not be a patch on the 935s.