PA - Subwoofer advice needed...

[Walker]

[b]I'm assuming this is a more technical question, so hopefully it's in the right section...[/b]

I'm on the hunt for some fairly decent subs for our PA.

We are not a loud band - folk/rock/pop with acoustic instruments (acoustic guitars, uke, mando', banjo, keys), but I'm now going through the PA rather than using my rig for our bass.

Our tops are Yammy SV115's, we'll have a couple of Yammy P7000 amps and a DBX X-Over.

My question is, Should I be getting 1 or 2 subs? As we don't need gut wrenching bass, would a couple of 15's be better than one (or two) 18's?

I've been looking at the matching Yammy 118's and also the Peavey PV118 and the Beringers (both get good reviews).

Any advice on anything about size, models, etc, would be gratefully recieved!

Cheers.

Chris

[Phil Starr]

I run S112's with S118 subs unfortunately they are the old Mk IV 118's which are a bit big, though surprisingly not that heavy. I bought them cheap on ebay though I've used the s112V's for years. the newer S118's are smaller. You could certainly get away with a single sub for what you want, and it would sound as good. I don't think you need to worry about sticking to Yamaha either. You haven't mentioned amps but I think active subs make a lot of sense, if i was buying new I'd look in that direction. You could always run with one sub and see if it made sense to add a second matching sub later, however the unexpected advantage I discovered when we started using subs was that they make a lot more stable a stand than a speaker stand is and take up less floor space so surprisingly they are good for small venues even if they aren't good for small cars.

[mdc]

Completely agree with the last post – most times one sub will sound as good as two, but a pair of compact subs make very good stands for your top speakers and usually have a smaller footprint than tripods. Best thing is to borrow or hire one, and see how you get on. Your P7000 amps should be good for driving almost any passive subs at moderate volumes, and it’s worth experimenting (a bit) with different crossover frequencies and slopes, especially as your SV115s have a reasonable mid/bass performance if I remember right . The Yammie SW115V might be a good place to start – and I think your amps have onboard processing specially for the Club Series speakers.

[JTUK]

The best compact subs I've come across have been EV, either the old passive SB122 or the active ZXa1.
Both built round 12" so the footprint is very good and for your band they don't have to be LOUD which I don't think they will do anyway.
The 15 and 18" subs should give a completely different level of sound..but then you'll pay for that in terms of size and weight.

[Walker]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1364982173' post='2033514']
The best compact subs I've come across have been EV, either the old passive SB122 or the active ZXa1.
Both built round 12" so the footprint is very good and for your band they don't have to be LOUD which I don't think they will do anyway.
The 15 and 18" subs should give a completely different level of sound..but then you'll pay for that in terms of size and weight.
[/quote]

Just had a quick look at the Electrovoice Sb122's - they look perfect! I'll do some more research, but after an initial 10 minutes reading reviews, it looks like they'll definately make a short list. Thank you.

[JTUK]

No problem, glad to help.

I've had very good results with these as well...in smaller situations
[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-ramsa-studio-bass-speakers-with-subwoofer-processor-/290892122980?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item43ba858b64"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-ramsa-studio-bass-speakers-with-subwoofer-processor-/290892122980?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item43ba858b64[/url]

but the cones went and I have no idea where they live now.. (They were tiny..!! but good in a smallish function room ( 100-200-ish ) with a punchy band.)
That is the problem with older stuff... replacement parts are harder to source so I would make sure the
kit has current recone kits or someone knows what chassis the unit is based on.
It may be off the shelf or bespoke... which muddies the waters where sourcing is concerned.