Help , Small PA advice needed

[Fitzy73]

Hi all , my new band is starting to gig , we are a 3 piece ( acoustic guitar, bass ,vocals by 2 ) , we done a few small pub gigs with only amps ,but we need a pa , our budget is around 300 TO 400 GBP .

[bonzodog]

Check out the Yamaha stagepas range. They do a range of output levels and are a nice compact system with built in effects. You should get their small new one in your price range or maybe the louder version second hand. Don't forget you will need speaker stands, leads and mics too which will eat into your budget

[ubit]

Second hand sounds like the way you should go at first. That way you get better gear for your money. Stands etc can always follow if they don't come with the speakers after you get a few gigs

[philparker]

I was in a similar situation, and one of the line-ups I play with, same composition, got a second hand PA of two Warfedale Titans, 12", with a power amp, mixer with FX, stands and leads for £250. It's a cracking PA and has comfortably covered some medium size gigs of 150 people. We have since added a monitor (or two) and I'm thinking about getting a sub for some venues. I have a slightly larger PA, having bought the items individually on an opportunity basis when bargain deals were to be had, but the full a system has set me back less than £500.

[grandad]

Earlier this year I bought a Stagepas 600i & am impressed. If you can stretch your budget I don't think you'll regret it.

The 600i beats the 400i by a couple of channels, a few watts, speaker size and both have an effective feedback killer. Effects are pretty good and it's simple to use, and an easy carry.

The speaker cables that come with it are a bit naff and you'll need speaker stands and covers. A usefull accessory is the mic stand clamp.

Edited August 24, 2015 by grandad

[JTUK]

I've heard a lot pf ppl say good things about Alto's being better cabs than the pricepoint suggests.
Normally I don't take much of a reference but I've heard some pretty sorted sensible P.A people say the same.

I'd look..or rather listen to them. The detail is all about the horn, IMO..

[spike]

Another recommendation for the Yamaha Stagepas here.

[deepbass5]

Taking Phils point, pick up bargins when you can.
remember speaker efficiency means that for every 3dB difference you will need to double the watts for the same percieved volume so a pair of PA speakers rated at 93dB/mtr will sound half as loud as a pair rated at 96dB/mtr when using the same amp at the same setting.
As amps/watt are dearer than speakers go for the most efficient speakers you can. and an average mixer amp. e.g second hand peavey system with black widow speakers. This is important when you consider you loose 6dB with every doubling of distance from your speakers, you need to reach the back of the hall. of course even when you find a PA that is good for 500watts a side at 102dB /1w/mtr doesnt mean its going to sound nicer than the 300watt 93dB rig. I used to buy on efficiency alone and then learnt what sounds best may be a compromise. the singer may want to have the last say.

good luck

[Phil Starr]

I've used the Stagepas 300 in the past. Now upgraded as the 400i and I'm using the Wharfedale Titan 12 actives. You'll pay more than £300 new for them though.

Both are great, the yamaha will only reach 113dB, loud enough for an acoustic act or as monitors for a band. Really neat, easy to set up system with a decent tone and just the facilities you want. The 600 will give you a little more volume but think loud acoustic act rather than rock band. Yamaha reliability is fantastic.

The Wharfedales are better sounding and will go a lot louder though they don't handle bass particularly well as the soft plastic cabs resonate at high levels, great vocal sound though. I use them with a little Alesis mixer though you could get something like a Behringer 1204 or any no of 'me too mixers. the Wharfedale EVP12 cabs are basically titans in a wooden box and much better but heavier as a result, they turn up at good prices second hand. The Titans are an easy one hand carry. There are a lot of plastic cabbed 12 +horn active PA cabs around too so plenty of choice but beware although the sound isn't usually at all bad a lot of them don't go very loud without distorting so don't buy without listening at high levels. I'm recommending the Wharfedales because I use them myself.

For your use I'd strongly advise matching active speakers with a passive mixer. Failing that an active mixer with passive speakers. Keeping it simple cuts down any chance of things going wrong and keeps it easy to set up and take down.

Don't buy the Peavey's, they are reliable but the vocal sound is so poor it disqualifies them IMO. Nothing wrong with the Black Widow bass drivers but those horn drivers are truly awful.

[Dan Dare]

Lots of good advice above. Agree with the suggestion to look at used - your budget is a bit tight for a complete new system. Used mixers will be fine - you won't need dozens of channels with your band and makes like Soundcraft, Mackie, etc will be fine . Speakers can have a hard life, so caution needed (would advise against eBay unless you can test them first). Ditto s/h vocal mics (and you don't know who's been dribbling all over them...). AKG D5 an excellent, good value choice - miles better than the SM58.

[cameltoe]

I would go used, and try and pick up two active 12's and a small desk. There was a decent little Mackie one on the marketplace recently.

[Roger2611]

I would recommend the older the better Peavey XR PA head and if you are feeling strong a used pair of Peavey Hysis 2's you should get that set up within your budget and it will give you an excellent "portable" PA system

[Paultrader]

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1440158131' post='2848710']
Earlier this year I bought a Stagepas 600i & am impressed. If you can stretch your budget I don't think you'll regret it.

The 600i beats the 400i by a couple of channels, a few watts, speaker size and both have an effective feedback killer. Effects are pretty good and it's simple to use, and an easy carry.

The speaker cables that come with it are a naff and you'll need speaker stands and covers. A usefull accessory is the mic stand clamp.
[/quote]

I'll second that. I recently bought one of these for the jazz 'standards' band I play in. It's dead easy to use and easy to store - great sound and plenty of volume for a smallish venue. One or two shops sell it with free speaker stands.

[ubit]

+10 for the Peavy hy sis ! We used a pair of these for years in the 90's and right up till a couple of years ago. We had a powered desk and they never let us down. Superb sound!

Edited August 23, 2015 by ubit