What is the minimum power needed for a Pub Band?

[Phil Starr]

On 14/02/2024 at 14:12, thebrig said:

Following on from my previous post where I asked for some advice on a PA for a pub band.

 

My question now is:

How much power (rms) per side would be needed to play in small to large pubs, we would like to have a bit of headroom so that we are not pushing the PA to it's limit when playing the larger pubs?

 

Only the vocals and kick drum will be going through the PA.

 

If we ever get to play at a large venue or festival, then we would assume that a PA and sound engineer would be provided.

I've been wondering about this question again, could we have given a clearer answer? It's tough for someone with no technical background to follow some of the more technical answers but that is what anyone asking willl be offered.It's equally tough for someone who has a technical background to give a partial answer, something they know is almost true but leaves out some important detail which could end up with someones hard earned money spent on something that won't do the job.

 

There was a one line answer available here all along: buy a decent quality 12" system with 300W a side going to each speaker. My guess it that most of us who are regularly gigging either own or have successfully used such a system for many gigs. I see a lot of covers bands, I rarely see anyone using anything else in pubs. Two 12's on poles are on display at at least 80% of pub gigs. Why did we make it so complex

 

The analogy here might be asking three different 'experts' about how the heart works. A primary school teacher will give a different answer to an eight year old from the answer a secondary science teacher will give an eighteen year old Biology student different again. A doctor has a different problem when they talk about the heart it has consequencies. If they aren't clear somone might die, if they fail to get the message across, then catastrophe. If they over simplify and miss out what later turns out to be an important detail they can end up in court. I wonder if we aren't all pretending to be thoracic surgeons here carefully picking words and refining arguments when the real doctor inside them wants to just scream; "lose some effing weight, stop eating crap, get some exercise and enjoy the rest of your life" as they propose surgery or prescribe pills with side effects that will make their patients lives miserable.

 

I wonder why we didn't say; "get a couple of decent 12's on poles and get on and enjoy playing"?

 

 

Edited April 15 by Phil Starr