P.A. system n speakers

johnnysmack

can anyone recommend a P.A. n speaker system for cover band? wat size speakers needed etc n price ranges?

Savman

what's yer budget??

And what kind of band (set-up etc)?

johnnysmack

4 piece-vocals, drums, bass, guitar. budget- bout 2000-2500. mayb able to stretch little more if really had to.

Savman

Ok here goes.

The bare mimimum for a Vocal PA should be 600w (2 x 300w speakers) but the more power the better. The standard PA speakers will have 12" speakers which can handle all the mid & high frequencies but will be no use for low frequencies such as Bass Guitar and Kick Drum.

If you plan going the whole hog with kit mic'd etc you'd wanna be considering bass bins (15" or 18") but based on your budget that option could be a bit off yet.

There is no ballpark I can give you for prices, best you can do is compare each option side by side to see which best fits your needs (dont forget to factor in the weight of the speakers...)

You'll probably end up looking at shop brand stuff on Thomann and Music Store as the price is appealing to 1st time PA buyers but personally I wouldn't touch their stuff unless I had to. Above that you've dB Technologies, great gear for good prices. Higher again and you're into HK Audio, EV, Mackie, RCF, JBL but in this category 2 decent speakers would set you back the best part of €1500.

The next step up is Dynacord, Nexo, Turbosound, Martin Audio but they're big big money.

Whichever brand you choose you will have to decide between 2 options:
Active Speakers (speakers power themselves, each speaker requires a plug socket)

Passive Speakers (speakers powered via speakon from powered desk or poweramp)

Remember the mixer is probably one of the most important links in the chain so look at Dynacord, Allen & Heath or Mackie or possibly Yamaha or Behringer if u really must. You will also need good mics, the standard are Shure SM or Beta series but there are many options in this category, its all a matter of taste.

Don't forget to consider the stage monitors in your plans, no use having great sound Front Of House if your singer cant hear a thing on stage. Monitors are the hidden expense of a PA system and anything under 200w is useless for a medium-to-loud live band.

Hope that helps :cool:

johnnysmack

ya thanks man. all that was very helpful and very informative. you know your stuff. greatly appreciated.

Savman

No worries let's know what you get in the end