PA System

Jam10

Anybody know of any good PA Systems for a good price. I don't need the top of the line or anything. Just something to sing into with a microphone. I got my jam room in my basement but no mics or speakers so I need something. Anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks

Pacomc79

Yamaha makes a couple of nice little rigs.

It depends on your price range really.

xtremehardy388

Depends...electric or acoustic?

ezyrydr

Soundcraft - Gigrac

it's a powered mixer so you'll have to find speakers. it is very affordable and very easy to use and sounds great. lots of built in effects too. very portable and easy to move around too.


I think a powered mixer and some speakers will serve you better than one of those cheap package deals that are out there.
Buying power amps and mixers and effects units can really add up and get expensive and unless you really know what you're doing it'll just be a pain in the ass.
Go with a powered mixer and find some used speakers at a pawn shop or music store.

Pacomc79

ezyrydr wrote:

Soundcraft - Gigrack

it's a powered mixer so you'll have to find speakers. it is very affordable and very easy to use and sounds great. lots of built in effects too. very portable and easy to move around too.


I think a powered mixer and some speakers will serve you better than one of those cheap package deals that are out there.
Buying power amps and mixers and effects units can really add up and get expensive and unless you really know what you're doing it'll just be a pain in the ass.
Go with a powered mixer and find some used speakers at a pawn shop or music store.

I love the gig rac too. Lots of good stuff in one package.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Gigrac600

ianvomsaal

Depends if you're going to be trying to sing over a band or just playing acoustic guitar and singing.
The most efficient and cost effective thing to do is either get a decent wattage power amp and small
mixing board with included effects like reverb, or get that same small mixing board & powered speakers.

Just about every "All In One" unit on the market is quite lacking in sufficient power for your speakers.
Most of these AIO units are actually designed for the singer/songwriter (but they don't advertise that).
And remember that the easiest way to blow your speakers is to under-power them - most people have
an underpowered amp, and then they end up trying to push their AIO amp to get enough to be heard
over the band - this is where they end up blowing their speakers because they're turing everything up
louder and louder, but the speakers need more wattage for that volume, & their AIO unit can't give it.

The Soundcraft GigRac 600 mentioned previously is a way underpowered unit for any kind of band work.
Yes it's has two 300 watt amps (but unfortunately that's at 4ohms). Means around 200Watts at 8ohm.
If you go with the Soundcraft get the GigRac 1000 (2x500w amps, at 4ohms), which now means around
330 watts at 8ohms - granted it's still low, but at least it's within a typical giging speakers power rating.
You generally want between 350watts/500watts at 8ohms for almost all single 12" or 15" driver speakers.
I think the Yamaha S112V Club V speakers are a good starting point, & they're fairly inexpensive speakers.

Here, just read this post that I reponded to back on July 20: http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=295296
I went a little more in depth on speakers and power amp wattage (minimum requirements to look at).


Cheers . . .


- Ian

xtremehardy388

Scream louder than Kurt Cobain....you might lose your voice and kill your throat but that should work....all the cool kids are listening to screamo these days


I'm only kidding. Don't do this.

ezyrydr

valid point about the gigrac and wattage. it got our vocals above the drums in volume and I noticed it was louder than comparable all-in-one systems though.

lucylespian

Yamaha Stagepass.

Piper At The Gates

How about those Fender Passport rigs? They seem to be nice for the money.

ianvomsaal

Stagepass! Passport! . . . ha ha, I know these must be jokes

Pacomc79

Piper At The Gates wrote:

How about those Fender Passport rigs? They seem to be nice for the money.

Those work best for very light PA work. Like public speaking at corporate events; radio remotes; very small coffee house gigs where it is quiet. You don't want to run those very loud, they don't have a lot of power and they get distorted very easily because of it.

soultune0330

I'm actually selling mine. I have two big speakers w/ stands, 3 monitors, a powered mixer, an amp to power the monitors and all the cords/wires you'd need. Let me know if you're interested. I live in WI. Don't know if that's close to you or not.