Powered mixer the right choice in this situation?

[toelessfoot]

I know most people on this forum would recommend a passive mixer/powered speaker setup for most situations, but I think in my case the opposite setup is preferable (powered mixer/passive speaker). I'd just like some input on wether you guys think it's the right choice, or if I should switch and go with a passive mixer/powered speakers.

So I want to get a small setup mainly for jams at my place with the ability to expand to do small medium gigs. Budget is about 1200 total for both the mixer and a single speaker for now.

The powered mixer setup I want to get is:

Mixer: Peavey

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[DaBender]

The problem with asking here is that the opinion is going to be largely determined by which end of the pool the respondent swims in, as their frame of reference would likely lead them to believe that's where you'll be someday. A powered mixer will probably never be at the heart of a stage featuring national acts, but it certainly could handle reasonably sized club gigs for a lot of folks, especially if another power amp(s) enters the equation. If you end up micing a full drum kit someday, you may need a passive mixer to serve as a submixer, as you could eat up a lot of channels on that XR1212 pretty quickly. Depending on your style of music, a crowd of 200 or so is possible without a "full kit micing".

[imnotded]

The only reason I would suggest not getting a powered mixer is that it is much easier to expand onto a passive system. Like what was previously posted, if you want to add subs later you will have a harder time doing it. And do you need 20 channels? Seems like for practice you should just need to run vocals through your system, unless your running loops, so you could get by temporarily for a $100 2 to 4 channel mixer. Then upgrade when gigging.

I'm not sure if something like this would interest you but I thought I'd post.

Mackie 4 channel mixer - $100
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/402VLZ3/

QSC K-10 speaker - $700
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/K10/

This gives you a great speaker, that could be used as a monitor in the future also, and would serve the same purpose. Part of why I suggest this is that I'm a pretty big QSC fan, I love my HPR153i's. I friend of mine uses a pair of K10's for his monitors on his electric drum kit. If you need more channels, you can always swap out that mixer. And you might be able to find some used stuff.

[Shaster]

I actually picked up a powered mixer for low pro gigs where stairs.... are involved, but it was a little more expensive ($2600 new).

You're right, most people will recommend unpowered mixer/active speaker but maybe in your case powered is better.

I'm not crazy about the CFX series (apologies to owners of said product, just my opinion) so if that's the choice.....

The above link just took me to Peavey's home page so I didn't check out the mixer. Hard to say.

What about one GOOD powered speaker with a mixer section? Something like a Yorkville NX55P, but something that's available in your area?

Or, how about a Soundcraft EFX,,, mixer, GX3 power amp, and a throw away speaker? Or borrow one of the band's speakers in exchange for the PA upgrade.

[toelessfoot]

Thanks for the great replies, all things I will consider

BTW here's a musicians friend link for the Peavey XR1212

[RoadRanger]

If I was buying that Peavey mixer I'd opt for two PR12 speakers over one CM12V for about the same price. I've used both Club's (older model though) and PR's and didn't think they sounded all that much different and like the lighter weight of the PR's .

[agedhorse]

Powered speakers give the average user much better matching of amplifier, and most importantly biamped and internal DSP processing of limiter and eq parameters specific to the speaker. A MUCH better option for maybe 80% of all users IMO. Maybe 100% of those in the shallow end of the pro audiio pool.

[toelessfoot]

Ok I'm thinking of getting just a single Yorkville NX55p for now and using the built in mixer for jams. Only problem is no FX for my dry tiny little jam space but that's not a big deal.

[Craig Vecchione]

Ok I'm thinking of getting just a single Yorkville NX55p for now and using the built in mixer for jams. Only problem is no FX for my dry tiny little jam space but that's not a big deal.

This is a very reasonable solution.

The problem with a powered mixer is expandability. If you can't provide monitor(s), a sub, and FOH with it as-is, and that's where you'll need to be for the "small medium" gigs you specified, carefully look at what it would take to get there. Often, you have to compromise on something in order to use the powered mixer in a larger setting.

If you don't need subs or monitors, then....a powered mixer might be a good idea, but still not as good as powered speakers....it won't provide biamped midhighs.

[toelessfoot]

The only reason I would suggest not getting a powered mixer is that it is much easier to expand onto a passive system. Like what was previously posted, if you want to add subs later you will have a harder time doing it. And do you need 20 channels? Seems like for practice you should just need to run vocals through your system, unless your running loops, so you could get by temporarily for a $100 2 to 4 channel mixer. Then upgrade when gigging. I'm not sure if something like this would interest you but I thought I'd post. Mackie 4 channel mixer - $100 http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/402VLZ3/ QSC K-10 speaker - $700 http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/K10/ This gives you a great speaker, that could be used as a monitor in the future also, and would serve the same purpose. Part of why I suggest this is that I'm a pretty big QSC fan, I love my HPR153i's. I friend of mine uses a pair of K10's for his monitors on his electric drum kit. If you need more channels, you can always swap out that mixer. And you might be able to find some used stuff.

Funny you mention that since i'll be using the system to amp my electronic drums as well, so bass output is important.

Turns out my work actually sells the K series from QSC and I get a modest discount (I get no discount on the NX55P). So how does the QSC K12 compare to the Yorkville NX55P?


BTW in CAD I can get the Yorkville NX55P for 900 plus tax and the QSC K12 for 880 plus tax after my discount.

*edit* nevermind I like the built in mixer in the NX so that's what i'll get.

[agedhorse]

The K-12's are a nice speaker IMO.

[DaBender]

Soundman has already explained the internal crossover function of the XR1212. It's as easy to add subs to as any configuration you can dream up.

[toelessfoot]

Yeah exactly, I think I'll still end up getting the XR1212 eventually but i'm liking the NX55p that I just picked up for now.

[toelessfoot]

Well I just took the NX55p back. It sounded awesome and it's a great speaker but I had a jam with the boys and not having reverb or a mixer kinda killed it. I'm just going to get the Peavey XR1212 and use one of my bands old monitors for now till I can afford the Yorkville again or something.

Thanks for all your help.