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You could get a powered mixer with enough channels for your setup. Something like this
76_1.JPG
Shop around for your favorite brand. You can easily get something like this used for $300-400. Then get a pair of used single 15"'s with a horn for $300-400. This way you don't have to mess with getting a mixer, signal processors, amps, etc.

For 100 ppl this will be plenty loud. Good luck.

 

OK....another dumb question from a neophite.

 

My son (15 y/o) was able to acquire a Peavey XRD680 powered mixer from Craigslist for $200. He has Shure m58 (?) mics which he got a cost from a Shure rep that has played with before. He is now looking for speakers, and may be able to get a pair of Mackie SRM450 powered speakers for $600. Would these be appropriate for his mixer? Are there other speakers you would suggest?

 

Also, and here's the really dumb question, do you run the guitars and bass through the powered mixer or do they still plug into their amps?

 

Yo la tengo,

Fris

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Sounds like your son is doing some solid shopping - those are all pretty good deals, particularly on the Mackies.

 

GCDEF's advice is correct - powered mixer --> powered speakers is typically redundant power.

 

However.... if the Peavey mixer has a "main out"/line out jack on the front (should be on the lower right face of the unit), he could run the Mackie's in mono by sending them a simple line level signal (split the line out to the two speakers with a 1/4" TRS to 2 male XLR (mic) adapter and 2 mic cables), and then use the internal amps in the Peavey powered mixer for monitors as needed. Not a bad way to go.

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Thanks for the info, guys. I had the price wrong on the Mackie SRM450's, it is $750 for the pair, but that includes the steel speaker posts - still a good deal. What the kids plan to do, in an effort to complicte matters in a way only teenagers can, is to buy the 450's, keep the posts, then try to sell the 450s for around $900. They will then buy a pair of Mackie C300Z speakers from ZZSounds for 359 each with free shipping. Coupling this with the Peavey powered mixer they got for $200 and the 2 Shure M58 mics @ $140 will give them a full, pretty high quality, set up for around $900. They already have adjustable boom mic stands, as well as both mic and speaker cables.

 

Is this plan feasible? Whaddya think?

 

Yo la tengo,

Fris

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Sounds workable. $450 per Mackie is doable as a sale price (they seem to be going on ebay for about that much to a little more w/out shipping)

 

For the extra $150 seems like a lot of work though. And, I think the SRM450's would sound a lot better - bi-amped and perfectly powered.... I'm not a fan of them for monitors as they can thermal, but up on stands, I think they would have much much better sound AND have monitor power for later for the extra $150.

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I'd keep the Mackie SRMs when you get them and use them as mains as others have suggested. The SRMs are internally biamped, so they will sound better than the C300z speakers. And when your son gets some more cash together with his buddies, they should get a set of monitors and use the Peavey mixer's power amps to drive those so that they can here themselves play at the gigs, which is part of the fun!

 

:thu:

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I agree that it is a lot of work, but $150 is a lot of dough to a 15 y/o. He has a job making 7% of everything he sells while running the on-line side of a small, local ski and snowboard shop, so he would have to sell over $2100 worth of stock to make up the difference. Plus, he gets to keep the steel speaker posts, saving another $125 or so. Finally, the Mackie C300z/Peavey XRD680/Shure M58 set up is exactly the same as his guitar instructors, who he idolizes.

 

One question, however. We have received differing opinions on whether the powered mixer would work well with powered speakers, with one person who runs a recording studio telling me that you could potentially blow out the speakers using them this way. Any thoughts?

 

Thanks very much for your help and advice, hermano.

 

Yo la tengo,

Fris

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One question, however. We have received differing opinions on whether the powered mixer would work well with powered speakers, with one person who runs a recording studio telling me that you could potentially blow out the speakers using them this way. Any thoughts?

 

The powered mixer-powered speakers combo will work fine if you hook it up correctly. You cannot connect the powered speakers to the "speaker outputs" on the back of the mixer, as that would send an amplified signal to the speakers (which is bad). You would instead run a cable from the "main outs" on the Peavey mixers to the "inputs" on the back of the Mackie powered speakers. This bypasses the amplifier inside the Peavey mixer and feeds the speakers with a "line level" output. This would be perfectly fine and safe to do and would not damage your speakers. Also, as I stated above, you would not be using the mixer's power amps so later when your son gets a pair of monitors, he could use the mixer's internal amps to power them nicely. This leaves for expansion later!

 

Anyway, Good Luck!

 

:thu:

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One question, however. We have received differing opinions on whether the powered mixer would work well with powered speakers, with one person who runs a recording studio telling me that you could potentially blow out the speakers using them this way. Any thoughts?


Thanks very much for your help and advice, hermano.


Yo la tengo,

Fris

 

 

 

It may be possible to damage the amp or speakers, but the point is that it makes no sense to use a powered mixer and powered speakers...redundant power.

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Let's be clear...

 

If you send the AMPLIFIED signal out of the POWERED MIXER into the regular input of the POWERED SPEAKER that will be a disaster, and is certain to blow something up.

 

If there is a PASSIVE (un amplified) output somewhere on the powered mixer that you can utilize, THAT WOULD WORK going into the powered speaker.

 

Most have been saying why bother, because the POWERED 450S are going to be a better sounding and safer to run set up than using the passive C300 Zs, so maybe think about keeping the powered speakers, finding a little passive mixer (for about $ 100 maybe), and just pocketing the savings to keep the youngsters happy about it.

 

The most important thing is to get a system that works well, and is easy to use perhaps.

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Let's be clear...


If you send the AMPLIFIED signal out of the POWERED MIXER into the regular input of the POWERED SPEAKER that will be a disaster, and is certain to blow something up.


If there is a PASSIVE (un amplified) output somewhere on the powered mixer that you can utilize, THAT
WOULD
WORK going into the powered speaker.

 

Exactly! :thu:

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There's no problem with running guitar/bass through the mixer, though you don't have any effects like you would on the amp. Get a good amp mic, MusiciansFriend.com has a nice Sennheiser for about 100 bucks. If your son's a drummer as well, he could use that same mic in the future for his tom toms.

 

-Alex:p

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Wow - thanks to all for the info and the education.

 

Things may have just become a tad less complicated, but perhaps a little more expensive. The gentleman selling the SRM 450's and posts is also selling a Mackie CFX12 mixer. He will sell the whole set up for $950. I believe this is a very good deal, right???

 

Anyway, now the kids want to buy the 450's and the Mackie mixer, and sell the Peavey XRD680 they alreay have. Does this sound like a good plan? What can they get for the Peavey mixer? It is in great shape.

 

Thanks again.

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I have an old rotel stereo pre-main amp. On the back it says max 350 watts cyc 50/60 hz. I am running a CD recording rig into it and use the speakers as a moniter for recording. Does this amp have any use for a low budget PA ....set up? I know i would need a mixer ,, what else would i need besides PA speakers/ rat

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No use at all. That's power CONSUMPTION, and Rotel makes domestic (home) hi-fi equipment that is NOT at all suited for live applications.

 

 

 

Rotel made this one along time ago ....I bought it in college and i am 55. It was high tech ,, solid state.... I am not sure how much output it has,, no doubt not enough lol. Its running moniters now in my jam room for a digital rig. So it still has a home lol. thanks. I no doubt will have some other stupid questions before i end up with a PA. thanks rat

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Frisbetarian,

 

I am finding two different mixers when I search for a CFX 12 by mackie. One is a powered mixer (1000 wRMS), for like $ 2,000, and one is a passive mixer for about $ 500.

 

If you are again looking at using a POWERED MIXER, with POWERED SPEAKERS, you will have to be VERY careful that it will work.

 

If you are looking at the passive CFX 12, with 2 of the POWERED 450s, that would be a good idea in my mind.

 

The price you are talking seems to be about average. Sadly, used equipment seems to generally go for about 1/2 of it's "new" price. THIS IS ONE REASON TO BE VERY CAREFUL BUYING NEW GEAR... becuase if it doesn't work for you, you will likely take a big hit financially trying to sell it.

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I wanted to give one last thank-you to all who helped educate the kids on their equipment choices, and to let you know of the final decision. At the last moment, my son decided that the Mackie SRM450's (and the passive CFX12 mixer) were too expensive for now, and decided against them. He found a person in nearby town selling two older 12" Peavey speakers, a pair of Peavey floor mointors, two older powered Peavey mixers (2 outputs each), and all related cables for $200. He bought this set up and sold the two mixers for just over $200, so he now has a Peavey SRD680 powered mixer, the aforementioned Peavey speakers and monitors (which sound good), two Shure M58 mics with boom stands, and all related cables for a grand total of $350. Whew. It was quite a process that I am really glad is over. Thank you once again to all who helped.

 

Here's the first song they did at their first gig, a cover of London's Calling - they're a little nervous at the begining, but they are coming along now.

 

 

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