Members Uncle_Milton Posted February 28, 2007 Members Share Posted February 28, 2007 I'm gathering gear for a public space tour. Touring the country with a metal band that needs to provide their own PA for their singer to compete in volume with a Double bass drum and a guitarist who runs his 100 watt half stack at 10 all the time. I'm trying to figure out what they need and I Know very little about PA's What do I need to look for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted February 28, 2007 Members Share Posted February 28, 2007 Great monitors with a 31 band EQ on them and someone with a great ear for frequencies. Then it depends on the venues sizes. I'd say for small clubs, a minimum of 5000-6000 watts FOH with a 2 to 1 power ratio subs vs top cabs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twostone Posted February 28, 2007 Members Share Posted February 28, 2007 I bet after your done with the tour the guitarist will have permanent hearing lost, not only is it deafen but also sounds like {censored} when a 100watt half stack wide open plus the up keep in the guitar cabs driver won't hold up as long as you think. That's why the pros's use 2-10 stacks if they need that much stage volume just a thought for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uncle_Milton Posted February 28, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 28, 2007 yeah, their motto is "we wear ear plugs so we can play louder" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twostone Posted February 28, 2007 Members Share Posted February 28, 2007 IEM's work better. But still the wide open half stack will break up guess if that's what you like go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alan Roberts Posted February 28, 2007 Members Share Posted February 28, 2007 Sounds like you all need a reality check. An inexperienced soundman and a guitarist who runs a 100 watt stack on 10 all the time? Touring the country?Find some experienced gigging musicians in your area and ask them what they're using and how they set up for gigs. You're gonna' need to know more than just what gear to buy, you need to know how to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted February 28, 2007 Members Share Posted February 28, 2007 If you feel the need to use the word "compete" when describing your needs, you're probably doing something wrong. How big are the rooms you expect to play, and what is your budget? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members prosigna Posted February 28, 2007 Members Share Posted February 28, 2007 Great monitors with a 31 band EQ on them and someone with a great ear for frequencies. Then it depends on the venues sizes. I'd say for small clubs, a minimum of 5000-6000 watts FOH with a 2 to 1 power ratio subs vs top cabs. +1That sounds about right. The full-time "bar bands" (no day jobs) in this area travel with this much gear. They all have 24' cube truck, 6000-watt PA, A full time sound man, etc.... They also have a distro for their power requirements. If you do not know why you need a distro to power 6000-watts plus a light rig then you are way, way, way over your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted February 28, 2007 CMS Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 I'm gathering gear for a public space tour. Touring the country with a metal band that needs to provide their own PA for their singer to compete in volume with a Double bass drum and a guitarist who runs his 100 watt half stack at 10 all the time.I'm trying to figure out what they need and I Know very little about PA's What do I need to look for. Hopefully after reading the replies you have some idea of how far you need to go to do this. You're talking in the multiple tens of thousands of dollars for a rig this size that's ready to tour. And you'll need training, and lots of it, to set it up, run it properly, and tear it down. I strongly suggest you rent services at each stop. Pay really close attention to the gear they provide, and how it's run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Square Posted February 28, 2007 Members Share Posted February 28, 2007 I have to agree with the others. First off, how big are the room you will be playing? Crowd size? These will determine how many FOH boxes you need (MainPA). Your monitor needs would be best served with IEM's since you are travelling with the band. I would only recommend monitors if you were a rental company that had to deal with lots of different bands. Even a small complete club rig of decent quailty will cost $20K+ with lighting. The bigger issue is: Do you know how to run it, and more importantly, do you know how to quickly troubleshoot it in the field when something breaks? Then there is the issues of electrical knowledge and legal liability. PA's use lots of electricity, and that can get very dangerous if you don't know what your doing. Do you know enough to go into an unfamiliar building and see if the house electricity is not up to code or too dangerous to use? Can you test it before you plug your gear into it and know that it is safe? Anybody can push a fader, up means more and down means less. You hire a soundman to get all the other knowledge (plus gear, plus spare parts, tools, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uncle_Milton Posted March 1, 2007 Author Members Share Posted March 1, 2007 "public spaces" meaning outdoors, small rooms and homes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jasps Posted March 1, 2007 Members Share Posted March 1, 2007 "public spaces" meaning outdoors, small rooms and homes I'd look for a PA that came with a truck so after load out, I could drive away and leave the fools in the band stranded. A PA for metal band where the guitarist brings a stack to play in a private residence? Gimme a break. This must be a troll thread. At least, I hope it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members W. M. Hellinger Posted March 1, 2007 Members Share Posted March 1, 2007 A few years ago I got a panic phone call from a band playing a venue in the area. The venue management had given the band my phone number as "someone who could possibly help". The band was booked in to play a Madis Gras ball in a local student union building ballroom. This was literally one of the first live shows this band had ever done where they were packing. They had recently rose to moderate fame with a hot song or two... but their entire playing career was basement recording studio stuff and playing small venues with house systems. They were signed to a small, fairly new label. The band's soundman was basically a fader jockey, and admitted, other than possibly plugging in mics, his soundgear knowledge was extremely limited. So... I arrive at the venue to find the band had a late model rented 24ft. Ryder truck and a leased, possibly an Audio Analysts or Clair, complete turnkey system which had been lumped into the venue by the student union building staff and was covering the huge dancefloor of this ballroom (everything still in it's road cases)... and a pile of lighting gear (still in the truck). I found the band's sound dude... he was sitting in a corner back stage with a pile of 2-ott feeder cable, with one of the 2-ott pigtails in one hand, a Swiss Army knife in the other hand, and he's looking at a R-14-50 220V outlet (the only serious power in the room)... the band was at a hotel catching a nap... and doors open in 2 hours. The band's sound dude wasn't quite crying (at the moment)... I think cause he was just too tired to show any real emotion anymore since he had just pulled an all nighter driving to get to the venue. "We" got through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rbts Posted March 1, 2007 Members Share Posted March 1, 2007 "public spaces" meaning outdoors, small rooms and homes Put a 45 in my mouth before you put me in a small room or home with a double bass drum and a 100 W half stack on 10, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SilleeSpyder Posted March 1, 2007 Members Share Posted March 1, 2007 My advice... DO NOT HAVE A MINDSET OF ONLY WATTAGE!!! I very often see people come in saying they need a PA that has so and so watts -or are more interested in wattage handling than efficiency and sound quality... Find efficient speakers you like the sound of that fit the bill, THEN match them up with the appropriate wattage and mixer. Its actually quite amazing how much difference a good mixer can make to your sound as well. A good example of this: There is a club down in Scottsdale that I go to for acoustic open mic night. They have a JBL SRX system. They used to use a Mackie VLZ for their mixing board -they then switched to an Allen and Heath GL. It made such a difference in the sound that if you walked in blindfolded, you'd swear they had changed the speakers. Other than that be smart and have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zeromus-X Posted March 1, 2007 Members Share Posted March 1, 2007 We need a budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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