How long until I should think about using a PA setup instead of pure amp volume?

[-=johhnybravo=-]

If it matters, I play metal.

 

At the moment, (just pretty small things) there's just been no PA, no one is mic'ed, except for the singer.

 

If there's no house PA when we start playing larger venues or something, how capable is a 100w full stack and when would it be recommended (size, attendance etc) that stage/amp volume alone isn't going to cut the mustard.

 

What the story is, I'm going to sink some dollars into either lighting or a PA setup, and am just getting an idea on what would be better.

I would like a consistent sound and am wondering how long can I get away with an unmiced full stack (rule of thumbs of course)

[Centauri]

In reality, a stack on stage doesn't cut the mustard out in the audience anyway. A guitar cabinet beams the top end quite considerably, meaning that the audience directly in front of your amp get an earful of screeching highs (which you yourself don't get as you are closer and off axis anyway), and the audience off to the sides hear mud. A PA is designed (the decent ones) to provide uniform coverage, so positioning your amp so it fires across stage (to provide stage coverage only) and micing it to the PA will always sound better to most of the audience.

 

Cheers

Graeme

[twostone]

As long as your not drowning out the vocals and you can hear the vocals I would stick with what you got, When we play large venuse we hire a sound man with a rig it's alot easier that way. If you gonna invest in a system here's what I learned don't skimp on the FOH mixer, EQ {31 band perside} drivers for FOH subs,mid/highs,and most importand to me is the monitor drivers. Nothing worst then having a {censored}ty monitor mix. IEM are great to but don't skimp there neither. Most guys here perfer Yorkys for the drivers also another thing to our good quality cables you wont beleive how much signal is lost in a cheap cable. But investing in qaulity will pay off in years to come plus your live sound will sound great to. Another thing is your mics. can't skimp there neither cheap mics. just feedback to much. Don't make the mistake of buying bargin brand equipment it just don't work I know from expreience had to replace all the bargin brand {censored}. Remember when ivesting in a PA it's all about the quality if you skimp any where in the signal chain the end result will suffer so, good luck:cool:

[moody]

Sealed stacks with multiple speakers beam awfully, so a little bit of sound reinforcement is advisable even at low volume.

 

If you have an open backed combo in a really small gig (vocal only, know kick drum in the pa) then it should be fine (I saw a duo doing that tonight without problem).