Members J.Paul Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 What prompted your decision to go with powered speakers over a powered mixer (or vice versa)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Howie22 Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 Powered speakers are way more versatile. I like that you can control the volume of each. They are also more easily expandable. My main system is a powered mixer with speakers. At the time, it was a cost factor. Also, powered speakers weren't as popular when I bought my system 7 or 8 years ago. I really like the powered mixer option because you don't need to run extension cords to each speaker. The whole system runs off of one plug. However, you lose the flexibility of controlling each speaker separately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 Powered speakers are way more versatile. I like that you can control the volume of each. They are also more easily expandable.My main system is a powered mixer with speakers. At the time, it was a cost factor. Also, powered speakers weren't as popular when I bought my system 7 or 8 years ago. I really like the powered mixer option because you don't need to run extension cords to each speaker. The whole system runs off of one plug. However, you lose the flexibility of controlling each speaker separately. I use a Yamaha powered stereo mixer with passive speakers. By using the main/monitor setting, I can control the volume of the left and right sides, if necessary. Of course, that's because I normally don't use monitors, since I really don't need them in my trio, since I'm the only singer, and I can hear what's coming from the mains well enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Howie22 Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 I use a Yamaha powered stereo mixer with passive speakers. By using the main/monitor setting, I can control the volume of the left and right sides, if necessary. Of course, that's because I normally don't use monitors, since I really don't need them in my trio, since I'm the only singer, and I can hear what's coming from the mains well enough. That is the same unit that I use (EMX series), and you are correct. That will work to control the speakers separately. I always use a separate monitor mix, though. So, I can't do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 I can use my 2 powered speakers as:2 mains1 main and 1 monitor2 monitors1 main/monitor and 1 instrument amp1 upright bass amp and 1 keyboard amp/monitor I'm sure there are other combos I havnt thought of yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted July 27, 2012 Moderators Share Posted July 27, 2012 um, as I recall, most mixers have separate left/right channels out...obviously you don't want to have too great a disparity, but...you can certainly set different levels left and right. Typically though, the FOH volume should be consistent...so the volume difference concept really doesn't convince me. Running additional power and program cables to each speaker is a drawback, IMHO, but not a deal killer...weight, however...hmmm... a QSC K12 (often recommended here) weighs 41 lbs vs an EV ELX112 (often recommended here) at 35 lbs...seems to me the difference is negligible...the plus, to me, in a powered board, is the powered monitor circuit...one less item to haul. Naturally, the cost difference of the cabs is a major factor...(I'm talking new retail price here...) the EV ELX112 runs ~$300 ea, the QSC K12 runs ~$850 ea....a powered monitor with, say 500W per side, like the Yamaha EMX512SC (arguably overkill for a duo) runs ~$570, whereas the Yamaha MG102C (bare minimum unit, IMHO) is ~$80... so 300 x 2=600+570=$1170 850x 2=1700 +80= $1780 The advantage to powered speakers is the flexibility...because you could easily get away running with just one...so $850+$80=$930...I'm sure there are plenty of other ways to look at this and a gazillion other boards/cabs etc...this was just to use readily recognizable manufacturers for comparison...and I avoided the Mackie Thumps for obvious reasons Since I came from the old school...passive board, power amps, passive speakers, separate monitor amp, etc. I have been reformulating my preferences as technological progressions occur. Our band uses a powered Yamaha mixer, but we didn't like the inboard monitor sound, so we wound up adding another amp for the monitors....for my solo hing, I looked at a lot of options, but I got a good deal on a Fish-Stick (which is, for all intents and purposes, a powered speaker), else I would have likely gone with the K12 and a simple mixer....the weight, however was an issue for me as I have sciatica...YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 I used to use powered mixers but switched to powered speakers (mackie srm450s) over 12 years ago. I was getting distortion from my system and couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from, so I bought a whole new system. The Mackies were getting a lot of positive reviews at the time, so I went that route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Howie22 Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 um, as I recall, most mixers have separate left/right channels out...obviously you don't want to have too great a disparity, but...you can certainly set different levels left and right. Typically though, the FOH volume should be consistent...so the volume difference concept really doesn't convince me. While not common, I've had a few gigs where they wanted one speaker on the patio and one inside the bar, both at different volumes. I've also played on patios where you are playing in the middle with one speaker pointed at a bigger section of patio and the other pointed toward a smaller section. In those instances, having separate volume controls is a definite benefit. Again, not common, and probably not something to base your final decision on. Also, most of the "box" style powered mixers I've seen do not have separate L-R controls. Just one master volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J.Paul Posted July 27, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 Good stuff folkskeep it comin' The point that Howie22 brings up is significant to me.Having 2 extra extension cords and extra setup time to power the montiors is a slight consideration... although the Eons I've heard are worth the hassle. The Fish Stick seems like a great idea,if you do the math on buying and combining the separate components that it takes it's probably comparable to what the Fish Stick costs except for it's super portable. It's been about 15 years since I've used this kind of PA / mini production and things have come SO far for the consumer since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted July 27, 2012 Moderators Share Posted July 27, 2012 The Fish-stick is not a perfect solution for all acts...for one thing, it lacks a lot of bass definition, but, for just vocals and guitar, it works really well. If I were playing with tracks, I would have gone for the powered speaker to get more bottom end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 The downside of powered speakers is the extra extension cords/power requirements.The upside is they can be used in so many different ways and situations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jwlussow Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 The real advantage, as I see it, is the ease of adding new speakers to the system. There is no need to consider the powered board's capacity when adding speakers. Just buy another powered speaker and go. Adding a second speaker per side of a powered box may cause issues and damage the speakers or board. Not many powered boards can do 2 ohm loads which would happen if you try to run two 4 ohm speakers per side of the powered board. The power connection is a little bit of a hassle but the pros still out weigh the cons when it comes to active speakers. J. Paul if you like the sound of the EON's, look at the PRX stuff. PRX is much lighter and considerably better sounding to my ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMKEYS Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 Good stuff folkskeep it comin'The point that Howie22 brings up is significant to me.Having 2 extra extension cords and extra setup time to power the montiors is a slight consideration... although the Eons I've heard are worth the hassle.The Fish Stick seems like a great idea,if you do the math on buying and combining the separate components that it takes it's probably comparable to what the Fish Stick costs except for it's super portable. It's been about 15 years since I've used this kind of PA / mini production and things have come SO far for the consumer since then. The 15in powered Eons are pretty well the standard down here for beach bands that do small rooms and patio. We have used both eons and mackie 450s. It keeps load in and out simple since most people play these things without subs and run bass and lead through the backline amps with maybe a little lead into the mains. Vocals , acoustic guitar and keys go di to the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rodclement Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 The best thing about powered speakers for small duos, trio's, etc is that most of us do our own sound and the amps built in are perfectly matched to the cabinets they are in, including all the processing, etc so, for most of us, none pro sound guys, this is a much better solution to get quality sound. Then you have the convenience of not needing heavy amp racks, etc. Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chemikool Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 My oldest PA is a box mixer (Yorkville MP6) and two Peavey 15" and horn enclosures; or as I like to call it "two on a stick with grits." I've used that setup since '95ish or so. Still works great and gets used in a variety of configurations. I posted a picture in this forum a few months ago of that setup. 300watts @ 8ohms, mono, 6 XLR and line inputs, rca in/out, built-in reverb...great little solo/duo/vocal PA and MORE than enough for a solo/duo. My newest PA is two powered speakers (Yorkville NX750P) and they are great! Since I also do the rock band thing I needed more power than my box mixer could provide. I didn't want to drag out the amp and processing rack because that is too much work these days! Admittedly the 750Ps are too much for a solo guy and I rarely have to turn them even halfway up; and that is bringing only one of them! The have all the processing in the speaker, so I literally plug my vocal and guitar into the speaker when I'm playing solo or duo. I like these speakers because all of the engineering has already been done. I'll never have to worry about mis-matching impedances, blowing a speaker, etc... because all of that is taken care of already. Having all that headroom goes a long way. All the jive talk about the extra power cable is BS. I've found it to be just as easy as my two on stick configuration, if not easier because now I don't take a dedicated mixer with me (I still keep the boxhead in the car just in case) because it simply is no longer needed. I would advise a powered speaker with LOTS of inputs and possibly reverb or some processing. The time of a passive mixer into an amprack feeding speakers is done. One powered speaker with all the goodies on-board is the way to go; especially for a solo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 Powered speakers will generally sound better. AS other posters have mentioned they have the processing built in and are most likely bi-amped. The only way you will get a passive speaker to sound better is if you are using a driverack or simular processor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JimboKeys Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 I'll never have to worry about mis-matching impedances, blowing a speaker, etc... because all of that is taken care of already. I think this is one of the major benefits of powered speakers ... at my last solo gig i managed to plug a line level signal into a mic input. Made some nasty scary loud noise when i turned it all on but no damage to the speakers. I don't know that passive speakers with a powered box would have fared as well. The other advantage, that was a big factor for me, is minimizing stuff on stage. A little passive notebook-sized mixer gives me everything i need in a very small package. - Jimbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 Another advantage of powered speakers: A powered speaker can be placed on the other side of a large room using a wireless signal. Of course you need to plug it into the nearest outlet, but you won't need a 100 foot (or more) speaker cord or xlr cord coming from the mixer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 I see several advantages to powered speakers, but one of the main ones for me is portability. We often do gigs where we've got to pipe the band into another room, or supply iPod music for the cocktail hour out in the veranda or a wireless mic for speeches during dinner or whatever. So easy to just plug in a powered speaker, plug an iPod directly into an input and be good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members donkey 12 Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 I am in the camp that there are pros and cons with powered and passive speakers, and that it depends on the application and personal preferences which is preferable. This being said... I was willing to go either way, passive or powered speakers, as I determined either could meet my needs, but all I found used and local that was of decent quality was the former. So I went with a powered mixer and passive speakers because I was able to find what I consider to be good quality components local, used, and VERY inexpensive. I have yet to see many decent quality powered speakers for sale in my area. Harbinger, Behringer, and the like abound... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 So I went with a powered mixer and passive speakers because I was able to find what I consider to be good quality components local, used, and VERY inexpensive. I have yet to see many decent quality powered speakers for sale in my area. Harbinger, Behringer, and the like abound... Probably because it's guys buying powered stuff and selling off their old passive gear. I've got a bunch of good-quality powered speakers lying around, but damned if I'll sell any of them because you never know when I'm going to need them. Sold all the old passive stuff long ago though. But a good deal is a good deal. Because of that situation, some good quality passive stuff has become available to you a great price and that can't be nothin' but a GOOD thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 I am in the camp that there are pros and cons with powered and passive speakers, and that it depends on the application and personal preferences which is preferable. This being said...I was willing to go either way, passive or powered speakers, as I determined either could meet my needs, but all I found used and local that was of decent quality was the former. So I went with a powered mixer and passive speakers because I was able to find what I consider to be good quality components local, used, and VERY inexpensive. I have yet to see many decent quality powered speakers for sale in my area. Harbinger, Behringer, and the like abound... That is because everyone is dumping their passive gear and going powered. I actually bought most my powered speakers used at good prices locally where I live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dboomer Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 Dollar for dollar you'll probably end up with better quality sound using active speakers and a passive mixer. But it depends on how much you push it relative to its potential max output. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tim_7string Posted July 27, 2012 Members Share Posted July 27, 2012 The thing I like about powered speakers is that the internal amplifier is matched to the speakers, thereby making them practically idiot-proof. It's far too easy to blow speakers by putting too much power into them when the amplifier is either a separate component or bundled with a mixer in a powered mixer box. So why do I have a powered mixer box then? Well, it's a bit strange. It had been years since I had my own PA system (over a decade), but I had done some home recording. I was itching to get back into buying a PA system again and leading my own band, but I didn't have much money. I have an account at the music store I teach at, so I took advantage of that and figured I could buy my PA system one piece at a time. I didn't buy a passive mixer because I figured if I did that, I could just use it for recording rather than live performance. So, to 'fool' myself, I bought a powered mixer instead, because then I would be 'forced' to buy speakers for it to use in a live situation. It was also a much cheaper solution to get started than it was to save up hundreds for each powered speaker instead. I got two passive speakers for a very low price, so it was too hard to resist. I regret not having the patience to save up for powered speakers, which I know produce a cleaner sound (I've heard them), but I figured the system I have now would get my feet wet, so to speak, after so many years of not running a PA. And now that I have a large passive mixer to replace my powered mixer, I will probably upgrade to powered speakers within the next couple of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dboomer Posted July 28, 2012 Members Share Posted July 28, 2012 Some people see a problem with dragging out extra AC for the powered speaker. You can simply tape together a mic cable and an AC power cord with electrician's tape so it becomes one cable. Put a power strip next to your mixer. Then plug the AC into that strip that also contains your mixer (and everything else audio if possible. There are also a bunch of "siamese" AC/signal cables commercially available if you're just dying to spend some $$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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