Members Rocinante Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 Hi, I am about to buy PA speakers for the first time (for vocals, acoustic guitar and keyboards), and could use buying suggestions as I know very little about this. My band plays southern rock and metal, and these speakers will be required primarily for small pubs and maybe the occasional club gig. I have a Yamaha EMX-68S PA mixer (400W stereo/800W mono), so I'm guessing I need a pair of speakers that can handle 400W each. Basically, which brands are good-sounding and reliable? I know that Peavey are one of the benchmarks. How about Wharfedale? Yamaha? Also, will 12" drivers be sufficient, or should I get 15" ones? My price range is in the region of
Members Blackwatch Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 We had a set of the peavey 15" and we loved them. Good sound and very light. Used to put them on stands. Good Luck.
Members Rocinante Posted March 21, 2006 Author Members Posted March 21, 2006 Originally posted by Blackwatch We had a set of the peavey 15" and we loved them. Good sound and very light. Used to put them on stands. Good Luck. Which model?
Members ThumpThumpTwang Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 I'm interested in this topic, too. http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=33
Members Beachbum Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 I've been eyeballing some of those Peavey PR15 ultra lights. They've got a 15" speaker and a horn, they're $199.00 each. Anyone have any?
Members roguefly Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 Peavey hysis 15's are well good, rated at 350 watts so should be ok . We use a pair and people compliment us on the clear sound regularly. 12" ones might be ok if you dont put bass or kick drum through the pa. You should be able to pick some used one's up within your budget
Members Rocinante Posted March 21, 2006 Author Members Posted March 21, 2006 Originally posted by roguefly Peavey hysis 15's are well good, rated at 350 watts so should be ok . We use a pair and people compliment us on the clear sound regularly. 12" ones might be ok if you dont put bass or kick drum through the pa. You should be able to pick some used one's up within your budget Noted; cheers.
Members BlueStrat Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 This is what I got a few years ago, after using Peaveys, they sounded so much more alive. The Peaveys I found to be kind of flat and boxy sounding next to the JBL. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product?sku=600347
Members Beachbum Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 I would expect the JBL's to be vastly superior to the Peaveys, myself. I've owned JBL's in the past (I shouldn't have sold them either...) and they're second to none. My main attraction to the Peaveys is their weight. I'm turning into somewhat of a wuss because hefting those JBL's up onto their stands had become a real chore. As much as I'm shocked to hear myself say it, I do believe I'm willing to sacrifice some sound quality for convenience, and I'm not totally sure that's a good thing.
Members jackcheez Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 You will need 15s for sure. I recently got a pair of Yamaha C115Vs which are very nice. Sweet sound and built like a tank. They're going for $336 each at MF (for reference sake). If weight is an issue, I think they weigh a little more than the comparable (in price range) JBLs. They're 60lbs each.
Members squealie Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 I'm a fan of the Yamaha Club series as well. For budget boxes, they are tough to beat. The 115Ms, Have a pole mount, and are cut as a floor wedge. So as your system grows, you can use them as monitors later on. Great value.
Members elbow Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 I've had good luck with Peavey and Yamaha speakers. I would also suggest you stay in the 15" size in case you need to grow. I am also a fan of smaller is better.... as long as quality doesn't suffer too much and you're not playing in bigger venues, outdoors, etc. If you were just going to mic vocals, you could go back down to 12's and they would sound fine and be lighter and smaller. I have never seen one, but I hear those Bose sticks (whatever they are called) are pretty nice, but might be just out of your budget. Very compact and I understand they sound pretty good. Anyone have experience with this setup? http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/musicians/index.jsp
Members RupertB Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 Peavey SP2 or Mackie S215 Go for 15s especially if you might want to mic the kick (a good idea for medium & large club gigs).
Members Blackwatch Posted March 21, 2006 Members Posted March 21, 2006 This is what I got a few years ago, after using Peaveys, they sounded so much more alive. The Peaveys I found to be kind of flat and boxy sounding next to the JBL. What???? You reading my mind or something?? I had the PR15s but picked up a pair of JBL mr805s which are actually monitors. They're very inefficient speakers but they sound so nice and clear. Heavier than hell and the jack is on the bottom which is a pain. You can do well with either. but as BS said the JBLs are nicer speakers.
Members BlueStrat Posted March 22, 2006 Members Posted March 22, 2006 Originally posted by Beachbum I would expect the JBL's to be vastly superior to the Peaveys, myself. I've owned JBL's in the past (I shouldn't have sold them either...) and they're second to none. My main attraction to the Peaveys is their weight. I'm turning into somewhat of a wuss because hefting those JBL's up onto their stands had become a real chore.As much as I'm shocked to hear myself say it, I do believe I'm willing to sacrifice some sound quality for convenience, and I'm not totally sure that's a good thing. Actually, my JBLs are pretty light (not as light as the Peaveys, but...) I got the ones with the tolex covering rather than carpet.
Members Preacher Will Posted March 22, 2006 Members Posted March 22, 2006 Let me suggest that you check out the live sound forum. There's a tremendous amount of great information flowing over there about just this sort of thing. Otherwise, my $.02: For voice and guitar, especially acoustic only, I'd stick with a two-way, twelve inch rather than a fifteen. Fifteens can be muddy in the midrange. Keys won't overly tax a twelve either, unless you're going to emulate a slap bass. If you're gonna run bass and drums through the system, you'll really need something bigger with dedicated subs. Mid-range MI grade cabs include Yammy Clubs, the Peaveys, JBL JRX line, Community's. I'm not fond of Wharfedale. A buddy of mine did a Wharfedale install in his church and they're muddy. For my money, in the $350 a cab range, I'd look at the JBL JRX's. To my ear they're a bit cleaner (brighter?) than the Yamaha's and the Community's. I've had a chance to hear Yammy Clubs, Peavey SR's, JBL JRX's and Community smething-or-others all in the same room, sometimes A-B'ed side by side, and I really prefer the JBL's. If you can spring the extra cash though, you'd be even better off if you could go the JBL M-Pro route. Now, those are nice speakers for not a lot of money. They are a significant upgrade from the other things that you're discussing. Above that would be Yorkville's NX line. Happy shopping.
Members Rocinante Posted March 22, 2006 Author Members Posted March 22, 2006 Cheers everyone. It seems JBLs are the favoured choice. I'll see what I can pick up on eBay. Preacher, excuse me for being thick but what do you mean by 2-way? Two 12" drivers in each cab?
Members Professor Tom Posted March 22, 2006 Members Posted March 22, 2006 I've got a pair of Electrovoice Eliminator bins that are over 20 years old and still running strong and had no breakdowns. You might be lucky and find a pair secondhand.
Members squealie Posted March 22, 2006 Members Posted March 22, 2006 Originally posted by Rocinante Cheers everyone. It seems JBLs are the favoured choice. I'll see what I can pick up on eBay. Preacher, excuse me for being thick but what do you mean by 2-way? Two 12" drivers in each cab? Dude, you have NOT done enough research. JBL makes some nice enclosures, and drivers. They also make some unapologetic junk.
Members Rocinante Posted March 22, 2006 Author Members Posted March 22, 2006 Originally posted by squealie Dude, you have NOT done enough research.JBL makes some nice enclosures, and drivers. They also make some unapologetic junk. Bottom line, until I've tested in a live situation any or all of the speakers mentioned, how am I supposed to make an educated choice? I posted here to canvas opinion as a shortcut to avoiding buying junk in the first place, but at the end of the day I'm just gonna have to make a decision and take a chance. There's no other way I'm going to find out what works or what doesn't. Dude.
Members squealie Posted March 22, 2006 Members Posted March 22, 2006 Originally posted by Rocinante Bottom line, until I've tested in a live situation any or all of the speakers mentioned, how am I supposed to make an educated choice? I posted here to canvas opinion as a shortcut to avoiding buying junk in the first place, but at the end of the day I'm just gonna have to make a decision and take a chance. There's no other way I'm going to find out what works or what doesn't. Dude. First, you can solicit qualified opinions.... which you tried to do. But you collected some unqualified answers as well. Regardless of brand name, you need to come to some understanding of the design of the boxes in your price range. If you don't understand the meaning of '2-way' or passive-vs-active crossover, or 1-inch diaphargm or piezo etc..... you are really at the mercy of the seller. Would you buy a !400 guitar without knowing anything about it? I was trying to alert you to the fact that you are suited up to being a target. I have a little experience in the area... been playing shows for 15 years, and was in pro-audio sales/tech for 4, where I helped folks choose suitable PA enclosures every day. Dude.
Members Rocinante Posted March 22, 2006 Author Members Posted March 22, 2006 Originally posted by squealie First, you can solicit qualified opinions.... which you tried to do. But you collected some unqualified answers as well.Regardless of brand name, you need to come to some understanding of the design of the boxes in your price range. If you don't understand the meaning of '2-way' or passive-vs-active crossover, or 1-inch diaphargm or piezo etc..... you are really at the mercy of the seller.Would you buy a !400 guitar without knowing anything about it?I was trying to alert you to the fact that you are suited up to being a target. I have a little experience in the area... been playing shows for 15 years, and was in pro-audio sales/tech for 4, where I helped folks choose suitable PA enclosures every day. Dude. ...And so far you have said nothing to enlighten me further.
Members squealie Posted March 22, 2006 Members Posted March 22, 2006 Originally posted by Rocinante ...And so far you have said nothing to enlighten me further. I'm the one guy here, trying to warn you to inform yourself better before you make a purchase. And you are a jerk to me? Go {censored} yourself.
Members mrcpro Posted March 22, 2006 Members Posted March 22, 2006 Originally posted by Rocinante Cheers everyone. It seems JBLs are the favoured choice. I'll see what I can pick up on eBay. Preacher, excuse me for being thick but what do you mean by 2-way? Two 12" drivers in each cab? Don't go JRX! just because they're JBLs doesn't mean that they're good. I've got a friend who's got 'em... ugh! The Mpro series is OK... the 400's are especially nice for club work... almost pro level. But they're going to cost you even used. Peavey SP2s are really decent, but in the UK I imagine you'll find Yamahas easier... as mentioned before the Clubs are a good deal in this price range... not quite the quality of the Peaveys. Just make sure all drivers work and the MDF cabs are still tight. I've used all the above... just my experience... Do a search in Live Sound for any specific model for more info.
Members elbow Posted March 22, 2006 Members Posted March 22, 2006 One more opinion here There are several options. If you are wanting to plug in all you were talking about, then Peavey, Yamaha, or JBL 15" would all be fine........ a hell of a lot better than my first set of mains. After you had them a while and get playing out, you will learn what you like and don't like. If your speakers become something you don't like, you can sell them later. Not a big deal. If the worse thing that happened to me was taking a slight loss on 2 Peavey mains, I would be happy. I would suggest that you post to the live sound forum as well... but you will probably get a stream of information that may be pretty technical.... that's all.
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