craig_in_tx

Because we play in a variety of different sized venues, I started contemplating the need for a system that was smaller than our A-rig but could also be configured for whatever need arose. I wanted to be able to have the option of still mixing from out front with a smaller footprint or just mix off stage with an even SMALLER footprint. I also wanted everything to be able to fit in the back of my truck when we didn't want to fire up the box van and use the A-rig. Most of the stuff was already laying around the house and I started from there. The main thing was to keep new costs to a bare minimum but still have something useable that sounded decent. Here's what I came up with. SYSTEM B, C, & D SPEAKERS: - 2 x JBL MPro 415 - 2 x JBL JRX 118S Love the tops. Got them brand new for next to nothing a long time ago when Mars Music went out of business. The also threw in two speaker stands with a carry bag. I'll use the speaker stands as light stands most of the time and sit the tops on the subs with speaker poles. Hate the subs but only paid $400 for the pair. I already plan to upgrade and I'll probably be able to get my money back on them. MONITORS: - 4 x OSP SC12M These will be the second thing I upgrade. Needed two in a hurry and went cheap. They're actually not that terrible once they're eq'd but I'd just like to go with something I trust. Plus, they don't stack very well at all. AMP RACK (used with both "B" & "C" systems: - QSC GX3 (tops) - QSC GX5 (subs) - QSC Gx3 (monitors - 2 per side) - Samson S-Xover crossover I really like the GX's. Simple, powerful, reliable and sound great. Plus, they're about half the weight of the MX1500a's that they replaced. These reside in a small six-space rack so I didn't have room for a rack-mounted crossover and ended up going with the Samson so that I could mount it in the back of the rack. I was a bit dubious about it at first but it has performed just fine. B MIXER & OUTBOARD: - Allen & Heath Wz3 16:2 - Alesis Midiverb III - 2 x dbx 163x compressors - dbx 266 compressor - dbx 215 eq - dbx 230 eq (monitors) - White 4650 eq (FOH) The board and outboard gear reside in a 10/8 slant-top rack. It's a little heavy but that's why they make hand trucks. I just picked up the MixWiz which replaced a Mackie 1604 VLZ Pro and couldn't be happier with it. Just a fantastic small format mixer that does everything I need it to do. Love the 2 sweepable mids! I already had the Midiverb set up with some custom fx patches that I like so I use it for vocals and use the onboard effects for everything else. I also had the 163 comps laying around and put them to use - I just love having to use a single slider! Being from the Austin area, I've always been partial to White Eq's and this one has never let me down. Of course the dbx's are workhorses and the short travel on the faders doesn't bother me. Was looking for compact/good sounding and that's what I got. OVERALL: This system has given me good results so far and, other than lacking some tightness on the bottom end (damn JRX's ), it sounds great - actually better than I had anticipated. In addition to my band, I also use this system to run sound for my son's indie band whenever I'm not playing and have hired myself out to a couple other bands as well. C MIXER & OUTBOARD: - Yamaha MX 12/6 - ART EQ-351 (FOH) - Behringer FBQ6200 (Monitors) This is my grab-on-the fly system when I just want to mix from the stage but still want to run subs and have two monitor mixes. I use it with the same amp rack, speakers, and monitors listed above. Small 4-space rack for the eq's and a small bag for the mixer. Got the Yamaha for $150, used, and really like the simple layout and built-in effects. Yeah, they're not on par with any of the higher end stuff but since I mostly just add a small touch of verb to the vocals and acoustic guitars it suits my needs fine. OVERALL: Very happy with the results given the price. Normally with this system I'm only micing vocals, bass & kick. I like the simplicity and ease of set up and, again, it sounds better than I expected. D MIXER: - Behringer PMX2000 Powered Mixer OVERALL: I use this for REALLY small gigs with the MPro's up on speaker stands, no subs, and just two monitors to wash the stage. Simple and sets up in no time at all. Funny thing is that our return on investment is probably higher using this setup than all the other systems. Most of the time it's in use is when we're playing those high-paying/low-volume corporate gigs where you're kind of stuck in a corner and are essentially background music. FINAL ANALYSIS: Seems like a lot of stuff but it's really not when you consider that I can mix stuff up to bring the right rig-for-the-gig. Obviously none of these smaller setups are on par with our A-rig but they weren't intended to. We simply have more options and each one has their place. Again, other than upgrading the subs and possibly monitors I really don't plan to do a lot different. Thanks for reading and I appreciate all of the advice shared on this board. Although I'm mostly a lurker I've increased my knowledge quite a bit from the discussions here.

Okay, I guess it's time for me to add my collection to the thread. For starters, I'm 45 and have been playing in bands since I was 17 years old. I've done it all different levels, even touring with a major-label Nashville act for a few years. The main group that I play with is a six-piece county/rock band that has been together in some form or fashion for over 15 years. We play in a variety of different sized venues including clubs, weddings, corporate gigs, festivals, and private parties. I'll list our A-rig in this post and the smaller rigs in the next post. SYSTEM A FOH SPEAKERS: - 2 x QSC HPR153i - 4 x QSC HPR181i Absolutely love these speakers! We run them either 1 top over 2 subs per side or all 4 subs clustered in the center depending on the venue. They've handled everything from 150 seat clubs to large ballrooms to outdoor street dances. They're a lot heavier than the new KW series but they work and sound so well that we're not looking to upgrade. MIXER: - Allen & Heath GL-2400-24 We sold our old MixWiz 16:2 when we needed more channels and upgraded to this. Fantastic workhorse of a board and I really like the matrix section. We use it to run quickie board tapes and sometimes we'll run it to the audio input of our camcorder when we're shooting video and have gotten good results. OUTBOARD: - Alesis Midiverb 4 (vocals) - Alesis Microverb (drums/acoustic guitar) - dbx 1066 - dbx 166 - Behringer MDX4400 Multicom Pro Quad Compressor (spare) - dbx 215 (one side for kick, one for bass) - AudioLogic Quad Noise Gate We don't run very effects-heavy so the Alesis stuff works just fine for us and has held up for years. Comps are used mainly for bass and kick - sometimes vocals - and they work just fine for our needs. The quad gate is a cheapie I picked up on Craigslist for $20 and is worth about what I paid for it. Would like to upgrade but we honestly don't use it a whole lot. MONITORS MIXER: - Allen & Heath WZ3 12m Can't say enough great things about this mixer! Compact, easy to navigate, built-in split, and sounds great. We upgraded to this from an old Peavy 16X6 monitor desk and the decrease in size alone was worth the money. IN EARS: - 3 x Shure PSM400 (used by myself, bass player & guitar player) I just recently switched to in-ears and, after a little adjustment period, have really gotten to the point that I like them. Had to get used to the isolation factor but now prefer them much more to wedges. I can't compare the Shures to anything else since they're the only ones I've used but am very satisfied, especially after upgrading to the SE535 earbuds. WEDGES: - 5 x Klipsch KSM-15 II (the rest of the guys opted not to go in-ear and use 3 of these) We've used these things for over 15 years and have never had a problem with them. I haven't seen a lot of them around and always wondered why because they're a great sounding monitor that can get as loud as you want. AMPS (for wedges): - 2 x EV 7300a BIG. HEAVY. But they just won't die. OUTBOARD - 3 x Rane ME15s Would prefer to upgrade to 31 band eq's but these have seemed to work fine for us. The monitor system is all self contained in a 12 space slant-top rolling rack. The drop snakes and jumper are tied to the board split and stowed in the back of the rack. OTHER MICS: Collection of: EV ND967 x1 EV ND767 x2 EV ND757 x1 Shure SM58 x4 Shure SM57 x3 Shure SM81 x3 Shure Beta 58 x1 Shure Beta 57 x1 Shure Beta 52 x1 AKG D112 x1 Sennheiser e609 x2 Sennheiser e604 x4 DI's: Whirlwind IMP2 Whirlwind Director Sansamp Bass DI A couple of old Horizon and Rapco DI's for spares CABLING: 100' Whirwind 24/4 snake for FOH. 30' Whirlwind 16 channel custom drop snake from monitor split with a jumper to the FOH snake. 30' Whirlwind 6 channel drop snake. Assortment of store-bought and self made mic cables of various lengths. All electrical cable is self-made of thick 12/3 with quad Raco boxes and heavy duty outlets - various lengths. POWER: Custom made distro in a rolling case OVERALL: We spent a lot of time piecing this system together over a number of years. Prior to this we were running a HUGE stacked four-way system with a mismash of components. The most recent additions were the speakers and new board and the difference in sound was like night and day. All of our racks are loomed, tied, and labeled neatly and the whole system can be set up and running in 45 minutes or less if we're really moving. If there's any downside to this setup it's that it isn't scalable, so...

Great transaction with thesockmonster. Poor guy had to deal with some hassles with USPS but came through. Great communication and even threw in a pickguard.