Best budget PA system? + other questions

1) I’d definitely go for one of the 2.1 options out there. Some of the ones reviewed (either personally or over on the blog) are, in no particular order:
* HK Audio Lucas (my preference is with the 600)
* LD Systems Dave-series
* Proel LT812A
They all have in common that they offer a sound level that belies there small physical footprint, are compact enough to easily transport and have sound quality good enough to actually use to play out at smaller events.

2) On average, the calculation is 3-4% of the new value of gear = rental price. So an 800 bucks set of speakers would rent for about 30-ish. Don’t forget to calculate cables, stands and other bits and pieces and of course transport. Cables and stands will run another easy 100 so your are now at 35-ish.

3) Since you are in production already, you probably know that you get what you pay for. At the lower end of decent monitor speakers our favorites are and have been for a while the KRKs (6s). They offer lots of quality for a relatively low price, still they are not cheap. The matching sub is the same, good quality for relatively low price, but still 500 bucks. So, you tell me, what can you expect from a 150 bucks sub? Also 100W is really low and definitely not effective enough for playing out. See anwer 1) and you get a set with matching sub, so no need to buy a separate one. If you ARE going another route, I’d suggest somewhere in the 300W+ range (RMS, none of that Peak Power crap) and at least a 12″ driver. And I seriously suggest people not to mix and match brands. When buying full range, already keep an eye on the availability of a sub for later purchase. The advantages of matching PA gear at this level outweigh the financial benefits in the short term, imho.

As the notice on our office wall used to say: “The nasty taste of poor quality lingers on long after the sweet taste of low price has worn off.”

4) The jury is still out on that one (haven’t hear them yet). But I’ve got them tagged as nice bedroom practice speakers for some of the young ones, that will occasionally make it to a friend’s/family b’day or BBQ party. I would not feel comfortable using them seriously when playing out (but that IS just me), especially not if I were charging for gear. Also the light is nice, but it does not a light show make 😀 . There are plenty of simple alternatives for light (Chauvet bar, American DJ Dotz bar just to name two) that look WAY more professional and have bigger impact. If you were to buy only one Numark, the sound level would worry me and you’d have to go mono, which is not a standard setting for many controller/software combo’s. Another thing is the way the high end speaker is situation. It’s not a 180 degree radiation, so laying it on it’s side will most likely limit the -then- horizontal spread of the higher frequencies to a rather small band (which is fine for the normal horizontal orientation), not uncommon to have 40 degrees spread up/down that then becomes 40 degrees left/right. Setting things on keyboard stands on top of tables would take relatively lot of space in already cramped quarters I think and the risk of it coming down at one point is not imaginary. Combined with a sub I am almost certain that the sound balance will be skewed. I recommend one sub to two tops in a small setup.

Finally a rule of thumb. For indoor use and without wanting a very high sound level (say dance festival level), you’d be looking at a total amplifier power of approx. 5W RMS per person. With a project 75 max, that would come to 400W RMS (rounded up). However, getting a single 300W sub with one single top at 100W (like the lightwave) is, as I said, a bit lobsided.
I’d opt for two 200W tops or two 100W tops with a 250-300W sub. If you plan on playing outdoor as well. The power demand doubles to about 10W a person.

see if you can find a set of QSC 8s — not in your budget but maybe a good used pair will do — these are phenomenal