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Complete beginner to this

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  • December 6, 2016 at 9:31 pm #2478381
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Skytec would be a definite no in my book. To use a term co-moderator Terry_42 uses, it’s rubish and a waste of however little money you throw at it.

    Unfortunately there is NO shortcut in PA. You’d be better off getting some used 10″ or 12″ active PA speakers from a reputable brand in order to get closest to your budget.

    Another option (but you’d need to up your budget a bit (by about 100 GBP) is to get the Numark Lightwave. Added bonus is that they come with lightshow built in. They actually do sound pretty decent. Look over at the main site for the review (http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2016/10/review-video-numark-lightwave-powered-speakers/).
    They are rated at 100W RMS each, which effectively sets your maximum people size at 40 or so though.

    Think they are about 400 a pair. Then you’d need a small mixer (personally love the small Yamaha series like the MG-06, could look at the small Mackie and Allen & Heath offerings as well).

    Don’t forget you’d need cables and stands as well, another reason your budget is (too) tight imho.

    Other than used PA gear, I can’t think of anything fitting your budget (or close to it) that would fit 75 for a mixer, leaving 275 for a pair of speakers, stands and cables.

    As for the mixer having enough power. With active speakers the amps are in the speakers, so the mixer doesn’t need output power. So no need to worry about that.

    December 7, 2016 at 8:02 am #2478541
    Terry_42
    Keymaster

    Also check this out:
    https://www.digitaldjtips.com/2013/04/beginners-guide-to-pa-systems-part-1-basics/

    December 7, 2016 at 5:24 pm #2478681
    Ollie Rooke
    Participant

    Thanks guys for your responses. I could have a budget of about £500 up to £600 if it is necessary I did think SkyTec just looked a little bit :/ and also read bad things about them

    So go for second hand reputable speakers?

    December 7, 2016 at 8:01 pm #2478721
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Yep, would be my advice. Someone upgrading from 10″ or 12″ to 12″ or 15″ for example. Or if there are any music stores close you could see if they have some that they took in as part payment for someone buying new stuff. You can rental companies to ask if they have anything interesting they are about ready to get rid of.

    Just be sure you get a good listen to them first. While good PA speakers can take a beating, you don’t want them making sounds that shouldn’t be there.

    Mind you, with the higher budget you are getting closer to some new things like the Mackie Thump (12″ or 15″) which is – admittedly – a love/hate thing (some love them others hate them), but they do pack a serious punch and are plenty loud. Only thing is they will eat up your entire higher budget and leave you without stands and cables and covers again. So …

    Did a quick scan on our eBay alternative here and saw plenty that would fit in your budget, from RCF’s to ElectroVoice (EV) and from TurboSound (pre-Behringer) to Mackie SRM450v2. That last one is a very nice 12″ active speaker. I have a set as backup and have no problems playing a night with them for 100 people.

    December 7, 2016 at 11:14 pm #2478831
    Ollie Rooke
    Participant

    Hmm ok so brands like SkyTec QTX and stuff stay away from and look for Behringer, Mackie and Thump etc ok awesome!

    One final (probably not) question when it says to say allocate 5 watts per person when deciding on how much wattage you need (I know wattage isn’t a huge factor in sound) but does that 5 watts per person mean 5 watts of IPP or 5 watts of RMS? So would I need a speaker for 500 watts RMS or IPP for a 100 people audience in theory

    December 8, 2016 at 8:40 am #2478881
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    RMS, all the other “qualifications” are pretty much bogus.

    So yes, 500W for 100 people. Don’t expect any ear shattering levels then though 😀 . I am currently leaning closer to the outdoor number of 10W per person as soon as a sub-woofer is inserted into the mix or when I know I have a crowd that likes it loud. This gives me the headroom to play with the sound level without pushing my gear to the max.

    FYI: Mackie is the brand, Thump is their entry level model/range.

    December 9, 2016 at 3:11 pm #2479441
    Ollie Rooke
    Participant

    Ah ok

    I was looking at thump 15’s with my new budget but I seem to have found something else

    What do you know about two Alto TS115A speakers paired with 2 Alto TS Sub 15’s?

    It’s 400w RMS for each speaker and 600w RMS for each sub?

    That would be enough wouldn’t it? Are there any issues I have to consider when buying from this brand? I have looked into reviews but they seem to mostly be positive.

    Thanks!

    December 9, 2016 at 7:40 pm #2479831
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Don’t have much experience working with them. The general “rule” in PA is that you get what you pay for. So if you can get two Mackie Thumps for the same price you can get two Alto’s PLUS two Subs … Well you can do the math.

    There are, unfortunately, no shortcuts to the rule. If two speakers that appear to be equal (size, RMS power, features) are varying (substantially) in price, you can count on the cheaper one being less in quality. Often invisible, but the quality of the driver, the amp, the cross-over filter, the casing and even the design all come into play.

    At this point I can only suggest to go and listen to both the Thump and the Alto TS115A, preferably in an A-B comparison setup. Bring your own favorite music and trust your ears. If you feel the Alto’s sound as good or better than the Thumps, you’ll walk out the door with the Alto set with subs. Should you decide you like the Thumbs better, you may walk out the door with two of those and the promise to yourself to save up and add a Thumb sub (18″, so one should suffice for your purpose) later on.

    Hope that helps. Good luck with your choice.

    December 9, 2016 at 11:10 pm #2479871
    Ollie Rooke
    Participant

    That’s a good shout I can only get them cheaper as they are used so secondhand
    I’ll try and find a shop to listen to if possible tomorrow

    December 10, 2016 at 4:09 pm #2479931
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Ah, good. Thought they were those prices new. My bad. Did check the specs and those look good.

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