Can someone tell if this pa is any good for practicing in a band with. We dont really play loud since my dad is always home when we play, and Im not planning on using it to play out with unless have to. I just wanna if I can practice with it, like have it so the band I play with can play along with a song if I hooked it up to a cd player, or how well it would do for a gig. I dont have a lot of money so if you could suggest some other ones that are btter for the money it would be really appreiciated.

[url]http://www.music123.com/SoundTech-S20-i131742.music[/url]

Thanks a lot guys.

k, i have a mixer, so i'm gunna get a power amp and speakers...how would the following sound?

[url]http://www.behringer.com/EP1500/index.cfm?lang=ENG[/url]

and

[url]http://www.venuemusic.com.au/Products.asp?ProdID=5441[/url]

thankyou

[QUOTE=FenderSRX]Can someone tell if this pa is any good for practicing in a band with. We dont really play loud since my dad is always home when we play, and Im not planning on using it to play out with unless have to. I just wanna if I can practice with it, like have it so the band I play with can play along with a song if I hooked it up to a cd player, or how well it would do for a gig. I dont have a lot of money so if you could suggest some other ones that are btter for the money it would be really appreiciated.

[url]http://www.music123.com/SoundTech-S20-i131742.music[/url]

Thanks a lot guys.[/QUOTE]
That'll be plently for practising at home. It should be fine for jamming and perhaps even some small (house party) sized gigs.
Obviously, it is only a cheap model. But it is good if you are on a tight budget. And should be more than enough to do the job.

[QUOTE=theabstract]k, i have a mixer, so i'm gunna get a power amp and speakers...how would the following sound?

[url]http://www.behringer.com/EP1500/index.cfm?lang=ENG[/url]

and

[url]http://www.venuemusic.com.au/Products.asp?ProdID=5441[/url]

thankyou[/QUOTE]

It should be alright. I'm guessing those speakers are 8 ohms each. and you may get 2x 300 watts or so out of that poweramp. So you will be overpowering you speakers slightly. So just keep your mixers volume down so as to not damage the speakers.

But. I think it may be a better idea to look for some more suitably matched speakers. Something that can handle the power from the amp better.

Or, you could get another set of speakers and run them in parrallel with those other ones you are looking at.
While doing it this way, If both sets of speakers are 8 ohms, then this will reduce your ohm loading down to 4 ohms. So you will not only get an increase in power output from the amp, but with the added speaker area you will also get more overall loudness out of that setup.

Just make sure you choose speaker cabinets with a power handling suitable for the power that is supplied from the poweramp. While baring in mind how loud you are going to be running the setup.

Aes,
Need your help really quick again. I am looking at buying this. Please tell me if this is all compatiable and if this would power my wireless mic, in ears, and monitor, and if it would work for anything else. Thanks

[url]http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?ItemID=32737&TempID=4&STRID=203547&Method=3&CategoryID=1015&BrandID=0&PriceRangeID=0&PageNum=0&DepartmentID=5&DepartmentKeeper=5&pagesize=10&SortMethod=3&Word1=&Contains=&Search_Type=SEARCH&GroupCode=nonetodaythanks[/url]

[url]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/search/detail/base_pid/631229/[/url]

That one is very similar to the one you posted above, it has a couple less inputs and a couple less features. But it still should be plently for what you need it to do.

You wont have enough channels to mic up drums + guitar tho. But it will be plenty for what you mentioned above.

Ok thanks a lot

Right, a question I hope will be relatively easy to answer...

My band is now trialling singers, and since we've never had cause to use mics yet, we're going to have a problem on thursday when we come to test out the singer...

Now, with my last band, we figured that with a cheap mic and an old 10W amp, it was perfectly possible to use that as a 'cheat' P.A.

Now I know that might not do the amp a whole lot of good, and probably won't sound ace, but excluding buying a PA (for £180 absolute minimum this close to christmas? You're having a laugh....) are there any other options at all?

see if you can get hold of a keyboard amp, those are often used for convininent PAs.

another hare brained scheme?
 

I'm thinking of getting a behringer v-amp. The cab modelling is meant to be really good, and since I'm no tonehwore and can't afford a tube amp really, I figured I might see about having my normal setup straight to PA. however, I still want somehting to jam with, so i need somehting to amp it. Would it be practical to use a standard stage monitor as a cheap all enclosed amp for jamming, backyard sized gigs, playing around at parties and the like? I know monitors only spread he sound around 10 m or so, but that suits me fine- anywhere bigger than that would be using full PA anyway. If you put a monitor on its side, does it project the sound outwards better?

Alternatively, i might be able to get hold of a cheap PA anyway. Do 10" speakers give sufficient bass response for guitar?

You can run a V-amp through any setup you wish.
If you just want to practise or jam with it through a monitor wedge then you'd want to either have a poweramp between the V amp and the wedge, or use a powered speaker.
Running it direct to your bands PA would probably be better anyway.

10" speakers are fine. I got one in my Mesa Combo.
Most 10" speakers can handle down to 100Hz efficiently. Which is plenty for guitar.

thanks, thats great

I NEED HELP.
I'm in a band, and we have this POS small guitar amp that isn't really doing it's job. I got a good break in money this year, got the guitar stuff I needed, and since I'm the un-announced "leader", I decided I need to improve our vocal department. What do I need to make it louder? I don't want to go buy a new guitar amp to do it. I looked at PA packages, and many of them that are in the $500 price range got bad reviews. Do I just need a monitor, a subwoofer, or whatever? This will only be temporary but I just need to know what I need to make this better. Thanks.

*EDIT*:
I figured I'd show you our setup just in case.
Drums-No amplification needed
Guitar I-120W amp
Guitar II-120W amp
Bass-30W amp(he's getting a new one soon)
Vocals-10W amp
^that's what need's to be fixed, a 10 W guitar amp when I need a PA. :confused: looking at this [url]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/s=packaged/search/detail/base_pid/630426[/url]

my band has just started looking into geting a pa. we have 2 guitarists, a bassist and a drumer.i have seen a nady power amp for 170 us dolars and also some cheap speakers under a hundrd dolars. so my question is would this amp work and are these cheap speakers good enough untill we can get some more cash

were realy tight on cash and allready have a decent peavy mixer

thanks for any help

[QUOTE=alan1990]my band has just started looking into geting a pa. we have 2 guitarists, a bassist and a drumer.i have seen a nady power amp for 170 us dolars and also some cheap speakers under a hundrd dolars. so my question is would this amp work and are these cheap speakers good enough untill we can get some more cash

were realy tight on cash and allready have a decent peavy mixer

thanks for any help[/QUOTE]

sounds fine, although watch the wattage of your amp compared to your speakers- for under $100 for a pair of speakers (£70?) you're unlikely to be getting a great deal.

[QUOTE=metallicanirvana666]I NEED HELP.
I'm in a band, and we have this POS small guitar amp that isn't really doing it's job. I got a good break in money this year, got the guitar stuff I needed, and since I'm the un-announced "leader", I decided I need to improve our vocal department. What do I need to make it louder? I don't want to go buy a new guitar amp to do it. I looked at PA packages, and many of them that are in the $500 price range got bad reviews. Do I just need a monitor, a subwoofer, or whatever? This will only be temporary but I just need to know what I need to make this better. Thanks.

*EDIT*:
I figured I'd show you our setup just in case.
Drums-No amplification needed
Guitar I-120W amp
Guitar II-120W amp
Bass-30W amp(he's getting a new one soon)
Vocals-10W amp
^that's what need's to be fixed, a 10 W guitar amp when I need a PA. :confused: looking at this [url]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/s=packaged/search/detail/base_pid/630426[/url][/QUOTE]

for that much, you would want more channels. You could get a lot more for $400, i think. try behringer or peavey powered mixers and lok at behringer and peavey speakers. In the future you may find yourselves wanting to mic up amps and drums, and you'll really appreciate the extra channels and wattage.

If you're short on cash look for the $200 Kustom 4 channel 80w package, it will do you great for now and when you upgrade you can use it for monitoring.

AES820,
heres what I wound up with...
2 crate audio s10 speakers as my pa speakers and a
crate CRM42P stero mixer for the speakers

How good is this for vocal use only? Is it good enough to plug instruments into as well? Let me know thanks

[QUOTE=Screamin_Demon_Auz]AES820,
heres what I wound up with...
2 crate audio s10 speakers as my pa speakers and a
crate CRM42P stero mixer for the speakers

How good is this for vocal use only? Is it good enough to plug instruments into as well? Let me know thanks[/QUOTE]

turns out your mixer doesn't seem to exist, could you post a link to a picture/some info?

Moaner, hmmm looks like I wrote down the wrong letters.
[url]http://www.crateaudio.com/products/stereo_mini_mixers/CMX42P.html[/url]

[QUOTE=Screamin_Demon_Auz]Moaner, hmmm looks like I wrote down the wrong letters.
[url]http://www.crateaudio.com/products/stereo_mini_mixers/CMX42P.html[/url][/QUOTE]

yeah, you can plug 4 mics into that, which i'm guessing would be lead vocals, backing vocals and 2 guitar amps. Into the line ins, you should plug the bassist's amps line out, and if your drummer wants micing up, the output from the drum mic mixer (most amateur mixers have insufficient inputs to think about micing the drums in the same mixer. Unless you got one of these:

[url]http://www.behringer.com//SL3242FX-PRO/SL3242FX_big.jpg[/url]

[QUOTE=Screamin_Demon_Auz]AES820,
heres what I wound up with...
2 crate audio s10 speakers as my pa speakers and a
crate CRM42P stero mixer for the speakers

How good is this for vocal use only? Is it good enough to plug instruments into as well? Let me know thanks[/QUOTE]
I dont think those speakers have built in poweramps.
You'll need a seperate poweramp to go inbetween the mixer and the speakers.

But that mixer would be fine for a few vocal mics.

Running signals direct from the amps line outputs into that mixer will work. But it doesn't give the best sounding results. It is accecptable to take a line out from the amp into the mixer, but for the best sounding results you'd want to Mic up the cabinets and DI the bass.
You wont have enough inputs to mic up a drum kit. You may want to piggy back another mixer ontop of it for that.

AES,
I hate to bug the crap out of you but I really have no idea what i'm doing right now with these, and i've read the manual several times and I don't really understand it so im hoping you could maybe put these things into simple terms for me.

First I set up my wireless and got it into the mixer. My mic cabels are all at the house I practice at so all I could use today is a cheap guitar cord which may contribute to the problem.

I got it all working and after a little work I got sound coming from both speakers. However heres the problem:
I started singing, and it was just too quiet. I could hear the resonance of my singing in my head more than I could coming through the speakers(they're sitting on the floor right now because I dont have the money for stands), so I just started turning up all the nobs in mono 1 that I have the mic plugged in.

The only time it really made a difference is when i turned up the gain all the way, or level all the way. However, that cause a rattling in my speaker, and the leds on the far right under the logo started glowing and going up to about -4(I dont even know what this means).

I guess all im asking is how do I get the volume im wanting from this without having turn the gain or level up all the way and setting the leds off and causing a distorted sound. Is it just that I need to use my mic cable instead of a cheap cord? Is it something where I need to turn up the gain in the mic itself? Do I need a mic preamp?

No.
You need a poweramp do go in between the mixers outputs and the speakers inputs.

Buy a poweramp with a suitable power output for the rated power handeling of those speakers.

So, if those speakers are 200 watts at 8 ohms each..
Then a 2x400 watt at 4 ohm poweramp would be suitable.
Look on Ebay.

Red lights glowing means that you are experiencing clipping. And it is a bad thing.
It sounds bad and too much of it can burn out speakers.

aes, I know that using a mic into a guitar or bass amp messes it up over time, ad i know that using a PA is better. But my vocalist freind has only £130 as a very limit, and can't get any morte money. To put that in perspective, a cheap 80w 4 channel PA over here costs around £180-190. so, i told him that since its only for practises, he may awell buy a cheap guitar amp for £50 and save up for a real PA. Thing is, i remember that Bass amps are extremely neutral and though they might be best for vocals. However, my friend has a very high voice. Which would be better for him to use as a short term amp for practises- bass or guitar amp?

Hey I've got a few questions. My band finally is about to purchase some PA equipment. We're buying the Behringer UB1202 Mixer, a Gem Sound XP-350 Power Amp (look on Musician's Friend) and 2 Kustom KSC15 2-Way 15" PA Speaker Cabinets. My question is about the cables connecting them. You would just use two regular 1/4" speaker cables to connect the power amp to the speakers, right? What are the speakon and banana cables for? And also, would you use a 1/4" speaker cable or an instrument cable to connect the mixer to the power amp? Oh, one more thing. This is probably a stupid question but i just want to be sure. There's 1 cable going from the mixer to the power amp and 1 from the power amp to each of the speakers, right? Thanks for the help

[QUOTE=moaner]aes, I know that using a mic into a guitar or bass amp messes it up over time, ad i know that using a PA is better. But my vocalist freind has only £130 as a very limit, and can't get any morte money. To put that in perspective, a cheap 80w 4 channel PA over here costs around £180-190. so, i told him that since its only for practises, he may awell buy a cheap guitar amp for £50 and save up for a real PA. Thing is, i remember that Bass amps are extremely neutral and though they might be best for vocals. However, my friend has a very high voice. Which would be better for him to use as a short term amp for practises- bass or guitar amp?[/QUOTE]
Yeah. Just use a little sh!tty bass amp for the time being. It will eventually be ruined. But it should last several months at least.

[QUOTE=BlinkRockr41]Hey I've got a few questions. My band finally is about to purchase some PA equipment. We're buying the Behringer UB1202 Mixer, a Gem Sound XP-350 Power Amp (look on Musician's Friend) and 2 Kustom KSC15 2-Way 15" PA Speaker Cabinets. My question is about the cables connecting them. You would just use two regular 1/4" speaker cables to connect the power amp to the speakers, right? What are the speakon and banana cables for? And also, would you use a 1/4" speaker cable or an instrument cable to connect the mixer to the power amp? Oh, one more thing. This is probably a stupid question but i just want to be sure. There's 1 cable going from the mixer to the power amp and 1 from the power amp to each of the speakers, right? Thanks for the help[/QUOTE]
On the top of the mixer there will be two 1/4" sockets labeled 'Main Out' Left and Right. Connect both of these to both of the Left and Right inputs on the back of the power amp.
It says on Musician's Friend that that poweramp takes either RCA or XLR inputs. So you'll need to get yourself some cables with 1/4" plugs on one end and Male XLR plugs on the other.
You could just get a couple of microphone cables, cut off the female ends and solder on some 1/4" plugs if you wish. Bridging pins 1 and 3 to the sleve of a Mono 1/4" plug.
Or ask at a local music shop if they have any in stock, or if they can make you some up.

Use two 1/4" [B]speaker cables[/B] to connect between the poweramp and the speakers. From both the left and right outputs on the poweramp to their respective speakers.

The use of binding posts are for more permanent installations. Where you can screw the speaker wires in nice and tight and not have to worry about them coming loose.

Banana plugs can be plugged into the hole in the middle of each of the binding posts. They are just a differnt type of connector. However I am not the biggest fan of those, because they can be pulled out easilly.

Speakon connectors are a type of connector made by Neutrick. They are extremely good quality. They are pretty much impossible to accidentally pull out. They can handle up to 5000 watts each and they can also handle connections for speakers that can be bi or even tri amped.
They are really only normally found on higher end and/or higher powered pieces of equipment.

Thanks for the help. So I would need something like this: [URL=http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/336122/]Horizon Hi-Z 1/4 Inch M-XLR M Cable[/URL]?

Thanks for the help. So I would need something like this: [URL=http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/336122/]Horizon Hi-Z 1/4 Inch M-XLR M Cable[/URL]?

[QUOTE=BlinkRockr41]Thanks for the help. So I would need something like this: [URL=http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/336122/]Horizon Hi-Z 1/4 Inch M-XLR M Cable[/URL]?[/QUOTE]
Yeah. Get a couple of those.

And also, use good quality speaker cable. Like this stuff:
[url]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/330050/[/url]