Speakers for a small venue

[revbobuk]

In another thread I've been asking about small speakers for an overflow room. But now I'm starting to get a little anxious about the choice of speakers for the main area. The room is a small church building - bizarre irregular hexagon in shape, about 10m across, and a maximum of 7m high. Quite reverberant, seats about 50. I'm planning a sound system for them, and they don't need much in the way of volume.

 

So I'm looking for reinforcement for the spoken word, and a little help for singers and acoustic instruments - it isn't that a flute can't be played loud enough to fill the room, but rather that the music group might include a flute alongside a drum kit, bass and guitars, and needs a little help. I had planned on trying Wharfedale Titan 8s, having heard the bigger ones in this range. But it appears that the budget will stretch to something better. It isn't volume that I'm after, it's quality - so if I've got (say) £500 for the pair, instead of £200 - what would you choose?

[J Pearce]

In a hexagonal type room I wouldn't be looking at a left-right system. A centre cluster mounted high above the stage area will give a more even coverage with less spill onto the walls, and hence less reverberation.

 

I have lots of experience with a rig of 3 SX100s as a centre cluster in a hexagonal church, though if I had specced the install I'd have probably gone for 2 SX100s.

 

The SX100s are nice little boxes for the money, plenty pokey enough and sound very clear on vocals and acoustic guitars, though run out of guts on bass guitar and other more demanding sources (we have an additional sub, and are looking to gain another).

[revbobuk]

How about the Wharfedale Programme 80 series as a center cluster? Are they any good? I heard the Titans today, and found the top end seemed boxy and lacking clarity.

[J Pearce]

Not heard them myself, though the specs indicate that they should work as a centre cluster if you can fly them with the correct splay between cabinets.

 

I may be too reserved here, but wharfedale aren't known for good high quality speakers. If you want to avoid re-buying your pa system in 4 years time (Why churches buy 3 sound systems) I'd recommend spending the extra and getting something by a bigger company like EV or Martin etc.

[revbobuk]

Point taken.

 

I don't know that the budget will run to Martin, and the EV look so darned ugly! I liked the look of the Logic IS7 and IS8 - both of which could be manageable. The M series specs are even better, but that's just way too much money.

 

The article is good - I had read it before - but budget does matter, particularly for a congregation of just 50 people. 5 grand for an audio and video system is already a huge ask, and there's no point me speccing something which they don't need.

[aidso]

I would look at the electrovoice ZX1s. I have installed hundreds of these into churchs. They are a fantastic wee speaker. They will easy handle keys guitar flute and vocal. As for the centre cluster idea. This does not always work in churchs. I would go with one left and right and one centre. but with out seeing it cant really advise. But the ZX1s would be your best choice.

[revbobuk]

aidso - many thanks. I'll take a look at those; they're certainly in budget, and the appearance is good. Helps to hear from folk who have used them!

[J Pearce]

In an old fashioned column and nave style church I would go for left-right. But in the OPs case with a hexagonal building a centre cluster would probably give the most coherent and comprehensive coverage and least spill onto walls/ceiling.

 

Point taken about looks of the SX100s, ours (white) are 5m up against a white wall/ceiling, so are fairly out of sight.

[Matt Riley]

EV sx series can look better if you get the ones with the full length grille. Which would make a perfectly good rig. If you don't reckon you need the volume of a SX100 or 300 look at the SX80, which is a really nice little plastic speaker.

 

We've got a pie shaped room, with a 3x ems121 centre cluster which sounds very nice but is obviously costly. Also, for our 400 seater room our rig is way too powerful. I reckon that you might do well with a centre cluster of EMS 81 speakers, with two of the quad 8 inch subs to add a little bit of bass guitar/kick drum poke.

 

The other alternative I'd suggest would be the D&B e3, but it sounds more processed, costs more and seems to have less low end than the EM series box.

 

If you're looking at cheaper options, I'd consider using the yamaha C112VA speakers. They look good, are flyable, and sound pretty good, while being a lot better (and a bit cheaper) than the wharfedales.

 

M

[revbobuk]

We've got a pie shaped room, with a 3x ems121 centre cluster which sounds very nice but is obviously costly. Also, for our 400 seater room our rig is way too powerful. I reckon that you might do well with a centre cluster of EMS 81 speakers, with two of the quad 8 inch subs to add a little bit of bass guitar/kick drum poke.

 

ummm - I think I did say that the room seats 50 people? And it's less than 10m each way? I think a pair of quad 8 inch subs might frighten half the congregation into an early grave. I don't plan on the bass or drums having any amplification at all - they won't need it. And it's quite likely that all the electric instruments will rely completely on their own amps. I'm not even sure acoustic guitar would need amplification. This really is for helping vocals remain clear and intelligible when there are other instruments playing, and keeping the spoken word at a comfortable level.

 

Sometimes I wonder if, for this application, I would be better off looking at small studio monitors, rather than PA speakers. A pair of LS3/5A would be pretty good here!

[johndenim]

I too like the Idea of the IS8's bob.

 

just two of these together on a central cluster should give you what you need for your app.

They are nice and small, not too visible with a nice clean crisp sound to boot.

 

John Denim.

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

linky

 

three choices of colour as well!

[J Pearce]

I'd keep it simple and go for two 8" or 10" +horn cabs. Whatever you can afford/like the look of, sticking to well known manufacturers.

 

I couldn't say for definite without seeing plans of the room, but for speech alone a centre cluster (front centre, up high) is ideal; giving the most coherent coverage, and placing the perceived sound location close to the stage.

 

I often find left/right systems place the perceived sound location as a wide spread across the stage, making things sound very 'amplified'; whereas a centre cluster can give more natural, 'unamplified' sound.