Active Speakers for Electro-Acoustic pub band?

[Tele]

The acoustic band I've been recording in my modest home studio are now starting to get paying gigs.

 

I was wondering if anyone could recomend a pair of Active Speakers. (12" or 15"?, 200w - 400w?)

Budget - £500 - £700

Use - Two electro-acoustic guitars. DI'ed bass. Two vocals

Venues - Various pubs, up to 50 people. For a bigger gig and I'd like to use the speakers as monitors to use with hired main speaker/amps.

[peza2010]

The fact that you have a bass in the mix, would personally make me disregard almost all 12" speakers in that budget. Others may be along to suggest some 12's that would work brilliantly, but I can't see it myself.

 

Have you thought about using a powered desk?

That would mean only one bit of kit is a bit weighty, rather than both speakers.

 

 

Now some may slaughter me for this... But I heard an acoustic act running through a pair of CLASS D 15"s (now ac euro or something?) and it actually sounded really nice. I think they are loaded with emmenense drivers, which at the price point they come in at is fairly good.

Not active though.

[schooltechie]

Have you considered some of the studiospares offerings?

The fortissimo range is good for the money. A pair of active 12inch coming for under £400. I would also look at the mackie srm350, not the most brilliant sounding boxes in the world but for small pub gigs and monitor use they are acceptable.

 

Do you need to get a mixer as well?

 

Alex

[S&L]

Now some may slaughter me for this... But I heard an acoustic act running through a pair of CLASS D 15"s (now ac euro or something?) and it actually sounded really nice.

 

 

10 months or so ago I worked with a set of class D 15", awful things, very boxy not much bottom end very tinny at the top end, plastic, generally horrible. I'm not criticising the poster at all, just drawing attention to my different experience - I had them running on test for someone next to a pair of peavey pro 15's, themselves a budget speaker with some issues but the Peaveys were wonderfully rounded and rich compared with the class D's. I gave the owner of both a demonstration and drew attention to the differences but let them make up their own mind - 5 months later I saw a local post advertising them for sale!

 

I couldn't unreservedly recommend anything at this budget but I was impressed enough with what I heard that day to pick up a pair of Peavey pro 15's myself a while later. They suit a purpose, they work reasonably well in a bar live, the timber construction gives more depth than the plastic class D's. Until I started putting a Hammond through them the horns were fine but they were old even before I started! a new pair would set you back £300 and an amp to match up would set you back another £200. Though most would say you shouldn't put a full band through these tops without subs, so long as I don't push anything madly they are fin for 5 piece rock and pop bands - though the I rarely DI the bass and would only ever use that size of speaker to augment bass not to replace a back-line.

 

 

[TimmyP1955]

FBT Maxx series.

 

As to bass and a 12": A 15" isn't going to be appreciably better. Get what sounds best for voice, and if it needs more lows, you need a subwoofer on the floor.

[peza2010]

Now some may slaughter me for this... But I heard an acoustic act running through a pair of CLASS D 15"s (now ac euro or something?) and it actually sounded really nice.

 

10 months or so ago I worked with a set of class D 15", awful things, very boxy not much bottom end very tinny at the top end, plastic, generally horrible.

the plastic class D's.

 

These were defiantly wooden boxes. And this I'd going back possibly 3 years so perhaps the designs have changed since then?

 

I don't own any, so can't go into more depth. But I have heard some

[Andrew B.]

Mackie 350s are good for vocals and guitar. They also have a nice wide throw for small venues when you might have to cover a wide (but close) crowd. However they won't do bass guitar by themselves. If your bass player has a small amp on stage to provide the low end they should be fine for you though.

[i_hate_fisicks]

I do an acoustic band in similar situations with SRM450s. They work very well. No complaints, and I'm normally full of complaints about loudspeakers! You'd have to look second hand though for your budget.

[Tele]

Thanks for your thoughts.

Have you thought about using a powered desk?

That would mean only one bit of kit is a bit weighty, rather than both speakers.

 

I thought I'd have a conventional mixer on my lap, 'front of house' and use the multicore without the need for speaker cables as well.

 

I'll bow to the general concencuss and use a bass amp and look into the Mackie SRM 350/450 speakers. I was looking at the Thump12, but I may end up with a better model.

[i_hate_fisicks]

We put bass through our 450s. No problem at all in a pub. It needs subs outside or in bigger rooms, but in pubs it's fine.