PA including electronic drums

[drc2]

Hi all

 

I appreciate that this question is potentially answered elsewhere here - but for the life of me I can't find a response that covers my query...

I'm looking to invest in a pub-gig level PA (suitable for up to 300 capacity type gigs). The band currently includes two vocalists and one guitarist one drummer. (Eventually a bass guitar so some expansion is required)

The drummer uses a Roland v-drums kit with stereo (L&R) 3.5mm outputs

 

Here's my question:

 

I'd like to set up so that all of the top and mid-range from all four sources (2 x voices, 1 x guitar and 1 x drum kit) go through the main left and right FOH speakers.

I'd like the low-range from the kick and the toms to be routed to a single sub-woofer (powered or otherwise, as I don't have it yet)...

I would also like to be able to run two, potentially three monitors with different mixes in each for each of the band members.

 

Despite all my searching I can't seem to find a reasonably priced powered mixer that provides the option to send the low-frequencies to the sub (presumably connected to an aux-out) and send the mid and high ranges to FOH (connected to main L&R).

 

I'm hoping that you guys can point me in the right direction - any advice would be gratefully received

 

Thanks in advance

D

 

 

[peza2010]

Any Mixer when used with a crossover such as (first hit on google) will allow you to send low end signals only to a sub.

 

also have a read of this thread

[david.elsbury]

Many self powered subs have an internal crossover

 

And/or Or you could use a post fader aux send on the desk to route only specific channels to the sub to ensure it's not trying to do vocal mics for example

[Jivemaster]

I don't understand why you are looking for a powered mixer when the integral amps will be for the main outs but you will need an amp channel for each monitor mix, so you are likely to need an amp rack anyway. There are fewer powered mixers than unpowered so your choices will be limited, then you will be restricted to whatever amp they wanted to fit.

 

Us a mixer to take all the inputs and generate all the outputs (mix L&R, Monitor 1,2 and 3) Use a crossover to split the bass off the main speakers, Then you need Main amp L&R, Bass amp and three monitor amps.

 

Do you intend to use a Digital mixer,or analog?

[david.elsbury]

Well powered wedges such as the qsc k series are reasonable monitors and would work quite well off the aux outputs of a desk- no need for an amp rack then Jivemaster ?

[TomHoward]

I would consider looking at powered speakers rather than powered mixer for the flexibility you want - powered mixers seem to have fallen out of fashion a bit - if you want to scale down the number of inputs, or only take one sub to the gig, etc, you're still carrying round the extra weight of the amp channels in the desk. You end up seeing a lot of weird setups where the speakers have outgrown the amp power in the desk, and the desk is being fed into an external amplifier anyway, or the channel count has outgrown the mixer, and there's one desk feeding into another just to use the amp section in it.

 

We do a variety of system sizes and often we put PAs up just to be played from iPods, where you wouldn't even need the desk with an active system. Obviously your needs may vary but if the price is in a similar ballpark I'd consider a normal desk and active speakers and subs and combining the amps with the speakers rather than desk.

[dbuckley]

The aux mixes plus aux fed subs plus crossover plus powered. No.

 

Powered speakers are the way to go in the 21st century.

 

If you really don't want everything to go through the subs, and are aux fed subs only, then you might be able to do this on a small Berry Air, which is reasonably low priced.

[Just Some Bloke]

To do specifically what you are asking for in your original post, you need to look for a desk that, as well as giving you a main L-R mix, also gives you a mono output which is selected separately. Thus, you could send everything to main L-R and just the kick, toms and (eventually) bass guitar to the mono out.

 

You would then use 3 channels of aux outputs for monitors plus I imagine you'd need an aux send for FX (inbuilt would be easiest).

 

I agree that powered speakers are probably the way to go for everything, as it gives you more choice over which desk to use and makes carrying kit around easier (especially if you have wheeled flightcases for the monitors and FOH speakers).

[drc2]

Thanks all - I think that I'll take your advice, which if I've understood, to be un-powered mixer > power amp > crossover > powered speakers.

Have I got that in the right order?

Thanks again

[MarkPAman]

Not quite!

 

If you have powered speakers, then you don't need a power amp.

Many powered subs have a crossover built in, so you may not need that either.

[Jivemaster]

A very good DJ rig I once saw and heard was a single powered bass unit that took the mixer output and used what it wanted (bass) and sent the rest as stereo out to amid and tops. This rig used Bose 802s for which signal was sent to an amp and back to the bose.

 

If you find a suitable 1 x 15 or 1 x 18 active bass cab with stereo crossover then you can send that to active (powered) mid and top boxes with all the crossing over done for you. Yes you need powered speakers for monitors.

[TimmyP1955]

Get a Behringer XR18 and some nice powered boxes. I quite like the Yamaha DXR and DSR - very smooth. A friend has some powered Alto monitors that are surprisingly good.