6-box vs speakers on sticks?

[ferrisio]

Hi, I've been out of the game as far as live sound is concerned for 10-15 years now so would appreciate some advice please. I play in a 7-piece covers/tribute band and we are realising that having our own PA would actually make life easier (and potentially more profitable long-term). I have done this in previous bands years ago so am aware of the extra work/transport/responsibility this necessitates! This is all rough figures, but for anything greater than either 500 people indoor gigs, or larger outdoor gigs we would always hire PA/crew. I'm also assuming for anything up to 250-300 a speakers-on-sticks-above-subs PA of half-reasonable quality should normally do the trick?. We'd like a reasonable amount of headroom, we aren't particularly loud.

 

The mysterious area for me is the 3-500 capacity venues, where the 4-box systems just don't seem to have the oomph. There are the obvious off-the-shelf 6-box systems such as HK/DB/DAP but I wondered whether adding 2 extra subs to a 4-box system would provide similar results. i.e. use a 15" sub + 12" top per side system for small gigs then add an 18" sub box underneath to build a stack for the 3-500 people shows (appropriately tweaked on the speaker management box)? Or are the off-the-shelf 6-box systems designed differently as far as throw/dispersion are concerned?

 

Finally, as a bonus would a 6-box system be usable for small side-of-a-trailer type outdoor gigs?

 

I'm not really looking to debate individual manufacturers at this stage, more to concentrate on what types of system I should be researching, thanks for any input! I realise it's hard to give specifics due to the vastly differing conditions of venues, but hopefully you get the idea of what I'm asking.

[paulears]

The system I run is able to cope with our 1400 seats venue, at levels up to the need for - with just one pair of elderly EAW LA325s - which are a combo speaker, 2 x15" plus two MF and one HF. We use it bi-amped. It's old but still in pretty good physical condition. I bought a pair of Studiosound speakers - they only did them for a while - which were also 2 x 15" and an HF driver, also bi-amped, and they were pretty similar in sound to the EAWs - perhaps not quite so smooth in the upper mid, where the crossover works, and adjusting the split frequencies made little difference - but they were nice, and we use these for our touring which can be from big to little venues. Sometimes we even double up as we did yesterday - the two systems together work together nicely.

 

In the theatre we use 18" subs - we have 4 and they fill out the bottom rather well. With the band, we do not use subs, as our music is pretty much 60s early 70s and subs do very little.

 

They're getting quite beaten up by the constant in/out so I wanted something similar. I looked at Bishopsound - the ex-Carlsbro designer's company, and they have some very similar speakers, with a range of subs that are pretty cost effective - BUT - I n' get any email response from him, and many products seem out of stock? I wanted to simply hear them, but they are a direct from manufacturer supply - so I'm not sure if I want to risk an order then the hassle of return if I don't like them? I can't find any reviews or buyer comments. They look like they would be a simple swap, just not sure?

[Trunker]

Im not sure what your budget is for a new PA system, but as regards to using a 4 box system, The Yamaha DZR series complimented with DXS XLF shouldn't be too far away from your requirements. Should easily do 400+ seat venues.