PA Systems
I collected these suggestions from vocalists who participate on Jvoice in Facebook. Thank you to the singers who contributed.
Topic: Best Sounding PA. system, light and easy to carry
1. Kate Baker loves the little Bose system . http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/speakers/portable_amplification_systems/index.jsp
2. Darlene Stimson: a friend of mine has a little Roland cube that kicks butt: http://www.rolandus.com/search/?q=cube&x=0&y=0
3. Robin DiLauri Filippone: I love my Bose L1…its so light and it sounds great! http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/speakers/portable_amplification_systems/l1_model1/l1_model1_single_pkg.jsp
4. Lin McPhillips: I have the Roland cube…love it!
5. Valerie Tichacek: Yamaha passport system. Take 1 for a small gig, both cabinets for large venue and outside. Perfect, not much more than $500, and Yamaha equip lasts forever!
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/yamaha-yamaha-emx512sc–s115v-pa-package/482658000000000?CJAID=10607247&CJPID=3934823&CJAID=10607247&CJPID=3934823
5. Judy Niemack: I had a GK (Galien Kruger) too, it was stolen after a gig at Judy Barnett’s…those were great. I like the AERs now.
http://shoppingcart.djangobooks.com/aer-pa-systems–aer-pa-systems.html
6. Cindy Scott: I have a Bose L1 system which sounds amazing, but I wouldn’t want to have to lug it on the subway. It’s still a bunch of gear, even though it sounds amazing and is quick and easy to set up. I’ve been hearing about the AER AG8. I wish I had one right now. I would carry it on the plane to LA for my gigs out there. 25 lbs. I’d add an small effects unit and call it a show.
7. Paul Adrian Pelusi: Those little Fender Passport PAs are pretty decent and it packs up like a small suitcase.
8. Perry Beekman: I love my Fishman Solo amp. It’s 220 watts, weighs 35 lbs including the stand, sets up in less than 5 minutes, and has decent sounding built in reverb.
http://www.fishman.com/product/sa220-solo-performance-system
9. Kaylé Brecher: the AER 60/2 is really small and light … I tried it in the store but not on a gig so I’m not sure how it cuts–sounded natural in the store with my own Sennheiser…
http://www.dv247.com/search/3064/1580/ProductQuantity/Descending/-/1/
10. Rosemary Conte: I’ve used a Fender Passport in the past…it was good for a small room and an acoustic gig.
11. Lisa Lindsley: On small gigs I use the StagePass 300, not bad for a small speaker system and if i need to have a guitar player or keyboards, they can plug right into my system.
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/live_sound/pa_systems/stagepas_300/stagepas_300/?mode=model
13. Evelyn Rosenthal: I use a Crate Limo (a bit more juice than their Taxi). Can run on battery power for 8 hrs (has AC adapter/charger, too) and two channels. Weighs 26 lbs. Very doable, and sounds good, too.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=Crate+limo+amp&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=6421739862150667863&sa=X&ei=E5RZT4mHBtDOrQfI0J2kDA&ved=0CHgQ8wIwAQ#ps-sellers
14. Donna Corley: I have a Kustom Profile System-One Portable PA w/Rollerbag. It’s not bad at all for a small room. It has four mic channels and an instrument channel, and is great on a budget. If I were starting from scratch I would get a Bose because they sound great and are so incredibly cool. The Bose costs more, of course.
http://www.pssl.com/!Ur5H9AJUbViAz5pvcXUzng!/Kustom-Profile-System-One-Portable-Pa-WRollerbag
15. Aimee Allen: I have the Roland cube. It is cheap, and easy to transport. Good for basic stuff. But something more is needed for bigger rooms.
16. Elizabeth Betty Elkins Tomboulian: We have 2 Beringer amps, one small, one large. They each have one mic channel and instrument channels. For solo gigs in a small room(probably smaller rooms than you play, though) I take the small one. The 2 work fine for duo gigs Lee and I do with 2 voc+ keyboard+guitar. The large one is heavy tho, need to install the wheels I got for it.
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Category/Instrument-Amplifiers.aspx?s=K100
17. We used Roland KC500 amps for a long time, but no effects unless you brought along. The Beringers have nice effects and feedback control. The Neumann KMS 105 is the best mic I’ve ever owned, but it’s not wireless. I sound like myself.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KC550
18. Jd Walter: years of searching over for me. I got a qsc k8 thats an 8 inch speaker ok its 27 lbs but 1000watts. Unbelievable power. Ive done a room with 200 peeps and small rooms..settings on speaker designed for singers. Large rooms I use it as a monitor and I just cant say enough out it…no more carrying a system around. I go to it from a mackie vlz series board so I can have whatever effects I want, and feed a line to it and one to the house for total control of my sound on stage, and much control for the house.
Contact JD. http://www.jdwalter.com/
19. Nancy Shallman: I played with friend’s Fishman SA220 SoloAmp Performance Amplifier System. I thought it sounded really nice too. Only 2 channels but with the phantom power you could use the Neumann KMS 105 mic too! Similar to the Bose stick -but with reverb. I kinda want one.
http://www.fishman.com/product/sa220-solo-performance-system
20. Mary Foster Conklin: The Roland AC-60 has worked very well for me.
21. Jan Hyatt: Love my little Roland street cube and it will run on batteries if necessary!! Great little tool for very small gigs–I keep it in my trunk and it has saved my life many times!!
22. Jane Stuart: I have a head and schlepp EV speakers and poles. The sound is terrific for small or large band. Everything is light enough foe me to carry. It is probably overkill for the restaurant scene, though.
http://www.carvinguitars.com/proaudio/pasystems.php
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Electro-Voice-ELX112-Live-X-Series-Passive-12–Loudspeaker-H70840-i1751085.gc?&source=4WWRWXGB
23. Jd Walter: I stake my life on the QSC k8 for small or up to 200 peeps in an audience. 1, 8″powered speaker for all your needs a little pricy at about $650 plus another $50-60 for a tote bag. also can be mounted if need be..again 1000 watts
http://www.kraftmusic.com/search/index.asp?query=QSC+Powered+PA+Speaker&gclid=CNCZ8Z6N2a4CFQZ66wodCgjhdg Jd Walter
24. Katchie: lol…because I am a tech geek to a fault. all I am saying is go check one out, mess with the simple settings and you will be blown away. I had been on the search for a couple of years cause I have a speaker endorsement and they …sound great, but are not powered and needed an amp. I think all of the speakers mentioned here are good to a point. and that point is versatility. if we can buy one 8′ speaker that does the job for an intimate setting, but can also cover a more sonically aggressive gig, then for me it’s the ticket. so I was looking for something I could take in a cab or even the subway to go to a gig and this is it…PS Dimos says Hello !!!
Contact Katchie: http://www.katchie.com/
25. Jd Walter: If you are talking about the QSC K8 one can find it almost everywhere
Kaylé Brecher: just looked at it online–looks really great (for the price too, which I find too be not so bad)–and it is pole mountable…I’ll have to go check it out even though I do like my Bose….
26. Kaylé Brecher: there is a really small, tiny, series board to add to the QSC K8 that is packed with nice features and control (a Mackie 402-VLZ3) that is $99 bucks at B&H, with free delivery–I think I might get this system myself-wow-seems like it might be great power and sound in really light compact package!
http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-Used-USED-MACKIE-402-VLZ3–466-01-27–107386200-i2387868.gc?&source=4WWRWXGB
27. Jd Walter: I dont know what Bose System you have. The one with a sub and a base with a thin speaker that is about 4′ rising from the base? This system sounds great, as do bose speakers in general, but I find the former system cumbersome and lacking on the bottom end ( not a prob for female singers) and of course if you have Bose speakers you need an amp. you got the right idea, yes mackie boards from the very small to mid size are ideal, and have great vocal preamps.
28. Kaylé Brecher: Yea-I have and like the Bose L1 (it is their smallest) but it is still not as portable, powerful, full or clean as I’d like. I have two other systems (a medium size Behringer PA system which I sometimes use for small rooms and student concerts and a large hybrid/more powerful PA for other uses) but I’m always looking for the perfect small carry along amp/system and this MAY just be what I have been dreaming of) – like you said the Bose is really great, but not perfect and still something to lug. Thanks for the info Jd!
29. Suzanne Pittson: I’ve had 2 JBL powered 10’s and yamaha mixer for years,with a galaxy hotspot monitor. Love it. But I just bought 2 QSC K8’s (that JD talks about above), a mackie 12-channel mixer and 2 mackie powered monitors for our jazz vocal program at CCNY. These speakers are amazing – 1000 watts each – and I may have to get that system for myself. The guy at guitar center sold me on them.
30. Judy Rafat: I have a little amp acutally for epiano from Laney 80 but with echo, lows, highs etc. and a very good sound for a small amp. been using it for the last 15 years and it still going! the Galien Kruger does not have a built in echo which I find very important.
Mark Prigoff I have compared the QSC K-Series Powered Speakers with other brands and can honestly say that these are now the speakers of choice for many musicians. For small venues, the K8 can suffice since all of these models in the series have 1000 watts, per cabinet (500 watts going to each component). The other advantage are the numerous inputs, and a “deep” function that can enhance low frequencies in the absence of a sub woofer. For me as a keyboardist, I also auditioned the Yamaha Passport system, JBLs, Samson a300db, Roland speakers of all sizes (they tend to be “boomy” and cutoff the highs), and many other systems. I plan on getting a pair of QSC K10’s and one K-Sub for my keyboard system. The newer KW series speakers are much heavier because of the nature of the physical cabinets (the “W” really stands for “wood”). Each of the K series feature slightly different projection angles, so the 10’s are perfect for a small, medium or larger venue, the K8’s are really more for in-studio monitoring or recording, and the K12’s are really a wider angle than the 10’s and much larger cabinet.
220 Watts of clean, lightweight power
Fishman SA220 SoloAmp Amplifier System
www.samedaymusic.com
Designed for the singer/songwriter, SoloAmp provides exceptional sound quality a…
