I really want to build me a nice little pa system for small parties with electronic musik.
It´s gonna be for crowds up to 100 people so nothing huge, but its gonna deliver a powerful punch and sound as clean as possible.
Nothing like bad speakers killing your music esp at a party.
So is it possible to find some nice parts for up to 1500euro for a nice couple with some good horns and maybe 2x15inch of decent quality?
Im thinking about starting with 2 great channels and then build a worthy sub when money arrives.
Im getting all the mdf free so it just the speakers and filters i need to budget.
It´s gonna be for crowds up to 100 people so nothing huge, but its gonna deliver a powerful punch and sound as clean as possible.
Nothing like bad speakers killing your music esp at a party.
So is it possible to find some nice parts for up to 1500euro for a nice couple with some good horns and maybe 2x15inch of decent quality?
Im thinking about starting with 2 great channels and then build a worthy sub when money arrives.
Im getting all the mdf free so it just the speakers and filters i need to budget.
I'm living in PA heaven. Peavey SP2-G, $500 the pair yesterday on craigslist. Probably road weary, maybe need a couple of new $10 non-polar capacitors, or a $70 woofer basket or something. I bought a couple of SP2-XT's in 2010 for $600, have done nothing with them but play them. Now if all the used amps didn't need all new electrolytic capacitors (which they do). and the 12 input Unity mixer has blown op amps on the output, remove 100 knobs and the faceplate still won't come off. but at $60, worth the trouble.
the secret is live somewhere that had a lively bar culture, then have the government ban smoking in bars. Lots of PA equipment on the used list.
the secret is live somewhere that had a lively bar culture, then have the government ban smoking in bars. Lots of PA equipment on the used list.
Ive looked alot on used stuff but havent found anything yet,
But i really wanna build a pair myself though, im not in any hurry either, i will plan this out and build them to next summer or something.
Im mostly looking for tips on good woofers and horns to buy and also some plans on a good diy setup.
I want to start something i can add on everythime i got cash to build another setup, my plan is to build something good enough to be able to rent out and setup for local raves.
We have a f1 rig and nexo rig going around here in my area but other than that most people use crap systems and i wanna have something people really want to rent for their smaller parties.
Im thinking if i build a 3way setup with something like 2x8 + 1x15 and a good horn per channel plus a sub with 1 or most likely 2x18 inchers per channel.
If every pair cost me 2000euro then be it, but it would be great if i could build something a bit cheaper.
Best thing is if anyone know a place to buy used woofers etc.
But i really wanna build a pair myself though, im not in any hurry either, i will plan this out and build them to next summer or something.
Im mostly looking for tips on good woofers and horns to buy and also some plans on a good diy setup.
I want to start something i can add on everythime i got cash to build another setup, my plan is to build something good enough to be able to rent out and setup for local raves.
We have a f1 rig and nexo rig going around here in my area but other than that most people use crap systems and i wanna have something people really want to rent for their smaller parties.
Im thinking if i build a 3way setup with something like 2x8 + 1x15 and a good horn per channel plus a sub with 1 or most likely 2x18 inchers per channel.
If every pair cost me 2000euro then be it, but it would be great if i could build something a bit cheaper.
Best thing is if anyone know a place to buy used woofers etc.
Why man?
I want to build some simple tops that i can build more of later when expanding the system, ive built a few hifi speakers and subs in the past.
Also i want it all passive just in case a amp blows out during a party, dont wanna start screwing in my speakers just in case.
The whole point is that i want my own speakers that i built and that they sounds just like i want em too.
I see this as an investment, if i spend 5000dollars in parts and amps untill next summer then i will be able to rent em out for 500bucks per gig and i can use this money to expand the rig later on.
Ive looked abit into eminence woofers for my budget but idk yet, so far its mostly a pipe dream.
I want to build some simple tops that i can build more of later when expanding the system, ive built a few hifi speakers and subs in the past.
Also i want it all passive just in case a amp blows out during a party, dont wanna start screwing in my speakers just in case.
The whole point is that i want my own speakers that i built and that they sounds just like i want em too.
I see this as an investment, if i spend 5000dollars in parts and amps untill next summer then i will be able to rent em out for 500bucks per gig and i can use this money to expand the rig later on.
Ive looked abit into eminence woofers for my budget but idk yet, so far its mostly a pipe dream.
ok ok
passive is not good for high sound pressure
you will have to think about active anyway
Best source of drivers around here is Salvation Army Resale. Horns, midranges, $20-$50 an enclosure, only 8" woofers lately, though, unless you buy an organ and scrap it. Put them together in a plywood box, or reuse the plywood box the previous guy used, they sound like **** is my opinion. Every brace, every corner, every bit of fluff matters in speakers in getting the response flat and distortion free. Or you can spend days in an open field with a $400 microphone trying that you've got it right. the only speaker worth diy IMHO is the sub-woofer, which has such a restricted frequency range that copying plans off the internet is doable. but go over to the speaker builder's forum, thousands there think I am wrong.
Active speakers, you have to do your distortion testing with a variable diy amp module in there. Saves money on fat copper cable from amp to speaker (I use 10 gauge 600v rated 3SO from factory dumpsters) but wastes time in testing. At least with active speakers nobody will steal your cable while you are in the men's room.
There are lots of squeaky clean drivers in the PA speaker cabs for sale at FORCE musician's resale shop near me. The Peaveys with 15" black widows often have dusty old woofers. Wonder why the difference.
Active speakers, you have to do your distortion testing with a variable diy amp module in there. Saves money on fat copper cable from amp to speaker (I use 10 gauge 600v rated 3SO from factory dumpsters) but wastes time in testing. At least with active speakers nobody will steal your cable while you are in the men's room.
There are lots of squeaky clean drivers in the PA speaker cabs for sale at FORCE musician's resale shop near me. The Peaveys with 15" black widows often have dusty old woofers. Wonder why the difference.
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Trouble with passive crossovers, you need matched drivers. Plenty of set ups that work, but you're massively more flexible multiamping.
I assume that if you were going to add a sub this would have it's own amp and everything, and you'd either keep your fifteens going all the way down, and accept the bump as the big cones came in, or cross over electronically for that? Passive crossovers at sub frequencies involve somewhat massive inductors. So, do you have a source of decent, cheap power amps? Because an adequate electronic crossover is dead simple to make, and a good one isn't all that expensive. 'Course, triamping means going onto the bigger speakons. The tweeter amp doesn't need to be over powerful if you're crossing over from eights, just squeaky clean.
Actually, with fifteens you can take them down far enough that you don't really need the subs – but the cabinets do tend to get a bit large and untransportable. From personal experience: good, solid handles that can double as flying gear and wheels you can tip them onto.
Since the bass gets more efficient when it's sitting on the ground, and the higher you can get the tweeters the more uniform your sound field tends to be, it's worth thinking about splitting into a LF cab and a mid/high, which can be sat on top of the bass cab, flown or put on a stand. Plays all kinds of hell with your phase angles, but can sound very good.
You said passive (ie non-amplified) cabinets "in case an amp blew". This does not absolutely mean passive crossovers; if you're carrying a spare amp anyway it should be possible to repatch an electronic crossover system in very much the same sort of time as a single amp. Assuming you have labelled everything up, understand what you're doing, and don't panic. Still, it does involve more heavy duty (= heavy weight) cabling, if you're away from the speakers.
I assume that if you were going to add a sub this would have it's own amp and everything, and you'd either keep your fifteens going all the way down, and accept the bump as the big cones came in, or cross over electronically for that? Passive crossovers at sub frequencies involve somewhat massive inductors. So, do you have a source of decent, cheap power amps? Because an adequate electronic crossover is dead simple to make, and a good one isn't all that expensive. 'Course, triamping means going onto the bigger speakons. The tweeter amp doesn't need to be over powerful if you're crossing over from eights, just squeaky clean.
Actually, with fifteens you can take them down far enough that you don't really need the subs – but the cabinets do tend to get a bit large and untransportable. From personal experience: good, solid handles that can double as flying gear and wheels you can tip them onto.
Since the bass gets more efficient when it's sitting on the ground, and the higher you can get the tweeters the more uniform your sound field tends to be, it's worth thinking about splitting into a LF cab and a mid/high, which can be sat on top of the bass cab, flown or put on a stand. Plays all kinds of hell with your phase angles, but can sound very good.
You said passive (ie non-amplified) cabinets "in case an amp blew". This does not absolutely mean passive crossovers; if you're carrying a spare amp anyway it should be possible to repatch an electronic crossover system in very much the same sort of time as a single amp. Assuming you have labelled everything up, understand what you're doing, and don't panic. Still, it does involve more heavy duty (= heavy weight) cabling, if you're away from the speakers.
I would be wary of second hand gear.
It could be nearly new or has been flogged within an inch of its life.
You are relying on the seller being truthful.
I bought a "nearly new" disco cd player off ebay and it was completely worn out.
I have been stung with second hand gear so always buy new now.
It could be nearly new or has been flogged within an inch of its life.
You are relying on the seller being truthful.
I bought a "nearly new" disco cd player off ebay and it was completely worn out.
I have been stung with second hand gear so always buy new now.
E-bay is for knick-knacks and books. things that don't move. Besides, anything worthwhile people bid at the last microsecond. I don't even keep a pay-pal account, that is what I think of e-bay. Craigslist is cash, face to face, try before you buy. I tried my speakers with a CD player before I bought them. Grand piano cuts exercise all the drivers, drum hits test time alignment. FORCE resale shop prices are about twice what craigslist can be.
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