Portable PA setup advice

[pslater]

Hi All,

 

Anyone got any recomendations for a portable PA setup? I'm after a rack unit on wheels plus space for a mixer on top (plus a mixer).

 

Also after some (near) silent amps.

 

We've got speakers.

 

Any thoughts are apreciated.

 

Pete

[Andrew_C]

What are you trying to achieve with it? Hall size? Outdoors? Full on "disco" level, or just the head's end of year speech?

[pslater]

Amplifiers are for 2 sets of these speakers: Mackie C200 10" Passive Speaker at Gear4Music.com - quiet ideally as they are often used in quiet scenarios eg chapel.

 

Really just after recommendations for the mixer (nothing too fancy) amps and a suitable rack supplier, something on castors, either 12 or 16u

[hallb15]

Get on to astounded.com. They'll be able to help you out - the sales manager, Steve, really knows his stuff.

A couple of ideas below.

 

Rack mount case on wheels:

Pulse Heavy Duty ABS 19inch Rack 4U Wheeled Trolley Flight Case PA Systems, Speakers, Amplifiers | Laser Disco Lights, Band Stage Lighting - Astounded

 

Mixer with FX and bluetooth (nice for iDevices etc)

Alesis MultiMix 10 Wireless Rackmount Mixer With Bluetooth PA Systems, Speakers, Amplifiers | Laser Disco Lights, Band Stage Lighting - Astounded

 

Power Amp:

Kam KBA X500 500W Stereo PA Power Amplifier PA Systems, Speakers, Amplifiers | Laser Disco Lights, Band Stage Lighting - Astounded

[bossman]

Here is another site:

 

Portable PA Systems, PORTABLE AUDIO by KPMS

 

Have fun

[dhicks]

Anyone got any recomendations for a portable PA setup?

 

I went for a Studio Spares iPA800:

 

Trojan iPA800 Portable PA System at Studiospares

 

Similar to the portable sounds systems you can get from Maplins and similar, but has a proper XLR audio-out port as well as inputs, so you can daisy-chain it to as many speakers as you need to fill the space. It's pretty powerful by itself (it does our small-ish hall by itself, no problem) and comes with a mic input and one included mic, so for basic situations you don't need a whole racck for of kit. For our mixing desk, I got a flight case with a pop-up section to mount the rack-mount mixing desk, we have a lot of stairs in our building and it's generally easier to carry flight cases than lug a rack of equipment around.

[Chris_]

Flightcase rack with space for a mixer to be fitted at the top: 12u Console Mixer Rack

A couple of amps: the t.amp TA600 MK-X - Thomann UK

Mixer: Yamaha MG 166CX - Thomann UK

 

Obviously it's all down to your requirements. you could get a smaller/bigger rack depending on what needs to go in it, radio mics, drawers CD player etc.. Smaller mixer if you don't need as many inputs, just make sure you get one that can be rackmounted (may require specific brackets from the supplier).

[dhicks]

I went for a Studio Spares iPA800

 

Just to follow up on this post: after a busy performing arts week, with assorted performances going on around school (and in several other buildings), the iPA800 has proven itself absolutly invaluable. We can just wheel it in and plonk it down anywhere, it doesn't even need to be plugged in to the mains if non is available. We've had it set up on a stand as a speaker to cover the main hall, it's had iPhones plugged in to it and it works well with our Chord wireless mic kit. I'd left some money in the budget to buy some more "proper" active speakers, but in the end I think I'm going to buy some more iPA800's instead - they'll daisychain together so you can cover a whole hall with sound, and they're just so handy to have around.

[laserblazer]

I went for a Studio Spares iPA800

 

We have one under a different name and I agree it is excellent.