Although not a specific "Arranger" topic, somehow it ties in as there are a few out here who use these with Arrangers and are experts in AUDIO and can 'share' their knowledge with us.

So here we go ...

* Budget is $2000.00 MAX (excluding subs unless you rewcommend we replace the current 2 QSC K12s).
* You want to rock a room that holds about 400 ~ 500 people.
* You need Powered speakers.
* Using mainly an Arranger keyboard for DRUMS and keyboard parts (horns ... etc) but have a live lead Guitarist and Bass player.
* You have 2 female and 2 male vocalists.
* You need to get people dancing with Reggae, Soca, some Disco, a little Pop and Blues (to slow things down sometimes within a set), Afro Pop and... etc.
* You have 2 QSC K12 Subs (you'd rather keep unless you need to sell and upgrade entirely)... so right now,looking for tops to replace the QSC-HPR152! (these are too heavy and lacked a little mids when turned up)!

What are the best options out there and why?

Some have recommended 3 ways (e.g JBL PRX 635) which seem to sound great - what else is comarable ... or better still BETTER?

Very few companies are making 3 way powered though (I wonder why)? FBT, JBL? Are the 2 ways equally good?

Thanks for your help on this.

you can't buy much for $2,000 to move a crowd, assuming your looking for QUALITY sound)

12 sub, doesn't cut it for 500 people, maybe for 200 people

i'd say a single powered 18" would be better than 2-12"
but that right there is at least $1,000 (new QSC 18")

i think you'd have to spend at least $3,000 if not more to ROCK out 500 people with QUALITY sound

AJ,

you running the QSC-HPR152 full range?

you should use the mid/high out from the bass into the tops, so they ONLY put out mids/highs, (NO BASS), this way they will push much more power through those frequencies...

and use BASS bottom just for that BASS,
so you will have a nice 3-way sound,
(no low frequencies on the tops)

when i goto large halls i plug the tops to the mid/high out of the bass bottom.

when i goto small halls, i'll run full range out to my tops from the bass bottoms

You need good bass to start with, 15" or 18", the best subs I sell are the FBT or RCF, but they are on the expensive side but are light small and hit hard.

As for your tops. The only reason to have 15" like you have is if you don't want to use subs for smaller rooms or lower volumes.

I personally would spend money on a pair of 15 or 18" subs, then I would get 12" and horns for the tops, crossover the tops so they play around 80hz and up, maybe even a little higher, then set-up your subs with an Aux send, so you send only what you want to the subs, like drums, bass, arranger. then you have everything else go to the tops only, this way you clear up the midrange for a better punchier sound without taxing the speakers, and you add the umph to what needs it.

Leezone,

Thanks for that input. Great suggestion indeed, but I think the QSC tops are being picked up for their new home ... tonight! The weight was the main release factor.

Frank (as always), thanks for your input. I guess you'd recommend selling the K12 subs (both) for a 18 RCF/FBT? They are pretty portable (from the specs I see), and oh yes, we do need that BOTTOM!!! When I go and watch Reggae Bands play, you can feel your pants move even from as far as 20' away - but ofcourse their system should be in the $10,000.00 price point!

Keep the info coming in!

Frankie,

you like the RCF stuff?

i don't know, i've had a chance to hear them briefly, (the 12" or 15" powered tops) and they did not impress me,

i enjoyed my QSC HPR 122

i'm thinking of getting new sub(s), to go along with my HPR 12
i now have the old Mackie SRS 1500

i like these subs as they are compact, and i can actual lift them and take em to my DJ gigs...

what i don't like is that they do not throw the bass very far in large room, they sound great when you are close,

Frank, what would you recommend to replace these ols subs and to use with my HPR 122 ?? something portable, and self-powered, ?? i was thinking 18" for that extra punch,
and maybe even get JUST 1 for now (which may be better than my 2 mackie 15"'s

maybe QSC KW181 , only 83lbs... any good? probably hard to handle as they are wide

thanks

wow just realizes that my 15" mackie SRS 1500 is actually heavier than this 18" QSC KW181

Frank, or anyone have you heard these new KW series, and this bottom?

Are the bass and guitar player using their own gear for sound? Or will they also be run through the PA system? How big is the room? What is the setup? Like are these 500 people going to focus their attention on you guys and rocking out? Or is it more a dance hall type thing?

My band typically plays for venues of 500 and up to about 2000, we have a couple different setups for different type gigs.

For a dance hall type thing with people dancing, talking and you don't need that "in your face" sound, we use just two 15" horn subs and two 12" tops. 1000W amps per side for bass and 500W per side for tops. This sounds full and good enough. For rock concerts where people are rocking out and we need to punch out some ear drums we use eight 15" horn subs with 1000W per cab for bass and eight 12" tops with 500W per cab. We like 12" over 15" for tops because they tend to push out more mids faster - the 15" are a little slower and require more power. The reason we don't use 18" or 24" bass cabs is that they work better for disco, hiphop and trance music that require more sub-bass. For anything between 50hz and up a group of 15"s will push out more bass and air than a 18" cab. Atleast in my experience that is

DocZ

If you want cheap stuff, I've been using Behringers active speakers for 5 years now on the road - they have yet to fail me. Even though they are Behringer - the sound pretty decent.

DocZ

You DO know that you can get a lot more out of your subs if you stack them together? Subs are usually non-directional, so they can be either side of the stage or together, and it won't make much difference except within a few feet of them. But there's a thing called the 'coupling effect', where, if they are stacked on top or side by side, touching, the overall volume level from them is greater than if they were apart.

I know some bands run their subs in the MIDDLE of the stage (on the dance floor) side by side, and run their top cabs on poles out to the edges. Then, they put a monitor or something on it, (no point wasting extra stage room!) for the singer, and they get a VERY solid thump on the dance floor with less gear than you would expect...

Anyway, look into the 'coupling effect'. It's how things like the Bose get to sound so good.... little speakers, all stacked close to each other.