# Need help picking new pa speakers



## Shooter177 (Aug 8, 2012)

I have a pa that we use in during our basement jam sessions, it consists of a yorkville mp8 a peavey wedge monitor and these horrible things we call speakers for our mains, and it is time to replace them! We have tried some pluse 15 but they are way to big for my liking so we are going to try to find some yx12 yorkvilles, they are about 225$ new and 170$ used at L&m, I am just seing if there is anyone that has any other suggestions before I pull the trigger on a set of these?? I don't want to spend huge bucks on anything just somthing reasonable, or am I on the right track with the yorkville stuff? 
Thanks ahead of time Shooter


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## urko99 (Mar 30, 2009)

6


Shooter177 said:


> I have a pa that we use in during our basement jam sessions, it consists of a yorkville mp8 a peavey wedge monitor and these horrible things we call speakers for our mains, and it is time to replace them! We have tried some pluse 15 but they are way to big for my liking so we are going to try to find some yx12 yorkvilles, they are about 225$ new and 170$ used at L&m, I am just seing if there is anyone that has any other suggestions before I pull the trigger on a set of these?? I don't want to spend huge bucks on anything just somthing reasonable, or am I on the right track with the yorkville stuff?
> Thanks ahead of time Shooter


what kind of budget? Active or passive?


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## Bobby1note (Jan 6, 2014)

Shooter177 said:


> I have a pa that we use in during our basement jam sessions, it consists of a yorkville mp8 a peavey wedge monitor and these horrible things we call speakers for our mains, and it is time to replace them! We have tried some pluse 15 but they are way to big for my liking so we are going to try to find some yx12 yorkvilles, they are about 225$ new and 170$ used at L&m, I am just seing if there is anyone that has any other suggestions before I pull the trigger on a set of these?? I don't want to spend huge bucks on anything just somthing reasonable, or am I on the right track with the yorkville stuff?
> Thanks ahead of time Shooter


Well, for one thing, you really don't need a floor-wedge, since your FOH speakers serve the same function in a basement-jam setting. Also, you don't need a "pair" of speakers, especially if you're running a "mono" set-up.(as you should)

Are you going to keep your present powered mixer? (I tend to prefer passive mixers/ active loudspeakers for basic set-ups like this)

When shopping for speakers, I'm generally averse to putting budget as the prime consideration. You generally get what you pay for. That said, you can't beat Yorkville for toughness and durability. Yorkville and bullet-proof, sorta go hand in hand.

The YX series boxes can sound pretty good, as long as you don't push them hard. Stay away from the Pulse stuff.

For your application, especially if you're keeping your present mixer, you may want to consider a single 12" passive NX-series box. The NX35 would probably be perfect for your application, and, they're not expensive. The high-frequency driver is very smooth, and this speaker can handle surprising levels of low-end content. Your present mixer would power these boxes superbly. (and safely).

What do you plan on running through your speaker(s)? Are you mic'ing any drums or bass? Are you looking for a mostly "vocals" P/A?

If you're doing really loud jams (like I am), you're better off with a system that offers full dynamic-range,,, vs a system that's designed for "audience coverage". For a broad audience coverage, a two-mains speaker set-up is the way to go, but for a basement-jam, where you might be putting "some" bass and/or drums (kick, snare), you're better off with a one main/one sub-woofer configuration. Hi-pass the 12" main at 100Hz, and let the sub handle anything below that. You'd be amazed at how much more dynamic your jams can be when you add just a "touch" to kick-drum,,, or depth to a bass (or keyboard).

http://yorkville.com/loudspeakers/nx/product/nx35/

My current "jam/band-practice" set-up, consists of two NX55P's for mains, and a pair of LS720P subs. We D.I. the bass to the P/A, and the acoustic drum-kit has snare, kick, and rack-toms mic'd. Generally four vocal mics too. This rig is capable of some very serious "thump", and feedback is never an issue, despite the relatively small room. (36' x32' L-shaped). One main faces the band, acting in effect as a room-monitor,,, while the other main faces the "audience". (friends, girl-friends, etc)

Now, my rig is "active boxes", so I go with a passive mixer. I currently use an Allen & Heath MixWiz3 16;2,,, but I've also used a Soundcraft EFX-8 and MFXi-8, and really liked both.

One thing that often gets overlooked with basic practice- P/A set-ups, is a good 31-band graphic EQ. This is *essential* to "ring out" your system, to avoid feedback when playing loud in a smallish room.


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## Shooter177 (Aug 8, 2012)

Ok so let me explain our set up a little better and then mabie you could help me a little bit better,(because hi pass and 31band eq Is not plain English to me) the room we jam in is very small aprox 12x20 the drummer is in the one end or the back and the bass is beside him (acoustic drumms no mics) bass has his own amp, and because nothing else worked we faced the mains towards the drumms and bass then I (guitar and some vocals) stand behind the mains facing the drummer and bass and the singer beside me (why we needed the floor monitor) pointed back at us........... I am starting to relize I made this harder than need be! So I guess I should look into this a little more but my goal was to have a pa that we could use at the basement jam and out if we ever played at someone's back yard or somthing! My budget was defiantly under 1000$ , I was thinking more like 5-600$ but mabie I will invest in one good main and save up for one more ! But I need to look at an eq so we can cut back on the feedback!


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## Bobby1note (Jan 6, 2014)

Shooter 177,

Who, beside yourself, is doing vocals? (how many mics in the room?)

12x20 is a pretty small room,,,, no sub required there,,, that's for sure, especially if it's a standard 8-foot ceiling with reflective walls and floors.

One thing you can do immediately to reduce feedback,(without spending a penny) is to get rid of the monitor, and use just one main, placed directly behind the drummer, facing you. Do you have a speaker-stand? Can you get it up high over the drummer, so it's not firing directly into the back of his head?

What mics are you using? Having the speakers behind the mics, is never a good idea. That's a recipe for feedback.

When you're outdoors, the game really changes. Let's just focus on your room for now, and we'll get back to the outdoor gigs later.

Where are you located Shooter177? I might be able to find you some deals on local P/A equipment.


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## Shooter177 (Aug 8, 2012)

Two mics both decent shure mics myself and a singer(she just sings no instrument) and yes I have stands should be able to get over top of drummers head, I will try some moving around today when I am there, and report back, i am in the Durham region (Oshawa is close) also thanks for the help


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-...rs-and-Roland-mixing-board-W0QQAdIdZ562309959


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## Bobby1note (Jan 6, 2014)

Shooter177 said:


> Two mics both decent shure mics myself and a singer(she just sings no instrument) and yes I have stands should be able to get over top of drummers head, I will try some moving around today when I am there, and report back, i am in the Durham region (Oshawa is close) also thanks for the help


Shooter177, If you think your Peavey monitor-speaker is "better than" your other speakers,,, mount that speaker behind the drummer (if it has a pole-cup for mounting on stands).

In the meantime, I'll hunt around to see what I can find in the way of speakers that will be compatible with your present mixer. I just want to be clear on the EXACT model of mixer,,,, is it the MP8*DX*???

I'm a long-time member of a pro-sound forum, and there's a bunch of guys there, who live in the Toronto area. I'll ask those guys where you might find some decent speakers at a good price. This time of the year, a lot of pro-audio shops clear their last years' inventory for peanuts,,, and most of those shops will offer a minimal warranty,,, usually 90 days or so. These speakers are often floor-demo's, or, rental stock. The demo's would have a full manufacturers' warranty. The rental units will have been serviced and maintained by the shop, and the drivers will be "original equipment".

Buying "used" from private individuals can be somewhat risky if you're new to that market. You need to ask questions, and the most important questions are these;,,,are the drivers original equipment?,,,,,, how were these speakers used??? If you get the feeling that you're dealing with a wannabe "DJ", chances are they've run the snot out of those speakers, especially if they ran them without subwoofers. There's lots of good DJ's out there, and they take pride in caring for, and running their equipment properly.

L&M does rentals, and you may find some used rental-stock there. They will most likely guarantee them for a brief period. Problem there is, you never know who rented those speakers, and how badly they were beaten.,,,BUT,,, L&M and Yorkville are owned by the same people, and L&M would use all-original parts if the speakers or internal components have been replaced.


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## Shooter177 (Aug 8, 2012)

Thanks again to all the replys.

I did see that ad on kijij but I can buy new for the same price new and I don't need the mixer.

my plan is to try the monitor on a stand today if I ever get there! 
And yes the mixer is a yorkville mp8dx.
oshawa L&m will sell there used rentals at a reasonable price! That's where I priced the yx12 225$ new and 170$ used 

Thanks again I will report back with my results today


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## Bobby1note (Jan 6, 2014)

OK Shooter, I did some digging around, and apparently L&M are going to have their annual inventory sell-off in about two weeks time. It will probably vary from store to store, and it may not be advertized, so you may want to get to the store nearest you, to have a peek. You might want to call them in advance, to find out exactly when the sale begins, and get there early, so you can have the "pick-of-the-litter". Mind you, it's best to develop a plan before you go there, and stick to it. Impulse buys can sometimes backfire on you. 

What you should be considering at this stage is; what do I need for the here-and-now,,, and how do I want to evolve my system in the future. One example is this;,,,, buy trapezoid loudspeakers for your mains,,,, something that can serve a dual purpose (as floor-monitors or mains). Think "scalability",,,ever-growing numbers of the same loudspeaker. I started out with a pair of Yorkville NX55P's for front-of-house (FOH), and I added two more per year, until I had eight. I can now use two per side,, with four monitors,,,, or one per side with 6 monitors,,,,,or, all eight as monitors, whatever I need. If I run into an unexpected problem at a gig, I can always swap a monitor for a FOH speaker,,,, that type of thing. 

Mind you, I added sub-woofers (Yorkville LS720P's) as soon as I got my first pair of NX55P's. Eventually, I added four 15" mains (Yorkville EF500's), and a pair of 3-way speakers (Yorkville U15P). A pair of hard-hitting Yorkville LS801P subwoofers completed the round-up.


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## robare99 (Jan 9, 2012)

Nothing but love for yorkville here. I run Passive Unity15's over LS800p's YX12's and YX15's for monitors. 


great sounding rig!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Those LS800P subs really thump. I like mine. I agree about the Yorkville stuff in general. It's well made and sounds great.

I even have a little powered Yorkie mixer (M810) for rehearsals. 

Great Canadian company and they support their products well.


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