# Practice Room PA - need some input



## surlybastard (Feb 20, 2011)

So I'm starting to spec out a practice room, I've been reading up about PA's but I thought I'd just throw it out there on the forum and see what people think. I need a PA that'll be used mainly for vocals (maybe occasionally to plug in an acoustic instrument, or perhaps even a Multi-Effects unit going direct) in a practice room. It will need to be heard over an acoustic drum kit, two guitar amps and a bass amp playing everything from folk, country, blues up to hard rock/metal. For when we rock, we like things to be pretty loud, so that's a consideration as well.

I'm looking for opinions, how powerful should the amp/speakers be? Also how many speakers and what kind? Am I better off just using a few monitor wedges since this is mainly going to be used for practice? As far as the mixer goes I'm not really that concerned since I just need a few channels to run mics and what have you.

Any input is welcome, thanks!


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## marauder (Oct 19, 2009)

How big is the room? How many vocal channels?

We're a 5 piece - 3 vocals, 2 guitars, bass & drums. I'd call it medium volume. Only voices through the sound system at practice, maybe a bit of kick drum. We're using 3 yorkville powered monitors that we picked up used (550 watts each), a MixWiz that we also scored a great deal on used, and a dbx dual 31 band graphic. Built it up piece by piece, and when we need to we'll take some or all of it on gigs. Really, more than enough to suit our needs.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Budget?


For rehearsals I use a Yorkville M810 powered mixer and a couple of wedges.

That's 400 watts per side with effects, graphs, phantom power, you name it. Good enough for small simple ggs and more than ample for rehearsals.
http://www.yorkville.com/mixers/micromix/product/m810-2/

It's really not a huge investment considering how fundamental and vital it is to hear your vocals.

If 800 watts isn't enough for rehearsals, well, in my humble opinion everybody needs to turn the f$#k down, LOL.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Milkman said:


> If 800 watts isn't enough for rehearsals, well, in my humble opinion everybody needs to turn the f$#k down, LOL.


Spoken like a true Jedi .....


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

A few wedges sounds good to me. Three or four would fill up the room nicely.

A major decisions will be whether the power amp is in the mixer, in the speakers, or separate from both. There are pluses and minuses to all three setups.

Don't skimp on power, you want several hundred watts, even if that sounds ridiculous going in.


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## Bobby1note (Jan 6, 2014)

We're usually running a full acoustic drum-kit(mics on kick, snare, rack-toms), bass (D.I.'d to console), 2-3 guitars, 3-4 vocal mics. Since we generally face the drummer(and the speakers), we stack the speakers behind the drummer, with the mains up high so they're not firing at the back of his head. We generally use a pair of Yorkie NX55P's over LS-720P subs. Console is a MixWiz3; 16,2. The room is L-shaped, 36'x32', and we're set up in the "heel" of the "L".

We get loud,,,, VERY loud,,,, and a 31-band GEQ is essential in controlling feedback in that room. Super-cardioid mics at all vocal positions. (EV N/D767a's)


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Bobby1note said:


> We're usually running a full acoustic drum-kit(mics on kick, snare, rack-toms), bass (D.I.'d to console), 2-3 guitars, 3-4 vocal mics. Since we generally face the drummer(and the speakers), we stack the speakers behind the drummer, with the mains up high so they're not firing at the back of his head. We generally use a pair of Yorkie NX55P's over LS-720P subs. Console is a MixWiz3; 16,2. The room is L-shaped, 36'x32', and we're set up in the "heel" of the "L".
> 
> We get loud,,,, VERY loud,,,, and a 31-band GEQ is essential in controlling feedback in that room. Super-cardioid mics at all vocal positions. (EV N/D767a's)


This is a rehearsal set up?


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## surlybastard (Feb 20, 2011)

The room will probably be pretty small, no larger than 13' x 13'. I figured probably an 800 watt powered mixer, 6-8 channels and 3-4 wedges would probably handle that easily even with loud amps.\

Thanks for the responses!


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

In a room that size, with that much acoustic energy being generated, I would be more concerned with hearing protection than monitoring.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

ronmac said:


> In a room that size, with that much acoustic energy being generated, I would be more concerned with hearing protection than monitoring.



LMAO. Yup, first make everything really loud, then everyone use hearing protection.

Talk about a downward spiral.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

surlybastard said:


> The room will probably be pretty small, no larger than 13' x 13'. I figured probably an 800 watt powered mixer, 6-8 channels and 3-4 wedges would probably handle that easily even with loud amps.\
> 
> Thanks for the responses!


Our space is about 10x18, with the drums at one end....but we don't fight volume, we mic everything then run it through a mixer and into a headphone amp. Everyone has buds now, but it's a little messy cause we're not wireless yet. Pretty easy to get a good mix, and easy to record ourselves too.


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## Bobby1note (Jan 6, 2014)

Milkman said:


> This is a rehearsal set up?


Yep. We've even got LED wash lights going, plus dance-floor lighting, and a laser. We do whatever it takes to get that "club" feel, and everybody really gets into it.

When we're still jamming at 3:00 AM, and the local bars are just closing (Quebec; 3:00am is closing time), we actually get cars driving by the house, which stop and park in front of the house to watch us jam through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

We'll sometimes have up to a dozen people in the room, and people take turns playing. (2 bass players, 2 drummers, 5-6 guitar players, keyboard player, latin-percussion station, and horns). It's a bit of an eye-popper for musicians who are sitting in for the first time, and we have a blast doing it. It gets loud (club level) but not crazy loud. No sore ears at the end of the night.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Ah, I see, more of a jam than a rehearsal.

Rock on man.

- - - Updated - - -



keto said:


> Our space is about 10x18, with the drums at one end....but we don't fight volume, we mic everything then run it through a mixer and into a headphone amp. Everyone has buds now, but it's a little messy cause we're not wireless yet. Pretty easy to get a good mix, and easy to record ourselves too.



We're going the same way Kent. I have two IEMs and need two more. No volume issues.


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

ronmac said:


> In a room that size, with that much acoustic energy being generated, I would be more concerned with hearing protection than monitoring.


I'd be concerned with the building's structural integrity.

Seriously, in a room that size, I would use a JamHub for rehearsing.


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## robare99 (Jan 9, 2012)

We gig with a 5000W pa, 1500W for monitors, individual mixes, 100W Marshall half stacks, the works. 

[video=youtube_share;eaBY5N-1QU0]http://youtu.be/eaBY5N-1QU0[/video]

We practice with a fender passport, 10w Marshall's, and it's fine. It's not tonal nirvana but it doesn't have to be, since its a practice. 

[video=youtube_share;xX79wSZwq5s]http://youtu.be/xX79wSZwq5s[/video]

http://www.axemusic.com/store/produ...ble-4-Channel-PA-System-with-150-watt-Output/

With my other band we use 3 YX12 monitors. 250W each. Doesn't mean they are cranked but they get the job done as well. 












Bobby1note said:


> Yep. We've even got LED wash lights going, plus dance-floor lighting, and a laser. We do whatever it takes to get that "club" feel, and everybody really gets into it.
> 
> 
> When we're still jamming at 3:00 AM, and the local bars are just closing (Quebec; 3:00am is closing time), we actually get cars driving by the house, which stop and park in front of the house to watch us jam through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
> ...


Nice! We used to have a warehouse we were set up in. We had a 10' truss with 6 lights on it. We were set up like for a gig, everyone facing out. It did have a gig ffeel to each practice which was nice. One flick of the main breaker and everything was ready to go. I kinda miss that place.


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## surlybastard (Feb 20, 2011)

Yes, I will concede playing loud in a space that small is probably a bit silly, but the purpose of this space isn't to be a band rehearsal spot (although it may become that at some point) it's more to have friends over and have some fun. I, and lots of other people I play with think when we're jamming rock it's more fun if it's louder. I personally wear ear protection regardless of how loud it is when I jam (if there's an acoustic drum kid, two guitars, bass, vocals my ears get fatigued after about 30 minutes and all I hear is mud, even at very moderate volumes so plugs make sure everything sounds clear all the time) so that's not an issue.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

surlybastard said:


> The room will probably be pretty small, no larger than 13' x 13'. I figured probably an 800 watt powered mixer, 6-8 channels and 3-4 wedges would probably handle that easily even with loud amps.\
> 
> Thanks for the responses!


This was an unintentional thumbs down. I apologize for that. Bad eyes _and _​bad memory.


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