versus Powdered Doughnuts.

Considering running some Peavey powered speakers with a 12 channel
Mackie mixer

OR

Perhaps some of those bigass Peavey 215's with a Behringer powered
mixer

Thoughts?

wrote:
versus Powdered Doughnuts.

Considering running some Peavey powered speakers with a 12 channel
Mackie mixer

OR

Perhaps some of those bigass Peavey 215's with a Behringer powered
mixer

Thoughts?

Listen to speakers. Buy the speakers that you like the sound of. Don't
worry if they have amps in them or not.

Once you have speakers you're happy with, buy whatever the speakers
require.

I tend to like seperate console, amp, and speaker, so that if something
goes wrong it's easier to substitute stuff out. But I'll take a good
powered speaker over a bad unpowered speaker, any day. Likewise I'll
take a good unpowered one over a bad powered one. Get the speakers you
like, then worry.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Good points, all around.

In this case, the Behringer console would run at 400W and the Peavey
speakers are meant for 700. So I lean towards the Behringer powered
mixer NOT powering them properly.

I prefer the separate mixer/amp/speaker idea best as well. Does anyone
know anything about Tapco amps? They're super cheap.

On 22 Feb 2006 15:06:13 -0800, "
wrote:

versus Powdered Doughnuts.

Considering running some Peavey powered speakers with a 12 channel
Mackie mixer

OR

Perhaps some of those bigass Peavey 215's with a Behringer powered
mixer

Thoughts?

I hope that the regulars here don't mind me putting in my 2 cents
worth.
I have repaired quite a few powered speaker amplifiers due to
overheating problems. Any amplifier running a continuous music signal
at high level will generate a fair amount of heat, and due to the amp
being in the speaker cabinet, a cooling fan cannot be used. Usually
convection cooling is used which is OK for short time or intermittent
use but not for prolonged band use.
Powered desks on the other hand, will usually have a decent cooling
fan and should then be more reliable.
I don't know the models that you mention, but a lot of Behringer
equipment is quite well made and is worth a look at.
The Peavey 215 should make a good noise, the 1 1/4 inch horn should
sound OK, best compromise between a harsh 2 inch and an underpowered 1
inch, but 15s are not the best choice for vocals. A 12 inch will
couple better with the horn at high mid frequencies.
Hope this helps

Taff........
( Thunder Ridge PA, Bristol, UK )

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wrote:

versus Powdered Doughnuts.

Considering running some Peavey powered speakers with a 12 channel
Mackie mixer

OR

Perhaps some of those bigass Peavey 215's with a Behringer powered
mixer


Here are some broad generalizations:

1. There is substantial signal loss over long runs of speaker cables.
Balanced, Low Z line level cables don't have this problem. IMO that makes
powered mixers a somewhat less than good idea except in mix from stage
situations or very small venues.

2. There are some very good technical reasons to build a power amp (or two)
into a loudspeaker, but that in itself is no guarantee that a particular
model will be worth a ****.

3. IMO, the only really good reason to build a powered mixer is convenience.
MOST powered mixers begin life as the cheapest model in the manufacturer's
lineup & then get an amp built in. (I said MOST, George. I know you love
your Icon.)

4. Powered speakers are heavier to lift and put on top of a speaker stand
than unpowered speakers. The older you get, the more this matters.

5. With powered speakers, all your signal cable can be of the same type
(except for the extra guitar cable you need because you KNOW the dumbass
guitar player won't have a spare), so you don't have to carry as many
spares.

6. With powered speakers, you have to deal with twice as much cabling on
stage because you have an AC power cable going to each box.

7. With powered speakers, if an amp dies on a gig, you better have a spare
speaker in the van. With powered mixers, if an amp dies on a gig, you've
(probably) got line outputs you can sent through an external amp. A spare
power amp takes up considerably less van space than a spare speaker.

8. If you use the same speaker model for mains and monitors, AND if you can
live with one less monitor than you're used to, an amp failure isn't
necessarily a show stopper.

Am Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:25:25 +0000 schrieb taff:

On 22 Feb 2006 15:06:13 -0800, "
wrote:

versus Powdered Doughnuts.

Considering running some Peavey powered speakers with a 12 channel
Mackie mixer

OR

Perhaps some of those bigass Peavey 215's with a Behringer powered
mixer

Thoughts?

I hope that the regulars here don't mind me putting in my 2 cents
worth.
I have repaired quite a few powered speaker amplifiers due to
overheating problems. Any amplifier running a continuous music signal
at high level will generate a fair amount of heat, and due to the amp
being in the speaker cabinet, a cooling fan cannot be used. Usually
convection cooling is used which is OK for short time or intermittent
use but not for prolonged band use.
Powered desks on the other hand, will usually have a decent cooling
fan and should then be more reliable.
I don't know the models that you mention, but a lot of Behringer
equipment is quite well made and is worth a look at.
The Peavey 215 should make a good noise, the 1 1/4 inch horn should
sound OK, best compromise between a harsh 2 inch and an underpowered 1
inch, but 15s are not the best choice for vocals. A 12 inch will
couple better with the horn at high mid frequencies.
Hope this helps

Taff........
( Thunder Ridge PA, Bristol, UK )

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I used to repair this stuff. Guess what:
Much more powered monitors were defect compared to the powered mixers.
Certainly you can build a powered monitor very reliable, but for the entry
level powered monitors, like KME, Behringer, Zeck etc it seems to be true.

Another point is, that if you have powered monitors, you have to worry
about the cabling on stage, the artist shall not be able to step onto the
power cable that will make the monitor going off.
Better to take care of this problems off stage with a console and amp or an
integrated one. The Spirit Powerstation was working only for 3 years in a
nearby church. After it they bought a behringer console, a behringer amp,
behringer passive monitors and all of this stuff is working since years.

But this is just my experience for some years, it's definitly not a rule.
Lukas

wrote:

In this case, the Behringer console would run at 400W and the Peavey
speakers are meant for 700. So I lean towards the Behringer powered
mixer NOT powering them properly.

Speaker and amplifier power ratings are often kind of bogus anyway, but
in this case I'd say that your intuition is correct. Not having enough
power (and pushing the amplifier too hard) is often more harmful to a
speaker than having too much power and running the amplifier
conservatively - assuming that the speaker is capable of putting out
sufficient sound level for your application at something comfortably
below its maximum rated power (when the smoke comes out).

TAPCO amplifiers back before there was a Mackie were pretty good. I
don't know what they're selling these days, but if they're essentially
the same as the Mackie power amplifiers of 5 years ago (the model
numbers and basic specs are similar) they're probably OK. There are a
few great amplifiers and a few bad amplifiers, but most of the
middle-of-the-road amplifiers will get the job done without too much
worry.

taff wrote:

I have repaired quite a few powered speaker amplifiers due to
overheating problems. Any amplifier running a continuous music signal
at high level will generate a fair amount of heat, and due to the amp
being in the speaker cabinet, a cooling fan cannot be used. Usually
convection cooling is used which is OK for short time or intermittent
use but not for prolonged band use.

This is just a matter of good design, and not everybody designs good.
The first version of the Mackie SRM-450 worked great except when you
put it on its side on a stage and used it as a monitor outdoors in the
sun. It didn't hurt itself but its thremal protection shut it down.
They redesigned the heat sink and then they were OK. Live and learn, I
guess.

Powered desks on the other hand, will usually have a decent cooling
fan and should then be more reliable.

Yeah, but sometimes that fan is too loud and becomes annoying to the
audience and the mixing engineer, particularly for shows with a lot of
dynamic range (hence a lot of quiet). If you put the power amplifier up
on the stage with the speakers, you can tolerate a little more
mechanical noise, but it's hard to hide a fan that's right in the
middle of the audience.

wrote:

Does anyone know anything about Tapco amps? They're super cheap.

They're made by Mackie, but Greg won't put his name on them.

Great information. Thanks everyone.