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Need an Inexpensive PA system for music during fireworks display

T

tfb5701

New Member
*** title meant to read inexpensive, not expensive****

Here is my situation.

I am involved with a Fourth of July party every year that is fairly large. I have a license for commercial display fireworks so the fireworks display is a commercial grade fireworks display and next year it will be a pyromusical with the fireworks choreographed to music. Because of this, I need a set of speakers to run music during the display and probably during the rest of the party. It looks like the best option for me would be a set of inexpensive powered PA speakers with stands. We have looked into renting them but it appears that most rental companies have cheap PA speakers and still want 30-50% of the price to buy the speakers just to rent them for one day.

Since we plan on using these for at least the next 3 to 5 years, it makes financial sense to buy a set. These would be babied, stored inside, and would only be used probably 1 to 3 times a year. I know you get what you pay for as far as sound quality and durability and that the cheaper ones can't hold up to the abuse that the more expensive ones can take. However, I was really looking at some options and talking other people that have done similar things and was hoping to stay in the under $350 street price category. For example, one guy that uses these for the same purpose as we will has a set of Rockville RPG122k powered PA speakers complete with stands and a microphone. You can find those for sale for $229 for the set.

Again, I know that the sound quality and durability will not be there with the cheap speakers but I really don't want to drop a bunch of money on PA speakers that I will rarely use. I don't mind spending money on my personal system that I get a lot of use out of but not something that I'm barely going to use.

Any recommendations?
 
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I would look at used systems on CraigsList. You have plenty of time before now and the next 4th of July to find something. I don't know where you are but in my area there is always listings for used pro PA systems.

BillWojo
 
Used Bose 901 V or VI that have the surrounds in good condition, and which come with the Bose equalizer. Put the 3-amp fuse in the speaker cable like Bose recommends. 901s are the finest party speakers I know of. Loud, durable, easy-to-store, easy-to-drive, and they're among the BEST sounding PA speakers.
 
Saw a pair of S12-2 Electro-Voice speakers on local CL for a couple bills today.
S= stage meaning metal corner pieces designed to be moved around
12=12" woofer
-2=two-way

You might want something a bit bigger but thought I would throw those out there.
 
You think $350 will give you an expensive PA system?
Assuming you will be starting with nothing, you will need not just a pair of speakers but a powerful amplifier, a mixer, a mic, stands and cables. That's the bare minimum. And don't forget that a system which sounds loud when it's in a room can seem much quieter when it's outside. In your case you will have the sound of fireworks to compete with, too.
In your situation I would consider hiring a PA company to come and do the sound for you.
 
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I would hire out the event, possibly use a local band's PA that plays the local club circuit.
 
How large a crowd? How big of an area do you need to cover. How long will the fireworks display last? ( You'll need to be cranked for the display, so you need something that can handle it ). To paraphrase the slogan of a friend who is a tattoo artist: " Cheap PAs aren't good and good PAs aren't cheap " If you cheap out and they fail, you've lost all of your money. If you buy better gear, it will hold up and keep its resale value when the have fulfilled their obligation. Two words: Powered Mackies.
 
Get some pro line Klipsch Heresies, Cornwalls, or Chorus, a QSC or Crown amp, and you can upgrade your home stereo and have a very good PA.
 
whoaru99 said:
I could be wrong, but I think the OP meant inexpensive in the title.
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You are correct. I don't know how to change the thread title but I just made an edit to the initial post. I'm looking for an inexpensive system. Probably powered speakers with stands
 
tubeampking said:
How large a crowd? How big of an area do you need to cover. How long will the fireworks display last? ( You'll need to be cranked for the display, so you need something that can handle it ). To paraphrase the slogan of a friend who is a tattoo artist: " Cheap PAs aren't good and good PAs aren't cheap " If you cheap out and they fail, you've lost all of your money. If you buy better gear, it will hold up and keep its resale value when the have fulfilled their obligation. Two words: Powered Mackies.
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Crowd will be around 60 people. Crowd will be centralized in an area that's probably the length of the house wide and about half the length of the house deep. speakers can be placed in a variety of positions but will likely be 50 yards from the crowd in less I need to move them closer. Display will likely last 20 minutes
 
Around here it's not uncommon to see powered JBL EONs for sale too.

Older, non-powered PA speakers often are (relatively) inexpense too. But, they're often big and heavy and covered in "rat fur" (rat fur being the reference to the black carpeting used frequently in the past). For example, there was a fellow around here selling multiple pair of JBL SR4732A for $300 per pair. That's a decent price but they are big, heavy, and require separate amp/mixer.

Yamaha would be a other brand to consider as well. Usually good bang for the buck in used PA speakers.
 
I am not sure of this is an option for you but down in Corpus the music for the fireworks was simulcast over one of the local radio stations. Encourage people to bring radios.
 
Well for that size crowd the Electro-Voice would be just fine and add a small amp, Crown D-150 for a c-note and then a CDP with your burned tunes and you are under 350 easy.
 
I found a pair of Klipsch KP-250s for $40 that I used with a Peavey CS800 amp that I paid $40 for also for the Nightmare on Main St Halloween event in Willimantic, CT held the last few years. They handle 250w and I made sure they got that and then some, you could hear the system a half mile away. If you look and are patient, a system that is quite affordable can be had for short money that does sound good
 
football field but more pwoer is always agood idea.
Schurkey said:
Used Bose 901 V or VI that have the surrounds in good condition, and which come with the Bose equalizer. Put the 3-amp fuse in the speaker cable like Bose recommends. 901s are the finest party speakers I know of. Loud, durable, easy-to-store, easy-to-drive, and they're among the BEST sounding PA speakers.
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I would seriouslydisagree on yourclaim about Bose as such. The mere fact you have to run the eq in order to get these to even wori would pass on k as advertised lebose for this application and look for a real set of good used t alone even after that you aren't getting much that even an average run of the mill set up can deliver I would pass o0n Bose for this application and finda good used set of actual PA speakers. Peavey, Behringer, Yorkville, Carvin etc will serve you more in the long run. A powered mixer with at least 6 channels (input) and you will be far better off.
Your budget will probably not help you realize what you should be using I would suggest a system of 3-500 WPC and 2 sets of speakers on stands would work for a venue of up to a a few hundred people outdoors.

Morepower is always better with 15" 2 ways and 1000 to 2000 WPC and at least 2 sets of capable power handling speakers it will handle a HS football field well enough to meet your needs for now.
When I was doing live sound for open concert venues of 4-600 hundred people I used 4 sets of 15" 2ways on stands and spaced it out accordingly.It really helps to have sufficient power levels and speakers around the area to compensate for the open setting,talking crowds and other noise factors.

There are of course other considerations but do invest in quality equipment as it will work when you need it and perfom as required. Do not try to bring home speakers out and try to wing it with too little power, too few speakers for the venue and set it up well in advance to make sure everything works ahead of the event. Unless someone is giving the equipment away expect rough looking but working speakers and other equipment or decide to spend the correct amount of cash now to make sure your gear works as needed and avoid last minute failures and upset refund demanding attendees.

Cheers
Hermit
 
I've seen inexpensive powered speakers for a hundred bucks, you could get 2 or 3 of those and a basic 4 channel mixer and that's it, no need for amps and more stuff.
 
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