Amp(s) for Double T39/DR250 Setup

[Gregory East]

If I hadn't lucked into the Xti set + cabs deal I would have gone with the DCX and whatever old iron power amps I could scrounge up. They are getting cheaper now with all the digital stuff coming in. 1000 bucks gets 4 1000W channels now. That's NZ sheckles not Aussie dollars.

[Grant Bunter]

^ True Gregory!
I got my 920's for $200 each. 450W @ 4 ohms side. Never knew the original RRP.
I have a mate who loves them, JBL (huge) flat radiator rig. He has 18 x 920's lol. He toured with 10 of them recently, 30 000k in the truck, not a hiccup in one of them.
Damned if I know why, but he loves all his Perreaux's too

[Nordo]

Nordo,
What are you using now? Can you salvage anything from your current rig?
Funnily enough, I'm highly likely to go the same way as you, 2 x T39's and 2 x DR250's.
I will also do 4 x Wedgehorn 8's a little further down the track. If I needed to do more after that I would add 2 more T39's. (Then if I went crazy I would double all the FOH)

I'm a complete Newbie at this (well, almost )

I used to manage bands down in Victoria many, many years ago. So long ago that it doesn't count.
I'm planning on building a sound system for my daughter's band (guitar, bass, drums, 3 vocal) who are a rock/blues band.
Most of the time they play through a house system, but occasionally they play at a venue where they have to provide the sound reinforcement. They have a system which I haven't seen, but I believe it is pretty basic - speakers on sticks, a mixer and an amp. My daughter (the drummer) has complained to me that the system has no grunt or punch (obviously for her kick and toms ).

I haven't seen the system as I've only seen the band when they have been playing through a good in-house system. The mixer might be re-useable, although I would like to have a bit more processing ability. i.e. good multi-band equalisers, compressors, etc (effects, etc, can come later). I don't even know if it's possible to get an all-in-one unit that has, say, 12 channels each with a compressor and 10+ equaliser bands.

My original idea was to just build some speakers, but I soon realised that I would only gain the full potential of BFM speakers if I upgraded the whole system.

With regards to monitors, I had secret plans to convert the band to In Ear Monitoring. I worry about my daughter's hearing.

[Gregory East]

The bigger yamaha desks may have that many channels with compression but you really only need compression on vocals that are weak or weak in their technique. It's nice to have on your kick and snare but you can get by without and nobody but sound guys in your audience will call you out.

As for EQ you will get a sweepable mid or two on the better cheap mixers. A 100hz highpass is very desirable.

Having built in effects is nice.

Since you are starting from scratch you really should consider jumping into the deep end with SAC. With the amount you can spend on setting up analaog gear with all the EQ and compression and effects and a snake you'll be not far off a basic SAC system that would handle your daughter's band. You could expand from there very easily into something to handle a touring rock act with support band with not a lot more investment. It's the way of the future.

[Sydney]

I don't even know if it's possible to get an all-in-one unit that has, say, 12 channels each with a compressor and 10+ equaliser bands..

I don't know of any with a 10 band equalizer. A 10 band is of marginal use for system EQ anyhow.
Most tasks like EQ and FX I relegate to external devices as they are more flexible and better performing.
Depending on how much the operator "is complete Newbie" is what I use to base recommendation. I frequently have to reset boards that have been mis-set by individuals.
For a performing arts school I installed a Yamaha 16 channel board that fits a 19" SKB Gig Rig.

[mattaudio]

My go-to mixers:
PreSonus StudioLive 1642 (16 inputs)
and for small small gigs...
Alesis MultiMix 8 USB (4 mic ins plus line ins hot enough for a kick mic and a bass DI)

Anything bigger and I'd rent. I'm to the point where I use the Alesis board for 75% of gigs now where I can get two vocal mics, two guitars, kick drum and bass into a tiny board. Built in reverb and a pre-fader monitor send. I guess I like simple.

[mattaudio]

Oh and I forgot to mention, the Alesis board fits in the side pouch of my 4 space rack bag. I drilled a hole through the partition into the rack, so I can leave the mixer in there with some cords (to a EQ and wireless mics) and power hooked right up. Just set the rack on a table and slide the mixer on out.

Then on the other end, I either hook into the club's system (a few of our places have a ksub and k12s) or to another 4 space rack I have with two Crown XTI amps. I leave a short little two-fanned drop snake hooked into the amps, so I can get 5 lines to the Alesis board, and 3 returns (L, R, Mon) to the amp rack.

Simple one minute hookup that's modular enough for different setups. The same setup could power T39s/DR250s with slightly bigger amps.