PA system Q

[DubluW]

Hi guys, calling all speaker experts!



Im looking to get a couple more speakers for my PA setup. Having done a few outdoor gigs recently, i've found the sound to be lacking somewhat, hence the purchase.

Now, i've got a alto professional 1500 Watt amp with connections = 2 x 550 Watts at 4 Ω; 2 x 350 Watts at 8 Ω.
Into this at the moment i have 2x 400 Watt (peak, so 200 for normal) passive speakers which are connected via speakon cables. they have 2 connections on the back at 2/4 ohms for chaining This is usually running from my main out on the mixer.

A active sub is connected via the booth output, which stands at 1600 Watts. Has XLR ins and outs on the back.


Question is, what can i safely add to my setup, either chaining together with passive speakers or adding in some active ones? I'm erring on the side of caution here before buying anything as you guys are reliable when it comes to purchase advice. Last thing i want is blown speakers!

[DJ Abercrombie]

Hi.

You can buy another pair of the full range speakers you are currently using and, connect them to your Alto Amplifier. The amplifier will see a 4-ohm load and, deliver 550 watts per channel @ 4 ohms.

[DubluW]

Hi.

You can buy another pair of the full range speakers you are currently using and, connect them to your Alto Amplifier. The amplifier will see a 4-ohm load and, deliver 550 watts per channel @ 4 ohms.

Cheers dude!

Would i be right in thinking i can still chain the speakers to the ones i have and the amp will produce 350 watts at 8 ohm as well? So a set of 300 watt peak speakers would fit the bill?

[loverocket]

Are the passive speakers rated 8 ohms or 4 ohms?

Those "chain thru" connections are parallel so it will half the impedance.

Hopefully they are 8 ohms. So running a pair to one amp channel will give the amp a 4 ohm load.

If they're 4 ohms then the amp will see a 2 ohm load. And since it's an Alto, it will probably produce smoke in less than 60 seconds.

[DubluW]

Are the passive speakers rated 8 ohms or 4 ohms?

Those "chain thru" connections are parallel so it will half the impedance.

Hopefully they are 8 ohms. So running a pair to one amp channel will give the amp a 4 ohm load.

If they're 4 ohms then the amp will see a 2 ohm load. And since it's an Alto, it will probably produce smoke in less than 60 seconds.

Rated at 8 ohms bud. What could i effectively chain into them? They have a speakon connection on the back. I've never had any problems with my Alto gear tbh, the amp or the sub. Bad experience?

[loverocket]

Rated at 8 ohms bud. What could i effectively chain into them? They have a speakon connection on the back. I've never had any problems with my Alto gear tbh, the amp or the sub. Bad experience?

Good news. If you connect two 8 ohm speakers in parallel the amp will see 4 ohms.

So you can hook up the extra speakers directly from the speakons to the new set of speakers.

Don't know how much "louder" this set up will be. The amp will push more power but it will be divided between more drivers. If the amp is more powerful than your 2 speakers can handle than adding 2 more is ok. But if you're amp is already clipping with your existing setup, it will probably stay at about the same SPL with 4 speakers.

One advantage is having the versatilty of 4 speakers allowing a greater coverage area or various zoning areas.

I'm not a fan of Alto. But I understand there's a budget. I would rather use Behringer in that price range.

But if you are DJing quite regularly and making a decent profit you should look into investing in a better sound rig. It makes a difference.

Sell the Alto stuff, get a small loan and buy yourself 4 Yamaha DXR 10's and 2 DXS15 subs. These will handle parties as large as 500 people and they sound like they cost 3x the price.

Good luck.

[DubluW]

Good news. If you connect two 8 ohm speakers in parallel the amp will see 4 ohms.

So you can hook up the extra speakers directly from the speakons to the new set of speakers.

Don't know how much "louder" this set up will be. The amp will push more power but it will be divided between more drivers. If the amp is more powerful than your 2 speakers can handle than adding 2 more is ok. But if you're amp is already clipping with your existing setup, it will probably stay at about the same SPL with 4 speakers.

One advantage is having the versatilty of 4 speakers allowing a greater coverage area or various zoning areas.

I'm not a fan of Alto. But I understand there's a budget. I would rather use Behringer in that price range.

But if you are DJing quite regularly and making a decent profit you should look into investing in a better sound rig. It makes a difference.

Sell the Alto stuff, get a small loan and buy yourself 4 Yamaha DXR 10's and 2 DXS15 subs. These will handle parties as large as 500 people and they sound like they cost 3x the price.

Good luck.

Cheers mate. The Amp has no problem with the speakers already connected so another pair shouldn't phase it i reckon.

I've actually had a listen to the Behringer stuff when i went looking for a sub, but thought the alto stuff sounded a bit better. Each to their own i suppose. The loud speakers i'm using are actually a set from Maplin believe it or not. They weigh about 15kg and they're solid and i've had no dramas. Couldn't recommend anything else from Maplin however, but thats another story!

As for a loan for the Yamahas? If i thought for one minute the gf wouldn't use it as an excuse to say ''why cant i have that, you took out a loan for some bloody speakers!'' I'd of had a set last week hahaha!

[muldrez]

Adding more speakers and pointing them at the same area is not the answer in the quest for more volume unfortunately, but is a common mistake. The sound waves from each speaker interact, causing phasing problems, where they cancel each other out in some places, whilst combining in others. This is called comb filtering, and results in dips and peaks in sound levels at different frequencies as you move through the coverage area. The problem is worse the lower the frequency, as the wavelengths are longer, so the size of the area affected is larger. It results in muddy, uneven sound, and a lack of clarity. The answer instead is to get a more powerful amp and/ or speakers rated for higher levels. Probably not the answer you were hoping for though.

[loverocket]

Cheers mate. The Amp has no problem with the speakers already connected so another pair shouldn't phase it i reckon.

I've actually had a listen to the Behringer stuff when i went looking for a sub, but thought the alto stuff sounded a bit better. Each to their own i suppose. The loud speakers i'm using are actually a set from Maplin believe it or not. They weigh about 15kg and they're solid and i've had no dramas. Couldn't recommend anything else from Maplin however, but thats another story!

As for a loan for the Yamahas? If i thought for one minute the gf wouldn't use it as an excuse to say ''why cant i have that, you took out a loan for some bloody speakers!'' I'd of had a set last week hahaha!

Tell her that better speakers let you charge more per gig.

[DubluW]

Adding more speakers and pointing them at the same area is not the answer in the quest for more volume unfortunately, but is a common mistake. The sound waves from each speaker interact, causing phasing problems, where they cancel each other out in some places, whilst combining in others. This is called comb filtering, and results in dips and peaks in sound levels at different frequencies as you move through the coverage area. The problem is worse the lower the frequency, as the wavelengths are longer, so the size of the area affected is larger. It results in muddy, uneven sound, and a lack of clarity. The answer instead is to get a more powerful amp and/ or speakers rated for higher levels. Probably not the answer you were hoping for though.

They'll be spread about, rather than one massive stack. The speakers i have at the moment aren't bothering the amp one bit, so i figured another set of speakers at the same output, and spread out a bit more to cover more area. It's only for a few gig outside until i move back to my regular spot that has a roof of sorts.