Venue sold, need portable PA for Open mic
 

My guy sold his coffee shop which included a stage with a full sound system he made available for the open mic I was hosting. I have a Loudbox Artist I was using for an acoustic amp and solo performer. We frequently had duo's and trio's and the occasional quartet including keys. We floor mixed a bass.

So: for this application, I was thinking an SA330x with the sub and mixer doo-hickey. No fuss, no muss, 6 total inputs, one and done, $1500-ish.

Or: get a powered mixer (Mackie, of course), sub, and two speakers on poles, and use the loudbox the same way I was. More fuss, more muss, maybe less $$/more flexibility?

Scott MacKie
no relation

I’d look at the EV Evolve 30M or 50M. Simple setup (no add-ons needed), great sound, built in mixer with an app. I ran an open mic last week with my 50M and the ability to dial in the different performers with my iPad from out in the room worked like a charm.

Can you buy the sound system from the owner of the coffee shop. If you liked that rig you can always buy the same gear used.

He took it with him.

[QUOTE=Stringmaster;7019194]I’d look at the EV Evolve 30M or 50M. Simple setup (no add-ons needed), great sound, built in mixer with an app. I ran an open mic last week with my 50M and the ability to dial in the different performers with my iPad from out in the room worked like a charm.

First blush, looks similar to SA 330x, can mix remotely which is a nice feature.

S

If you get the SA 330x system be sure to get the rolling deluxe case, too.
Besides the 330x stuff (minus the sub) there’s room in there for a couple mic stands, mics and cords, and power cords.
Very handy. I like mine a lot.

Then again the 330x has been around for a while now.
If I were buying a new system I would definitely audition the EV Evolve 30M & 50M systems that are getting so much love here right now.

Cheers, _Roger

EV30 or Yamaha Stagepas anything. 1k, 400, 600. They're all good.

I think the Fishman systems is a good idea. Any of the portable PA systems from Bose, EV, etc. are good for this application.

How big a venue are you contemplating?

Cheapest way to go would be to use your Loudbox as the PA. Bring all your inputs together in an unpowered mixer, feeding into the Loudbox. If you need more wattage, a powered speaker could be added (or replace your Loudbox).

But, I am cheap. er...economical.

For a coffee shop, the 50M is overkill. The 30M would do great.

The app controlled mixer will let you mix from anywhere in the shop. You won’t need monitors. You can also use it for background music. You can save your open mic setup as a preset so that you can always get back to where you want to be if someone else has used the system

The 30M is really the perfect PA for this.

It's simplicity vs. versatility. How much work do you want to do? Size of room is a factor too, and how much of a sound junkie are you?

Any chance of the new owner supporting the open mic?

How about a “stick system” PA with a mixer doo-hickey? Bose comes to mind, but there are other, less pricey options.

Not sure a powered mixer set up wouldnt put you into the price range of a Bose 8 or 16 stick.

I use a mixer and a couple of powered speakers on stands. An analog mixer will do, but I like using my XR18 digital mixer, so that I can sit facing the stage and control everything with my laptop and tablet.

...is what I have.

I've got a 1K and a 600. The 600 is easy to set up (aside from having to lug speaker stands), and I love how versatile it is and how easily expandable it can be.

The 1k is impressive too. I prefer to use a small mixer with it, as the number of channels is minimal.