PA System - best for most scenarios

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by zhunter

So is battery power a convenience, a fad or a rising need?

hunter

All three. It's definitely a convenience, for sure. If you play outside at all (and many do at farmer's markets and other outdoor shows) then it's definitely a need. Last and probably least is fad. I'd say it's less a fad than it is a useful feature that many of the smaller, portable systems are starting to incorporate because they now can with the new advancements in rechargeable batteries and electronics that allow small, lightweight systems to function perfectly well under internal, rechargeable battery power with no loss of fidelity or power.

I now have two, lightweight pieces of gear with internal, rechargeable battery power (Bose S1 and EAE StompMix X6) that allow our acoustic duo to play anywhere, anytime without the need of external power. And we're now slowly going almost full wireless so the need for any cords at all becomes less and less. I truly envision a day in the not so distant future where you will see disparate pieces of gear incorporate wireless connections built in for instruments and other pieces of gear. Love it!

[JakeStone]

As a now steady gigging solo / duo guy.. 2-3 places a week, I have learned real quick it ain’t one size fits all.

The OP is on right track. The S1 serves its purpose.. small, light with great sound. 3 inputs, Reverb. Add battery for ease of set up.What’s not to like.. for lower volume Solo ..small area gigs up to 30 people or so.

But as a duo we tried 2 S1 at a larger restaurant and they just didn’t have enough umph.. to cover entire place. So we used mixer with the L1 Compact. With the S1 for monitors.

In place of L1c there are multitude of powered speakers that will work. The Fishman 330 certainly a contender,

But if I was looking for ultimate versatility...to play larger places. I’d go with 1 or a pair of powered speakers .. best I can afford .. with a mixer.... this is coming from playing many gigs blind.. never knowing set up until we arrive. So we need to bring everything to be sure.

The battery aspect is super appealing to me.. when doing solo wine bar or patio gig. Farmers market, busking etc. But these are low volume and smallish settings. Less clutter and not depending on huge extension cords to trip over. Plus I think the venue appreciates the not needing anything from them,, clean setup.

Again it’s not one size fits all..but Having a small setup and a larger add on is great way to go!

[mitcher16]

Wow, thanks so much everyone for your awesome posts and insight. So many good points have been raised so really appreciate it.

Methos1979, yes I have watched your videos and they showcase how two S1's outside really sound so thanks for that and very much appreciate you putting forth that effort for fellow performers. Fantastic.

Sadly, there really isn't 'one size fits all' but having the ability to expand is probably the way to go.

Off topic, had a two hour gig yesterday at a large coffeehouse with high ceilings and the S1 performed fantastic and my vocals and guitar sounded wonderful. What didn't sound great was the two year old playing 4 feet in front of me with metal dishes (there was a playset in the coffeehouse) and dropping them on the floor for 30 minutes while the mother sat there and smiled at her son....ugh....oh well, just continued to smile and play on!

Thanks again everyone and have a great rest of the weekend.
Cheers.

[Lost in Sound]

It's a great time for gear, there is so much good stuff out there, you can't go too wrong, especially with sound advice from the AGF I've been really happy with a small Mackie 4 channel mixer into a single 12" powered speaker (JBLeon612). I'd love a second speaker for backup and if I do need to get over a large crowd and not push that single as hard, but the one speaker has still sounded fantastic up to 120 people. I guess it's finding the balance of portability and power. All the best.

[varmonter]

i tend to agree about bumping up to the limit
with battery powered speakers. I have a eae d68
and it is a hi fidelity piece of gear as i am sure
the s1 is as well. personally I would buy a powered
speaker and a board first. And not worry about not having
enough. Get an s1 later and use it at smaller quiet venues.
Two forty watt s1 speakers are not louder than one s1 speaker.
they just provide more coverage. Me i still stick with my k10(1000 watts)
and board for most gigs. Wattage gives you better quality at lower volumes
and isnt harsh when pushed like the s1.
my d68 works well at a few venues.

[zhunter]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

All three. It's definitely a convenience, for sure. If you play outside at all (and many do at farmer's markets and other outdoor shows) then it's definitely a need. Last and probably least is fad. I'd say it's less a fad than it is a useful feature that many of the smaller, portable systems are starting to incorporate because they now can with the new advancements in rechargeable batteries and electronics that allow small, lightweight systems to function perfectly well under internal, rechargeable battery power with no loss of fidelity or power.

I now have two, lightweight pieces of gear with internal, rechargeable battery power (Bose S1 and EAE StompMix X6) that allow our acoustic duo to play anywhere, anytime without the need of external power. And we're now slowly going almost full wireless so the need for any cords at all becomes less and less. I truly envision a day in the not so distant future where you will see disparate pieces of gear incorporate wireless connections built in for instruments and other pieces of gear. Love it!

The outdoor market venues that have entertainment around here all provide power. I did run into a need at an outdoor pavilion situation but those are even providing power in many cases. And I did a waterside thing where I used the battery power. Those situations and the now rare impromptu street thing are the only times the battery was a necessity. Just not very often for me. As in almost never.

No doubt the battery drives up both cost and weight however slightly at some level. And almost invariably running on built in battery power adds a power compromise. And a degree of uncertainty about adequacy. As for the number of new battery power rigs? Yes leaps and bounds in battery technology have helped. Ultimately I think, aside from street busking, manufactures sensed a chance to sell stuff as the interest in battery power has taken off.

I still like my Roland and the few times I had to use it for a gig I found it performed from marginal OK to great depending on the situation. I have heard plenty of buskers sound very good using them on the street. I still drag mine out to the porch and throw it in the car for road trips where it does a good job. Would I ever use it in a gig situation where power was available? No. Which is why I always say, don't pay for it unless you need it.

hunter

[rob2966]

Originally Posted by JakeStone

The S1 Pro does a fantastic job for my solo gigs. Highly recommended!

I also play as a duo at restaurants and pubs and we add the Bose L1 compact. Using the S1 as monitor wedge. This combo covers a lot of “ground”. We have tried 2 S1 pros for small to medium rooms with excellent results. .But IMO the L1C covers deep rooms better.

I have the same setup. I use an L1 compact for FOH, and the S1 Pro is my monitor. I can also give you the option of S1 Pro only and battery.

Do you even expect to need more sound (i.e. 2 x S1 Pro) while still being on batteries? That seems like an unrealistic ask of any gigging situation.

Later
Rob