Battery Powered PA

[Wistah]

I may be performing at a beach wedding with no power this summer. 50 or so guests, but outside. What would you fine folks recommend for battery powered PA equipment? I would need enough oomph to cover the audience plus background noise, and there would be three performers (singer, guitar player, violin) going through the PA.

What options do I have? Budget is not a major consideration, but we are all trying to make a living, so lets say $1500.

Thanks for your advice!

[AeroUSA]

Bose S1 Pro x2

[lkingston]

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

Bose S1 Pro x2

They would go well with the new Elite Acoustics X6 mixer that is supposed to come out in March.

eliteacoustics.com

[Mandobart]

You can use your current amp or PA with a properly sized inverter, for a LOT less than $1500. To power my Carvin AG300 for a wedding up in the mountains with no electricity available, I built my own power supply using a Cotek 200 W pure wine wave inverter and a 35 amp-hour rated lead acid battery. The whole thing weighs about 30 lbs. Go to this thread on another discussion and scroll down to post #48 on page 2.

This AGF thread discusses power requirements for an amp. I went through all this for my Carvin and found 200 watts is the right size to power my amp, pedals, charge a phone and run a fan. 35 amp-hr battery lets me do that for about 7 hours

[JonnyBGood]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

You can use your current amp or PA with a properly sized inverter, for a LOT less than $1500.

This is exactly what I used to do for weddings in locations with no power - inverter + leisure battery. I also busked with this rig, it sounded great. Bit of a hassle to carry it to and from the car (a sack truck helped).

I later had a Roland Cube St Ex, a favourite battery amp for buskers, but it was nowhere close in terms of sound quality, volume and battery duration.

[Shaneh]

For a PA the eon pro can be good but you need something to convert your guitar signal to xlr to get the right volume. However if you already have a PA get a goal zero yeti of the appropriate size, 400 or 1000 for way less $$ and you can use all your equipment you have with plenty of power for everything. Als comes in handy for many other uses for when you need power

[zhunter]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

You can use your current amp or PA with a properly sized inverter, for a LOT less than $1500. To power my Carvin AG300 for a wedding up in the mountains with no electricity available, I built my own power supply using a Cotek 200 W pure wine wave inverter and a 35 amp-hour rated lead acid battery. The whole thing weighs about 30 lbs. Go to this thread on another discussion and scroll down to post #48 on page 2.

This AGF thread discusses power requirements for an amp. I went through all this for my Carvin and found 200 watts is the right size to power my amp, pedals, charge a phone and run a fan. 35 amp-hr battery lets me do that for about 7 hours

Assuming you already have a PA and this is a one off deal where weight and frequent setup/teardown are not issues, a battery inverter power supply is going to work well and be a least cost option. For a one time deal, get a low cost lead acid battery with sufficient AH power your set. Or if your set is not too long or loud and your auto battery is in good shape, use that. I have run gear on a modified sine wave inverter and not every piece of gear runs clean on it so a pure sine wave is a more reliable option. But more costly.

There are websites out there that will help you calculate your battery needs.

hunter

[Wistah]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I think my current PA would probably have a lot of current draw.

Well, my PA typically consists of:
2 to 4 Alto TS210 active speakers (2 up, 2 monitors)
Soundcraft Mixer
Preamps (Tonebone, BBE Acoustimax)

Alternatively, I have a pair of EV ELX12's that I throw onto poles.
I also have a loudbox mini that's nice for small gigs, and a Turbosound IP500 that I am not fond of (underpowered).

I feel like the power needs of this rig might be too high for an inverter / battery situation. But it might work ok for the loudbox or one of the PA speakers. Which might be enough to get me by. You got me thinking.

Thanks!

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by Wistah

Thank you all for the suggestions. I think my current PA would probably have a lot of current draw.

Well, my PA typically consists of:
2 to 4 Alto TS210 active speakers (2 up, 2 monitors)
Soundcraft Mixer
Preamps (Tonebone, BBE Acoustimax)...

I feel like the power needs of this rig might be too high for an inverter / battery situation. But it might work ok for the loudbox or one of the PA speakers. Which might be enough to get me by. You got me thinking.

Thanks!

Don't guess! Its easy to see how much your gear actually draws. My Carvin is rated 250 watts when used with the extension cab. My 200 W inverter powers it just fine. Audio gear companies are pretty good at hyperbolic power claims. Your TS210 active speakers are rated at 550 W continuous. Times 4 = 2,200 W. If you had to supply that much AC power at 120 volts you couldn't plug in to a single standard 15 A receptacle, as it would draw over 18 A! Your EV ELX12's are rated at 300 W continuous. At max power they would draw 5 A. At normal performance volume I would expect maybe 3 A max.

All you need is a short pig tail (1 foot or less AC extension cord with outer jacket removed) and clamp-on AC ammeter. First measure your outlet voltage. Then plug in the pig tail. Plug your amp into the pig tail. Put the clamp on set to AC amperes around either the hot or neutral. The current it reads times the voltage you measured is the power (technically the apparent power in volt-amperes, not true power in watts) that your amp draws. This will vary of course with the volume setting. Set your volume a little higher than what you expect you'll need at the beach. I'll be surprised if you draw more than 5 amperes, which equates to 600 W.

[Wistah]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

Don't guess! Its easy to see how much your gear actually draws. My Carvin is rated 250 watts when used with the extension cab. My 200 W inverter powers it just fine. Audio gear companies are pretty good at hyperbolic power claims. Your TS210 active speakers are rated at 550 W continuous. Times 4 = 2,200 W. If you had to supply that much AC power at 120 volts you couldn't plug in to a single standard 15 A receptacle, as it would draw over 18 A! Your EV ELX12's are rated at 300 W continuous. At max power they would draw 5 A. At normal performance volume I would expect maybe 3 A max.

All you need is a short pig tail (1 foot or less AC extension cord with outer jacket removed) and clamp-on AC ammeter. First measure your outlet voltage. Then plug in the pig tail. Plug your amp into the pig tail. Put the clamp on set to AC amperes around either the hot or neutral. The current it reads times the voltage you measured is the power (technically the apparent power in volt-amperes, not true power in watts) that your amp draws. This will vary of course with the volume setting. Set your volume a little higher than what you expect you'll need at the beach. I'll be surprised if you draw more than 5 amperes, which equates to 600 W.

This is a great idea. I will do this. Thanks!

[51 Relic]

Originally Posted by AeroUSA

Bose S1 Pro x2

I would Recommend the above as well .With or without the Tonematch this would be a great system

[ricdoug]

I've performed a lot of beach gigs here in San Diego. The ambient noise from the Pacific Ocean is overwhelming and you have to get the sound over that. Two Roland BA-330's mounted high on poles with extra battery packs or two Bose S1 Pro's mounted high on poles. I use a Behringer 1002B battery powered mi er to add microphones and instruments. Spare batteries for the mixer are a must. I've found that at almost every portable event there are long winded speakers that will go well over your agreed time, so be prepared for that. Here's one of my setups:

https://m.imgur.com/account/ricdoug/images/e8R29bh

[Wistah]

Originally Posted by ricdoug

I've performed a lot of beach gigs here in San Diego. The ambient noise from the Pacific Ocean is overwhelming and you have to get the sound over that. Two Roland BA-330's mounted high on poles with extra battery packs or two Bose S1 Pro's mounted high on poles. I use a Behringer 1002B battery powered mi er to add microphones and instruments. Spare batteries for the mixer are a must. I've found that at almost every portable event there are long winded speakers that will go well over your agreed time, so be prepared for that. Here's one of my setups:

https://m.imgur.com/account/ricdoug/images/e8R29bh

Thanks! Which do you like better, the Roland or the Bose? Which gets louder? (I miss San Diego, lived there for 5 years back in the 2000's.) I have one of those Behringer mixers, I use it in my studio for everything... headphone amp, utility mixer, routing different speakers, etc.

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by Wistah

Thanks! Which do you like better, the Roland or the Bose? Which gets louder? (I miss San Diego, lived there for 5 years back in the 2000's.) I have one of those Behringer mixers, I use it in my studio for everything... headphone amp, utility mixer, routing different speakers, etc.

I have the S1, did check out the Roland BA-330. Both have a max db of 109 as rated by the manufacturer. The BA-330 uses 4 6.5" speakers and 2 tweeters, the Bose uses 1 6" speaker and 3 2.25" high excursion drivers mounted in a curved array. Realistically, both will put out decent sound, but the Roland is actually 2-15w amps, where the Bose I've seen rated at 140 or 150w (can't verify that, but it seems high to me). There is a limit to how much power the Roland can put out when being run by 8 AA batteries. I would expect the Bose to be louder than the Roland. What I heard, I prefer the sound of the Bose.

The Roland has 2 mic channels and two 1/4" channels, if you need more than one of each. The Bose has 2 channels, both can be used for mic or guitar; plus one aux channel 1/8" or bluetooth input.

Size wise, the Bose is smaller and nearly half the weight (15 pounds vs 30). Either can be used on a speaker stand, on the floor, or on a table. The Bose is designed to be used tilted back as well; the Roland has the folding legs that allow it to be tilted back. The Bose can also be used horizontal (again, built in tilt) as a monitor. Price wise, they are both in the $599 range.

My choice is the Bose S1. I also have a Bose L1C; and a battery powered Roland (Street Cube) that is pretty underwhelming. With both Bose units doing all I expect from them, I will admit my preference. I have used my S1 as a monitor when using the L1C.

Depending on the beach situation, I would think either would serve you well.

[TubeG]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

I have the S1, did check out the Roland BA-330. Both have a max db of 109 as rated by the manufacturer. The BA-330 uses 4 6.5" speakers and 2 tweeters, the Bose uses 1 6" speaker and 3 2.25" high excursion drivers mounted in a curved array. Realistically, both will put out decent sound, but the Roland is actually 2-15w amps, where the Bose I've seen rated at 140 or 150w (can't verify that, but it seems high to me). There is a limit to how much power the Roland can put out when being run by 8 AA batteries. I would expect the Bose to be louder than the Roland. What I heard, I prefer the sound of the Bose.

The Roland has 2 mic channels and two 1/4" channels, if you need more than one of each. The Bose has 2 channels, both can be used for mic or guitar; plus one aux channel 1/8" or bluetooth input.

Size wise, the Bose is smaller and nearly half the weight (15 pounds vs 30). Either can be used on a speaker stand, on the floor, or on a table. The Bose is designed to be used tilted back as well; the Roland has the folding legs that allow it to be tilted back. The Bose can also be used horizontal (again, built in tilt) as a monitor. Price wise, they are both in the $599 range.

My choice is the Bose S1. I also have a Bose L1C; and a battery powered Roland (Street Cube) that is pretty underwhelming. With both Bose units doing all I expect from them, I will admit my preference. I have used my S1 as a monitor when using the L1C.

Depending on the beach situation, I would think either would serve you well.

Is the S1 140watt or 40watt? 40 war was mentioned on the Bose forum when it first released.