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am I missing essential gear in my PA system?

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Tucker View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tucker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: am I missing essential gear in my PA system?
    Posted: 02 December 2021 at 4:46pm
My current system I run audio from the DJ controller straight to the active crossover and that splits the audio to the 12" powered tops and the sub amps. I see a lot of PA systems where people run driveracks, mixers, and active EQ's etc. and I'm just wondering if you guys think I need that additional gear. I think the audio sounds pretty good and the extra gear I just mentioned seems mostly beneficial for live instrument PA's but I'm just playing house, techno and other electronic.

I don't think I really need a ton of EQ bands, a mixer or any of that but I'm wondering if there's functions on that gear that I'm overlooking.

Thanks in advance.

Tucker
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Tinnitus Rex View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tinnitus Rex Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 December 2021 at 5:29pm
As long as your X over has limiters, keeping things simple is best!
What xover do you have, analog or digital ?


Edited by Tinnitus Rex - 02 December 2021 at 5:35pm
"couldn't we just like... use headphones?"
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Tucker View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tucker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 December 2021 at 6:01pm
Originally posted by Tinnitus Rex Tinnitus Rex wrote:

As long as your X over has limiters, keeping things simple is best!
What xover do you have, analog or digital ?

Behringer Super X, I don't think it has any limiters though. However I believe my sub amps and the active tops have their own limiters.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tinnitus Rex Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 December 2021 at 8:08pm
Hi ,If you need to go up a level , buy a digital xover, behringer ones are well documened here,you get all the toys built in , EQ, limiters,level meters and more . I am very familier with the "super x" series of xovers from when they first introduced them , Although they sound"good"they are all fundemetly flawed by bad quality switches, and the ones with limiters  the whole sound "dissapears" when the limiters are first triggered ,it does come backafter 2 seconds!( get some right funny looks when used for monitors), I owned 4 and have encountered many faults on these units belonging to others, like alot of older Behringer stuff they destroyed their initial reputation by appaling quality control  , bad ergonomics and TOO MANY LEDs........ The newer stuff is OK  by all accounts (they had the last laugh by buying out all their superiors)
Get yourself a Digital Xover, its the heart of any size system, you wont regret it.


Edited by Tinnitus Rex - 02 December 2021 at 8:38pm
"couldn't we just like... use headphones?"
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Conanski View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Conanski Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 December 2021 at 4:04am
I routinely setup DJ systems with nothing but powered speakers and a DJ controller... no extra gear at all. If the event requires microphones a small pro sound mixer is added between the controller and speakers to interface the mics and add vocal effects where necessary. In general there is no need for external processing with powered speakers if it's just for music playback. 
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snowflake View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snowflake Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 December 2021 at 1:17pm
ultradrive is really the minimum because it gives you some parametric eq built in which you can use for tone control, room EQ, sytem EQ etc.
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teeth View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote teeth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 December 2021 at 5:19pm
+1 for ultradrive, they really are great units, so useful.
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bob4 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bob4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 December 2021 at 9:58am
Have to agree that the ultradrive is a good option, but definitely underpowered considering the overall feature set. You run out of dsp power very fast unless you are doing very basic things. 

In the budget department the new tracks dsp series might be worth a look. But i have to say that i have no personal experience with them. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote teeth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 January 2022 at 8:45pm
@tucker, will be selling my ultradrive soon if you are interested.
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markie View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote markie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 January 2022 at 9:51pm
As Conanski said there's nothing wrong with KISS.

As long as you have a Mk 1 E-Roll that's all you need.
If it's got wheels or tits it's gonna cost a fortune
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