Maybe it's just me, but it really bothers me to see newbie sound system owners chase gadgets when so many parts of their sound system need help first. I hope some of this is redundant to you, but I want to spell it out now, and discuss some examples and rationale.
In summary, sound system budget priorities should be:
1. Microphones/DI's
2. Monitor System
3. Mixing Console(s) 4. Power Amplifiers
5. Main Speakers
Note that the categories did not include outboard electronics, stage lighting, CD players or any other stuff. When you get these five categories well covered, then you can go compressor or effects shopping. But also think of the order when upgrading gear. It makes no sense to order up a bunch of 2- by 18-inch subwoofer cabinets if you only have a couple of 500 watt power amplifiers to drive them.
Capability Versus Quality
Through decades of providing sound systems for my own band and for hire, I have learned that no one starts from scratch, and every purchase is an upgrade from nothing or a less-than-adequate something. My first purchases were made when opportunities arose to buy "value-based" gear with my scarce funds. As my financial situation improved, I purchased respected brands with reputations for long road life and improved performance quality.
For example, back in the 1970s I had capable microphones called the Radio Shack Highball mics and felt that the "made by Shure" manufacturer's imprint on them kept me good until I could afford SM58s and SM57s. My monitor wedges capability went from none to homebrew to JBL G-series to my current EV Xw wedges. My console choices went from homebrew to Peavey MD-16 to an Allen & Heath GL2200 and on to a Soundcraft GB4. My power amplifiers started with repaired Bogen 60 watt units, to Peavey M-3000's to Carver PM-1.5A's to QSC PowerLights. And my mains speakers went from Peavey 4- by 12-inch columns to EV Eliminators to EV QRx speakers.
Microphones are priority one because good microphones will outlast your life, and bad microphones will take your good s o u n d s and make it suck all the way through the signal chain. Good microphones do not have to cost hundreds of dollars, but the right microphone for the right application will not need to be upgraded for decades. Yeah, I know most all of you have used $19 microphones at some point in your life, but most all of you also know their sound quality limitations.
Monitor System
When I say monitor system, I mean more than just the speakers themselves. The speakers, the monitor power amplifiers and the equalizers become the total system, and are only as good as the weakest link. By making good wedges, powerful amplifiers and professional equalizers your second priority you will make sure that the talent gets a quality image of their performance, and this image re-circulates as an even better performance to the audience. And I still have not found useful reason to own a dual 15-band graphic equalizer, but they still keep making them, and gullible bands and startup soundco's keep buying them.
Consoles
This category almost needs no explanation, but there are big differences in the quality of the sounds transmitted through various brands of consoles. I don't blame anyone who only has a "box mixer/power amp" combo when starting out, but I do recommend upgrading your console periodically as funds allow. It is not just how many channels and aux sends you need, but how clean and clear do the output signals sound when PFL-ing around the console. The signal quality should remain the same from the channel strip, through the groups and through the masters. And if you can A/B consoles with your favorite CD tracks, you can hear a wide variety of quality, from "masked" or "muffled" to something that delivers a pristine sound that draws you into hanging out and listening for long times.
Power Amps
Judging power amps today is almost a futile task, as most of the surviving brands have what it takes to keep the signal amplification transparent. Where power amplifiers separate the "men from the boys" is in reliability and efficiency. In decades past, poor fidelity amplification was given a pass if the power ratings were high enough. Today, every manufacturer can build kilowatt per channel amplifiers of high fidelity, so the question becomes: will the product survive after a couple years of collecting dust and enduring bad power conditions? As I remind many people considering power amps made in China: There are six levels of electronic component quality there, and the bottom five will not survive five years of usage. Buy the watts you can afford, but buy the reputable brand names first.
Mains Speakers
Last on the priority list, but certainly not least, are the audience speakers. Newbies should start out with what gets them through the smaller gigs, and rent for the bigger gigs. There are so many choices for under $500 a speaker that picking a good one is quite a task. The best way is to invite a more experienced soundco friend to help with the shopping. Beyond entry-level, the competition evens out much more, but keep in mind transportability aspects like sensitivity, weight and frequency response along with power handling. Why buy four 99 dB SPL sensitivity speakers when a pair of 102 dB SPL speakers will get the same job done more efficiently? The case for more speakers is generally only when you need wider coverage angles, not more SPL. I am seeing a nasty trend for speakers requiring higher power levels and not delivering all that much more loudness. If Woodstock was done with only 1200 watts, why do I have to bring 5000 watts into a club gig? Your father's speakers were not high fidelity, but they could throw for miles on tens of watts.
Last Words
This budget priorities piece is aimed at newbies, but the wisdom applies to us oldsters too. Consider what gear the other soundco's in your area have, and maybe use the same brands and models. This way, when times are tough, you can cross-rent your spare gear to the other soundco's or rent their gear to handle the occasional mega-gig that comes your way.
Also, resist trolling through online auctions and other classified ads and buying on impulse. I use eBay pro audio listings as a general indicator of what is quality versus trash. When I see a lot of any one model up for auction, it stands out as a red flag to me. I will not disparage any brands here, but if you are manufacturing trash, it tends to get traded away often.
E-mail Mark at marka@fohonline.com.
