A look into my current setup

Mike details his setup of his new PA system that he’s been building.

This setup is configured to run about 4000 watts, between the subs, mains and monitors which reliablely puts out about 120-125 decibels in a medium sized room. Unfortuneately, I haven’t spent a lot of time using the system since the completion was during the time I was in Iraq and since my PA lives in Connecticut and I live in Germany, I have yet to spend many sweaty nights with this baby.

Read more below:

• Mackie SR24.4 Console
• PreSonus ACP88 Gate/Compressor
• dbx 1066 Gate/Compressor
• dbx 215 EQ
• dbx 1231 EQ
• Lexicon MPX1 Effects Processor
• 4 Yamaha SM15IV Mains/Monitors
• 2 Yamaha SM15V Mains/Monitors
• Yamaha SW118 Sub
• 2 Mackie SRS1500 Powered Sub
• Mackie 1400i Amp
• 2 Yamaha P5000S Amp
• Furman PL-PLUSII Power Conditioner
• Furman RP-8D Power Conditioner
• Assorted Calzone Shockmounted Racks

This setup is configured to run about 4000 watts, between the subs, mains and monitors which reliablely puts out about 120-125 decibels in a medium sized room. Unfortuneately, I haven’t spent a lot of time using the system since the completion was during the time I was in Iraq and since my PA lives in Connecticut and I live in Germany, I have yet to spend many sweaty nights with this baby.

I’ve worked with most of the components in the PA. The last pieces were the Mackie SR24.4 (VLZ!!!!), a pair of Yamaha Club V mains (improved versions of the Club IV), PreSonus ACP88 (I have yet to truely work with it), 2 Yamaha P5000S amps (solid workhorses), dbx 215 (it’s an EQ, not too exciting), Yamaha 18″ sub (good for a drum box) and the awesome Lexicon MPX1 (I think it’s smarter than me).

Even without this stuff, the PA sounded better than most of house PA’s we’ve used over the years. Running the Mackie amp to power monitors and mains and using a Mackie CFX12 (which I’ve sold) made for a nice and somewhat compact system.

Even with all that’s in the system, there some things I have yet to decide on. The PreSonus ACP88 is a fine compressor but I think I like the sound of the dbx 66 series. Comparing the 1066 to the ACP88, the dbx has a fatter sound BUT, the PreSonus had timed gates which are nicer to work with. I guess I’ll have to get a rack of timed gates and 4 dbx 166XL’s…

The other issue that I have is matching my speakers. I think I might go all unpowered Yamaha speakers, Club Concert Series with some P7000S amps. The Mackie subs are great but I like the sound of 18’s. It’s that “takes-your-breath-away” punch you get in your chest.

Anyhow, that’s a project for later down the road when I’m actually using the PA.