As a DJ or performing musician, you need a PA system that can capture, mix, and amplify your performance to deliver to your audience your sound as natural and clear as possible.
Nowadays there are so many different PA systems tailored to all kinds of live performances making it difficult to choose the right PA system for live music.
You need something that is easy to setup yet delivers high quality audio. For a performing musician, live band, or DJ having the right PA system makes all the difference because what comes out of the speakers is what the audience is going to hear.
This article is a simple buyer’s guide aimed to help live music performers understand the characteristics and specifications that need to be considered when selecting the best PA system for live music.
I will walk you through some considerations to help you find the best PA system for you, giving you some tips from my own experience with some of these systems that I own or have used in the past.
How to Choose the Best Portable PA System for Live Music
When choosing a PA system there are some variables that need to be considered to make the right choice. For example, you’ll need to know the answer to the following questions:
- The size of your audience and noise level
- Do you need your PA system to be portable?
- Do you need your PA system to be Battery powered?
- How many input channels do you need?
- What sound quality do you want?
- How much money do you want to invest?
By answering these questions, it will be easier to choose the right PA system for your needs.
The Size of Your Audience and Noise Level
This is the first step we need to consider because it will be the starting point to choosing the right system.As the size of the audience and event venue increases so does the amount of power (measured in Watts) and SPL (measured in Decibels) that would be needed for your sound reinforcement system.
Just to clarify, SPL stands for Sound Pressure Level and it is a measure of how loud a PA system is. For example, by doubling the power of your system that doesn’t mean that you are doubling the loudness, by doubling the power you only increase the loudness by 3dB. It would take approximately 10 times the amount of power in watts to perceive twice the loudness.
Therefore, the SPL measure of the loudness of a speaker system is a very important specification to consider when choosing the right PA system for live music.
One thing to keep in mind is that as more loudness (SPL) is needed, the price of the speaker system increases as well.
In addition to the size of your audience, you must considerer if the PA system is going to be used indoors, outdoors, or both. If it is used indoors, usually less power and SPL would be needed but if it is used outdoors, since sound reflections decrease so does the overall loudness of your system.
If you are a soloist singer/player or duo that uses soundtracks for singing in small cafes or in gigs for audiences between 20-50 people, a small system like the Samson Expedition XP150 would be enough, plus it is very portable. Read the full review here.
For bigger audiences between 50-100 people, a good option is the JBL EON208P. This system is very portable but also provides many features. It comes with an 8-channel powered mixing console and Bluetooth pairing capability. Read the full review here.
Do you Need your PA System to be Portable?
Another key factor that we need to take into consideration is the portability of the speaker system.
Conventional sound reinforcement systems are made of several separate pieces of equipment such as mixing board, speakers, monitors, effects, etc. These traditional systems are heavy, require lots of space to transport, and take a long time to set up on stage.
If as a performing musician, you need to move your PA system to different venues and don’t have the space to transport the system, you are probably better off with a portable system. A portable PA system even though is more limited than traditional systems, they are very light and easy to transport. They easily fit even in the smallest of compact cars and can be set up in a few minutes.
If you are reading this post, probably you are a musician/singer or band that play in different events and just need a portable yet powerful system to play your gigs.
By my own experience, I can tell you that using a portable system is going to make your life much easier. I was part of a small acoustic group. Each time there was a gig I had to move a whole bunch of equipment until I got tired of it and decided to find a portable system to fit our needs.
I bought two Bose L1 Compact speakers and connected them to a small Yamaha MG10xumixer. In less than 20 minutes everything was set up and ready to go. To learn more about this portable speaker from Bose read the full review here.
If you are a solo performer that needs to hook up a guitar and a microphone for vocal, only one Bose L1 compact will be enough for indoor venues between 100 to 120 people and for outdoors between 70 to 90 people.
If you need a system with higher SPL for outdoor events check out the Bose L1 Model 1S Single B2 Bass Speaker System. This system would be enough for audiences to up to 500 people. If you are a band, two of these systems with a bigger mixer like the 16-Channel Yamaha MGP16X would be perfect for your gigs.
Do you Need your PA System to be Battery Powered?
Nowadays there are some awesome PA systems that are battery powered that can be used for hours of uninterrupted performance time and can provide excellent sound quality.
In some venues it could be difficult to find a power outlet exactly where you want to setup your system. So, you would have to run extension cords all over the place and that would make your gig look unprofessional and disorganized.
For instances like that it would come very handy and ideal to have a PA system that would operate without having to plug it into an outlet. One of such a system that provides excellent sound quality is the Bose S1 Pro. It has a 3-channel mixer specifically designed and sonically tailored for acoustic instruments like a guitar, ukulele, violins, cello, and vocals. It can also be paired with any Bluetooth device like a phone or table to stream music from it. For a full review of this awesome system read this article.
For bigger venues or outdoor gigs, the JBL EON ONE PRO portable battery powered PA system for live music would be a perfect choice. It features a 7-Channel mixer with Hi-Z and XLR inputs, phantom power, and XLR pass-thru for expansion. It includes a rechargeable battery that delivers 6 hours of playtime.
For your backing tracks, you can pair your mobile devices via Bluetooth for streaming and use the built-in stand and USB charging port for your mobile devices. Read a more detailed review of the JBL EON ONE PRO here.
How Many Input Channels do you Need?
This is another important factor you need to know. If you need a PA system for just one instrument and one microphone, then you would need at least a 2-input channel system. Most portable PA systems have between 2 and 4 channels. The bigger portable system can go up to 8 or 12 input channels.
Most systems mentioned in this article are between 2 and 7 input systems. In case you have a 2-input channel system such as the Bose L1 Compact and need more channels, the best portable way is to get a small mixing console and your problem would be solved.
For increasing the input channel capabilities of your portable PA system, I highly recommend the Yamaha mg10xu mixer and the Mackie PROFX8V2 mixing console. This two units will meet or exceed your expectations I have personally used both and they have great preamps, good audio effects, and an unbeatable price.
Sound Quality
The sound quality of a PA system can be measured by how close to the original sound can a system reproduce. It is basically an assessment of the accuracy of the audio that the system outputs.
I have found out that as less equipment is in the audio chain the better the sound. I am not saying that the different audio equipment that are available are not necessary in some cases, all I am saying is that for a performing artist that need a PA system for live music it is better to use a system that can reproduce the sound as accurately as possible of whatever is being played.
For a system to be able to reproduce a sound as close as possible to the original it must be able to reproduce all the frequencies between 20Hz to 20kHz. Therefore, most systems have tweeters that reproduce the high frequencies and a woofer that reproduce the middle and low frequencies.
I don’t like the idea of splitting high and low frequencies using a passive frequency crossover in the speaker cabinet, because as this is done some middle frequencies are lost. Also, some of the tweeters can add so much hiss to the sound that makes it sound artificial and unnatural.
I prefer a PA system that has drivers that reproduce high and mid frequencies together without splitting them and only splits the low frequencies (filler frequencies). The reason is because if a speaker can reproduce high and mid frequencies without splitting them the sound would be more accurate and natural.
This is the result that we want, a sound that is as close as possible to the original source from where is being generated, namely a voice, instrument or recording.
How Much Money do you Want to Invest?
You can invest as few as $200 to get a decent system or could spend thousands. Depending on the budget you have is the type of speaker you’ll get. Keep in mind that as prices increase so does the quality and power of a PA system.
When selecting a portable PA system for a band or for a solo artist first address your audio needs before committing to buy a system. If you have a big budget it doesn’t mean that by buying an expensive system, it would fulfill your audio needs. First asses all your needs by answering the six questions that we mentioned at the beginning of the article and then decide what would fit your needs.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we are trying to provide you with enough information to make the right choice when purchasing a portable PA system. To help you with your decision I have mentioned some of the best portable PA systems for live music that are available in the market today. These systems have been tested and are being used by many professional musicians and performers around the world delivering the best results.
We have also included links for you to read detailed reviews of the mentioned systems. All of these systems are of high quality and each one of them will meet or exceed your expectations.