Tech: mini pa monitors

Subject: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: alex s
Date: 06 Feb 11 - 09:19 AM

I'm looking for very small monitors for use with a compact ceilidh band - maybe something that will clip to a mike stand. Not very expensive would be ideal....

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: bigchuck
Date: 06 Feb 11 - 09:47 AM

Check out Behringer's B205D, which is a powered 8" PA speaker; very compact and decent sound. There's also a 5" version that will mount on a mic stand. It's more money , but Roland makes a powered monitor cube that will mount on a mic stand. I've used both and they work well,

Sandy

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 06 Feb 11 - 12:14 PM

I have one of these - http://www.mackie.com/products/srm150/ - it comes with a mic. stand adapter but, again, they're not that cheap.

Very well built, 48 volt phantom power, sounds fine as an acoustic amp. I bought it for mandolin but its OK with a guitar plugged straight in.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Feb 11 - 02:42 PM

SRM 150

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: C-flat
Date: 06 Feb 11 - 02:47 PM

Might be worth shopping around for some of these second-hand.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: treewind
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 04:58 AM

I use JBL Control 1's for exactly this.

You can buy a stand adapter for it but it's quite expensive. I made a couple of brackets out of short pieces of L-section aluminium with two holes drilled in them. There's a threaded hole in the back of the speaker and I leave the brackets permanently screwed on. You need an amplifier capable of driving a 4 ohm load.

The control 1 is an amazingly robust little speaker. I've used them for a small PA a couple of times and they worked well for that too.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: Bernard
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 07:15 AM

My vote is for the JBL Control 1, too. They stopped making the mic stand adaptor some years ago, possibly because nobody wanted to pay and made their own instead.

I've used M8 studding couplers bolted to the bottom of the speakers, then tapped the other end to 3/8 Whitworth, which is one of the standard sizes on mic stands. It's a simple and neat solution. I did originally modify the 'official' wall brackets, but wasn't so happy with the result.

K&M (the stand people) do make generic stand adaptors, which is another possibility - they make a lot of the OEM stands and adaptors badged as 'Beyer' and 'Bose'... their 'side arm' could easily be adapted, too.

The JBLs are perfect as monitors, but very good for smaller gigs as the main speakers, as Anahata just mentioned.

You may want to install a speakon socket to supplement the spring connectors, too.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: alex s
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 08:01 AM

This is great stuff - just what I need. many thanks to all.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 08:37 AM

Carlsboro and peavey do small ones - little wedge shape things. I don't think I'd bother with anything smaller. You want everyone onstage to know what's going on. One friend of mine uses one of the speakers from his stagepass yamaha pa system = put on the floor at the front of the stage or playing area. seems to work.

its always a trade off. nice big passive speaker out the desk and into something small like a carlsboro cobra - probably was my favourite monitor.

if you are feeling the need of a monitor - my advice would be - get what you need - don't worry about being petite. go for it.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: BobKnight
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 10:07 AM

I have a TC Helicon - now discontinued, but still available at around £140. Designed to become part of your mic stand, but can also be used as a floor monitor.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: GUEST, Tom Bliss
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 11:11 AM

Galaxy Hotspots will blow your head off if you want. We even used them for PA in an emergency.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: GUEST, actually
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 11:15 AM

this is a better link - lots of products. The teeny ones are ace.

different sizes, powered and not, wireless etc

Tom

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: michaelr
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 12:22 PM

I've got one of these. Works great, at a great price.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 01:19 PM

BOSS used to make a small monitor that could be mounted on a mic stand. Quite surprisingly-good sound - they have a pair at Oakville's Moonshine Cafe. Got to be available on the used market.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 07 Feb 11 - 08:37 PM

There used to be a thing called "the flea" about the size of a teacup that hooked into your front of house and clipped onto the mic stand.

Sounds like what you need.

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/flea-personal-stage-monitor-speaker-68912094

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: alex s
Date: 08 Feb 11 - 10:34 AM

This is great stuff! Thank you all very much for your help - so much to choose, so little cash!

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: treewind
Date: 08 Feb 11 - 01:22 PM

"You may want to install a speakon socket to supplement the spring connectors, too."
Oh yes, I put jack sockets in mine at first, but last year I replaced them with speakons. It means all my amps, speakers and cables are compatible now.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 08 Feb 11 - 02:02 PM

Don't forget that speakons come in the 2-pole version and the 4-pole version. A 2-pole plug will go into either a 2-pole socket or a 4-pole socket, but a 4-pole plug will NOT go into a 2-pole socket, only a 4-pole one. This has caused a lot of bad language in the past!

If your power amps have a bridgeable output and speakon outs you will probably need the 4-pole plug on the speaker cable (on the +2 and -2 terminals) to run in bridge mode.

No pun intended.

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Feb 11 - 09:10 AM

Thanks Bernard and Richard - that's very useful info

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: alex s
Date: 09 Feb 11 - 11:49 AM

The Guest above is me

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: Bernard
Date: 09 Feb 11 - 12:30 PM

I've never been able to see the point of the 2-pole versions!!

Subject: RE: Tech: mini pa monitors
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 09 Feb 11 - 01:18 PM

If you are working with your leads and other people's speakers some 2-pole leads save a LOT of swearing when you find the other people have 2-pole sockets on their speakers!