OK all you live performers. Just trying to get your techniques for setting up your live gig...specifically for volume levels and eQ...What gets adjusted first...the instrument, then mixer, then speakers...how far apart do you set speakers, what gain is highest, speaker, mixer, instrument..basically, what process do you use to insure the greatest quality sound with minimal noise/hiss , but plenty of volume available....I'm off for my first 4 gigs in a month, so I'm looking for techniques to play with. I have an uncle who has a banquet hall facility. He said I could come in and play around as much as I needed to get the sound right and experiment. Just wanted to have a foundation before experimenting. Thanks Brian

Hi Brian: I assume you'll be utilizing the PSR2000,right? Believe it or not, with the PSR2000 & my EV PA setup, I rarely have to do much more than set (tweak) the volume levels for my gigs. As far as mic levels, to insure a strong, yet clean & undistorted signal, begin at the source, and set the mic gain to a sufficiently strong level first, and then move to your mixer , and then set the amp vol level last. As far as speaker distance, you want to spread them far enough apart for good room coverage, but not so far apart as to create a hole of sound (when placed to far apart). I generally like to have the speakers set between 8 - 14 feet to either side of where I'm situated (center) but of course this changes depending of the size & logistics of the room.

Believe it or not, with my relatatively simple plug/play setup, I rarely need to make any other EQ adjustments than these and the resulting sound I think is still very very good. - Scott

Hi Scott, thanks for responding..I will be utilizing the PSR 2000, P-80 and DJ setup later in the evening. I haven't bought the speaker cables yet because of the distance question. I believe the less cable, the better even though you buy top line cables. I'll be feeding the subwoofer, then out to the eV's. Probably will bypass the sub for the singing and solo stuff during dinner and before. My guess is 20 ft out to the sub, then 25 ft to each speaker. Still seems like alot of cable..I mean, the dance floors are only so big right, and the dinner crowd won't want it too loud? I see some entertainers place the speakers 10-15 feet apart max and that seems to be OK...I realize the room dynamics account for alot.

Also, I have a wireless mike. It seems a bit quiet/soft...although I have a softer voice..do you get better performance out of a standard wired mike?

I take it the hiss in the speakers is acented by the fact I'm doing all this in my basement...seems like more hiss than I expected, although I have basic unbalanced cables just to play around with the system to learn it. hopefully, the good cables with the XLR connectors will quiet it down a bit.

One last observation..I seem to get a better quality of sound out of the P80 under headphones than in the system. It's not terrible...but there is a difference...any thoughts??? Anyone??

Cheers..Brian

Brian: Maybe you got snakes in your basement! Ok, seriously speaking: the hiss you're hearing is totally NORMAL and just inherent in the design of the speakers. The close confines & quietness of your basement may accentuating the hiss, but you probably won't be able to decrease the hiss by changing cables. You'll notice that the hiss is even there (and does not change in volume or pitch) when the speaker cables are disconnected from the speaker, and that turning up/down the the SxA100's volume knob does not change the the hiss volume either. When I first purchased my SxA100's I was initially concerned about the hiss when up real close to the speakers. I even contacted Electro Voice as well as consulted with Uncle Dave (who also owns the SxA100's) and they assured me that the hiss is completely normal. In real life gig situations, the hiss is rarely (if ever) noticeable and has NEVER posed a problem on a gig, because you only hear it if you are up REAL CLOSE, within a few inches of the speaker. How many people sit up THAT close anyway? Hope this clears up those snakes in your basement. Happy gigging - Scott

Correct regarding the level of hissssssssss changing. It remains constant. Been awhile since I played seriously with equipment like this...I fiddled with the system last night and got it sounding pretty good. In a big room, these little system related sounds/noises are not going to be noticable. Like you, I was a bit suprised at the hiss...I believe the Mackies were quieter...perhaps not though. Thanks again Scott...Now where are those snakes....

Yep, I'm pretty much in line with Scott Yee on this question. One thing I like to do is to aim the PA speakers such that their projection paths cross about 15 feet in front of the stage area. I also output the left channel of my keyboard through my Peavey KB300 and the right channel goes out via the PA system - gives a nice split and really throws the drum fills, etc. about quite well. Of course, there are all kinds of permutations for this sort of thing. Many times it'll depend on the room you're in and the characteristics of that room.
Happy playing!
Big Red

Big Red, Sorry, I don't quite get your setup, the peavy kb300 is a monitor? And by PA system you mean with a mixer or without. I like the 15' target, it gives me a visual approximation to begin with. Thanks!! Brian