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Advice on sound system…Where to buy?
I’m putting together my first sound system to handle
Church style meetings in banquet rooms. 80% voice
20% music. Audience size varies from 50 to 1000.
Small band capable(keyboard,bass,rhythm,drums,vocals).I have an audio professional assisting me and he will
be vetting this system. My main issue is…where can
have a great buying experience and still get a good
price…I was not super impressed with Guitar Center
at Lawndale, CA…..I’m looking for unbiased advice.I’m near Torrance CA.
Thanks for any help,
Rob
Here are a few of the components in my current baseline:
Mains: JBL EON515 450 Watt 15″ Powered PA Speaker
Monitors: Yamaha MSR100 8″” Powered Speaker
Board: Yamaha MGYamaha MG166CX 16-Channel Mixer
Snake: Pro Co StageMaster 100′ 16-Channel/4-Return Sta
Cordless Mic: Shure PGX24/SM58 Hand-Held Wireless System
Mic Stands: Musicians Gear Tripod Mic Stand with Telescoping Boom
Keyboard: Yamaha CP33 Professional 88-Key Stage Piano
Keyboard Stand: Quik-Lok M-91 Monolith Single-Tier Keyboard Stand
Keyboard Bench: Quik-Lok BX-14 Padded Keyboard Bench
Keyboard Bag: Yamaha YBS881 88-Key Signature Series Thin Keyboard Bag
Speaker Stands: Yamaha SS238B Speaker Stand Pair with Bag -
6 Replies
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Hello Rob and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.
In the old days, buyers established relationships with sellers and they did business based on trust and good experiences.
Market competition pushed prices down and the result was that gear was cheaper but the support was reduced. A big box mentality. It’s here but don’t you should know what you want when you walk in. I know some of the guys at the top of GC. GC and others are aware of this and try to do a good job, but cheaper labor isn’t as finely invested in creating a good experience for the customer.
If GC is convenient, my first move would be to ask to be introduced to the store manager. Show him your list and see if he handles it directly or connects you to someone he knows has a handle on what you need. If you’re still not getting the vibe, Torrance is in the greater LA area. There must be hundreds of shops that sell this sort of gear.
You’ve got an audio professional assisting you and he/she hasn’t suggested this? You say he’ll be vetting the system, but you apparently have already made your choices. I don’t understand what’s left to vet.
Knowledge costs money. I don’t sell gear. I consult. I charge an hourly rate to go over a system with a client. If they come in with a list of gear, I spend time making sure it’s a good list for the intended applications. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen lists that are NOT what the client needs. So, if I give the list the nod and the client has a problem with it, I’m the bad guy.
Frequently it’s about money. The client finds gear that’s the right price, but it’s crap and, in addition, it won’t do the job. They are not pleased when I try to convince them otherwise. Especially when the gear I recommend costs more. So we have an antagonistic relationship. Not fun.
At stores, the seller will sometimes lean toward selling gear with a better profit margin. Your best defense against that is the quality of your relationship with the people at the store. If you’re constantly banging them for price, they will eventually turn off the juice and sell you anything to get you out of their faces.
Hope this helps,
Regards,
Ty Ford
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar -
Thanks Ty my sound guy has the flu right now….what brand of cables should I go with? Monster cable? or something more reasonable?
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Hi Bob,
I don’t know what your choices are other than Monster. If you buy too low, you get crappy cables.
Gotham GAC-3 are very good. I use them in my studio and on location.
Regards,
Ty Ford
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar -
Belden cable is also a good choice.
Ty Ford
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
Watch Ty play guitar -
Thanks Ty,
System is coming together but combo mixer/rack case is hard to find.
Need a 12u top for yamaha 16 channel mixer and at least 10u rack space.
Why is 10u top standard and 12u hard to find?
Here is the only one I found:
Grundorf TLR10EXDR-BLACK Top Load Rack, Extra-Deep
(12-Space Slanted/10-Space Bottom/Recessed Hardware)Rob
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Cabinetry can be difficult. Have you checked all of the mfgrs?
https://www.fullcompass.com/category/Carts-and-Dollies.html
Regards,
Ty Ford
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
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