Building the Perfect PA System for You: Speakers

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Part 2

First up in our “Build Your PA System” series is the most iconic part of a PA: the speaker. How many do you need? What types? Do you really need a subwoofer? There are many questions to be answered before springing for your speakers, and depending on your unique situation, the answers will be different. A solo singer/songwriter with an acoustic guitar can (and should) skip the subwoofer. A DJ needs the subwoofer, but can skip all the extra monitors.

Scroll to the bottom to find my speaker recommendations for bands, singer/songwriters, DJs, rappers, and live electronic music artists!

But before we dive into the gear, let’s explore the concept of active and passive speakers.

Active vs. Passive

These are the two types of speakers available in the pro audio market, and it would behoove you to understand the difference before making a purchase. A speaker can either be active, meaning it is self-powered; or passive, meaning it is powered by an external amplifier.

My recommendation is to go for active speakers all around if you’re new to pro audio, but let’s take a look at the pros and cons.

Active speakers:

Pro	Con
+ No extra amps needed	– More expensive to buy
+ Speaker is perfectly matched to internal amplifier	– If something breaks, the whole thing must be replaced
+ More portable because it is self-contained.	– Heavier to lift because it contains its own amplifier

Passive speakers:

Pro	Con
+ Cheaper to buy and replace	– Requires an external amplifier, which must be properly matched.
+ Lighter to lift because it does not contain an amplifier	– Depending on how many speakers you run, you may need multiple amplifiers (which are not cheap or light)
+ Allows an advanced technician the freedom to mix-and-match speakers and amps

Even as a live sound professional, I would still opt for active speakers because of the simplicity of the system. I don’t have to worry about extra equipment or cables and I can simply set and forget them with little fuss.

Two Different Roles

There are two roles a speaker could play in a basic PA system. It can be a Front-of-House (FOH), otherwise called a main, or it could be a monitor, sometimes called a wedge. Mains are the speakers for the audience, and monitors are speakers for the performers. Really, a speaker is a speaker, and any speaker could technically fill either role.

But!

Some speakers are better suited to one role or the other. Let’s take a closer look at what makes a speaker a main and what makes one a monitor. Also, let’s have some fun and go shopping!

Mains

Your mains should be your two best speakers. It is what the audience will hear, and you want to make the best impression possible. Depending on the size of the venues you want to play and your musical project’s instrumentation, you may need various sizes.

A standard PA speaker pushes about 1,000 watts and has a 12” or 15” speaker cone. This type of speaker gets plenty loud and can cover a large range of situations from coffee shops to noisy bars. They can begin to fall short outdoors, but unless you’re pulling 100+ heads to your show, you’ll be fine. Venues that regularly expect higher volumes of people will more often than not have their own large PA system installed, in which case that is not your problem.

Good Examples

The Mackie Thumps push 1,300 watts and come in 12” and 15” inch varieties and are relatively inexpensive (See the Thump 12s here). They target DJs, but work just as well for bands. There are better quality speakers out there, but these get the job done well.

The Electro-Voice ELX series is that “better quality speaker.” The ELX-200 15P is a 15″ powered speaker that pushes 1200 watts – terrific mains for a portable PA system. Pushing 100 watts less, these speakers sound cleaner and actually get louder than the Thumps due to higher quality components and engineering, but demand a higher price.

A more affordable option from Electro-Voice are the ZLX 15P‘s. These push 1,000 watts and, while not quite as nice and clean as the ELX series, will still get the job done well.

QSC is always a great choice when it comes to speakers, but these can get pricey. They are heavy and they are expensive, but they sound phenomenal and they get LOUD. The KW series come in 12” and 15”, but be warned — these are on the expensive side. See the QSC KW122 here.

Subwoofers

Generally, subs are not required for a small PA system. They do provide that little something extra that ratchet up your live sound. In the case of a band, they particularly give the kick and bass some real meat. DJs may squeak by without it, but I would say a sub is a hair away from being a must-have for a gigging DJ – especially those spinning electronic genres and hip hop.

To put it in the simplest terms, a subwoofer is the difference between “Okay, cool…” and “…DAYUM!”

An important note on subs: You should opt for a size larger than your mains. So if your mains are 15″, get at least an 18″ sub. You want your sub to not only lighten the load on your mains, but to reach deeper than your mains are capable in order to create a taller sound.

Good Examples

When pro audio manufacturers design speakers, they design them as a system. That is, they design a line of speakers to be used together. Subwoofers are part of that system. So let’s take a look at the subs created by Mackie, Electro-Voice, and QSC for the systems mentioned above:

Mackie’s Thump system features the Thump118S Subwoofer. It pushes 1,000 watts with an 18″ cone – all bass. It also features a static crossover at 125hz, which is right where you want to be. Set it and forget it, this sub kicks. I use one of these on my DJ gigs.

The Electro-Voice ELX-200 series subwoofer is the ELX-200 18SP Subwoofer. Again, pushing 1,200 watts with an 18″ cone, this is a thick speaker designed to pair with the ELX-200 tops.

QSC’s KW series subwoofer, KW181, is a heavy hitter. It’s 1,000 watts come from a pair of amplifiers and its frequency response sits between 40hz and 112hz. It’s thick, it’s loud, and it’s clean — and it’s $1,250. The KW181 was unavailable new at the time of this update, (2024), but the KS118 (an even bigger, newer model) is available.

Monitors

As I mentioned, monitors are speakers for the performers. They would be an unnecessary eyesore standing up on the stage, so speakers developed to be stage monitors are shaped to lay on its side tilted upward toward the performers. This is why they are often called stage wedges.

You can get away with less powerful, not-quite-as-clean sounding speakers for monitoring, as they are not what the audience will hear. Still, you need something powerful enough to cut through a noisy bar or club. 800 watts and a 12” speaker would do the trick.

DO NOT SKIMP ON MONITORS! If your PA is for your band, do not wait to get them. Performing in a situation where you cannot hear your band-mates is the worst way to perform, and will almost always yield a sub-par performance and a crumby show.

If you are a DJ, at least one monitor is a must, lest you be forced to set your speakers behind you and quickly decimate your hearing.

The only exception to this rule is a solo performer in a small, relatively quiet environment. Still, a solo performer would do well to have a monitor anyway.

Now that I’ve driven the point home, let’s take a look at our options:

Good Examples

I mentioned it last time. The Electro-Voice’s ZLX 12P makes for an excellent monitor. It lays on its side and angles upward toward the performer just like a wedge, only it looks more like a regular speaker. It pushes a whole 1,000 watts, so for smaller venues this could easily function as a main speaker. The versatility of this speaker is what makes it so appealing. I own one and use it as a monitor for band and DJ gigs whenever I have them.

Behringer offers an affordable, powered wedge with the EuroLive F1320D. It only pushes 300 watts, but it doesn’t have to push much more than that – it’s only got to go a few feet to get to your ears. The feedback filter can also be particularly handy when you get to pushing. The EuroLive series is discontinued as of this update (2024), but there are used options available here.

Yamaha also has a couple of options in their DBR series. The DBR10, or it’s big brother, DBR12, will both get the job done on the stage. Though, they are priced just a tad higher than the ZLX’s I mentioned earlier.

Recommendations for Typical Situations

Rock Bands and Other Small Combos:
-Two mains (Subwoofer optional)
-Two to three wedges (downstage), plus one drum monitor (upstage)

Solo Singer/Songwriters:
-One to two mains
-One monitor (optional, but recommended)

DJs and Live Electronic Music Artists:
-Two mains (Subwoofer optional, but highly recommended)
-One monitor

Rappers and Hip-Hop Artists:
-Two mains (Subwoofer optional, but highly recommended)
-One to two wedges (downstage), plus one DJ monitor (upstage)

Conclusion

Speakers are a logical place to start discussing a PA system. They are the barrel of the gun, so to speak. They are the business end of things, and as such, we covered them first. There are a myriad of speaker options available on the market today, but I gave you my picks based on affordability and my own personal experience. Just be wary of cheap speaker systems – for example, I have never used Rockville equipment, but I would place a hefty bet that they are sub-par.

Come back next week when we follow the cables to the heart of any PA system – the mixer!

-AudioMunk