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PA-systems: Select passive speakers and poweramps

Application tips for musicians and bands

Active speaker systems with built-in power amplifiers have become more and more popular in the past few years - for musicians, the emphasis is on the ease of use. If you want to buy a new PA system, you should also keep an eye on the passive PA speakers. They offer some advantages in application and combination possibilities and in some cases are even significantly superior to the active speakers. With the QSC speakers and amplifiers as examples, we take alook at various application scenarios.

First and foremost it is about delivering a good concert!

Especially musicians and bands who bring their own PA system and have to handle it during the gig benefit from active PA speakers. Because they have built-in amplifiers, you do not have to be a PA expert to operate the system professionally. Simply connect the audio signal from the mixer - and you're ready to go. When you are using passive PA speakers you have to pay close attention to the performance characteristics of speakers and power amps.

But honestly, are watts and ohms really that difficult to handle? Actually not - and besides, there are systems e.g. from QSC which make it really easy to assemble the components. In particular, bands that want to use a multi-speaker PA-system will appreciate the advantages of a PA-system composed of passive speakers. No stage is like the other and there is always an additional speaker used for monitoring purposes or you need more power for the audience. Passive PA speakers have a clear advantage here.

Flexible speaker management:
What you need to know about passive PA speaker placement...

A PA-system consisting of passive speakers is supplied by external power amplifiers. The amplified signal is sent to the speakers via cables. With active PA speakers, you need two cables: power supply and the audio signal from the mixer. Depending on the location in this context, there are already two questions raised: Is there a power outlet close to the speaker? And why are power cables always this short?

The PA setup can also be flexibly adjusted, depending on the location, when working with passive PA speakers. On some occasions, the small setup with only two speakers is enough while the next gig might require more output and additional monitors on stage for the vocalist. It may also happen that areas of the location which are not directly in front of the stage need additional speaker. In such cases, it is advisable to have a flexible PA setup that can be adapted to every situation and condition in an uncomplicated manner.

Scenario 1: Small PA-system for solo entertainers, singer/songwriter or duos

This small system is perfect for small clubs and bars or also outdoors at a garden party. A practical feature is the possibility to change the inclination angle of the QSC E10 when mounted on a tripod. Especially in smaller venues you can achieve a full sound in the area of the dance floor, while the volume decreases outside of that area. The QSC Touchmix-8 digital mixer and the QSC GXD4 power amplifier are perfectly in tune with each other in this setup, which provides optimum performance with the pre-programmed speaker profiles of the QSC E10. The system is easy to handle and assembled quickly.