Hey everyone, I'm Sam from Professional Music Technology
I'm Meg
and we've got a little announcement for you guys
WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!!!
Yeah, right
As if, absolutely no chance
alright, ease up
umm, but let's just say for argument's sake we were getting married
after all it is every little boy's dream to plan his own wedding day
one of the most important things on my to-do
list would definitely be to sort out a PA system for the big day
So even though we're filming this in the middle of December,
which isn't really peak wedding season here in the UK
if you are watching this because you're planning your special day,
you've probably already got enough on your plate
deciding on bridesmaids dresses ,seating plans and of course
how you're gonna tell that weird uncle that he's not invited
So we thought we'd help you tick one thing off that to-do list by
recommending some of the best types of PA system for your wedding day
We've picked out a few different types of systems to suit different types of wedding
from small and intimate ceremonies to larger more lavish occasions,
just in case that guest list has got a little out of control
All of these systems have been designed to be pretty discreet and stylish
so they don't ruin your carefully curated color scheme,
whilst at the same time offering excellent sound quality for a number of different applications
including speeches, singers and of course, the inevitable drunken disco at the end of the night
So if you're looking for a multi-purpose sound system
for your wedding day or other special occasions
hopefully we can point you in the right direction
So the first type of PA system that we're going
to take a look at is what's known as a column array PA
and these are really well suited to events such as weddings because
they offer great sound quality and projection
but they're also pretty compact and lightweight, and they're super easy to set up
Now these types of column, or line array PAs are usually designed to be all-in-one units
meaning that they comprise of a subwoofer unit to handle the bass frequencies
which also houses the amplifier and the mixer for your mics and other inputs
and then there's the speaker column sections which connect directly into the sub unit
handling the mid-range and high frequencies whilst also
raising the speakers up above head height to project the sound into your venue
The advantages of this type of PA is,
as I mentioned a moment ago they're incredibly quick and easy to set up
and they also look pretty sleek and don't take up much room
and due to the nature of their line array speaker design, unlike a conventional pa setup
they can be positioned pretty much anywhere in the room and still deliver an
even sound coverage without the risk of feedback from microphones
There's quite a lot of different options available from manufacturers including Bose,
Yamaha, JBL and RCF
so I will leave a link to our five best column array PAs video in the description
but for now we're just going to quickly look at two particular systems
and that's the Bose L1 Pro 8 and the JBL PRX One
Of the two, the Bose is the more compact more lightweight system, weighing just over 17 kilos
but with a power output of 300 watts it's still
easily loud enough for most small to medium sized wedding venues
The subwoofer unit houses a pretty unique 7x13 inch "racetrack" style speaker
so you get a powerful bass end without the bulk of a conventional shaped driver
and the high frequency speaker column section
is home to a C-shaped array of eight 5.1cm neodymium drivers
delivering 180 degree horizontal coverage
and that exceptional clarity that Bose systems are renowned for
Plus the L1 Pro 8 offers two speaker heights to choose from, allowing you to remove the
spacer column if you don't need that additional height and projection in more intimate venues
In terms of input options, the Bose's onboard mixer section features three input channels
so that's two for microphones or instruments and then a third stereo
channel for a line input such as a keyboard or an MP3 player
The two mono inputs utilise Bose's tone match technology,
which optimise the sound of your mics and instruments
with various EQ and effects presets available via the rotary encoders or the Bose L1 mix app
and finally the L1 Pro 8 features bluetooth connectivity, which means that you can stream
music or other audio from your phone tablet or laptop through the system wirelessly
So if you need something small for speeches background music
or maybe for a solo musician accompanying your walk down the aisle
the Bose L1 Pro 8 is a great option as it's really easy to use and it sounds fantastic
The JBL PRX One on the other hand is probably more suitable if you've
got a larger venue or you need more input options
say for example, you plan on having a small band or a group of musicians playing at your ceremony
This one offers an output power of 1000 watts RMS,
so it's going to be quite a bit louder than the Bose
plus, you get more flexibility when it comes to the inputs
as this one features a 7-channel digital mixer
with XLR inputs for microphones,
hi-Z jack inputs for instruments and a mini jack line input for a laptop or MP3 player
Plus, there's handy USB connections,
ensuring that your tablet won't run out of charge at the worst possible moment
Each input has built-in EQ and effects, adjusted either via the easy to read screen and menus
or from the JBL Pro Connect app on a mobile device, which connects to the unit via bluetooth
and all of your user settings can be easily stored and recalled which is really handy
for if you're using the PA system for multiple speech or music applications across the big day
All of this does mean that it is a slightly larger, heavier system,
weighing just over 25 kilos
and it is probably a little more complicated to use,
especially if you do start to dive into those menu settings
but it's still very easy to transport and assemble,
as it quickly splits down into three sections
coming supplied with a dedicated carry case for the line array sections
Those sections are home to a total of 12 high quality,
2.5 inch high frequency drivers with a wide 130 degree spread
and the 12 inch subwoofer speaker extends the low frequency response down to 35 hertz
so when coupled with the powerful amplifier, the system's not only
going to give you crystal-clear speech reproduction in larger rooms
but it's also going to offer some real power and low-end thump
for if you wanted to use the PA system for a DJ or a band at your after party
The next type of PA systems that we're going to take a look at are portable
battery-powered sound systems
perfect for if you're planning a wedding in a slightly more remote or outdoor venue
where you're going to need amplification but you don't
necessarily want the inconvenience of having to take a noisy generator
Two of the most popular options for this type of PA both come from JBL
and that's the Eon One Pro and the Eon One Compact
Weighing just eight kilos and featuring an eight inch speaker,
the compact version is perfect for if you just need something small and portable
but with its 112 db max sound level output,
it's still pretty loud and punchy and offers a surprisingly versatile array of features
Despite its small size you still get a four channel mixer,
so that's two inputs for microphones one for an instrument
and then a separate line input for a music player
Plus, you can also stream music via bluetooth and adjust EQ and
effect settings from a mobile device, just like you can on the larger JBL PA systems
and there's USB sockets for charging your phone or tablet
The onboard Lexicon effects sound great if you want to add a touch of reverb for a singer
and one other really handy feature is the one touch ducking mode
which automatically lowers the volume of any background music
whenever speech is detected through a microphone
ensuring that every word is heard clearly
Now obviously, the reason that we're recommending these systems here however
is because of their ability to run on batteries
and the Eon One Compact's rechargeable battery offers up to 12 hours playing time
with a charging time of around about two and a half hours
and if you also wanted to buy a spare battery, you know, just in case
this can be swapped out really easily without using any tools
and finally, to add to its versatility the unit features a tilt back design
so it can be placed on either the floor or a table and angled upwards
or if you did need a little more sound projection
it also has a speaker pole mount, so it can be put on a stand and raised up in the air
The bigger brother of the Eon One Compact is the JBL Eon One Pro
which is a more powerful line array style system with more input options
but it still offers the ability to use the PA when mains power isn't an option
In terms of specs, this one offers an output power of 380 watts
split between its eight inch subwoofer and six two inch drivers up in the line array section
so it's pretty loud considering it weighs just 16 kilos
and collapses down to all fit into a single unit
making it really easy to carry the entire system to and from your venue with just one hand
The mixer section on the Pro is also more comprehensive than on the compact version,
featuring six channels
so that's four mono mic or line channels and one stereo line input
Each of the mic channels features treble and bass EQ controls
there's 48 volt phantom power for condenser mics, reverb effect sends
and again, it's bluetooth enabled for streaming music
and there's a usb charging outlet
Because of the increased power output,
the battery on this one doesn't last quite as long as on the Compact version
but you still do get a pretty impressive six hours of playing time when unplugged from the mains
and you can keep an eye on the battery charge status and level via a large display
So if you need the power and the features of a full-size line array PA
but with the added versatility of a smaller battery-powered system
the JBL Eon One Pro is a professional quality,
all-in-one setup that can be used pretty much anywhere
So the final type of PA system that we're looking at today are modular sound systems
and these are usually considered to be the kind of conventional PA setup
comprising of individual speakers that are then connected to a mixer unit
Now these are a little more complicated to set up, requiring more cables to be connected
and they arguably don't look quite as stylish as they tend to be a bit bigger and bulkier
but as this type of system comprises of separate components,
you can really tailor the setup for your specific requirements
For example, if you just need to amplify a microphone for speeches
you can probably just get away with using a single speaker cabinet
but then later in the evening if you need more volume and a wider spread of sound
you can then add more speakers including subwoofers to boost the bass end,
which is ideal for a wedding DJ
You often also get more bang for your buck with a
modular PA system compared to the Line Arrays that we've looked at
So for example, a system comprising of a pair
of these HH Electronics HPT-112 speakers and matching subwoofers
would be perfect for any band or DJ in a medium to large venue
with a total output power of over 2500 watts RMS
but this would all still come in around about the same price as the Bose
L1 Pro 8 line array that we looked at earlier
Now of course, there are loads of different PA speakers to choose from
from the likes of Yamaha, Alto and RCF
so i definitely recommend getting down to your nearest PMT store
where you can have a chat with one of our experts
who can put together a package especially for you
but taking a quick look at those HH speakers iIve just mentioned
these are great, budget friendly options, with each HPT-112
featuring a 12 inch low-mid driver and a one inch compression horn
and the hpt115 subwoofers each featuring a 15 inch bass driver
with a built-in crossover to split the frequencies between the sets of speakers
These are all active units, meaning they feature built-in Class D amplifiers
and the HPT112's also feature an onboard two-channel mixer
so if you did just want a simple setup for the best man's speech,
you could connect the microphone directly into a single speaker
but when it comes around to the evening party with a band or a DJ,
the system will then easily connect into a larger mixer or DJ console
So thanks for watching, that was some of the
best PA systems for weddings and other special occasions
and if you want to find out more about any of the
sound systems that you've seen here you can visit www.pmtonline.co.uk
or get down to your local Professional Music Technology store and have a word
with one of our PA experts for loads more options
As usual, don't forget to follow us on all of the usual social channels at PMT House Of Rock
and if you are planning your wedding day and found this helpful
firstly, congratulations!
secondly, I am available for bookings if you do need a wedding singer
and finally, make sure to give this video a big thumbs up and hit that subscribe button
Thanks again, we'll see you next video