Garage audio set-up. I NEED HELP!!

#MINDS-EYE#

Junior Member
hey,

me and my band are starting to get serious about playing and ive just set up a music room downstairs. its a little bit squishy so we are considering some space saving options.

we want to get a cheap mixer, like 5 channels, and run guitars through pedals and stuff, through the mixer and out some amped speakers. we can stuff around with volume and clarity later on. we are trying to save space and etennsive cost of larger amps.

we will prob have 4 guitars max and one mic. will is need to have stereo input and outputs? and the end result being played and one layer/sound, will instruments overpower each other?

have you guys ever done this and, i being new to this stuff, would like some advice or assistance. we will split the total cost between us 5, so try to keep it as cheap as possible. were on a tight budget. 15y.o's part time!

do you think its a good idea? or suggest some lothers?
all help is greatly appricated and taken into consideration! THANKS.

<<TOM>>​
 
Bad idea. If it's so small, you don't need to mic the drums. If you're going to run the bass guitar through the PA, it will clip it all by itself. Just use small combo's or practice amps for each guitar. Any time you want to "pool" together to buy gear, that is also a BAD IDEA.

Each guitarist should buy his/her own combo amp. I HIGHLY recommend this little amp which kicks ass for something barely bigger than a shoebox:
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Roland-Cube-15X-Amp?sku=487030
about $100

The bassist should get something like this:
http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Line-6-Lowdown-LD15-Modeling-Bass-Combo?sku=500271
about $180

The singer should buy a small PA like this:
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Phonic-Powerpod-410-S710-PA-Package?sku=630485
about $200

If you guys are just 15 and just making 6 or 7 bucks per hour, I'd say start saving now. If everyone can put away 50 bucks per week each, you'll have gear at the end of the month.

I've been in situations where my bandmates all chipped in to buy something but when we broke up, we sold it (PA system) for much lower than it was worth, but my guitarist was moving and he needed his money back right away. Trust me, it's a bad idea.
 
+1 on diosdude's comment - for a garage rehearsal space, you need a practice or combo amp per instrument, you probably will not need to mike your drums at all, and get a serviceable PA and mikes for your vocalist(s). Then everyone come to an agreement on the proper volume level for practicing. It will likely be not as loud as you think it will be, for that small a space.
 
I will just say - I own one of the Roland 15 Cube amps and it is a FANTASTIC little amplifier. Highly recommended.
 
Bad idea. If it's so small, you don't need to mic the drums. If you're going to run the bass guitar through the PA, it will clip it all by itself. Just use small combo's or practice amps for each guitar. Any time you want to "pool" together to buy gear, that is also a BAD IDEA.

Each guitarist should buy his/her own combo amp. I HIGHLY recommend this little amp which kicks ass for something barely bigger than a shoebox:
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Roland-Cube-15X-Amp?sku=487030
about $100

The bassist should get something like this:
http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Line-6-Lowdown-LD15-Modeling-Bass-Combo?sku=500271
about $180

The singer should buy a small PA like this:
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Phonic-Powerpod-410-S710-PA-Package?sku=630485
about $200

If you guys are just 15 and just making 6 or 7 bucks per hour, I'd say start saving now. If everyone can put away 50 bucks per week each, you'll have gear at the end of the month.

I've been in situations where my bandmates all chipped in to buy something but when we broke up, we sold it (PA system) for much lower than it was worth, but my guitarist was moving and he needed his money back right away. Trust me, it's a bad idea.

I agree pretty much with diosdude on this one. Don't bother getting a massive PA and pumping everything out through it. All you need is a small PA for the singer and just having the drums unmiced should be fine.

Guitar amp wise, having little 15w things like that can work fine (although really the bass player should probably have something a bit bigger, especially with 4 GUITARS!!!), but it really depends on what you're like as a drummer. My friend's band does their jobs easily with a 10w marshall a 15w fender bass amp and a 30w marshall for the vocals but he does play quite quietly. If you're a monster like me on the drums then i don't think there will be a big problem with the members of the band who are standing next to the amps hearing them, but you probably will as the drummer.
 
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