QSC to Stagepas 1k?

[OmbDave]

Hi from UK,
I currently use QSC K10 Series 1 speakers for my keyboards mixed into stereo. Yesterday when picking up my new Genos I was shown the new Yamaha Stagepas 1K speaker which looked and sounded great. My questions are :
1 Has anyone tried the Stagepas 1k speakers in a live environment?
2 I play golf clubs and social clubs to between 50 and 150 people, will 1 Stagepas speaker of 1000 watts be an adequate replacement for my 2 QSC K10's with 1000 watts each side
3 I am not familiar with these type of speakers compared to conventional ones so how do they cope with a stereo input. I did notice that there was a stereo input in the Stagepas mixer bit

I have been very happy with the QSC K10's but at my age (nearly 70) it's always worth thinking about taking less equipment to gigs
Thanks
Dave

[billtracy]

Can't say for sure about the power output, but the main disadvantage of a unit like the Stagepas is no stereo (unless you run 2). Over at Synthzone they have argued this topic endlessly and some say stereo is a must and others disagree. Totally a personal choice but the convenience outweighs the loss of stereo for some.

[OmbDave]

Hi Bill, thank you for the reply, I agree with all you say. I guess I'll try to get the dealer to loan me one. Buying 2 is out of my price range after paying for the Genos
Cheers
Dave

[Jay B.]

Dave, I have wrestled with this lately myself. I actually have two PA's - a Stagepas 400i and a pair of Yamaha DBR10's + Yamaha 10-channel board. They both have their purposes. One criteria for me is being able to easily handle the components individually. No single piece weighs more than 25 lbs or 11+ kg. I have added a 12" subwoofer that weighs 44 lbs or 20 kg, but don't use it much of the time.

On several occasions I have auditioned and considered using one of the line array systems (Bose L1, Maui 5, Stagepas 1k, etc.), but I just keep coming back to these small, lightweight systems from Yamaha for clear, stereo sound in small to medium spaces. Add to that, the weight of the new Yamaha 1k is around 50 lbs, which makes loading and unloading a chore for me. When I want a super small system, I just take one DBR10 and the sub, or not.

I guess I am recommending staying with the QSCs or finding a lighter alternative, such as the Yamaha DBRs or QSC CP8s...

[Pino]

What Jay B said

I have two systems, Maui 5 and  2x12" cab x 2 + sub
I think the line array system is loosing some mid-range
The 12" speakers are delivering more full range.
Tried EQing the Maui but it can't get there,
The Maui is a very light and easy system for moving around and setup, brilliant,
But 🤔

Pino

[OmbDave]

Jay and Pino, thank you for your thoughts, you are confirming what I feel myself. The QSC K10's are just about light enough for me to handle and I have always been happy with the sound of them. I did pick up the Stagepas and it was heavy but I just thought I would ask the forum for their views as I have no experience of line array speakers. I will keep my QSC's for now, thanks everyone
Dave

[travlin-easy]

Over the last 30 years as an onstage performer, I have used just about every PA system available. None, absolutely none, of the conventional sound systems remotely compare with a line array system.

First and foremost, nearly all line array system experience less than 10 percent falloff at 50 feet, and with the Bose L1 the range was 100 feet. Conventional systems usually experience nearly 50 percent falloff at 100 feet. This means in order for someone in the back of the room to hear you at a reasonable volume, you have to crank up the gain with a conventional system to where it's deafening to the folks sitting close to the stage - not good! With a line array system, your audience hears the same volume throughout the venue in 190 degree arc. This also eliminates the need for monitors because the audience hears exactly what you hear. And, the sounds are crystal clear, crisp, with sufficient bottom end and mid range plus sharp high frequency sounds such as high hats.

Next, I am a stickler for lightening the load and hauling less equipment to the job. For me, it was a necessity because I did a lot of doubles every week and sometimes triples. When you do that many jobs a day, the lighter the load the better and the least amount of gear you have to haul around makes life a lot easier. My Bose L1 Compact weighed just 23 pounds and was very quick and easy to set up (less than 10 second). The setup time of my entire rig was just 7 minutes and when I was in a hurry, I could do it in 5 minutes.

For the first decade on stage I carried two keyboards, fearing one might die on the job - that never happened in 30 years. Today's gear is incredibly reliable and rugged and system failures are extremely rare. Most of the failures I have read about were usually user induced and not the system itself.

Now, stereo V/S mono - a subject that has been discussed for more than a decade on this forum and others I have frequented. In reality, your audience, unless they are situated in the center of an equilateral triangle, cannot hear stereo - it is not remotely possible. Only the player hears stereo because the player is situated directly between the speakers. You can test this out very easily by placing a high quality midi file in the keyboard, play it while you walk through the venue.

Now, some instruments in the keyboard, particularly the grand piano, are heavily stereo sampled and suffer some loss of fidelity when played in mono - however, most do not. When I switched to mono, none of my 53 audiences that I played for monthly noticed any difference. Conversely, they all commented on the improvement in overall sound quality and clarity when I switched from conventional to line array.

Good luck on whatever you decide upon,

Gary     

[Toril S]

I agree one hundred percent with Gary!! I can testify that the Bose L1 compact line array system is fantastic! That is the way to go!

[OmbDave]

To Toril and Gary, enormous apologies for this very very late reply, I had no idea that you had both posted comments. Toril, thank you for your recommendation of the Bose array speakers, I wish I could afford them.
Gary, what an amazing and detailed account from yourself which is immensely appreciated. I fully understand your points and the opinions from someone who has experienced both systems is invaluable to me. You have made it clear to me that I should embrace new technology not only for the quality but also for the weight saving. I am currently saving to buy a quality array speaker system to replace my QSC's as a mono option as you suggest. If you have time could you please recommend which ones I should be looking at?
Thank you both for your help in this matter
Dave

[zuki]

Why not go with the QSC8.2 (pair). I switched from the K10s to these and saveD a few lbs, picked up another 1000 w per speaker and added the great DSP feature. I'm with the stereo purists for running keyboards. Get all the sounds that way, IMO

Stagepas - not familiar with the new ones, but did not care for the 400is - boxy sounding vs QSC - no comparsion

[OmbDave]

Thanks Zuki I'll give it some thought as I can appreciate the advantages. Cheers
Dave