Sound system for playing music outdoors - advice please

[Mark]

I'm helping out at a wedding and the guy who owns the venue wants to charge us ?200 for the weekend to hire his PA which is basically an amp and some speakers. I was wondering if it's possible to buy our own amp and speakers for around ?200 - ?250 which we can then keep.

We're not talking about a 7K Turbo sound system or a thumping Spiral Tribe setup, think of it as background music for about 80 people at a summer picnic. People will be talking and nodding their heads to the music, the odd person may stand up and dance a bit but then realise they look odd so stop dancing, there will be no mosh pit and no-one packing boxes/making shapes.

We need to be able to plug in ipods and laptop (there's a Traktor DJ in the place) via mini jack to phono leads, and the sound should be decent, not tinny speakers. It'll be sunny so it doesn't have to be a weatherproof system and the smaller the better as it has to travel in the boot a small car.

So I ask the the fountain of knowledge that is the forum, is it possible? Is something like this http://www.soundsavers.com/shop/audio-equipment/pa-systems/installation-pa-systems/products/deluxe-quad-outdoor-speaker-sound-system-with-mixer-amplifier---tuner.html for ?229 or this http://www.soundsavers.com/shop/audio-equipment/pa-systems/installation-pa-systems/products/100w--two-speaker-background-music-sound-system-with-digital-tuner-amplfier-.html for ?149 worth looking at or are they shite?

Any advice greatly appreciated

[edited once]

[dubluke]

I DJ myself and with speakers of that size/power you will be inaudible, in an quiet bar perhaps they would be ok for very quiet background music but outdoors the sound will be lost, and even indoors you will be struggling.

For background level outside music you'd need something along these lines - http://www.htfr.com/more-info/MR331901

Those are actually a pretty good deal, although the quality of sound will not be the best, they will be loud enough to be heard outside and as they are active there's no need to faff around with amps etc.

Prices for the kind of thing you're looking at will probably start at around 160 upwards. Good brands include JBL or alpine, in my experience their audio equipment is usually pretty high quality + sounds good on a budget.

Lemme know if you have questions etc :D

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

There's a slightly odd shop in the indoor market in Peckham (east side one) that sells speakers - may be worth a look.

[pablogrande]

Hi Mark

I may have some kit you can loan, when do you need it for?

I am also curious how do you know it will be sunny are you a druid?

[HAL9000]

Peckhamgatecrasher Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There's a slightly odd shop in the indoor market

> in Peckham (east side one) that sells speakers -

> may be worth a look.

Definitely worth a look - it sells a wide range of professional sound equipment for DJs - including power amps and heavy duty speakers.

[DJKillaQueen]

I recommend a company called electromarket for DJ/ PA equipment.

You need a system really that is minumum 400 watts.

[????]

Can't you do it on your mobile phone like they do on the bus that sound is wicked man

[Mark]

Thanks for the tips, pablo I'll send you a PM and I'm now on the look out for a 400 watt mobile like.