Mixing & Matching Speakers

[Dj Sooperman]

This weekend I am doing a pool party here in the hottest place on the planet. (It seems like it anyway.) I normally use my 1st gen. Mackie SRM450s but they have recently gone thermal on me. They still work well (indoors) but in this summertime heat of Vegas, they go thermal again around the 3 1/2 hour mark. I am borrowing a friends set of JBL15 G2s to help lighten the load this weekend. This brings me to my question for you all, should I use them together or should I use the EONs as a backup in case my Mackies go thermal and just have them on while the Mackies cool down. What do you think?

Thanks!

[digitalphantoms]

What is your setup like? are you located all in one area? If you can spread out the Mackie's and JBL's far enough apart and get your gain structure matched well, you would be able to use them together for a party. I wouldn't mix and match normally, but for a pool party, it would be better mixing and matching then burning your stuff up.

which brings me to my next point.... Why is it EVERYTIME I go to Vegas, or Orlando, or Miami, etc, I see DJ's using powered speakers outside? I know powered speakers are well suited for many applications, especially DJ's... but if you live in a climate like that, do yourself a favor, buy a QSC PLX amp and a set of SX300's and call it good and don't look back. I swear I see Mackie SRM450's about every darn place I go that is hot. And 9 times out of 10, either one of them is off because it has shut down to protect itself or it just sounds like crap.

[NickyB]

Agreed .... in your situation, maybe you should give a little thought to a passive system. I formerly used two, four and six EV SX-300's with a QSC PLX-3002 for outdoor gigs. It's easier to shade the amp, even put an additional fan in front of it, and leave the speakers on stands in the blazing sun.

I do a lot of gigs here in MD outdoors using my SXA-360's but my system stays under a dark blue 10 x 10 EZ-Up tent.

As for mixing and matching speakers, I recommend NOT mixing brands because their characteristics and sound are different. When you attempt EQ'ing one brand to get the sound you like and expect, iy usually screws up the EQ for the other brand.

[bill_smith]

I've never had a mackie thermal out on me because it was hot. I've had them thermal out on me because I was overdriving them with too hot a signal.

When I went from 2 to 4, all issues resolved. I agree with not mixing and matching.

I do think that overall, the assessment is correct though, studio monitor type powered speakers will have more issues in hot weather.

I've rolled the dice a lot, and never had a problem, but I am careful to know how much I can push.

[Dj Sooperman]

I appreciate the input, guys. This, however, is what I have to work with this weekend. I'll have to figure out how to make it work.

[Conanski]

I appreciate the input, guys. This, however, is what I have to work with this weekend. I'll have to figure out how to make it work.

If you have to use two different brands of speakers at a single event the solution is to put the like pairs together.. so in your case both 450s on the left and both EONs on the right, and then you can EQ them to sound similar with a dual channel graphic for example and minimize ill effects.