Bluetooth PA System?

[jgels]

Hi all,
So I am looking to start up a small (about 700 sf) performance space for improv in Boston. The catch is basically that the space I will be using is also the rehearsal space for a chamber orchestra.
While they are cool with me leaving the speakers hung from a light bar that I am going to have installed, the sound board, etc would be something I would need to pack up and store after shows.

This basically results in my question. I would like to have as few wires going around as possible to make set up and breakdown as easy in the space as possible. Does anyone know of a bluetooth system that might work for this? It would need powered pa speakers capable of accepting bluetooth signal and a mixing board capable of streaming bluetooth audio to these speakers. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jgels]

One last thing that is always important to you guys. I am really looking to spend $1000 or less.

 

[howlingwolf487]

I think your best best is to wire the speakers back to a wall that you can leave some connectors dangling at. Patch in when you set up the rest of the gear and un-patch when you're finished.

Personally, whenever anyone mentions hanging speakers, I worry. Make sure they're rated to be flown and that the structure they are suspended from can support them with "enough" of a safety margin.

 

[Chris15]

A 10,000 dollar wireless system will sound almost as good and be half as reliable as a 10 dollar cable.

If it were me, I'd be wiring the speaker inputs back to a wallplate and be done with it.
Bluetooth I would NEVER trust for any audio that matters.

I echo the concerns about flying speakers and extend them to include the installation of the aforementioned lighting bar.
Stay safe, employ professionals...

 

[jkowtko]

If you really want to go wireless at a reasonably low cost, then get a mackie DL or behringer X32 and leave and the board and wiring backstage, and run it all wirelessly from an iPad or two at FOH.

 

[FMEng]

The only way this could come close your budget is to know what the exact capabilities for the system need to be. Forget the wireless. Make sure the speakers are designed to be hung, with proper fly points and use rated hardware. The last thing you need is a cheap, plywood box raining pieces down on someone.

Please tell us how you plan to use the system. Sound effects? Announce mic? 25 channels of rock band? Knowing what you intend to amplify will help us offer better suggestions.

 

[wolfman005]

To be fair he did say he was having it installed...vague about whether he is having the "light bar" installed or the speaker on the light bar...

Wait...what is this "light bar" and why are you flying a speaker from it?

And yeah I'll second what the others said use cabling. Once I did PA for a Special Olympics my high school put on. To broadcast announcements into the parking lot we used a secondary PA with a wireless receiver plugged into channel 1 on the mixer/amp. We used a belt pack and a custom made cord to run from aux 1 on the mixer into the packing lot PA. It worked decently for getting announcements out but wasn't perfect. I had provisions to run a XLR line out if it started to fail. Already had to run power, but less cabling and all...

 

[wolfman005]

Also, why did you spec Bluetooth?

 

[techieman33]

I'm going to preface this by saying that I know nothing about these things other than that they exist. Pyle makes a series of powered bluetooth speakers, I've seen them on woot.com at stupid low prices so I wouldn't expect a lot out of them.

 

[jgels]

The speakers would basically be for running preshow music and an announcement microphone which the tech would operate. There are no rock bands being put into this thing.

I am going to have the light bar professionally installed. I would prefer to hang the speakers so that they are not an obstruction to the chamber orchestra which uses the space for their rehearsals. Maybe hanging them on that bar is not the best way but would definitely get speakers that are rated to be hung if I were to hang them.
There is no specific reason I indicated bluetooth except I had stumbled on a couple of bluetooth speakers on amazon and was curious if anyone knew anything about them.

Like these guys http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0073SSR16/?tag=controlbooth-20

 

[StradivariusBone]

If you really want to go wireless at a reasonably low cost, then get a mackie DL or behringer X32 and leave and the board and wiring backstage, and run it all wirelessly from an iPad or two at FOH.

Yes to the digital console, all you'd need is a Cat5/6 line for your snake and then you're just packing out the console and not unplugging everything, but no to running a show off an iPad. I'd rather have a root canal. However, you're not going digital for less than a grand.