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Peavey Versarray 112
We first saw the Peavey Versarray system
almost two years ago, and have
been trying to work out a road test
ever since. As we have done with larger pieces
of gear (including other line arrays) in the past,
instead of having Peavey send out a rig for us
to use on a gig, we went to a gig that had the
system already on it and worked the show. In
this case, that meant hooking up with Dave
Albro, who is doing FOH and associated duties
for the VIP events surrounding the current
Tim McGraw tour. Most of the stops on the
tour feature “side” events including local and
regional acts, plus a VIP-only acoustic show by
McGraw prior to the actual arena show, which
is a Clair deal.
The Gear rt
Each cabinet in the array weighs in at 53 lbs.
Construction is 13-ply Baltic birch. Drivers are
a 12” neo Black Widow with a dual-4” voice
coil and two ribbons to handle the highs. The
specs say the box will go down to 100 Hz and
you can put as many as 18 in a single array —
although the system is really meant for small
to medium venues, and you are more likely
to see between four and eight boxes on most
gigs.
The rigging allows for full articulation from
0 to 15 degrees between each box in 2.5-degree
increments, which allows for a multitude
of array-shape options. And a Versarrayspecific
version of EASE is downloadable from
Peavey, as are project presets for Versarray
systems for the Peavey VSX 26 loudspeaker
manager, which was used on this gig. All input
connectors are four-pin Neutrik Speakons.
For the larger of the two stages, Dave used
a flybar and hung six boxes per side over three
Peavey 218 subs. All amps were Crest (5200 series
on the highs and 8200 series on the subs).
For the smaller stage in the VIP tent, it was
three-over-two with the top boxes “groundstacked”
on top of the subs.
One of the nice things about this system
is that you have plenty of options for flying
or stacking, and Peavey provides the gear
to make it happen. If you need to fly a small
listen to the amp and plug it back in
again. PERFECT! Right out of the box it
sounds just like his AC30. My sigh of relief
could be heard around the world.
The boys at JLH have also added two
other features to help you if you need it.
There’s a port on the side of the box. Removing
the cover helps create more lowend
if desired. Also, there’s a high-end
roll off switch on the box. I didn’t need
to use either of them — I just plugged
it in and it worked great. It was a solved
problem right out of the box.
Without the guitar volume on stage,
I was able to turn everything else down
and now my stage volume is 88 dB at
FOH. I can mix the service at our pastors
desired level without having to sacrifice
the quality of our sound. For a relatively
small price tag, it’s the best solution I’ve
run across for this problem.
If you mix in a large church like I do or
you have a small church, I would recom-
system, you can get six boxes up to 13 feet in
the air without worrying about Genie Lifts or
chain motors. A crankable Vermette lift, available
from Peavey, will do the job and fold flat
to fit in the truck.
The Gig rt
I was invited to go hear the Peavey Versarray
112 when the McGraw tour came to USA-
NA amphitheater in Salt Lake City. I spent the
day working with Albro on the Frito StyleSonic
StageLine SL100 stage and the VIP Tent stage.
(Side note: While this Road Test is specifically
on the Versarray 112, Peavey and Crest Audio
manufactured nearly all of the gear on these
stages. This is a real turnkey rig.)
I arrived just in time to help setup the
SL100 and then fly the six boxes per side over
three groundstacked 218 subs. I could easily
lift a box and — unlike some more expensive
systems — it was a piece of cake to array and
to fly. Pins slid right in with a minimum of “adjustment”
(isn’t that what you call the all to
common act of shaking the array back and
forth until the pin you are trying to insert lines
up with the proper hole?).
The band on the SL100 was a veteran
country act with both male and female vocalists.
The band was made up of a drummer,
pedal steel guitar, bass and electric/acoustic
guitar in addition to the vocalists. The audience
ranged from about 500 to 2,000 people
gathered around the stage where the performance
took place two hours prior to the main
show.
The stage was near a beer garden, so the
audience size varied quite a bit, and the system
proved more than adequate for the coverage
area. In fact, Albro had to keep the top two
boxes and one of the subs per side turned off
during the show. If he had not done this than
the sound would have carried too far into the
other areas of the amphitheater. The sound
pressure level at 50 feet was exceeding 100 dB,
so this system can keep up with loud bands.
OK, the big question we all want answered…
How does it sound? It sounds really
good. Plenty of clarity on the top and tons of
mend the AxeTrak to anyone. It flat-out
rocks. They also offer the AxeTrak in a version
for bass as well as a 3x12, 1x12 and
bass cab with 3 6s and a 15. Jeff and his
team did their homework on the AxeTrak
and it really shows.
JLH AxeTrak
What It Is: Sort of a direct box for
guitar amps. Sort of.
Who It’s For: Anyone who needs to
control stage volume without sacrificing
tone.
Pros: Small and easy to hide, Easy to
use. Great tone right out of the box.
Cons: You can’t create controlled feedback.
They don’t make one for every
instrument on the stage.
Price: $399 (Factory Direct).
www.fohonline.com
punch on the bottom coverage and sound
was consistent on both systems.
I was very impressed with how the Versarray
system worked and sounded. These musicians
expected tour-grade equipment and a
professional sound and they got it. Especially
with the small size and myriad mounting options,
I can see this system in schools, churches
and other smaller venues both as a rental and
installed. As the owner of an anklebiter company,
I would heartily recommend this system
to anyone that needs a solid, road-worthy system
that is affordable and can be purchased
from one vendor.
Peavey Versarray 112
What It Is: Compact line array.
Who It’s For: Smaller sound companies
trying to get into the line array
game and smaller HOW-type installs.
Pros: Solid construction, lightweight,
easy to rig, sounds good.
Cons: None.
How Much: $1,599 per box MSRP;
$1,749.99 for the Versarray 218 sub.
Peavey Versarray 112
JLH AxeTrak
Road Test
By PaulOverson
2008 AUGUST
27