Most people use a PA to amplify vocals ... these 2 products you have mentioned are really keyboard amps ... that accommodate vocals as an afterthought.

If that's what you think you want, then by all means go for it. Don't let the sales people coerce you into buying something you don't want. The Roland brand is no better than Alesis .... actually, they both are kinda crappy.

well i know they are keyboard amps, i was thinking of saving space but now i guess it shouldnt matter

maybe i should ask this-

what good speaker/amp combo could i get for around $500 new or used?

ill be getting a sm-58 for practice and stuff, not too worried about the recording part of it yet....

The Alesis will be as good as anything else in that price range ... You might consider a small Yamaha or Mackie PA as an alternitve.

hmm, well im starting to like mackie products so maybe ill do some searchin and see what i can find

thanks for the new b help, i just now see another thread pretty much identical to this, oops

I've seen both and heard the Roland units a few times at gigs. The Roland KC series is much better than what Alesis is doing and Roland at least has the experience in making great jazz combo guitar amps for many years.

Remember, It's not how many watts it's how well you use them.

oh yeah, i know all about the wattage scam

how about jbl speakers? i mean i know theyre good, im looking at the JRX115 PA. decent? or should i ask is there much difference between the jrx and the mp series?

I can seem to get the jbl jrx115 and a yamaha 66m in my range...

If you go with a small, self powered PA.....you can't go wrong with Mackie. I cant think of the model, but I used one for band practice and they do want they are supposed to and then some. I've even seen wedding DJ's use them cranking the hell out of them and they sounded fine. Not great, but as good as a wedding DJ gets that doesn't know how to properly drive a PA.

Nothing is worse than a singer that can't hear himself at band practice and then realizes he can't sing when he gets to a studio! hahaah I've been there with one of my old singers.

well i dont want to volume to be an issue at all in practice.

thats why im leaning toward the yamaha 66m for a powered mixer and a jbl jrx 115 for a loudspeaker. This way, eventually i can get another jrx speaker to lay them down as monitors on stage.

sound ok?

That works.

If you're going the small PA route with a powered mixer and passive speakers, then I would suggest getting monitors, maybe something similar to the Yamaha SM12V (1x12 + horn). There are several advantages to using a monitor speaker versus a regular speaker on a stick. First, when you're practicing, you have a speaker on a stick shooting across the band, then you are much more likely to have feedback problems than if the monitor is on the floor shooting up at you (and at the null point of your cardiod SM58). Second, many of these monitors have pole-mounts so that they can be used for "mains" in a speaker on a stick format if needed.

And if you're someone like who is always planning ahead, thinking about the next step, then you can always keep the monitor speakers around (assuming you buy decent quality) even if you upgrade the rest of the PA (speakers, board, amps). I have a feeling that you might soon outgrow or get frustrated with a lower end speaker, but a decent monitor can last you for a while.

Personally, I went the monitor route and it has proven to be very flexible. I have since bought better "mains," but I still have the monitors to use for smaller gigs, rehearsals, etc. Just a suggestion.