Do we actually need a subwoofer for our show?

It depends what is in the sound, not how loud you want it. Speech, choirs and a singer with a piano are usually better without one. Dance showcases, bands with a kick drum and bass, and produced backing tracks are where a sub earns its keep, because that material contains low frequencies small tops cannot reproduce. Tell us what the show is and we will say honestly whether to add one.

Will it work with speakers we already own?

Usually. The sub sits between your mixer and your tops: the mixer feeds the sub, and the sub's XLR outputs feed your speakers, with a switch that takes the low end out of what it passes on so your tops run cleaner. Any active top with an XLR input connects straight in. Tell us what you have and we will confirm before you book.

How many do we need, and where do they go?

One is enough for most school and village halls; a dance show in a bigger space usually runs one each side. They sit on the floor near the stage — bass does not need height, and the floor actually helps it along. If the rig grows, we can supply as many as the show needs.

How heavy is it, and will it fit in a car?

It weighs 28.2 kg and is a little smaller than a washing machine, so plan on two people to lift it and an estate or people carrier with a seat down to move it. Tell us what you are driving and we will say whether it fits, or ask about delivery when you book.

Home Services Equipment Hire PA System Hire

Subwoofer hire — Alto TS215S

A subwoofer is for what is in the sound, not how loud it is. Speech and a singer over a piano do not need one; dance tracks, bands with a kick drum and bass, and produced backing tracks do. The TS215S is a 15-inch active sub that sits under our TS210 or TS315 tops and carries everything below about 95 Hz, so the tops stay clean. It hires at £20 per day, on its own or as part of the Full-Range PA Package.

The Alto Professional TS215S is an active subwoofer built around a 15-inch woofer in an internally braced plywood cabinet. Its job is the bottom of the sound: kick drums, bass lines and the low end of produced tracks. Small full-range tops handle voices well but run out of cabinet below about 100 Hz, which is exactly where dance music and band mixes live. Add a sub and the tops stop straining, because the frequencies that work a speaker hardest now have their own box.

Connection is simple. Your mixer feeds the sub's two combo inputs, XLR or 6.35 mm jack, and the sub's two XLR outputs pass the signal on to the tops. A switch on the back chooses whether those outputs carry the full bandwidth or only what sits above the sub's crossover, so the tops can concentrate on the mids and highs. There is a polarity-reverse switch for tidying up the phase against the tops, and an extended low-frequency setting when the room can take a deeper reach. The sub itself covers 35 Hz to 95 Hz and will produce 129 dB at one metre, which is more than any school hall will ask of it.

The cabinet is 542 mm wide, 515 mm deep and 630 mm tall, and weighs 28.2 kg: a two-person lift, and a sack truck if there are stairs. It sits on the floor near the stage, where low frequencies actually benefit from the boundary. A 35 mm socket in the top panel takes a satellite pole, so a TS210 or TS315 top can stand directly over it on a single footprint instead of a separate stand. Power is the supplied IEC lead into an ordinary 230 V socket; the amplifier makes 1250 watts peak and draws no more than 450.

We pair the TS215S with our TS210 and TS315 tops, and it is the sub in our Full-Range PA Package if you would rather book the whole system in one line. One sub is enough for most halls; a dance show in a bigger space usually runs one each side, and if the rig grows we can supply as many as the show needs.

Not every show needs one. Speech, choir concerts and musical theatre with a small acoustic pit usually sound better without a sub loading the room. Tell us what is in your show and we will say honestly whether this box earns its place in the van.

What you get

The subwoofer, with a mains lead

XLR signal cabling from your mixer to the sub and on to the tops — tell us the distances and we will sort the run

A satellite pole to stand a top directly over the sub, if you are hiring tops from us: ask when you book

Not included as standard: the mixer and the top speakers. Both can be added, or book the Full-Range PA Package and it all arrives together

An engineer to set the crossover, balance the sub against the tops and mix the show, if you would rather not run the sound yourselves

Good for

Dance school showcases, where produced backing tracks carry bass the tops cannot reproduce alone

School musicals with a live band: kick drum and bass guitar get their own speaker instead of muddying the vocals

End-of-term discos, proms and awards evenings in a sports hall

Am-dram and youth theatre productions that open or close on a big produced number

Village hall parties with a band or a DJ

Adding low end to tops you already own — the sub sits between your mixer and your speakers, so most active tops connect straight in

What you need to know

What it does: Carries the bottom of the sound — kick drums, bass lines and the low end of produced tracks — so the main speakers stay clean for voices.
Do you need one: It depends on the content, not the volume. Dance, bands and produced tracks benefit; speech and acoustic music usually do not.
Power: Plugs into an ordinary 13 amp socket with the lead supplied. The amplifier is built in: 1250 watts peak, drawing 450 watts at most, less than a kettle.
Control: No separate amp or processing needed. The mixer feeds the sub, the sub feeds the tops, and a level knob on the back sets how much bass is enough.
Where it goes: On the floor near the stage — low frequencies do not need height, and the floor helps. At 28.2 kg it is a two-person lift, and a top speaker can stand on a pole above it.

Rates are per day and exclude VAT. A longer hire costs less per day — tell us your dates and we will price the period exactly. Ask us about delivery and hiring with a technician.

Alternatives

Full-Range PA Package — tops, subs, stands and cabling in one booking, if you are building the whole system rather than adding bass.

Full technical specification (17)

Manufacturer and model	Alto Professional TS215S
Series	Truesonic 2 (TS2)
Type	Active subwoofer, amplifier built in
Low frequency driver	15 in (381 mm) woofer with 76 mm voice coil
Output power	1250 W peak, 625 W continuous
Frequency response	35–95 Hz (-10 dB)
Maximum SPL	129 dB at 1 m
Inputs	2 x XLR/6.35 mm jack combo, line level (+4 dBu nominal)
Outputs	2 x XLR pass-through, switchable full-range or high-passed for the tops
Controls	Volume, polarity-reverse switch, high-pass filter bypass switch, extended low-frequency switch, signal/limit LED, power switch
Protection	Electronic clip, thermal and transducer overdrive protection
Enclosure	Internally braced plywood cabinet
Pole mount	35 mm socket on the top panel
Mains	Standard IEC lead, 220–240 V AC 50/60 Hz (UK 230 V)
Power draw	450
Dimensions	542 x 515 x 630 (W x D x H)
Weight	28.2

Common questions

It depends what is in the sound, not how loud you want it. Speech, choirs and a singer with a piano are usually better without one. Dance showcases, bands with a kick drum and bass, and produced backing tracks are where a sub earns its keep, because that material contains low frequencies small tops cannot reproduce. Tell us what the show is and we will say honestly whether to add one.
Usually. The sub sits between your mixer and your tops: the mixer feeds the sub, and the sub's XLR outputs feed your speakers, with a switch that takes the low end out of what it passes on so your tops run cleaner. Any active top with an XLR input connects straight in. Tell us what you have and we will confirm before you book.
One is enough for most school and village halls; a dance show in a bigger space usually runs one each side. They sit on the floor near the stage — bass does not need height, and the floor actually helps it along. If the rig grows, we can supply as many as the show needs.
It weighs 28.2 kg and is a little smaller than a washing machine, so plan on two people to lift it and an estate or people carrier with a seat down to move it. Tell us what you are driving and we will say whether it fits, or ask about delivery when you book.