Double Bass Anyone tried or using a Bose S1 in a small setting?

[Ketbass]

So last Friday night I played a gig with my pianist at a country club wine tasting event. I’d played there twice before and the piano was always on a wall, making it simple for me to set near the piano AND plug in my AI combo. Fast forward to Friday night, they put the put the Yamaha grand in the middle of the room and 150+ people milling around at 90 decibels. Not to mention the grand swallowing whatever output I could provide. No electric available and not practical to run a chord as people would trip over it.

So researching battery powered amps, the results were a little dismal. So then I thought Bose S1 PA with tonematch and a nice battery pack AND 15lbs. I love my big stick L1, S2 for larger gigs but this seemed overkill; and it needs power of course. So back to the original question. I don’t need a ton of volume, just a boost in situations like this. This seems like it might cover even a trio. I have a good DI/preamp with a HPF so not to overly concerned with EQ. Thoughts?

 

[klyph]

I have one and have done many drummerless gigs with it, plugging my Realist directly in and also with electric bass. LOUD piano bar with a low tin ceiling, cafe, even busking! It has performed well. I’ve never even come close to opening it up volume-wise, but… I’m really not sure about it keeping up with a drummer, especially in a big room. That might be asking a bit much, maybe not if the drummer is good. I think two of them daisy chained probably could, but that’s a expensive proposition.
It’s worth noting that they’re already on the second generation, and mine is first gen. It looks like the changes are strictly cosmetic, but I can’t really say- there are probably some first gen still at retailers. I lucked into mine used for 400$, and I’ve seen similar deals on Reverb.
I will also say that I mostly hate Bose products. I find the baked-in boom/hiss eq gross. I’ve tried listening to program music through my S1 in the car, and the bass is overwhelming! I’m not very fond of how my voice sounds through it either. But it makes a GREAT portable bass amp. The only caveat is that if you want detailed eq control, you will need a battery powered preamp with eq. I have a few, but honestly, I’ve been very satisfied with plugging the Realist (on a heavily modified Kay) directly in. Electric bass sounds great too, and my old single coil bass doesn’t hum nearly as much through this as it does through a regular combo. This is absolutely the answer to your problem, and it might even become your go to. The battery life is superb- I get 6-8 hours. I hope that answers your question- I’ve never seen another bassist using it, but I’ve recommended it to a few…

 

[uprightbass.com]

I’ve tried it using an S1 Pro and found that I’m better off using a Portable Power Station (I own a 500watt) I’ve done it in the past with a AI Coda (keeping the volume reasonable because the AI is power hungry) and also my Phil Jones 2x5 which I could run at full volume. Works great.

I’ve always kept a portable power station around for emergencies and other uses anyhow so it’s a great thing to own outside of gigging.

 

[BobKay]

What portable power station do you use?

 

[uprightbass.com]

I use a Jackery branded one. Our local utility was giving out generous rebates on these at the time so I didn't do a lot of brand cross shopping. I'm really happy with it to the point that I've considered buying the 1000 watt one as an addition.

 

[Earl]

I tried one and did not like the sound, and got some chuffing (is that what it's called?). However, I recently pickup up a QSC CP8 and that's a whole different story! Great sound with a Schertler Stat B and handles a drummer with no problem. No battery though.

 

[Wasnex]

IMHO a battery-powered amp would be ideal for a campfire jam. My choice would be a Cube Street EX.

For an actual gig I think a pure-sine power bank feeding one of my regular amps is a better choice.

I bought a Jackery 300 to experiment with. I chose it because I thought it was the best compromise between portability and required power. 300W continuous/500W surge.

I can run my GK 700RB/112 combo wide open on the Jackery 300. The woofer amp in 700RB is rated 225W into the internal speaker.

There is a slight low frequency hum. I think this is fairly common when using a power bank. I don't think it would be a problem, unless you play in rooms that have dead silence.

If you are curious, here is my thread on the Jackery 300: Battery-Powered Mayhem! (Jackery 300) | TalkBass.com

I have found a few comments that suggest the Jackery 240 produces less hum. So if the 240 meets your power needs, you can save a bit of money.

Here is a post where I list various battery-powered options: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/de...s-amp-for-backyard-gig.1621017/#post-27777375

 

[Ketbass]

Thanks @Wasnex. I thought about a power bank of some sort too, but that’s just another thing to bring in and out. The S1 just seems to tick a box for me as it eliminates one more thing to bring and the classic “Has anyone seen a receptacle nearby?” Venue manager, “ For?..”. Yeah. Just did another gig yesterday morning in a big fancy room for a fundraiser and the receptacle was buried behind the grand piano. Me, 60 with bad back and knees, crawling under the piano with jacket and tie….

 

[Wasnex]

Thanks @Wasnex. I thought about a power bank of some sort too, but that’s just another thing to bring in and out. The S1 just seems to tick a box for me as it eliminates one more thing to bring and the classic “Has anyone seen a receptacle nearby?” Venue manager, “ For?..”. Yeah. Just did another gig yesterday morning in a big fancy room for a fundraiser and the receptacle was buried behind the grand piano. Me, 60 with bad back and knees, crawling under the piano with jacket and tie….

Here are a few quotes from: Portable battery powered combo | TalkBass.com

Another, though pricey, option could be the Bose S1 Pro. I went in to our local mom and pop looking for the Roland which was not in stock, and was asked to plug into the S1 Pro. Honestly, I didn’t like the price and was prepared to skip the whole thing when I looked over at my wife...she was going buy it! Coming from a Crate Taxi, the Bose was a revelation. It didn’t break up on the low notes, and the overall sound suited me well. It works well with my GS mini as well as all of my main basses. Just another possibility...just pricey.

Kim

For me, a setup that weights more than 9kg is unacceptable. I want it to fit my bicycle's back basket.

Yesterday I compared the Bose S1 to the JBL Compact One and they both distort at about the same level, yet the Bose has a bit more mid-range clarity. But for busking bassists, both are practically useless, and the Roland Street Cube EX remains the king of size/weight/loudness. Well, the king ain't perfect either...

I have another plan at work already and will keep you guys posted

These comments suggest the Bose sounds better but the Cube Street EX is louder. Obviously the best thing would be to try them for yourself, but finding them for a demo is not necessarily easy. The S1 is currently available for $100 off: S1 Pro Portable Bluetooth Speaker System (bose.com)

They weigh about the same. The Cube Street EX is larger. The Bose has internal batteries and a charger. The Cube Street EX takes 8 AAs. I suggest 2100mAH Eneloops with quick chargers. Amazon.com: Panasonic K-KJ55MCA4BA Advanced Individual Battery 3 Hour Quick Charger with 4 AA eneloop Rechargeable Batteries, White

 

[Ketbass]

Thanks for digging that up. I guess my main use is for the gigs where I have no power. Busking outdoors where I live is a non starter, at least on my Shen. I’m really just trying to stay up with a grand piano for these kind of events. What’s the phrase, Sounds like my bass only louder. If I have to play loudly, I’m not going to be doing that gig or I bring the AI head mated to my David Eden 410 boat anchor and as one guitarist said, We’ll that blew the drummer away. Yeah… I’ll see if the local Guitar Center has one to demo. They seem to have a lot of PA equipment.

 

[brianrost]

One thing that I bugs me about the S1 and some other battery powered speakers is the mfr doesn’t bother to spec the wattage. Probably because the number is quite low.

Roland specs their Street Cube EX at “50 watts maximum power” but leaves it to the buyer to guess what that means…I’m sure it’s not RMS! It runs on 8 AA batteries and is nowhere as loud as 50 watt solid state amps I've used.

I’ve heard the S1 used as a personal stage monitor, it sounds very good to me. But how loud it goes I have no idea.

Finding a store with one to demo is the best idea.

 

[Wasnex]

AFAIK, your requirements are playing off the grid, sufficient headroom, and sufficient sound quality. It's doesn't really matter whether your busking or playing indoors...the requirements are the same.

IMHO, most likely a small battery-powered amp will impose some degree of compromise in volume and sound quality. In all honesty, I doubt either the S1 or Cube Street EX can keep up with the dynamic range of a grand piano. This is why I recommended a power bank and your regular amp.

More search results: Search Results for Query: bose s1 | TalkBass.com

@brianrost uses the Cube Street EX with upright. I believe he recommends compression and an LPF and uses a Zoom B3 =36+225&c[user][0]=4047']Search Results for Query: cube street ex | TalkBass.com

Brian has made quite a few other posts related to his use of the Cube Street EX.

 

[Wasnex]

If you have deep pockets, you might look into the AER Compact Mobile 2. It's designed for acoustic guitar, but I have seen several comments that suggest it works with bass...actually these comments were about the previous version; so double check if you are interested.

Compact Mobile 2 (aer-music.de)

AER also makes bass amps, but AFAIK the Compact Mobile 2 is the only amp they make that runs on battery power.

Discounted AER Battery Powered Acoustic Amp AER COMPACT-MOBILE 60W / 2 Chan w/ 1x8 Speaker, Special Order, Mint | Reverb

 

[longfinger]

Just a note, for a grand piano and upright bass, the piano lid should be at the lower open setting. That will lessen its volume enough for some bass to be heard. Having the piano full open would be too loud. But I guess that is what the battery amp is for...

Have you thought about portable battery pack for your current AI combo? They are common now and could be enough power for the gig. Camping supply stores might have the better deals.

 

[Ketbass]

I guess I’ll start looking

 

[Ric Vice]

Country Club event planners (usually their food and beverage managers) are “masters” at selecting spaces where the band is off in the middle of the room, packed into a tiny corner, or outside right in direct sunlight on a 95” day. These spaces are no where near their AC wall outlets with ungrounded plugs. I carry a “wheel of cheese” extension cord that rolls into it’s self and a variety pack of AC plug adapters which comes in handy. Granted this wouldn’t have solved your problem. Had I been in your situation and believe me I have, I’d play acoustically sans amp cause in my experience, no one’s listening anyway.

 

[Ketbass]

Country Club event planners (usually their food and beverage managers) are “masters” at selecting spaces where the band is off in the middle of the room, packed into a tiny corner, or outside right in direct sunlight on a 95” day. These spaces are no where near their AC wall outlets with ungrounded plugs. I carry a “wheel of cheese” extension cord that rolls into it’s self and a variety pack of AC plug adapters which comes in handy. Granted this wouldn’t have solved your problem. Had I been in your situation and believe me I have, I’d play acoustically sans amp cause in my experience, no one’s listening anyway.

Yep, not sure if they were listening. But actually it was more for the piano player behind the piano the way we were setup, and for me, so I could hear myself. I’m not classically trained so intonation is always a going concern for me.

 

[Ketbass]

IMHO a battery-powered amp would be ideal for a campfire jam. My choice would be a Cube Street EX.

For an actual gig I think a pure-sine power bank feeding one of my regular amps is a better choice.

I bought a Jackery 300 to experiment with. I chose it because I thought it was the best compromise between portability and required power. 300W continuous/500W surge.

I can run my GK 700RB/112 combo wide open on the Jackery 300. The woofer amp in 700RB is rated 225W into the internal speaker.

There is a slight low frequency hum. I think this is fairly common when using a power bank. I don't think it would be a problem, unless you play in rooms that have dead silence.

If you are curious, here is my thread on the Jackery 300: Battery-Powered Mayhem! (Jackery 300) | TalkBass.com

I have found a few comments that suggest the Jackery 240 produces less hum. So if the 240 meets your power needs, you can save a bit of money.

Here is a post where I list various battery-powered options: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/de...s-amp-for-backyard-gig.1621017/#post-27777375

So I think I’m going this route now. Thanks All. I’m thinking about going with the Jackery 500 to make sure I can get thru the whole gig, 2-3hrs. typically. My AI combo is rated at 300W @4ohms, but not sure if that’s peaked power consumption or as running through out the evening. I did the equation for 300W and it came out less than an hour. 500 only came up short of 2hrs, but if @Wasnex test show that may be an inaccurate way to measure as the amp is not always pulling the rated amount. Any help here would be great. Thanks

 

[Wasnex]

A 300W amp does not pull 300W average.

IMHO the Jackery 500 is going to be total overkill for low volume play with a 300W amp. It's also more expensive, bigger, and about 2x the weight of the 300 [ 13.3 VS 7.1lbs ]. There may be other reasons to get the 500.

To summarize my results. When pushing my 225W GK to full power:
1. The Jackery 300's highest power draw reported was 52W.
2. When I did the same experiment using the Ammeter on my variac the highest reported power was 101W.
3. I played the amp near clipping for 10 mins and the power reserve dropped to 98%.

The original Jackery 300 Wh rating is 293W

Using the higher wattage (101W) and derating by 75% gives a run time of 2.17 hrs. Keep in mind that's with the amp pumping at a power level that would easily drive a big band. Way louder than you would normally use when playing with acoustic piano. The run time will be longer with the amp running at a lower power level.

 

[Ketbass]

Thank you for clarifying that.