Ok guys so I'm playing for this new church and we meet in a Rec Center Gym. The sound crew has the Bose L1 Portable Sound system as the only sound for the house. They don't want me to bring a cab and they want me to plug into the Bose. I've been trying it for two weeks now and to me it's like playing through a tin can. The bass is sooo thin you can hardly hear it (unless I'm plucking) let alone feel it. Is is me or is this thing not a good choice for running (2) keys, bass & vocals through? Was this thing even designed with bassists in mind? Input please.
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Bose L1 Portable Sound system...
- Thread starter NewBirthBass
- Start date
I've played through one at my local coffee shop. It sounds amazing when I sing and play acoustic guitar through it, but I've played bass a few times for a friends group using a DI to the bose and it just doesn't put out the volume or low frequencies. I'd say use your own setup and mix to taste.
Yeah that's what I want to do. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't trippin'. The sound guy and the pastor are convinced that it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. I actually told them that that set-up is more suited for coffee house or small open mic type events. I'm trying to get them to spring for a Mark Bass set up at least. lol
Passinwind
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- Dec 3, 2003
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If it's one thing the Bose company is good at it's marketing...and thats right about where it ends with the L1 systems.
Coffee house acoustic gigs....perfect application, anything else...complete failure, and a waste of a LOT of money.
That's what I told them bro! Bose is good at two things...marketing and convincing people who know nothing about sound to buy their stuff. lol
NewBirthBass said:
That is definitely not going to cut it. You need at least 2 subs per L1 for bass guitar, and possibly more depending the size of your room. I have used this extensively for acoustic trio gigs, and while it won't sound the best, you can make it work. But not with 1 sub per L1.
Also agreed on the above comments; used two of those for over year and once in a great, great while it would cut it, but best with no/very quiet drummer, need at least three of them, each with the pair of subs, and ideally best for acoustic music. How we did it for so long amazes me, but it did not help our hearing having those things behind us for all those pub gigs blasting trying to make it over the drums.
We have one of these for the church band I'm in. It can barely handle one guitar and two vocals through it. Needless to say, I bring my amp and cab every week and run a line out through the monitors. We have has been nothing but trouble since I have been in the band. I wouldn't recommend it for anything but small acoustic gigs.
We have always referred to Bose as "Better Audio Through Marketing".
And - you know - this is too bad. The concept is good and the price is high enough to afford using the really top grade components. This system COULD be made to kick butt, but they are making too much profit on it as is to make it really good.
And - you know - this is too bad. The concept is good and the price is high enough to afford using the really top grade components. This system COULD be made to kick butt, but they are making too much profit on it as is to make it really good.
I could not agree less.
I used three of these systems at a church plant for years.
They sounded amazing. The bass needs atleast two subs, I prefer four of them for bass. Vocals and lead guitar need no sub. If you use the system as it was designed it works great.
One stick per musician. Bass guitar gets 2-4 subs.
Keys gets 1 sub. Kick drum can piggy back on the bass guitar stick.
You got to think outside of the bun people.
I used three of these systems at a church plant for years.
They sounded amazing. The bass needs atleast two subs, I prefer four of them for bass. Vocals and lead guitar need no sub. If you use the system as it was designed it works great.
One stick per musician. Bass guitar gets 2-4 subs.
Keys gets 1 sub. Kick drum can piggy back on the bass guitar stick.
You got to think outside of the bun people.
So basically in a church where it is all about being loud
they work great. Let me know how well they work for a rock band outside. I imagine the money wasted on them could buy a much better PA solution.
Not true. I use them at low volume, hi volume. I have used the, with my rock/blues band for years. Outside they work real well. Crowded club if its not to big, say 100-200 people they work well. I did get outgunned at a large venue a few years back.
It was a large club, maybe 300-400 people. Stage DB in the place without us playing was 102. Could not really overcome that level of noise to make an effective gig.
It was a large club, maybe 300-400 people. Stage DB in the place without us playing was 102. Could not really overcome that level of noise to make an effective gig.
I just had to jump in here. My college days were spent selling Bose home audio, and I made a ton of money doing it because their retail products run at 50-60% margin!
Bose pays their resellers well, and also trains them to sell Bose. And not only are your payouts great, they set goals, and send you free speakers/systems when you reach them. UMass has a whole course centered around Bose marketing.
Cut open one of those bass modules and you'll find a pair of $20 paper midranges with a crossover. The stacks probably have an array of $10 tweeters. The rest is slick looking injection molded plastic and some simple amplification circuitry.
There is no way one of these sets adds up to $3000. You frankly can do better for the money. It may not look as cool, though.
My suggestion would be to try a small, black combo. Maybe a single 10" with an extension cabinet. Something like the older SWR Workingman 10. That's unobtrusive and would blend in.
Bose pays their resellers well, and also trains them to sell Bose. And not only are your payouts great, they set goals, and send you free speakers/systems when you reach them. UMass has a whole course centered around Bose marketing.
Cut open one of those bass modules and you'll find a pair of $20 paper midranges with a crossover. The stacks probably have an array of $10 tweeters. The rest is slick looking injection molded plastic and some simple amplification circuitry.
There is no way one of these sets adds up to $3000. You frankly can do better for the money. It may not look as cool, though.
My suggestion would be to try a small, black combo. Maybe a single 10" with an extension cabinet. Something like the older SWR Workingman 10. That's unobtrusive and would blend in.
Well their whole reasoning for using it was that the Bose guy said that they work great for a room of up to 500 (which is about what we have) and it's easier to set up (not true). It actually takes longer to set up than a standard 2 speaker and 3 sub system to me. And as far as price, I looked up the retail and for what one tower set cost we could have alomost bought two systems that would rock that place. I mean we already have a nice mixing board. All we needed was the speakers, stands and and a couple monitors.
QUOTE=DJS;12401799]I just had to jump in here. My college days were spent selling Bose home audio, and I made a ton of money doing it because their retail products run at 50-60% margin!
Bose pays their resellers well, and also trains them to sell Bose. And not only are your payouts great, they set goals, and send you free speakers/systems when you reach them. UMass has a whole course centered around Bose marketing.
Cut open one of those bass modules and you'll find a pair of $20 paper midranges with a crossover. The stacks probably have an array of $10 tweeters. The rest is slick looking injection molded plastic and some simple amplification circuitry.
That's what someone else told me once bro. I have a Workingman's combo at the house so I may take that. But if they ask me what I need I'm going Mark Bass.
There is no way one of these sets adds up to $3000. You frankly can do better for the money. It may not look as cool, though.
My suggestion would be to try a small, black combo. Maybe a single 10" with an extension cabinet. Something like the older SWR Workingman 10. That's unobtrusive and would blend in.[/QUOTE]
Bose pays their resellers well, and also trains them to sell Bose. And not only are your payouts great, they set goals, and send you free speakers/systems when you reach them. UMass has a whole course centered around Bose marketing.
Cut open one of those bass modules and you'll find a pair of $20 paper midranges with a crossover. The stacks probably have an array of $10 tweeters. The rest is slick looking injection molded plastic and some simple amplification circuitry.
That's what someone else told me once bro. I have a Workingman's combo at the house so I may take that. But if they ask me what I need I'm going Mark Bass.
There is no way one of these sets adds up to $3000. You frankly can do better for the money. It may not look as cool, though.
My suggestion would be to try a small, black combo. Maybe a single 10" with an extension cabinet. Something like the older SWR Workingman 10. That's unobtrusive and would blend in.[/QUOTE]
