The New Bose Amplification System!

[seamonkey]

But, their stuff do sound good...

Not measurably. Or I should say - Bose hasn't measured it.

I hope some other manufacturers jump on this small scale line array bandwagon. Good quality small drivers weren't available in the Shure Vocalmaster days. They are now, and they're cheap.

Bose has already expanded the market, now's the time for others to step in with options.

 

[dunamis]

*snip*
The true test of how well these work, and if they are worth the asking price, is how many other companies have rushed their own versions to the marketplace. To date: zero. That has nothing to do with any patent issues, as line array technology has been in the public domain since before the heyday of the Shure Vocalmaster. At this juncture the mainstream pro-sound industry is just not impressed.

According to Bill, they're free to do so. Sounds like an opportunity to me, if it's true.

I wonder why no one's doing it?

 

[dunamis]

Not measurably. Or I should say - Bose hasn't measured it.

Can good sound actually be measured? I think the lesson (to me anyway) of threads like this one is that good sound is a matter of individual taste, application of systems and equipment, and personal expectations.

 

[seamonkey]

Man, the idea of manufacturing a line array speaker from that plastic square pipe seems attractive. The only idea I would steal from Bose is the idea of having them so that they can come apart into two pieces.

Somebody's got to do this. The post sleeves fit a 4x4 so some kind of tapered coupler would do it.

They seemed sturdy and could take paint. They aren't the lightest.

Seems like an easy weekend project to come up with for people with limited woodworking abilities.

I'm not sure what drivers to use.

I'd have to skip the purple tuck and role. I'd want green sparkle.

 

[dunamis]

Bose has already expanded the market, now's the time for others to step in with options.

Now that's a thought that I completely agree with. The only effective antidote to high prices is competition.

 

[seamonkey]

Can good sound actually be measured?

Yes

 

[dunamis]

Yes

How?

 

[jondog]

If you live in NJ you can come hear (measure with ears?) them at my gig on 3/10. It will be our first time using them in front of people so you will get a real-life high pressure gig assessment of the sound etc. PM me if you want directions.

 

[dunamis]

If you live in NJ you can come hear (measure with ears?) them at my gig on 3/10. It will be our first time using them in front of people so you will get a real-life high pressure gig assessment of the sound etc. PM me if you want directions.

+1

IMO, that's the only "measurement" that's meaningful when it comes to the question of whether something sounds good to you.

Best luck on the gig. I hope you'll post afterward to give your impressions of how it went.

Peace,
Matt

 

[seamonkey]

How?

http://www.meyersound.com/

You can't possibly audition speakers for every venue you may find yourself playing in. You need good measurements to see if the expensive speakers you're buying live up to their claims.

Unless or course, you have "golden ears", but a few tests (measurements) of your hearing can prove it if you do.

 

[billfitzmaurice]

Somebody's got to do this. Seems like an easy weekend project to come up with for people with limited woodworking abilities.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
The technology is neither difficult nor expensive. This is the line array box that I use for my home theatre center channel, it cost me less than $30 to build, including the wood. You can find all sorts of information on arrays at :
http://audioroundtable.com/ArraySpeakers/

 

[LoGruvz]

gnarly!

================

From that line array forum:

"49 cent midwoofers from partsexpress, 5 watts rms
meets QSC PLX3402 in bridge mode."

"Yep, last years line array project gets a new power plant,
four PLX3402 all in bridge mode."

 

[Crockettnj]

That system is HIGHLY setup dependent. Can you be more specific as to what gear you had and how it was configured?

The reason I mention this is that almost all attempts to substitute for a standard PA mixed with standard amps have been unsuccessful. The line seems to be that you need one system per player, and the bass and drum units need to be beefed up. If you didn't have that, then poor results are sort of old news. The more interesting information is what people are finding with the full configuration.

we (they) certianly did NOT have one system per person. There was one system set up for a vocalist/acoustic guitar player , a drummer, a bass player, and an electric guitar player.

from what you are saying, that is why the results were so abysmally pathetic, even in the small room with teh small crowd.

so, you are saying that in order to be properly setup, that band woudl need 3 more line arrays, and 2 or 3 more bass units? that's a lot of gear. a LOT more than the PA we normally use for such sized gigs.

how much would that cost, for this small gig sized setup?
just curious.


also, relfecting on this

The reason I mention this is that almost all attempts to substitute for a standard PA mixed with standard amps have been unsuccessful.

, then what is so good about it? dont get me wrong. i am not a BOSE hater, i had a wave radio for a while and it was neat, but, it seems this PAS doesnt replace what it should and cant compete with what could. and costs a lot.

 

[Crockettnj]

Heres' what we have:
http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=l1_double_live_music&ck=0

These things really do get loud.


Come visit us and hear for yourself.

Peace,

Matt

that is the same product we(they) used as well. as far as them getting really loud, i guess our description of loud differs greatly. perhaps MANY of them can get loud in a decent sized room, but 1 did not.

thanks for the invite, but i will not be in the area. glad you are experiencing such positive results.

 

[Crockettnj]

And unto the bashers I say this: what you put into a Bose you get out of it. I played at a good friend's recital today using the same exact setup I mentioned earlier. I put the time in to learn my part, as did my fellow musicians, and I put the time in to set up my PAS to get it to sound the way I wanted it to, as did my fellow musicians. And what did we get upon finishing the song? A standing ovation.

A cardboard quality job begets a cardboard sound.

the insinuation here is that the BOSE got the standing ovation ( which i doubt) and that you couldnt have gotten one using a different product. Give yourself more credit.

OR

the insinuation is that when the BOSE doesnt sound good it is operator error. So, is this BOSE then unlike other PA equip, which sounds good regardless of how you use it or what you put into it? hmmm...

Again, i have no horse in this race other than i was amazed at how terrible the PAS unit was in the situation i described. I guess we used it incorrectly, since we didnt have ten grand worth of them scattered around the stage.

NO, i stick to my initial evaluation. PASS on the PAS.

YM clearly Varies, and such is the spice of life

 

[Crockettnj]

We've been using the product for almost a year now, integrated with FOH board, and we like it.

and how much of the FOH is involved in what the people hear? Why do you require a FOH at all if the PAS is plenty volume? actually, i am really not that ineterested in an answer because...

At this point, I've got to say that this is a just a case of some people having a bias against Bose. Otherwise, I can't account for the deep disparity of the opinions expressed in the thread.

you are completley and positively incorrect here.

 

[Crockettnj]

+1
IMO, that's the only "measurement" that's meaningful when it comes to the question of whether something sounds good to you.
Matt

Again, i have no horse in this race other than i was amazed at how terrible the PAS unit was in the situation i described.

At this point, I've got to say that this is a just a case of some people having a bias against Bose. Otherwise, I can't account for the deep disparity of the opinions expressed in the thread.

?

 

[bucephylus]

we (they) certianly did NOT have one system per person. There was one system set up for a vocalist/acoustic guitar player , a drummer, a bass player, and an electric guitar player.

from what you are saying, that is why the results were so abysmally pathetic, even in the small room with teh small crowd.

And that is consistent with discussions you will find on their sponsored forum site. It's worth a read:
Link Removed

so, you are saying that in order to be properly setup, that band woudl need 3 more line arrays, and 2 or 3 more bass units? that's a lot of gear. a LOT more than the PA we normally use for such sized gigs.

Yes and no. If you study that discussion board, you will find a Bay Area large band with photos of their setup. It's pretty minimal. But, you do have to bite the bullet, sell everything and buy Bose (YIKES).

how much would that cost, for this small gig sized setup?
just curious.

About $1500 to $1700 on eBay per system. With the extra power amp and subs for bass or drums, those seem to be $3500 or so.

also, relfecting on this , then what is so good about it? dont get me wrong. i am not a BOSE hater, i had a wave radio for a while and it was neat, but, it seems this PAS doesnt replace what it should and cant compete with what could. and costs a lot.

And I'm not a Bose lover. In fact, I own none of the gear and am just trying to figure it out. It is a steep entry fee, although perhaps not out of order of magnitude for what a band spends in total. Plus you look at what gets spent on the boutique stuff here, and I think people are obviously willing to pay this kind of money IF it delivers the performance. So, all I'm trying to figure out is what that performance potential actually is in this case. The set ups that don't work aren't interesting. What does work and what limitations may exist aren't yet clear. The idea seems valid.

 

[dunamis]

Gents,

This has been fun and all but I feel it's gone beyond the point of being useful, so I must be moving on now. Have fun with the thread and *be careful*! As my dear departed mother used to say: "it's all fun and games until someone puts an eye out"!

Peace,

Matt

 

[Crockettnj]

... So, all I'm trying to figure out is what that performance potential actually is in this case. The set ups that don't work aren't interesting. What does work and what limitations may exist aren't yet clear. The idea seems valid.

sounds like you are doing the requisite research. best of luck with the outcome and your descision.