Fender Expo PA System Review

[guitarman_nebr]

I purchased a pair of these for my two man acoustic show. I am using them with a Mackie mixer and LR Baggs Venue pre amps.
After three days of rehearsal with the Fender Expo's and no monitors, we decided to use them at a gig.
These line array systems are GREAT! We played outdoors, 20' x 100' area with open sides and front....a brick wall behind us. We ran an Expo on each side of us and slightly behind for monitoring purposes. Normal gigging volumes for us.
The 120 degree sound dispersion made hearing ourselves on stage so easy.

Zero feedback and plenty of headroom. 100 or so people and we were at 1/2 to 2/3 volume. The Subwoofers really are the key....they hold their own.

The sound out front is very clean and crisp. The first 6 feet in front of the system is a bit mid heavy but 6 feet to 100 feet was even and well defined. That is the distance for the highs and lows to really disperse.

I did not have to make many EQ changes. I did have to boost the low end at each channel to get the subs really working. With each channel having a 100 hz low end cut, the "low" knob on each channel is really usable with these speakers.

Set up and tear down went much faster as there are fewer cords. With no monitors, we had a much cleaner stage.

[SpruceTop]

Thanks for the review! It sounds like your Fender Expos are serving you just fine for your music. The up close sound from your systems is typical of line-array-type systems as it takes several feet of distance away from the systems to meld the sound of the woofer and column into a cohesive whole.

How do you like your Carvin acoustic-electrics?

[guitarman_nebr]

Thanks, SpruceTop.

The Carvin Acoustics are great for "louder" gigs as they are not prone to feedback. The action on them is amazing as well.

This is where the LR Baggs stuff comes into play as the Venue is perfect for shaping the sound of these "thin" guitars into a full bodied believable acoustic sound.

Being a country lead guitar player, the Carvin thinline stuff makes acoustic a seamless transition.

[DavidE]

Have you heard the Trusonic line array to compare?

[guitarman_nebr]

I have only experienced the Bose L1 and Compact.

This has better Bass response than the Bose systems. The Bose may have a slightly better high end.

This appears to be very near the LD systems Maui stuff.

I would say this is 250 - 300 watts each and crossed over at the correct frequencies.

I have not seen a Trusonic set up anywhere...maybe they are too new. I can't imagine them reinventing the wheel

[Mandobart]

It is the Maui system, they just put a Fender logo on it.

[JoeInOttawa]

Hey!

After a long and winding way to get there, I'm looking at these for my duo, and here's what you need to know to answer my questions:

• We mostly play 100-150-capacity bars, the occasional 50-100-person patio, and the very occasional (like once a year) large-ish backyard party.
• We have two vocalists, an acoustic guitar, a Squier Bass VI (basically a 28-inch scale guitar tuned an octave down), and a Beat Buddy named Waldo.

My questions:

1. Would either a single or a pair of these be suitable for what we're doing? Ideally, we want to run a setup exactly the same as the one you have pictured -- columns behind us, no monitors out front.
2. When you compard them to the Bose, was that the Compact or the L1S?
3. Finally, how is the feedback rejection on them?

Your input is appreciated -- and congrats on your new gear!

Joe

[JoeInOttawa]

Are the columns one-piece, or do they break down into two?

Thanks -- again!

Joe

[MikeBmusic]

My concern would be feedback with such a close set up - specially from standard acoustic guitars where Bose L1s can develop a nasty low end guitar body-shaking feedback.

[zhunter]

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

My concern would be feedback with such a close set up - specially from standard acoustic guitars where Bose L1s can develop a nasty low end guitar body-shaking feedback.

This can definitely be a problem. Had that exact issue at a "Bose venue" a couple of weeks ago. We were playing at the very moderate volume set by the club sound person and kept getting a nasty low end howl. The tower is just too close. And there is not room on the stage to move it further away.

hunter

[JoeInOttawa]

If a bottom-end yowl is a problem, could you not EQ that out of the channel? Or the mains, for that matter?

I also wonder if this is more of an issue with the B2 subs than with the B1s. Although they do an excellent job of sounding low and loud, the B1s move a lot less air than the B2s.

Joe

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by JoeInOttawa

If a bottom-end yowl is a problem, could you not EQ that out of the channel? Or the mains, for that matter?

I also wonder if this is more of an issue with the B2 subs than with the B1s. Although they do an excellent job of sounding low and loud, the B1s move a lot less air than the B2s.

Joe

I recommend using two B1 subs instead of one B2 sub with a Bose L1 Model II. The portability and scalability of two B1 subs , IMHO, makes them, a better choice than one heavier B2 sub, and you'll still get excellent deep bass response with the stacked B1 subs. The cost of two B1 subs is about $100 more than one B2 sub but the weight saving is priceless.

[JoeInOttawa]

Originally Posted by DavidE

Have you heard the Trusonic line array to compare?

Got a link to that?

[DavidE]

Originally Posted by JoeInOttawa

If a bottom-end yowl is a problem, could you not EQ that out of the channel? Or the mains, for that matter?

I also wonder if this is more of an issue with the B2 subs than with the B1s. Although they do an excellent job of sounding low and loud, the B1s move a lot less air than the B2s.

Joe

On a B2 you can switch the setting from sounding like a single B1, two B1s or more than 4 B1s. I'm guessing a B2 sub would outdo the Fender.

[DavidE]

Originally Posted by JoeInOttawa

Got a link to that?

Sweetwater sells them.