With a great mixer in place: Bose or Speakers?

[lkingston]

I love my Bose. One thing with the T1 is that the mic and guitar modeling both sound pretty spectacular. A regular dynamic mic like a 58 sounds like a high end condenser and you can go online and find all sorts of Aura type models.


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[Irish Pennant]

Originally Posted by SteveA

Since I have the mixer & 3 monitors that were formerly FOH, the wrestling I'm having is utilizing all my equipment to the best....

Thoughts on that aspect anyone?

My first PA was an Alesis 8 channel mixer and a pair of Harbinger APS12's. After buying my current system, Zed 10 FX and a Zed 60-14FX along with a pair of Yamaha DBR 12's, a DBR 10 and a Behringer Eurolive 12" subwoofer. I sold my Alesis and Harbingers to a friend who needed a PA. I utilized my old gear by giving a friend a great deal. Now he host an open mic with that gear.

[zhunter]

Originally Posted by SteveA

I guess my biggest question, which no one has addressed is "because" I have the mixer, are many of the functions of the BOSE semi-obsolete, thereby 'tossing" away $$$$.....

I WILL be running everything from my mixer rather than the BOSE which makes me think I am literally throwing away 1K in features I will never use....I'm not even sure how to integrate the tonematch in that set-up.

Since I have the mixer & 3 monitors that were formerly FOH, the wrestling I'm having is utilizing all my equipment to the best....

Thoughts on that aspect anyone?

If you didn't have a mixer I'd say buy a mixer and get speakers.

hunter

[jomaynor]

Originally Posted by SteveA

I guess my biggest question, which no one has addressed is "because" I have the mixer, are many of the functions of the BOSE semi-obsolete, thereby 'tossing" away $$$$.....

I WILL be running everything from my mixer rather than the BOSE which makes me think I am literally throwing away 1K in features I will never use....I'm not even sure how to integrate the tonematch in that set-up.

Since I have the mixer & 3 monitors that were formerly FOH, the wrestling I'm having is utilizing all my equipment to the best....

Thoughts on that aspect anyone?

Sounds to me like you have answered your own question.

Yes, the Bose is a fairly convenient piece of gear, but, especially in this scenario, where you already have a very good digital mixer, you can get a lot better sound for $3k by going with higher quality speakers and maybe even a first-rate vocal mic, if you need one, than by dropping $3k on a Bose.

If I were you, I'd see off those Harbinger cabs on CL and get another high quality speaker as a monitor,as well.

[rokdog49]

I fall in line with the folks who say if you have a great mixer spend the money on great speakers. From a practicality standpoint you are farther ahead of the game.

[SteveA]

Originally Posted by jomaynor

Sounds to me like you have answered your own question.

Yes, the Bose is a fairly convenient piece of gear, but, especially in this scenario, where you already have a very good digital mixer, you can get a lot better sound for $3k by going with higher quality speakers and maybe even a first-rate vocal mic, if you need one, than by dropping $3k on a Bose.

If I were you, I'd see off those Harbinger cabs on CL and get another high quality speaker as a monitor,as well.

Yeah, just want confirmation on what I'm thinkin' (bouncing things off others)...Probably keep the Harbingers as a full back up system and say for something in the hot summer fun....I do have a pool and we entertain all summer long each weekend too

As far a Mic with the Mixer I purchased the Neumann KMS 105

[jomaynor]

Originally Posted by SteveA

Yeah, just want confirmation on what I'm thinkin' (bouncing things off others)...Probably keep the Harbingers as a full back up system and say for something in the hot summer fun....I do have a pool and we entertain all summer long each weekend too

As far a Mic with the Mixer I purchase the Neumann KMS 105

Gotcha - yes, you and your audience will definitely hear an improvement in your sound, then, once you get some speakers that are of the same quality as your mic and your mixer.

[Geoff@UK]

It's interesting that no one has mentioned RCF Evox 8's as an excellent alternative to the Bose.
Evox 8 is a portable compact size sound reinforcement system. It combines the quality and reliability of RCF transducers with a very high amplification power. In my view it is really worth checking these out.


Busted flat on Baton Rouge

[lkingston]

I have the full Bose L1 system but also use other systems depending upon the need. The L1 has some real advantages that I haven't seen mentioned here. These include:

Balanced sound way off to the sides so you really don't need a monitor.

No tweeter harshness.

The ability to put the system behind you without feedback.

Less falloff in volume as you go to the back of the room.




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I use a mixer with a Bose. Because I have a mixer I never sprung for that Tone Match thing. Now, the Bose sounds terrific and I can't imagine how much better any speakers could sound, but I don't care - I'm done with all that speaker on sticks stuff, lugging them, set up, tear down - all that. I still have them in case I feel a need for them. So far, I haven't.

[Martin Gibson]

"I use a mixer with a Bose. Because I have a mixer I never sprung for that Tone Match thing. Now, the Bose sounds terrific and I can't imagine how much better any speakers could sound, but I don't care - I'm done with all that speaker on sticks stuff, lugging them, set up, tear down - all that. I still have them in case I feel a need for them. So far, I haven't."

My thoughts exactly. We use a Bose L1 Model 2 with the small sub. Small mixer straight into the Bose. I'm not sore (or sweaty) after loading in/out anymore and we get compliments on our sound frequently. The Bose works well for us for what and where we play. That said, we don't run a keyboard through it.

[Johnny.guitar]

I still have my powered speakers(Yorkville Elite P10's) which kick some serious butt....however as far as small to medium size rooms my Bose can't be beat. No need for a monitor and the coverage is far superior to any PA speaker.
Sounds nice and even all over the room, even off to the sides of an L shaped room.


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[Captain Jim]

I have used a keyboard through a Bose L1c - it was fine for the usage: venue up to 100 people or so. For your needs, the bigger Bose systems would be a better fit. I used to carry around a Peavey system with 15"/horn in each cabinet. Just the power head weighed more than the whole Bose L1c I currently use.

The Bose is easier on the back, quick to set up and take down, and sounds great. There are some folks who love to throw shade on the Bose, but I would suggest that you audition one before you make a commitment to hauling heavy speaker cabinets and stands around.

If you do try out the Bose, you will find that you don't need the same volume to cover a room. It took me a time or two using the Bose to appreciate that I could use less volume, but everyone in the room could hear... without yelling to each other to talk.

Good luck with the decisions.

[KevWind]

If I were in your shoes I would take a long hard look at Line 6 Stage Source


http://line6.com/stagesource-pa-speaker/
For slightly over 1/2 your $3k budget and already having a mixer you could go with a pair of L3ms @ $1,800 for the pair .... or even consider, one L3m and one L3t/with built in mixer for an additional $100 and you then would have a full blown stage system with plenty of volume and plenty of dispersion. AND for those occasions that might arise for much smaller gig where you might just want the least amount of gear the L3t mixer could save having to haul an additional mixer

And I know how popular Bose is and there is no question it a very convenient system that throws a relatively large amount of sound over a fairly large dispersal area BUT ( AND in full disclosure I have never been a fan of Bose sound ) to my ear it is a lot of lower to upper mid range sound and not as clearly detailed as many other systems (Particularly for the price point) Now that is me and no doubt others will disagree which is OK

[jseth]

You know, it really depends upon how you plan to use this system... I know that for me, after over 45 years of performing with acoustic guitar and voice (primarily), the Bose L1 Model II is absolutely THE BEST sounding and most well-mannered PA through which I have played...

And believe me, I have played through some very fine small set-ups, as well as a few "big stage" rigs... but the Bose sounds amazingly clear and transparent to both the audience and, very importantly, to the performer - after all these years of playing, I can say that at EVERY gig I've played, there has always been ONE person who really cared about how I sound, how my guitar sounds... of course, that one person would be ME!

Prior to getting my Bose rig, I was not a "fan boy" in any sense of the word for Bose gear; I had heard some of the earlier home stereo stuff and liked it okay, but the pricing was always WAY too high for me to even consider...

So, I'm a huge fan of these Bose 'tower-type: PAs, all of them are wonderful for their intended purpose. You need to realize that, however expensive the rigs are, they are DESIGNED for ONE player, NOT a full band's PA system... Pat Metheny did a trio tour where each player in the group had their own L1 Model II; in many venues, that was all they needed!

The T1 is an AMAZING little gizmo that is FAR more than just an over-priced little mixer, something I did not find out until after I bought the thing. However, you CAN use just your A&H mixer with the L1; you don't absolutely "need" the T1 to run the thing... the T1 was designed to be the "heart" of the L1 systems, but are not absolutely necessary.

Now, the caveat... due to the Bose incredible dispersion of sound, they give the sonic appearance of "not sounding very loud"... however, I have found that the stage volume at which I play is just about the same volume level that someone 50' away will hear! It is truly remarkable dispersion, a full 180 degrees without question, and I have had people tell me that they hear my playing just fine, even outside that range or around a corner or in a different room...

So the Bose units produce a very "different" kind of live sound... and if what you want is to be able to "pin the audience's ears back", the Bose units are not for you... as such, I would question using the Bose for, say, a shred-metal or hard-rock ensemble (although I've heard the system used for vocals/keyboards in same!). as it just isn't going to perform that function.

One of the coolest aspects of the Bose PAs is that they suggest positioning the L1 behind the player at a diagonal; I have mine over my left shoulder, about 6-10' away from me. This allows me to forgo any sort of additional monitor speakers and lets me hear EXACTLY what the room is hearing, without any sort of feedback from the system... I have gotten a few lower-end "potential" issues from my acoustic guitars, always in the same general "trouble" frequencies that can plague those instruments, but I have NEVER had any issues whatsoever with my vocal mic... to the point that I leave the system up at performing volume and "walk away" during my breaks without so much as a flutter of feedback!

The portability and ease of set-up with my L1 is another big bonus... breaks down into 4 pieces, none of which weigh more than 24#s! I just use the one B1 cabinet, although several can be daisy-chained for more bass... the B2 cab is not for me, not weighing 40+#s, although I have a couple friends who have those and love the sound with them.

The best thing for you to do would be to set-up a time to go in and actually audition the rig, using ALL your own gear and instruments... that's what I did... heck, it is a sizeable investment, and I was not about to plunk down $3G's without knowing FOR SURE that I loved it. The store that had them was more than willing to accommodate my request... was a little weird to waltz in with both my 6 and 12 string, mic stand and mic... then set up and play while the store was open for business, but it turned out to be a great way to hear the stuff, and the store ended up being stoked to have me actually PLAYING SONGS, not just a riff or a portion... that's what I would recommend you do, if you feel that the Bose rig might be what you want...