Help - Bose L1 Compact with Loudbox mini as monitor

mitcher16 · #1 06-29-2020, 01:24 PM

Hi folks, hope you are all doing well.
As COVID restrictions are loosening where I live, live music may again be starting up. A couple of gigs that were cancelled in March may be resurrected and they are in fairly loud bars/restaurants.

The last time I played at one of those establishments, the volume of the Bose L1 was more than adequate but I just had a tough time hearing my vocals due to the overall noise in the place. Therefore, since I have a loudbox mini I would like to use that as a monitor so I can hear myself better.

When I tested it out yesterday, I did not have any sound from the mini so not sure what I am doing wrong. I am pretty sure my connection was correct but now not so sure.

I have my guitar going into my pedal board (tuner, Harmony Singer 2, Baggs Session DI, Reverb) and then my guitar and mic going into my Bose L1 Compact. All is good there and sounds great.

What I thought I could do was run a TRS Balanced 1/4 cable from the Bose Main out (balanced/unbalanced) to the Loudbox Mini 1/4 Aux In and I would be good to go but I don't get any sound. If I use the balanced 1/4 cable and plug it into the Instrument Channel 1 of the Loudbox mini I do get sound but I don't think that is the correct way as then I would be using the Loudbox preamp, affects, etc. where all I want it to be is a speaker.
The tonematch switch for the instrument channel is set to 'line'.

Anyone provide some insight how I could use the Loudbox mini as a power speaker/monitor from my Bose?

thx folks.

dnf777 · #2 06-29-2020, 01:59 PM

Sounds like the problem may be the balanced trs cord. I dont think the aux input can use a balanced line. Try a standard ts unbalanced speaker cable. Your basic set up seems good.

Goat Mick · #3 06-29-2020, 02:15 PM

The best way to do this is run your guitar and vocals in to the Loudbox Mini and then DI out of the Mini into the mic input of the Bose. You'll mix your vocals and guitar on the Mini and the Bose will supply the volume you need. I do this with my Bose L1c and Loudbox Mini at louder gigs and it works well.

Cuki79 · #4 06-29-2020, 02:21 PM

The Bose L1 compact output is TRS balanced means that tip delivers +signal and ring delivers -signal.

Fishman loudbox mini aux in is Stereo TRS mixed to mono (see manual). Means that the loudbox expect the tip to carry the Right Channel and the ring the left channel. Because it is mixed to mono you eventually get Right + Left.

Since you link both with a TRS cable you get
+ signal => Right
- signal => Left

As the Fishman loudbox mixes both you get
+ signal - signal = zero.

That is why you get no sound (or almost if the circuitry is slightly unbalanced)

Cuki79 · #5 06-29-2020, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goat Mick

The best way to do this is run your guitar and vocals in to the Loudbox Mini and then DI out of the Mini into the mic input of the Bose. You'll mix your vocals and guitar on the Mini and the Bose will supply the volume you need. I do this with my Bose L1c and Loudbox Mini at louder gigs and it works well.

Or you can still feed the Fishman with the Bose but use a TS cable (you just lose 6dB)

Goat Mick · #6 06-29-2020, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuki79

Or you can still feed the Fishman with the Bose but use a TS cable (you just lose 6dB)

Yes but the Mini has more EQ capability and onboard effects, which the Bose doesn't have. Those are nice features to have.

mitcher16 · #7 06-29-2020, 02:42 PM

thx everyone. hmmm....looks like I may have to use an unbalanced cable then.
I don't want to use the mini for my affects as I use the harmony pedal in addition to some sets I use electric guitar by swapping out the Baggs Session DI with a Joyo American between sets. That is why I just want the mini as a powered speaker.

Looks like my option is an unbalanced cable from the Bose to the Aux In of the mini. I will try that cable instead.

thx everyone for your input!
Cheers.

Cuki79 · #8 06-29-2020, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goat Mick

Yes but the Mini has more EQ capability and onboard effects, which the Bose doesn't have. Those are nice features to have.

In this case, I would rather link the DI out of the loudbox mini to the TRS jack input which is balanced (See Link L1 Compact) because the XLR mic input has the tonematch EQ always on. It is a quite strong EQ curve you might not want applied to your guitar signal.

As an example here is the EQ response curve of the Bose S1 pro mic tonematch setting:

leew3 · #9 06-30-2020, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goat Mick

The best way to do this is run your guitar and vocals in to the Loudbox Mini and then DI out of the Mini into the mic input of the Bose. You'll mix your vocals and guitar on the Mini and the Bose will supply the volume you need. I do this with my Bose L1c and Loudbox Mini at louder gigs and it works well.

^^^^ this! I've done this with the Artist running the DI out into our FOH speakers to great effect.

Goat Mick · #10 06-30-2020, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leew3

^^^^ this! I've done this with the Artist running the DI out into our FOH speakers to great effect.

I've been doing this for years at larger venues with great success. I've used my Mini, Performing Artist and a Fender Acoustic 100 and they all sounded great. The mic input of the Bose doesn't add much color to the signal at all and the bass and treble controls on that channel are very useful in tweaking the final mix out of the Bose.

Captain Jim · #11 06-30-2020, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goat Mick

The best way to do this is run your guitar and vocals in to the Loudbox Mini and then DI out of the Mini into the mic input of the Bose. You'll mix your vocals and guitar on the Mini and the Bose will supply the volume you need. I do this with my Bose L1c and Loudbox Mini at louder gigs and it works well.

Another one who had been doing this for years with a LBM Mini and an L1c. When my Mini crapped out and it took Fishman 3 times as long as they said it would, I bought a Bose S1 Pro and have been using them together in the same way, since. (Guitar and mic into a TCHelicon Play Acoustic > those lines into the S1 > a direct line out from the S1 to the L1c.

I like the addition of the mids I got from the LBM Mini, and now the S1, when used with the L1c.

leew3 · #12 06-30-2020, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Another one who had been doing this for years with a LBM Mini and an L1c. When my Mini crapped out and it took Fishman 3 times as long as they said it would, I bought a Bose S1 Pro and have been using them together in the same way, since. (Guitar and mic into a TCHelicon Play Acoustic > those lines into the S1 > a direct line out from the S1 to the L1c.

I like the addition of the mids I got from the LBM Mini, and now the S1, when used with the L1c.

Since the line out of the S1 is 1/4" I assume it's HiZ so wonder whether you've had any problems with longer runs? It's likely that your L1c is fairly close so that's not an issue.

Captain Jim · #13 06-30-2020, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leew3

Since the line out of the S1 is 1/4" I assume it's HiZ so wonder whether you've had any problems with longer runs? It's likely that your L1c is fairly close so that's not an issue.

Yes, the L1c and S1 are never far apart.

MarkF_48 · #14 07-01-2020, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leew3

Since the line out of the S1 is 1/4" I assume it's HiZ so wonder whether you've had any problems with longer runs? It's likely that your L1c is fairly close so that's not an issue.

"Line Output: Use a ¼" TRS cable to connect the line-level output to the Channel 1 or 2 input of a second S1 Pro to create a mono, two-loudspeaker setup."

The manual states this as being a TRS jack at line level. Usually a TRS jack would imply a balanced connection and will most likely be low impedance. Unfortunately the Bose specs in the S1 manual lacks this information.