Portable Power Station for Going Unplugged

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Monsum

So practically in terms of loudness, is the Bose S1 comparable to the QSC K8?

One-on-one not even close. The QSC k8.2 we had can get VERY loud and if you need that kind of volume then they can't be beat. The Bose S1 by itself gets fairly loud but not nearly that of the QSC. That said, if you put any kind of preamp in front of the Bose it too can get quite a bit louder and almost be on par with the QSC in 'usable' volume and loudness.

The QSC will still get louder and it will also have a more pristine and clear sound. The Bose tends to color its sound like all Bose products. The old saying, "No highs, no lows, must be Bose" does apply here a little bit but if you like the Bose sound (and I do) then it sounds great. For a solo acoustic player (or in our case, a duo) the Bose (with our EAE X6 mixer in front of it) provides nearly all the power, volume and loudness we would ever need. If we need more then we add the second Bose in one of many different configurations - both out front, one out front one monitor - lot's of choices.

Even outdoors the Bose (with preamp) can give you a lot of volume. But if you need really big volume like you do with a full band then you just can't beat the QSC line. We actually had a QSC k8.2 as a backup in case we ever needed that kind of volume but we never did and quickly realized that for our type of music a second Bose S1 would be much more useful so we sold the QSC and bought another S1. For us the light weight and battery power sealed the deal.

Check out this NAD review I did. It's got five embedded videos including one where I A/B the S1 and the QSC outside for volume and dispersion:

NAD: Bose S1 Pro - we have a winner! UPDATE - detailed video demo added

Here's another review and demo with video after I added the second Bose S1:

NAD: 2 Bose S1, dual speaker stand video demo & review - Post outdoor-gig update

[DenverSteve]

The easier thing to do is tell the venue/event/host that you need a power cord run to where you're playing - then plug in.

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

We use a single Bose S1 Pro with a EAE StompMix X6 digital mixer and that's it. These two pieces of gear replaced ALL our other gear. Both run off internal rechargeable lithium batteries. We never use external power - even when external power is available. With the mixer or any preamp in front of it the Bose S1 gets very loud. We have a second one if we need more power or dispersion. The Bose weighs 15 pounds. The X6 weighs even less. We carry all our equipment in one trip. Setup is about 5 minutes. Two mics, one mic stand, amp stand, Bose, EAE, guitar and three cords.

I've been thinking of getting an S1 for times when I could get by with a smaller speaker and/or power is awkward, but now you've got me more interested than ever with the EAE X6 mixer. Not sure how soon, but I almost wish I already had it for next weeks outdoor gig.

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

The easier thing to do is tell the venue/event/host that you need a power cord run to where you're playing - then plug in.

That is exactly what I'll be doing next week, but the idea of having a setup that can run completely wireless is great. My lights will be hanging from tree branches with no lines going to them, which would have been really awkward otherwise.

[Monsum]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

One-on-one not even close. The QSC k8.2 we had can get VERY loud and if you need that kind of volume then they can't be beat. The Bose S1 by itself gets fairly loud but not nearly that of the QSC. That said, if you put any kind of preamp in front of the Bose it too can get quite a bit louder and almost be on par with the QSC in 'usable' volume and loudness.

The QSC will still get louder and it will also have a more pristine and clear sound. The Bose tends to color its sound like all Bose products. The old saying, "No highs, no lows, must be Bose" does apply here a little bit but if you like the Bose sound (and I do) then it sounds great. For a solo acoustic player (or in our case, a duo) the Bose (with our EAE X6 mixer in front of it) provides nearly all the power, volume and loudness we would ever need. If we need more then we add the second Bose in one of many different configurations - both out front, one out front one monitor - lot's of choices.

Even outdoors the Bose (with preamp) can give you a lot of volume. But if you need really big volume like you do with a full band then you just can't beat the QSC line. We actually had a QSC k8.2 as a backup in case we ever needed that kind of volume but we never did and quickly realized that for our type of music a second Bose S1 would be much more useful so we sold the QSC and bought another S1. For us the light weight and battery power sealed the deal.

Thanks for that, very informative and useful. I hoped that somehow I could have both, the lightweight and portability of Bose S12 and the power of QSC K8.
But that seems to be against the physics.

[MigueldeMaria]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

The easier thing to do is tell the venue/event/host that you need a power cord run to where you're playing - then plug in.

That is true. However, personally, I play in lots of venues, from resorts to homes to out in the middle of the desert. Often I show up and the power cord that's supposed to be there isn't. They point at the GFCI plug a hundred feet away that doesn't work even when you press the button and it might be on a timer or a light-sensing switch that only goes on at dusk. Or, like happened on Saturday to me, I'm on a circuit with a bunch of lights or heat lamps and the power goes out.

The battery often saves twenty minutes of hunting and taping--grunt work, all, and sometimes stressful, too. And it's also very nice for a guy like me who plays wedding ceremonies to be able to just pick up my gear and move from the big green lawn to the patio where they're having cocktail hour, without worrying about cords.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by MigueldeMaria

That is true. However, personally, I play in lots of venues, from resorts to homes to out in the middle of the desert. Often I show up and the power cord that's supposed to be there isn't. They point at the GFCI plug a hundred feet away that doesn't work even when you press the button and it might be on a timer or a light-sensing switch that only goes on at dusk. Or, like happened on Saturday to me, I'm on a circuit with a bunch of lights or heat lamps and the power goes out.

The battery often saves twenty minutes of hunting and taping--grunt work, all, and sometimes stressful, too. And it's also very nice for a guy like me who plays wedding ceremonies to be able to just pick up my gear and move from the big green lawn to the patio where they're having cocktail hour, without worrying about cords.

In my contract, I specifically point out that the line they provide is run right up to the stage and has been tested for proper operation. And if I have to move my equipment to another site, I add a charge for that too, and have them run another power cord to where I'm playing and that has to be tested too. I think think knowing how to write a contract is important as knowing how to play the guitar. I use to be very loose about this when I first started gigging full time (about 20 years ago), but on some gigs I have a booking agent who absolutely writes the best clear contracts, and it changed the way I do business. Aside from keeping the technical side of things clear, it also helps when I get pressured to play more time than agreed upon as it clearly states I will be paid more and at what rate.

Back to batteries/power stations.. I typically wouldn't chance having a battery fail, or starve my equipment of the voltage it needs, but having a battery in the car just in case their power fails for any reason might be a good option. One of the things I wonder about when considering a battery system like the ones shown is, if I'm not using it regularly (which I wouldn't), would I have to setup a schedule for charging to keep the battery healthy.

[MigueldeMaria]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

In my contract, I specifically point out that the line they provide is run right up to the stage and has been tested for proper operation. And if I have to move my equipment to another site, I add a charge for that too, and have them run another power cord to where I'm playing and that has to be tested too. I think think knowing how to write a contract is important as knowing how to play the guitar. I use to be very loose about this when I first started gigging full time (about 20 years ago), but on some gigs I have a booking agent who absolutely writes the best clear contracts, and it changed the way I do business. Aside from keeping the technical side of things clear, it also helps when I get pressured to play more time than agreed upon as it clearly states I will be paid more and at what rate.

Back to batteries/power stations.. I typically wouldn't chance having a battery fail, or starve my equipment of the voltage it needs, but having a battery in the car just in case their power fails for any reason might be a good option. One of the things I wonder about when considering a battery system like the ones shown is, if I'm not using it regularly (which I wouldn't), would I have to setup a schedule for charging to keep the battery healthy.

That's an interesting approach. It would make my life a lot easier, but I am not sure if that would work here, in Phoenix. I haven't observed any booking agency getting that kind of compliance from venues, with regards to power _or_ to heaters, which are important since our season is basically winter.

I did use battery almost exclusively from 2004-2010 or so and I don't think I ever had a failure, between the Samson Expedition Express, the Crate Limo, and the AER Compact Moblile, but I have had power fail and buzzy power.

The AER battery did die twice, though, because of me not using it for too long of a period. And since it costs me $100+ to get it replaced, that is a PITA.

[MigueldeMaria]

Originally Posted by jonfields45

It depends on how hard you drive it and how you interpret QSC's specs. The 2KW is peak power (undistorted spikes) and their thermal design could probably only support 100 watts continuous average under good conditions.

I would look at QSC's 1/8 power line current spec for a better idea of what a DJ is going to need. If you are playing at conversation friendly levels, you can divide that current requirement by around 10. Nothing beats trying it and returning something that doesn't work.

The Beaudens is not suitable for a DJ.

Hey Jon, I got the Beaudens and it is a charming little thing. Worked fine for my phone, but when I plugged in the K10 and turned it on, the back of the K10 made a weird buzzing sound that it does not when plugged in to a normal wall socket.

From this, I'm guessing the Beaudens isn't compatible with the K10.

Do you think this is a matter of finding something with more watts? Any idea what spec I need to up to find a match?

[jonfields45]

It runs my CP8 with no issues. Maybe you got a bad one, or maybe the K10 draws more startup current than my CP8 and it is out of spec for the Beaudens. I think other people report running K10s on this supply without issue.

The buzzing sounds like the K10's fan did not spin up and started to buzz. I'm thinking there is something wrong with the Beaudens you got.

I have a 75 watt cigarette lighter inverter that I have used to see if it would work with my CP8 and a DBR10. Both ran fine and I would assume it has much lower peak current capability than the Beaudens...

Maybe you could try charging the Beaudens overnight and giving it another shot.

[MigueldeMaria]

Just to update, I was leery of the issue I experienced and returned the Beaudens, something Amazon makes very easy. There are other similar units with more power, but I decided to take a different tack. I'm going to get my AER Compact Mobile batteries replaced and get a smaller battery unit just for my Voicelive 3 (guitar/effects pedal). That will be my mobile setup, and I'll be able to load in with just a small luggage cart. I'll reserve my K10s for bigger gigs and always plug those in.

Anyway, thanks for the advice.

[wweiss]

I can confirm the buzzing sound MigueldeMaria reportedwith the Beaudens/K10 combo. Sound went away when plugged into wall.
I never heard it before because it is so faint I had to stand right next to the speaker to hear it. This does not affect the sound of play at all.

[wweiss]

Anyone reading this post who needs more power than the Beaudens go straight to Amazon:
Expert Power Alpha 400
444 watts
pure sine wave inverter
$390
Three AC outlets
Runs my QSC 2000watt K8.2 or my QSC K sub[never tried both at the same time] with full power all day long!
It's a beast!!