Your opinion: best amp $ not a concern

[ljguitar]

Hi FingerCraft...
Two that impressed me for sound and sheer power combined with great sound as about the best I've ever heard were:
- AER Compact 60 - $1000
- Rivera $1600-2800

The AER is 16 pounds, and the Riveras are 45 & 70 pounds respectively.

To my ear when playing them the AER was the best in a small amp with all the features one would need to play a gig and be the stage monitor. It would also cover a small room.

The Riveras would carry a medium sized room by themselves...lots of power and throw, but I wouldn't want to stand right in front of one when playing it loud enough to carry a room with 150 people since volume accompanies power and projection.

They also weigh too much for me to lift and transport all the time these days...

My UltraSounds are a close second to the AER, and weigh in at 20 and 25 pounds.

If I were flying all the time I'd switch to the AER and get the over-the-shoulder sling bag and put it in the overhead bin.

[playhardandloud]

i would have to agree. the aer pound for pound is tough to beat. i think i prefer the domino which is basically 2 60s put into one box with more effects and a separate volume control for the two line outs. really a very cool and unusual feature. it is also double the channels. i am going back to it after trying all of the amps in my previous post. it can be bought for about 1399 and it is really amazing. i really liked the sound of the schertler unico but basically no effects heavier i believe and awkward to carry. so in sum i have to agree with lj. in fact for a professional gigging musician look at all of his posts because he and aloha chris know what they are talking about. it will save you countless dollars.

[FingerCraft]

So far I'm leaning toward the AER Compact 60, Domino, or AcouistiCube 3. It seems that the 60 may work best for me as it is the smallest and lightest, though I'll consider heaver. Its tone seems is similar to the other two. I'm thinking that it will work for small audiences, and for larger, provide the source to a mixing board. Thus I wouldn't need a louder amp?

I now tried several of the amps mentioned. (Thanks). The Riveria was over the top heavy. I couldn't lift it. It needed two handles and a roady (how do you spell it). I like the AER sound better than the Genz Benz I tried, but could not try the Shen Pro. I put the AER 60 with a PZ Pre preamp and it really sounded good.
Not sure if the Domino or AcoustiCube 3 would give me more of what I want, though the AcoustiCube 3 provides 48V phantom and I want to use a Neumann 104/5 microphone that takes 48V, not the 30V of the 60. Thus my other post on can you somehow use the Neumann with the 30V AER 60?

I have had no response from my email to Bob Brozman but still willing to consider it. PLAYHARDAND LOUD why did you sell yours?

[playhardandloud]

hey the neumann works fine with the compact 60 and the domino. the domino in my opinion is far superior to the 60. just so much more flexible. added inputs and a far bigger sound. you know i have gone back and forth between wanting the very best sound and wanting a small one box system. the brozman is the best one box i have heard. i just dont like having a speaker behind me as a monitor. the bose is the same situation. so i moved the brozman out front and then had the compact 60 as a monitor. i felt my stage was lopsided. i know that might sound silly but i just figured if i was going to go back to a monitor in front of me why not carry one more speaker in and have ultimate sound. so i am now back to the aer domino running out to 2 powered rcf tt22a speakers. the sound is absolutely amazing and severe overkill for what i do probably should have kept the brozman. the best new gear has been a brand new girlfriend that seems to enjoy schlepping my stuff in with me. and doesnt mind the fact that a new piece of gear or guitar arrives almost weekly. priceless. good luck in your quest for the ultimate portable sound. its tough because its a trade off. sometimes im not even sure my audience notices or cares. but i do.

[FingerCraft]

Originally Posted by playhardandloud

hey the neumann works fine with the compact 60 and the domino. the domino in my opinion is far superior to the 60. just so much more flexible. added inputs and a far bigger sound. you know i have gone back and forth between wanting the very best sound and wanting a small one box system. the brozman is the best one box i have heard. i just dont like having a speaker behind me as a monitor. the bose is the same situation. so i moved the brozman out front and then had the compact 60 as a monitor. i felt my stage was lopsided. i know that might sound silly but i just figured if i was going to go back to a monitor in front of me why not carry one more speaker in and have ultimate sound. so i am now back to the aer domino running out to 2 powered rcf tt22a speakers. the sound is absolutely amazing and severe overkill for what i do probably should have kept the brozman. the best new gear has been a brand new girlfriend that seems to enjoy schlepping my stuff in with me. and doesnt mind the fact that a new piece of gear or guitar arrives almost weekly. priceless. good luck in your quest for the ultimate portable sound. its tough because its a trade off. sometimes im not even sure my audience notices or cares. but i do.

Thanks. What size audience made you feel that the 60 was inadequate? I'm assuming that you do not have a board and house speakers to plug into?
You said the Domino has a far BIGGER sound. Is the QUALITY of the sound better too? In other words do you like the Domino better than the 60 when selecting the same lower volume as the 60?

I'll try the Neuman. Do you use the 104 or 105? And why? Does the wider pattern work well for an occasional duet without feedback, or are 2 different microphones better since I don't want to buy more Neumanns for occasional use?

[playhardandloud]

Originally Posted by FingerCraft

Thanks. What size audience made you feel that the 60 was inadequate? I'm assuming that you do not have a board and house speakers to plug into?
You said the Domino has a far BIGGER sound. Is the QUALITY of the sound better too? In other words do you like the Domino better than the 60 when selecting the same lower volume as the 60?

I'll try the Neuman. Do you use the 104 or 105? And why? Does the wider pattern work well for an occasional duet without feedback, or are 2 different microphones better since I don't want to buy more Neumanns for occasional use?

hello yes the quality of the sound is quite a bit better. the box itself is a bit larger so im guessing thats why it has better sound. as i said before it has two 8s and 120 watts. i just bought another domino. i think the compact 60 cant do a whole lot more than a coffee shop while the domino could handle quite a bit more. maybe 100 people. i had the 105 and it was giving me some feedback problems. someone recommended the 104 when using floor monitors and it feeds back a lot less. i think i now have the best possible setup for a solo acoustic singer songwriter. i occasionally do an outside event or two that the bose just cant handle. as john said in his post though. if you are looking for a pa to do a smaller to medium room that sounds really good/not great the bose is amazing. you are still making several trips to the car with the bose system. i just didnt like the sound coming from behind me. i like my monitor to sit where my ears can best hear it.

[playhardandloud]

if you are going to grab a new domino google it. you will see a company with a really low price. i tried to use them but my order was pending for a week. i contacted music123 and they price matched and sent it out the next day. the price is really good. a used domino will sell for 1k. they dont come up for sale very often. in fact the last one i saw was a year ago and it was mine.

[FingerCraft]

Originally Posted by playhardandloud

hello yes the quality of the sound is quite a bit better. the box itself is a bit larger so im guessing thats why it has better sound. as i said before it has two 8s and 120 watts. i just bought another domino. i think the compact 60 cant do a whole lot more than a coffee shop while the domino could handle quite a bit more. maybe 100 people. i had the 105 and it was giving me some feedback problems. someone recommended the 104 when using floor monitors and it feeds back a lot less. i think i now have the best possible setup for a solo acoustic singer songwriter. i occasionally do an outside event or two that the bose just cant handle. as john said in his post though. if you are looking for a pa to do a smaller to medium room that sounds really good/not great the bose is amazing. you are still making several trips to the car with the bose system. i just didnt like the sound coming from behind me. i like my monitor to sit where my ears can best hear it.

Thanks for the answers.

I want great sound.

Easily portable. (I know I originally asked weight no object, but now have ruled that out). Only as large as needed to project great sound to the size of audience that would be in a place with no sound board and speaker system.

Able to plug into the House, wet or dry for larger places.

[buzzardwhiskey]

Two QSC K8's, two speaker poles, and a little mixer such as the Soundcraft EFX8.

[Herb Hunter]

Originally Posted by BLUES PLAYER

Sorry my apologies i misunderstood you put your post in Electrified so i assumed ........................

Regards Marty

I always thought that the forum called, Electrified, was intended for subjects having to do with amplified acoustic guitars, electric guitars, PA systems and the amplification of vocals.

[FingerCraft]

Originally Posted by Herb Hunter

I always thought that the forum called, Electrified, was intended for subjects having to do with amplified acoustic guitars, electric guitars, PA systems and the amplification of vocals.

Me too. I just wasn't clear about my request.

[Herb Hunter]

Originally Posted by FingerCraft

Me too. I just wasn't clear about my request.

By the way, when I responded that I'd rather have a PA than an acoustic amp, I was referring to a personal PA. Something like a Bose L1 Model 2 or a more conventional PA in that price range.

Years ago, I had a pair of Electro-Voice SX-300s fed by a small mixer and a 300-watts-per-channel amp. Though some would find it cumbersome, I preferred that setup to an acoustic amp. Today, I'd get an L1.

[deepnback]

Hi, I have had the AER Compact60, the AER Domino and an older Acousticcube. All are very versatile and sounding great, a bit cold sometimes, but for playing on stage it can be a plus. I than switched to the Genz Benz Shenandoah 60 Stereo. Great effect and a warmer sound, not better than AER but different and after years with AER I felt the need for a change. I still have the GenzBenz and use it on smaller venues and with the band.

Meanwhile my favorite when playing solo gigs or with my duo is the Roland SA-300. Mostly for the real big sound and volume and for the great antifeedback features. It is also very well for vocals. It is a bit noisy when you use the microphone preamp but I do not since I use a combination of ART Tube Studio and LRBaggs Para DI before the signal goes to the Roland SA. It really sounds like a big PA and weights only 20 kilo.
The build in Reverb is not the best, but works ok.

[Kabookie]

The only all-tube acoustic/electric amp in the galaxy...........RIVERA SEDONA. Peace, out.....Kabookie