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  #1  
Old 08-29-2019, 03:47 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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Default NAD Genzler Acoustic Array Pro

I wanted a backup for my Smaller Schertler Jam 200 that was both light and powerful. I read about these amps, and they seemed to get very good reviews, so I ordered one in. Just got it yesterday, and haven't gigged with it yet, but from what I'm hearing in my house, this is a very good sounding amp. There are XLR and 1/4" inputs on each channel, which you can use simultaneously if need be. The controls are laid out pretty sensibly. It has 12 volt phantom on the XLRs, volume (gain control with overload LED), phase switch, shape (for scooping mids), low, semi-parametric mid EQ , high, and reverb and chorus (which I will never use) on each of it's two channels. The master section has controls for reverb time, chorus speed, and master volume. It has XLR DI outs for each channel and mix out. Additionally it has a headphone out, FX loop, footswitch jack of FX bypass pedal (not included), speaker out, additional speaker out, and an aux in channel (for break music). For such a small lightweight amp it puts out a good amount of volume. The speakers are a 10" low driver, with a 4 x 2.5" paper cone high frequency speaker, line array, mounted directly in front of the low driver. Also, it comes with a standard pole mount on the bottom, thumbs up to Genzler for that! After a few gigs with it I will write a detailed review.

Here it is...


Last edited by rockabilly69; 08-29-2019 at 03:56 PM.
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  #2  
Old 08-30-2019, 05:13 AM
JWJ915 JWJ915 is offline
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Awesome amp! Looking forward to your review.
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Old 08-30-2019, 05:53 AM
RogerPease RogerPease is offline
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Yeah, looking forward to your review! Been waiting for someone to report on some real airtime with that amp.
I’d like to hear if the mini-linear array helps with the dispersion, too.

Cheers and good luck. _Roger
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Old 08-30-2019, 01:37 PM
KCharlesD KCharlesD is offline
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Thanks for the review. I do smaller solo gigs using an older Genz Benz Shenandoah 60 and that sounds great. I expect your new Genzier will sound fabulous and yes, the pole mount will be very helpful.

I am interested in Schertler amps so will look forward to hearing how you find your new Genzler compares to your Jam 200.
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Old 08-31-2019, 06:04 AM
Spenceroo Spenceroo is offline
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I've got one, and it sounds great. I have the extension cab too, and it just makes everything sound bigger. For some reason, it flies under the radar, and gets very little mention around here.
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Old 09-05-2019, 10:31 AM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RogerPease View Post
Yeah, looking forward to your review! Been waiting for someone to report on some real airtime with that amp.
I’d like to hear if the mini-linear array helps with the dispersion, too.

Cheers and good luck. _Roger
Quote:
Originally Posted by KCharlesD View Post
Thanks for the review. I do smaller solo gigs using an older Genz Benz Shenandoah 60 and that sounds great. I expect your new Genzier will sound fabulous and yes, the pole mount will be very helpful.

I am interested in Schertler amps so will look forward to hearing how you find your new Genzler compares to your Jam 200.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spenceroo View Post
I've got one, and it sounds great. I have the extension cab too, and it just makes everything sound bigger. For some reason, it flies under the radar, and gets very little mention around here.
For you guys that are interested in the review. I did three gigs with this amp in the same venues where I would use the Schertler Jam 200. One gig was on the patio of a micro-brewery where I used it with a Schertler BASS Sub (which I unplugged for a set to hear just the Pro Array), and two gigs where I used it slaved into a house system of a restaurant that is famous for being noisy. In this instance, I set the Pro Array up on a speaker stand at arm's length and faced it slightly angled-in, just enough to hear what I was getting out of it. This is what I think so far...

The Genzer Pro Array is a good sounding, and where it shines is it's ability to project vocals. There is plenty of gain on tap when plugging microphones into the XLRs. More gain than the Schertler Jam 200. That is the Schertler Jam 200 achilles heal (not so on the Jam 400). The guitar sound was good, but it seemed to lack the punch of the mids that the Schertler's have. Although it has a 10" driver as opposed the Schertler's 8" the Schertler seem more full sounding to me. It's been said by many that Schertler's feel like mini PA's in a box, the Genzer felt like an acoustic amp. I was riding both the shape controls, and the parametric mids all night on all of these gigs. That is something I NEVER do with the Schertlers. Once I get them set it's just small tweaks from there, which are mostly handled at my Grace Alix preamp. I think one of my personal problems with the Pro Array is the line array. For people that use Bose systems regularly (I use an L1 model II with a B1 cab), it seems like you've got to get the system further away from you to hear what it's doing. If you get right onto top of the system it seems overly bright and somewhat grating but you get it a bit away from and you you can hear the fullness of the system. This may have been going on in my instance because I normally set the JAM 200 right next to me. To give the Genzler a fair trial I am going to set up both the Pro Array and The Jam 200 next to each other on poles and feed them with a Grace Felix preamp and switch back and forth between the Amps with the Felix. As I said earlier I don't use chorus, but I did use the reverb on the pro array and thought it sounded pretty good as I did in my home tests. Not as easy to dial for each situation as the Jam 200 is (the Jam 200 has decay and mix on the master). The XLR mix out on the Pro Array is REALLY Hot and the restaurant owner had to turn down the gain to almost nothing on his MG Series Yamaha mixer when I was slaving into it. I carry a Shure XLR attenuator for my Jam 400 in my gig bag so that really isn't problem. The weight, at 27 lbs was great on the restaurant gig cause I have to haul equipment of two flights of stairs!

Stay tuned and I will follow up with this review as I use the Genzler more! But as of now, I prefer the Jam 200 over the Genzler Pro Array, I just find it to be more musical.
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  #7  
Old 09-05-2019, 11:14 AM
Jinder Jinder is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rockabilly69 View Post
For you guys that are interested in the review. I did three gigs with this amp in the same venues where I would use the Schertler Jam 200. One gig was on the patio of a micro-brewery where I used it with a Schertler BASS Sub (which I unplugged for a set to hear just the Pro Array), and two gigs where I used it slaved into a house system of a restaurant that is famous for being noisy. In this instance, I set the Pro Array up on a speaker stand at arm's length and faced it slightly angled-in, just enough to hear what I was getting out of it. This is what I think so far...

The Genzer Pro Array is a good sounding, and where it shines is it's ability to project vocals. There is plenty of gain on tap when plugging microphones into the XLRs. More gain than the Schertler Jam 200. That is the Schertler Jam 200 achilles heal (not so on the Jam 400). The guitar sound was good, but it seemed to lack the punch of the mids that the Schertler's have. Although it has a 10" driver as opposed the Schertler's 8" the Schertler seem more full sounding to me. It's been said by many that Schertler's feel like mini PA's in a box, the Genzer felt like an acoustic amp. I was riding both the shape controls, and the parametric mids all night on all of these gigs. That is something I NEVER do with the Schertlers. Once I get them set it's just small tweaks from there, which are mostly handled at my Grace Alix preamp. I think one of my personal problems with the Pro Array is the line array. For people that use Bose systems regularly (I use an L1 model II with a B1 cab), it seems like you've got to get the system further away from you to hear what it's doing. If you get right onto top of the system it seems overly bright and somewhat grating but you get it a bit away from and you you can hear the fullness of the system. This may have been going on in my instance because I normally set the JAM 200 right next to me. To give the Genzler a fair trial I am going to set up both the Pro Array and The Jam 200 next to each other on poles and feed them with a Grace Felix preamp and switch back and forth between the Amps with the Felix. As I said earlier I don't use chorus, but I did use the reverb on the pro array and thought it sounded pretty good as I did in my home tests. Not as easy to dial for each situation as the Jam 200 is (the Jam 200 has decay and mix on the master). The XLR mix out on the Pro Array is REALLY Hot and the restaurant owner had to turn down the gain to almost nothing on his MG Series Yamaha mixer when I was slaving into it. I carry a Shure XLR attenuator for my Jam 400 in my gig bag so that really isn't problem. The weight, at 27 lbs was great on the restaurant gig cause I have to haul equipment of two flights of stairs!

Stay tuned and I will follow up with this review as I use the Genzler more! But as of now, I prefer the Jam 200 over the Genzler Pro Array, I just find it to be more musical.
Very interesting-I appreciate your thoughts and review! These amps look good but I feel your pain with riding the EQ all night. I was the same with the AER Compact XL. I couldn't ever get the vocal tone right with it, I was constantly fiddling which became infuriating.
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Old 09-05-2019, 05:02 PM
RogerPease RogerPease is offline
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Many thanks, rockabilly. Staying tuned for more.

It seems the array on the Genzler might help disperse the sound horizontally, similar
to the Bose S1 Pro. But that is harder to evaluate from the stage. Any comments
you can make in that regard are appreciated.

_Roger
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  #9  
Old 09-05-2019, 05:34 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RogerPease View Post
Many thanks, rockabilly. Staying tuned for more.

It seems the array on the Genzler might help disperse the sound horizontally, similar
to the Bose S1 Pro. But that is harder to evaluate from the stage. Any comments
you can make in that regard are appreciated.

_Roger
As I said Roger I may have been standing too close to it, but frankly, I need to be close enough to dial it. When I use the Bose systems at my house gig, I put the T1 mixer on the sub but I move the column as far away as the speakon cable from the sub will let me.

A problem here is that front mounted controls mean I will have to angle the amp in to adjust the parameters (gain, phase, EQ, FX, etc) and that makes it hard when I'm are trying to balance the perfect amount of gain before low-end runaway feedback. The top mounted Schertler controls are way more user friendly.

Although it wouldn't be that aesthetically as nice as other designs from the audience's perspective, I wish AC guitar amp makers would put all the controls on the side of the amp, man that would make my life easier.

Here's a pic from last night's performance at the brew pub while I was doing a sound check...


Last edited by rockabilly69; 09-05-2019 at 05:41 PM.
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Old 09-09-2020, 08:03 AM
Tinkeragain Tinkeragain is offline
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So what’s the bottom line of your tonal impression of the Genzler compared To the Schertler as a reference?
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  #11  
Old 09-09-2020, 09:19 AM
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DjFuzzyMcPickle DjFuzzyMcPickle is offline
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I Too have RAVED about this amp for a few months now and still believe it is by far the best under 1K amp in the market...PERIOD! Frankly based on sound, power, and general functionality I would put it up ther with many of the 1-2.5K amps quite honestly.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=580675

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...=590195&page=3

My comments below from a previous post a few weeks back

Im gonna jump right in without copy pasting eveyone's quotes. Ive played just about every acoustic amp out there from 500 to 2k. The best bank for the buck smack in the middle, although right at about the top end IMHO is the new line from Genzler. Those who know Genz Benz before Fender bought em just to dismantle them, is back in the market with 2 new Amps. I just bought the Genzler Acoustic Array pro about 4 months ago. The sound is absolutely incredible, effects again in my opion enough without over doing it. Ability to add a second cabinet of his OR sending signal to a board...piece of cake. As an experiment I ran xlr out to a pair of JBL Eon G2s https://www.amazon.com/JBL-EON15-G2-.../dp/B0002BG2VI (older self powered versions but awesome sound for this application) daisy chained together. Soooooo much sound, power enough to fill a room of 150+ bodies, yet soooo clean all i could think was "This combo would ALMOST delete the reason for a board". Warmth, power, clarity, versatility...seriously think its the best acoustic amp I've ever played. Yes...they make smaller version, but frankly for the extra 200 hundred or so TOTALLY worth it. More than solid enough for smaller groups by itself, but using it with self powered stuff, awesome awesome amplifier. https://www.genzleramplification.com...tic-array-pro/

As Ive seen a few others suggest this amp I gotta say "EXACTLY". Sound wise, and no disrespect to others opinions let me add: Ive spent 26 yrs running PA systems from small to 100 k in house major set ups. Genzler / Genz Benz previously has always been a very respected smaller company that many major performers swore by as well. 2 channels IDEAL for guitar vocals or 2 guitars. By itself, signal out to self powered or to a board. And so I don't get flamed by certain others let me say this as respectfully as possible. After playing and buying this amplifier if I won a brand new the best of Fishman, Bose or any of the other models that are out there today I still think this is the absolute best acoustic guitar 2 channel amp that I have ever played in the last five to eight years.

Last edited by DjFuzzyMcPickle; 09-09-2020 at 09:37 AM.
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  #12  
Old 09-09-2020, 05:52 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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I've been using this amp quite a bit, and I've shot it out with other great amps, and I don't agree with the above post. Yes, it's a good amp, but their are some new amps in this sub 1K group that are also VERY good. First off, I don't like the control panel on the Genzler, as I find it's hard to navigate from the side, and I think the Genzler when used in the position I use it (chest high and to my right) is prone to high end feedback at higher volumes that I never experience with my Schertlers at the same volume.

I think the best sub 1K amp is really up to what you want in features and here's two contenders that could outperform the Genzler depending on the user's needs...

REMEMBER I own the Genzler, and I'm a dyed in the wool Schertler User (I own four Schertler amps) but I'm always looking for new ways to skin a cat so I listen to everything I can all the time! And I also ran PRO sound for many years at all levels.

For $799, if you can handle the form factor, I think the Fishman SA330X reigns supreme. I think it smokes their Loudbox line and are all too often overlooked because of it's form factor. It has a surprisingly good amount of low end without the sub, projection is very good, EQ and notching that works, 4 nice reverbs, great routing, and great expandibility. And even comes with it's own carry bag.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...e-audio-system

And the Hughes and Kettner ERA 1 is another feature packed amp that sounds surprising good for it's size, and is also packed with great features.They just dropped the price of these so they are now right at the 1K line.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...combo-amp-wood

I really think in this price range you have to go plug in with your own mic and guitar and see what will work for you. Small amount of work, in small amount of time, for a big payoff!
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Old 09-09-2020, 06:05 PM
Marty C Marty C is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rockabilly69 View Post
As I said Roger I may have been standing too close to it, but frankly, I need to be close enough to dial it. When I use the Bose systems at my house gig, I put the T1 mixer on the sub but I move the column as far away as the speakon cable from the sub will let me.

A problem here is that front mounted controls mean I will have to angle the amp in to adjust the parameters (gain, phase, EQ, FX, etc) and that makes it hard when I'm are trying to balance the perfect amount of gain before low-end runaway feedback. The top mounted Schertler controls are way more user friendly.

Although it wouldn't be that aesthetically as nice as other designs from the audience's perspective, I wish AC guitar amp makers would put all the controls on the side of the amp, man that would make my life easier.

Here's a pic from last night's performance at the brew pub while I was doing a sound check...

One things for certain. That’s a very cool photograph!
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Old 09-09-2020, 06:29 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marty C View Post
One things for certain. That’s a very cool photograph!
It's a cool little micropub/brewery/restaurant, but unfortunately they really didn't do any springtime/summer gigs there due to COVID.

Last edited by rockabilly69; 09-09-2020 at 06:35 PM.
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