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  #16  
Old 02-27-2017, 07:44 AM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Default Dave's compact PA system adventures...

Quote:
Originally Posted by NotValid View Post
The Adventures of GAS part III.



As soon as I wrote the message above my wife looked at me and said "Your not ordering anything are you? You just got a guitar thingy for 400 bucks"

Well ****, there went my strategy riiiight out the window.

Guess I'll have to wait a bit longer, back to the drawing board/ Wifejitsu gym.



To be continued........

It is wise to retreat and fight another day.

In the meantime, my gas is subsiding. Getting the low volume thing figured out above was a big $ saver.

The more research I do, it becomes obvious that finding a portable line array system that includes the sound quality, and features I've gotten used to, is an expensive proposition. There are plenty of good little line array reinforcement options, at a modest price, but none contain the features I already have in the Line 6 mixer.

In a pinch, I can sum the TC PA pedal to mono and send it to the line input on the back of the unit, and reserve the two full channels for another singer/guitarist. And the 10" woofer and amp are sufficient for that. The only thing it lacks is the line array, which is more of a "nice to have" feature for my present needs.

I hope Line 6 releases a line array version of this system. I suggested so via there feedback forum. One can hope.

Using a good sounding budget line array (less than $1000) requires lugging my Yamaha MG10XU mixer, plus stand and cables. For solo work, that is a lot of extra stuff. I could maybe get away with the TC PA acting as a sub mixer, but that makes on the fly changes difficult.

OpenRoadMatt and I were discussing his similar conclusion via PM. If I was a duo or trio, and had loading/unloading and setup help, I probably wouldn't mind. Like Matt, I think the JBL Eon One is the best sounding budget option I've been able to test in retail stores. What it lacks in comparison to the Line 6 product is chorus effect, 3 band EQ with mid sweep, acoustic resonance modeling, DSP, and automatic feedback suppression. Note, the feedback suppression is pretty incredible. Now, if you need a one hand carry line array system for less than $1000, all the features above can be added to the JBL with an outboard device or two and you're in business. For instance, the dbx goRack adds a lot of functionality to a budget line array system or a set of powered speakers.

As it stands, I have enough gear to perform and rehearse. Finding an elegant solution, moderately priced, that includes everything in one box, is very much a trip down the rabbit hole, as Ken so appropriately put it.

Ultimately, I'd be looking at a Bose L1 II/T1/B2 with the goodies. That's a $3,000 system! Or the Lucas Nano 608i with some sort of gorack through the aux feed. If I made my living playing, maybe I'd consider it.

Good luck with your Wifejitsu and your GAS dissipation! Let this post be the rain you need for your parade.


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Last edited by martingitdave; 02-27-2017 at 08:34 AM.
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  #17  
Old 03-11-2017, 07:17 AM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Default Dave's compact PA system adventures...

I'm still considering options. I had written a long post about augmenting the Line 6 equipment. But after testing the setup with the mixer last night, I actually prefer the sound quality of the built in Line 6 mixer and speaker. The Yamaha mixer is great, but it needs a different speaker configuration to be most useful.

I'm going to hold off until I find a more compelling solution.
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Last edited by martingitdave; 03-12-2017 at 07:22 AM.
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  #18  
Old 03-12-2017, 02:32 AM
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After my initial skepticism, my Bose L1C would now have to be pried from my cold dead hands. Unless we're playing stadiums, that's what we use. If we ever do play a stadium, I'll just get a whole bunch of 'em.
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  #19  
Old 03-12-2017, 06:59 AM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Default Dave's compact PA system adventures...

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Originally Posted by A-Mac View Post
After my initial skepticism, my Bose L1C would now have to be pried from my cold dead hands. Unless we're playing stadiums, that's what we use. If we ever do play a stadium, I'll just get a whole bunch of 'em.


Lol. That's great. How do you contend with the limited input situation?


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  #20  
Old 03-12-2017, 07:05 AM
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Originally Posted by martingitdave View Post
Lol. That's great. How do you contend with the limited input situation?
Small Behringer mixer I keep right next to me. There are higher dollar mixers but this gets it done and provides reverb/delay, eq. For the throw and go gigs we play after they push some tables out of the corner, this is the way to go.
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  #21  
Old 03-12-2017, 07:06 AM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Originally Posted by A-Mac View Post
Small Behringer mixer I keep right next to me. There are higher dollar mixers but this gets it done and provides reverb/delay, eq. For the throw and go gigs we play after they push some tables out of the corner, this is the way to go.


Nice. Do you output to the 1/4" input on the line setting? Do you still use the mic input? My curiosity is that a big selling feature is the tonematch dsp. But that doesn't work on line setting through a mixer.


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  #22  
Old 03-12-2017, 07:13 AM
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Originally Posted by martingitdave View Post
Nice. Do you output to the 1/4" input on the line setting? Do you still use the mic input? My curiosity is that a big selling feature is the tonematch dsp. But that doesn't work on line setting through a mixer.
No, we either send a line into the right side input or to the RCA inputs. We don't use the mic input. I thought the Tone Match thing was too expensive and a little too digitally for my taste. It reminded me of when I was still working and they gave us digital anesthesia machines and computers. There I didn't have a choice. Here, I do.
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  #23  
Old 03-12-2017, 07:26 AM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Originally Posted by A-Mac View Post
No, we either send a line into the right side input or to the RCA inputs. We don't use the mic input. I thought the Tone Match thing was too expensive and a little too digitally for my taste. It reminded me of when I was still working and they gave us digital anesthesia machines and computers. There I didn't have a choice. Here, I do.

Thanks for the info. When I was looking into systems originally, I really liked the Bose L1C, but the engineer in me was dissatisfied with the limited input options. Of course, the other choices I have I been considering aren't much better in that department. I'll go back to GC and demo those units again and see which I like best.


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  #24  
Old 03-12-2017, 09:10 AM
Johnny.guitar Johnny.guitar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A-Mac View Post
Small Behringer mixer I keep right next to me. There are higher dollar mixers but this gets it done and provides reverb/delay, eq. For the throw and go gigs we play after they push some tables out of the corner, this is the way to go.


Did our first duo gig with the Bose L1C and a Yamaha mixer. Actually we each have an LC1. Not a lot of room in the corner of this particular pub and the Bose units were literally right beside us.
Had a bit of low end issues with my partners guitar but it was probably 12" from the sub. Had we been able to get a bit more distance I'm sure it would have been fine. Went for a walk around the pub while he was playing a tune and it sounded glorious!
Was torn down in 5mins.
Love these things



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  #25  
Old 03-12-2017, 09:29 AM
Marty C Marty C is offline
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I had similar concerns and didn't want to drag tons of gear everywhere I went. I put my Play Acoustic and my small mixer on my pedalboard. Everything is prewired so there is only a single hookup to any system or can be two (as in DI or stereo). This also limits the power outlets needed. I also have some room left for a para di or switch 3/6.

Just a thought that thus might work for your setup.
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  #26  
Old 03-12-2017, 10:32 AM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Default Dave's compact PA system adventures...

I went to GC today with my L2t and Yamaha mixer with the intent of trading them in towards a Bose L1C. After trade in, friends and family coupon, and tax, I spent $100 and am walking out the door with the Harbinger MLS800 for my home/rehearsal system. With the Play Acoustic, it sounded better to my ears than the Bose L1C and JBL Eon One at lower volumes. Straight in, it sounded great too.

The JBL Eon One would have been a better choice if I needed the additional power. The Bose sounded good too. But, I wanted the second XLR I put for the TC Play Acoustic.

Mission Accomplished.

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  #27  
Old 03-12-2017, 11:19 AM
Marty C Marty C is offline
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That's great! Glad you found what you were searching for. I think this Harbinger/Kustom/Powerwerks stuff gets a bad rap - as did Behringer. However I think they all have made improvements. For those of us who don't use these tools to earn our living, I think it fits the bill. I, like you, have tried a ton lately and have been impressed with the options now available. So many options available at many different price brackets.

Did Bose have a patent on these small line array units that recently ran out? Seems funny that so many options are now available.
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  #28  
Old 03-12-2017, 12:01 PM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by martingitdave View Post
I went to GC today with my L2t and Yamaha mixer with the intent of trading them in towards a Bose L1C. After trade in, friends and family coupon, and tax, I spent $100 and am walking out the door with the Harbinger MLS800 for my home/rehearsal system. With the Play Acoustic, it sounded better to my ears than the Bose L1C and JBL Eon One at lower volumes. Straight in, it sounded great too.

The JBL Eon One would have been a better choice if I needed the additional power. The Bose sounded good too. But, I wanted the second XLR I put for the TC Play Acoustic.

Mission Accomplished.

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David,

What's the return policy on the Harbinger? Are you also going to use it for live solo gigs? JBL is running a special on the EON ONE: EON ONE plus a JBL Rolling Gig Bag for $1028.99 at Sweetwater. These small systems aren't true line-array systems. If line-array is what you want, and you're going to use the system to play out with, I'd go for a Bose L1 Model II or the Turbo Sound iP2000. Then again, why not just a second Line 6 L2t?
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  #29  
Old 03-12-2017, 12:28 PM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Originally Posted by SpruceTop View Post
David,

What's the return policy on the Harbinger? Are you also going to use it for live solo gigs?


I have 45 days return policy. Allow me to explain myself, my friend.

In the future, I won't need it for more than a 50 person folk event, or rehearsal at home.

I've decided not to do the bar or wine bar gigs any more. It's not worth the little bit of money.

After last weekend, I've pretty much had my fill of the noise and lack of attention, and carrying the stuff. I end up spending most of what I make on a quick dinner and drinks. :-).

I went through the same process last year, but decided to give it another go. I'm done. Too many work and family demands. I do get asked to sit in with another friend who plays a local wine bar. He lugs a full Yamaha PA system for the occasion. So, I'll just plug in and help him do the loading at the end.

I'll still do the charity band, and my folk club. I might start an open mic (to benefit the folk club) at a local coffee house. I've been in talks with their owner. But, he has a system, as does pretty much every venue I play. And, I can bring this thing in a pinch.

The Harbinger is not a professional quality system. Nor does it have the features and headroom of the 800 watt professional Line 6 equipment. What it DOES have is great clean tone at low volumes and Bluetooth.

I can use it at home, or my folk club, without a speaker pole. Basically, anywhere the Bose L1C works, this thing will work too. Another consideration is that my wife HATED the Line 6 on a pole, setup in our recreation room, which was how I was using it to reach the controls and power switch.

Ken, I appreciate all the help with the Line 6 equipment. It's been great! For a pro, it's a no brainer. It's just heavy and overkill for my needs today. If I decide to go back out and do a duo thing (banjo/dobro buddy) in the future, I'll reassess my needs. And, I'd likely try one of their new systems at that time. I might even consider the the full Bose system, assuming he chips in too.

I purchased my Line 6 after negotiating on an open box last year. In fact, I went in that day to just buy a little practice amp. Today, I actually got the same amount of money in trade and the weekend sale ended today. So, I decided to downsize while I had the chance.

Thanks again for reading.


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  #30  
Old 03-12-2017, 01:00 PM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by martingitdave View Post
I have 45 days return policy. Allow me to explain myself, my friend.

In the future, I won't need it for more than a 50 person folk event, or rehearsal at home.

I've decided not to do the bar or wine bar gigs any more. It's not worth the little bit of money.

After last weekend, I've pretty much had my fill of the noise and lack of attention, and carrying the stuff. I end up spending most of what I make on a quick dinner and drinks. :-).

I went through the same process last year, but decided to give it another go. I'm done. Too many work and family demands. I do get asked to sit in with another friend who plays a local wine bar. He lugs a full Yamaha PA system for the occasion. So, I'll just plug in and help him do the loading at the end.

I'll still do the charity band, and my folk club. I might start an open mic (to benefit the folk club) at a local coffee house. I've been in talks with their owner. But, he has a system, as does pretty much every venue I play. And, I can bring this thing in a pinch.

The Harbinger is not a professional quality system. Nor does it have the features and headroom of the 800 watt professional Line 6 equipment. What it DOES have is great clean tone at low volumes and Bluetooth.

I can use it at home, or my folk club, without a speaker pole. Basically, anywhere the Bose L1C works, this thing will work too. Another consideration is that my wife HATED the Line 6 on a pole, setup in our recreation room, which was how I was using it to reach the controls and power switch.

Ken, I appreciate all the help with the Line 6 equipment. It's been great! For a pro, it's a no brainer. It's just heavy and overkill for my needs today. If I decide to go back out and do a duo thing (banjo/dobro buddy) in the future, I'll reassess my needs. And, I'd likely try one of their new systems at that time. I might even consider the the full Bose system, assuming he chips in too.

I purchased my Line 6 after negotiating on an open box last year. In fact, I went in that day to just buy a little practice amp. Today, I actually got the same amount of money in trade and the weekend sale ended today. So, I decided to downsize while I had the chance.

Thanks again for reading.


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Yes, I understand now, no problem. For the conditions you've described, the Harbinger should do well for you.
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