Fishman Sa 330x or upgrade to Ev30m?

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by JackB1

Do what I do....tip one of the young kids working there $5 to carry it up the stairs for you.

HA! Good one!! Unfortunately, since most of our gigs are at assisted living centers, the 'kids' there are in their 90s. The good news is that we have yet to encounter any stairs at any gigs, thankfully. I have developed a way of carrying the EV30M sub where I balance/counter the weight against my leg's thigh when lifting and/or carrying the short distances. This takes the weight/strain off my lower back quite well.

Originally Posted by brancher

I very recently had the opportunity to A/B/C/D four Array systems - the JBL MkII, the Bose L1Pro8, the Evolve 30M, and the Harbinger whatever-it-was (couldn't' get it to boot up, so...).

Took my Gibson J35 in and played for about 2 hours, alternating back and forth with both strumming/flatpicking and fingerstyle. At the end of the day, the Evolve and Bose sounded the best, but I liked the Evolve 30M better. Seemed like the Boses was warmer, more like a high-quality home stereo, while the EV30m was more PA-like (but also very warm with the presets). Also eq is good, and it also has an app for bluetooth sound shaping from the audience perspective.

Besides, I already have an S1Pro - and with the right preamp it is a very nice room-and-smaller-venue filler.

I didn't try a Yamaha because I can't seem to find one to try out. But I think the 30M will surprise you.

As usual, ymmv.

I'm pretty sure I saw this comment on another thread and commented. I agree, the Bose towers are a little warmer which is great if you like the way Bose 'colors' their sound (which I do) while the Evolve is more transparent and PA like. While I would give the Bose the very slight edge with their sound it was not enough to counter the EV30M's power and mixer/app abilities which continue to impress.

I'm now mid-way through a 4-gig week where I'm using EV30M for everything. It so far has been fantastic even for the smaller ones where the EAE D6-58 or the Bose S1 would have been more than enough. But even though the EV30M is technically overkill for small rooms, the ability to throw clean and clear sound farther and wider at lower volumes is especially welcome and we've gotten many compliments on the sound from patrons, residents and staff.

I'll be posting an update on my EV30M thread after the next couple of shows.

[Stringmaster]

I've discovered that there is some power via adjusting the Evolve at the "Speaker" vs the "Mixer" in the app. I've found that I can "soften" the sound a bit via adjustment there, including the presets. To my ear the "Music" vs "Live" preset is a little warmer (but I mostly use the Live setting). I also shave off some of the sub level and back off the mids and highs to smooth things out.

[brancher]

Originally Posted by Stringmaster

I've discovered that there is some power via adjusting the Evolve at the "Speaker" vs the "Mixer" in the app. I've found that I can "soften" the sound a bit via adjustment there, including the presets. To my ear the "Music" vs "Live" preset is a little warmer (but I mostly use the Live setting). I also shave off some of the sub level and back off the mids and highs to smooth things out.

Well, surprise, I got one in yesterday. An Evolve 30m, I mean. After A/B'ing the four I posted about (and after some benevolent coaching by Methos), I ordered one. Today is "Play With The Software And Controls" day, so I'll be incommunicado for awhile......

Anyway, it is pretty light (lighter than my old Fender Passport), clear as a bell, and pretty intuitive for basic setup. I have two gigs next week, one indoors and one outdoors, so tweaking it will be interesting and telling.

I"ll follow up in a week or so.

br

[Chriscom]

Originally Posted by brancher

Well, surprise, I got one in yesterday. An Evolve 30m, I mean. After A/B'ing the four I posted about (and after some benevolent coaching by Methos), I ordered one. Today is "Play With The Software And Controls" day, so I'll be incommunicado for awhile......

Anyway, it is pretty light (lighter than my old Fender Passport), clear as a bell, and pretty intuitive for basic setup. I have two gigs next week, one indoors and one outdoors, so tweaking it will be interesting and telling.

I"ll follow up in a week or so.

br

Congrats, looking forward to your report. I've benefitted from this thread, for example I frankly forgot about the Live v. Music setting so I'll start playing with that now. I have three gigs under my belt with this system and love it. Good luck!

[lkingston]

I absolutely LOVE both my 30M and 50M! I’ll be using the 30M later today for a little neighborhood outdoor concert! I’ll be using it on battery power. It works incredibly well!

[jpino]

I’m always torn on these. My Fishman stick PA had amazing tone but it just wouldn’t get quite loud enough for larger gigs like I had gotten used to with my conventional PA of 2x 10” Carvin mains & mixer. Also I bought and sold a couple of Fishman SA330X’s in my time and both of them had resonant frequency problems when plugging in active nylon string pick ups where a certain note will cause the unit to rattle/buzz. That drove me nuts! I paid my amp guy to install foam padding on the inside of the unit where the buzz was happening and that helped it a little bit, but still. I couldn’t even get the SPL & throw I was looking for off it in my large living room at home so I sold it.

I have considered the evolve 30m, but then everyone says just get the 50 especially if I already had problems like the above with volume/throw. That’s just a lot of money though. Even the reviews on Sweetwater of the Evolve 50 aren’t perfect. I think I’m landing with W. Weiss on the forums/youtube and that I would rather have two turbosound IP 300’s that outperform one evolve 30m even if it sacrifices some convenience. I will probably purchase one and a nice ultimate support speaker stand to start and go from there

[lkingston]

Originally Posted by jpino

I have considered the evolve 30m, but then everyone says just get the 50 especially if I already had problems like the above with volume/throw. That’s just a lot of money though. Even the reviews on Sweetwater of the Evolve 50 aren’t perfect. I think I’m landing with W. Weiss on the forums/youtube and that I would rather have two turbosound IP 300’s that outperform one evolve 30m even if it sacrifices some convenience. I will probably purchase one and a nice ultimate support speaker stand to start and go from there

For me, simplicity and ease of transport and setup is worth money. The backpack section of the 30M is less bulky than an Ultimate Support speaker stand. Transporting the 30M is about the same as moving a Bose S1 plus a speaker stand. Way more max capacity though.

Yes, two IP300s would work well, but then you also need two stands, a mixer, a stand for the mixer, and a bunch of wires. Plus room for it all onstage and in your car.

[jpino]

Originally Posted by lkingston

For me, simplicity and ease of transport and setup is worth money. The backpack section of the 30M is less bulky than an Ultimate Support speaker stand. Transporting the 30M is about the same as moving a Bose S1 plus a speaker stand. Way more max capacity though.

Yes, two IP300s would work well, but then you also need two stands, a mixer, a stand for the mixer, and a bunch of wires. Plus room for it all onstage and in your car.

That’s all true! I guess the only answer for me then is to buy both… here we go again

[lkingston]

Originally Posted by jpino

That’s all true! I guess the only answer for me then is to buy both… here we go again

I bought both. Two 30Ms and two 50Ms. I don’t recommend that though. What I recommend is buying one 30M and a pair of 50Ms. A single 30M will handle coffee shops, surprisingly big indoor spaces, and small outdoor patios.

A single 50M will give you the same boost as a second 30M. That will let you do huge indoor spaces and bigger outdoor spaces.

Two 50Ms tied together with an Ethernet cable and used in a front of house position with monitors will let you do an acoustic band on an outdoor raised stage with folding chairs and food trucks.

Beyond that there is probably a contracted sound company.

My goal was to be able to do the small coffee shop to outdoor raised stage and anything in between.

[jpino]

Originally Posted by lkingston

I bought both. Two 30Ms and two 50Ms. I don’t recommend that though. What I recommend is buying one 30M and a pair of 50Ms. A single 30M will handle coffee shops, surprisingly big indoor spaces, and small outdoor patios.

A single 50M will give you the same boost as a second 30M. That will let you do huge indoor spaces and bigger outdoor spaces.

Two 50Ms tied together with an Ethernet cable and used in a front of house position with monitors will let you do an acoustic band on an outdoor raised stage with folding chairs and food trucks.

Beyond that there is probably a contracted sound company.

My goal was to be able to do the small coffee shop to outdoor raised stage and anything in between.

Wow wow wow. Huge thank you again LKingston the amount of value you bring to this community is huge! What I like most is you speak from field testing, not just keyboard warrioring. Good to know. I have much to dwell on… meHeh

[lkingston]

Originally Posted by jpino

Wow wow wow. Huge thank you again LKingston the amount of value you bring to this community is huge! What I like most is you speak from field testing, not just keyboard warrioring. Good to know. I have much to dwell on… meHeh

Thanks for that. The context is such a big deal. For example, when you get a coffee house gig, you aren’t going to crowd a lot of players in that tiny space. You are going to do it by yourself or as a duo. The 30M is perfect. Those occasional outdoor gigs with larger raised stages are where you want to add percussion and more instruments. That’s why I also got the two 50Ms. The EV ecosystem seems to understand this and be well suited for acoustic gigs of various sizes.

For an electric band, you are going to want a bigger mixer with more channels and aux sends. For acoustic gigs though, one 30M and two 50Ms (plus a couple of powered monitors) will handle all the stuff below the level of trucked in sound.

At this point, I do a lot more of the small stuff that a single 30M will handle than large stuff where I would use a pair of 50Ms. Maybe a 90/10 ratio.

Since a 30M is half the price of a 50M, I can see the wisdom of getting a single 30M. It will handle most single or duo gigs in common sized spaces just fine.

I can also understand a person going with just a single 50M in order to be able to handle those occasional large outdoor spaces as a single or duo.

The two 50Ms (and two S1 Pros as monitors) are just for handling acoustic band situations.

My situation of doing small gigs as a single and larger gigs with a slightly larger (but still acoustic) group is also pretty common. One 30M (for small solo and duo), or two linked 50Ms (for trio and quartet in larger spaces) are perfect for that.

Also keep in mind that lots of situations that would require the two linked 50Ms are venues that have a house PA and sound person on hand, so often you don’t need them. That is another rather strong argument for just getting a 30M.

[jpino]

Originally Posted by lkingston

Since a 30M is half the price of a 50M, I can see the wisdom of getting a single 30M. It will handle most single or duo gigs in common sized spaces just fine.

I can also understand a person going with just a single 50M in order to be able to handle those occasional large outdoor spaces as a single or duo.

Welcome! This is exactly where I’m at. I don’t see myself needing 2x EV 50’s anytime soon as you said sound is usually provided at those type of gigs. And I do want the convince of a column setup but subwoofer weight isn’t necessarily a deal breaker. I have a REALLY nice preamp to dial in/mix the sound as well as play mostly solo rarely duo these days so the lack of a digital mixer doesn’t make or break me so I think in this case a single OG evolve 50 would suffice. The used and open box original Evolve 50’s go for about the same price of a single new ev evolve 30m:
https://www.proaudiostar.com/electro...er-return.html

[JackB1]

Can someone tell me which output I would use for an extension satellite speaker to use with my 30M to add more sound to a large room? The "mix" or the "aux"?

thanks

[lkingston]

Originally Posted by JackB1

Can someone tell me which output I would use for an extension satellite speaker to use with my 30M to add more sound to a large room? The "mix" or the "aux"?

thanks

The Mix output.

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by lkingston

The Mix output.

Thank you!