I can’t answer about the difference
between the two systems, haven’t seen a new one yet.
I would think that as a band amp, they
would be awkward since their dispersion pattern would wash all other players in
the same sound as yours. If everyone is using one, that might be
different as all would (theoretically) seek a balance, but considering the
forward beaming of most amps, the L1 would be very different.
However, I have seen people use a pair as
a PA, and they work quite nicely. You don’t get the big blast of
audio directly in front that is customary with most FOH rigs, but the
dispersion is really broad. When I first set my L1 up on a solo gig I’d
been doing for years (along the long wall of a bar, with the bar stretching
about 30 yards to my immediate left), I was amazed that people at the far end
of the bar, nearly a hundred feet away and almost ninety degrees off center
point to my left, were laughing at the impromptu comments I always make.
This never happened with previous amplification.
They also project differently, as what
seems like a fairly nominal sound pressure manages to be very present out in
the room. Again, it’s not the in-your-face decibels of a
horn+woofer cabinet, but setting up a multi-instrumental loop and walking
around any room I’m playing gives me a good soundcheck. Usually I only
tweak the bass/kick signal and tone in any application as it always makes
everything else work automatically. It’s also wonderful in small
rooms.
They are expensive, and they do take a
little setting up (and lugging), but they are smaller than two FOH, two wedges
and a rack or head. Quality is high fidelity, as you will hear when you
play a CD through the system.
Another item—their customer service
is excellent. Just after my system went out of warranty, I began to note
a bit of distortion in one of the three power amps that are built in to the
base. I called Bose in Boston,
expecting to get the apology or runaround I’ve come to know from most
corporations of this type. The guy put me on hold (I figured to concoct
the perfect excuse), came back on and said “Are you still at (address)?”
You’ll have a new base tomorrow; you have thirty days to send the old one
back in the carton that the new one comes in.” Overnight
replacement of a critical component—at no charge—is about as good
as it gets, in my opinion.
i've always been interested in these, but they're very expensive
and I find myself wondering
- how useful they are if just one member of a band has one for personal
sound/monitoring onstage.
- How they work with a number of signals going through them - using
them as a kind of PA in themselves - instead of the one per musician approach.
- it's a lot of setting up and taking down if you are playing as part
of a multi-act line-up.
I'm still not entirely sure of the differences between the L1 models
1&2 - looks like the model 2 uses more efficient drivers(?).
Are they so good that they are worth the investment. You could buy a
pair of good powered FOH speakers and a couple of wedges & more for the
price of one of these!
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, May 19,
2008 5:38 PM
I’ve been using a Bose L1 with two
subwoofers in my live & looped solo blues/jam act since 2004.
It’s a great system. When on concert stages with sound
reinforcement, I just tell the FOH guy to plug into the Bose line out, not
needing a monitor. The Bose subs do not have a long throw, but they will
get a bass or kick out into a small area (I do have a JBL 18” powered
subwoofer for extra large rooms, but rarely use it). My system is the
original L1, so it is bulkier, taller and heavier than the one shown on your
link. I do about a hundred solos a year (along with 150+ band dates) and
I’ve never wished I was using something else.
I get compliments on the sound at every
gig. I run my guitars through a Vox Tonelab, my kickdrum is a Porchboard
Bass and I use two EH Micro Pog pedals for octave adjustments to create bass
sounds—all this goes into a Mackie 1402 VLZ3 and loops through an
EDP. The Bose spreads the mid and high frequencies in an amazingly broad
pattern. Also amazing is the fact that the linear radiator is set up
about three feet behind me, with an SM 58 vocal mic right in front of it, yet
never feeds back. I hear what the audience is hearing, which is a great
help when making one-man-band loops with six or eight layers of bed and solos
on top. Can’t recommend it enough.
From: JASON CASKENTTE
[mailto:jcaskenette@rogers.com]
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 10:31
AM
To:
Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Subject: Bose L1
I'm thinking of sending my loops through a Bose L1 PA system has any
body ever used or own one before?
