Re: [Harp-L] Bose PA

[icemanle@xxxxxxx]

The Bose PAS System effectiveness is directly related to the philosophy, experience and imagination of the one that runs it. The basic system w/2 bass speakers has done amazing things for me, acoustic and electric in all kinds of venues. However, I've spent some time working the system in different situations.
 
The most that I pushed through the system was at an outdoor gig with the smooth jazz band I play in. I have an 8 channel Mackie Board and the Bose has 4 inputs, so all together, the limit was 11 inputs and I used 10 - bass drum mic, direct line from bass, 2 keyboard inputs, wireless mics on sax and trumpet, stereo mics over the percussionist's congas, vocal/speaking mic, and harmonica. 
 
We played an outdoor venue (not tremendously large, but a nice town square size). I ran a feed out from the Mackie into a small PA head driving two square speakers on stands angling out at the front of the stage to help with wider dispersement.
 
I quickly found where the topmost threshold for the system was and backed down from that. Then I brought up the side speakers to gently fill out the sound.
 
The result was an AMAZING sound everywhere in the town square. Musicians came up to us complementing on the crystal clarity and quality of the sound.
 
Truly, this was pushing the system far beyond what the creator's had in mind, but it worked great. The sound is not inyourfaceloud, but definitely present enough to be heard at a comfortable volume for this particular large group without a hint of feedback.
 
I also had the system tested at an indoor performance venue. Believe me, the sound engineers were blown away by the capabilities. They concluded that a second tower would be needed to fully cover all the seats with homogenous sound - the two towers being angled towards each other at 45 degrees on each side of the stage near the back.
 
I've just started playing with this system and a direct line out of one of Brian Purdy's harmonica amps, It sounds massive. There were no feedback issues.
 
I also used it when I sat in on harmonica with Stoney and the Houserockers, a local FL blues band. Stoney also plays harmonica through an amp which is mic'd into his PA. His band plays loud, but the PAS allowed my harmonica to be heard everywhere quite nicely. Even the drummer commented that he'd never heard the harmonica before on the live gig with all the loud playing the band does.
 
My experience is that the PAS system is mostly limited by the imagination of the user.
 
The Iceman

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Fugazzi <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 15:49:27 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: Fwd: [Harp-L] Bose PA


Last week we headlined a birthday party for a local magazine.  Most of the 
groups played acoustic and they used the Bose pa.  I saw Billy Steiner play 
through an sm 57 into that and it sounded really good.
   
  We played totally electric and used the pa for only vocals. I don't think the 
pa could have worked any harder without breaking up, and we weren't very loud.
   
  For small gigs, good (not great) pick up.  For medium to large gigs, not 
enough power for a full band.  I did see the same system used later that week at 
a club full of 250 people.  The singer's guitar and vocals were ran through it 
and it sounded ok.  We played the same stage later that night and used the house 
pa.
   
  
mfugazzi67 <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
  --- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Dina Janzen wrote:

This system and Icy sound great with an acoustic band. How about with
an amplified band?
What amps or pre-amps are suitable?
Feedback tendency with amped harmonica?
Suitable venue size?

Thanks-
Jim R

_______________________________________________
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
Harp-L@xxxx
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l

--- End forwarded message ---




  



Mike Fugazzi
vocals/harmonica
NiteRail

http://www.niterail.com
http://www.myspace.com/niterailband

CD release party for the new CD
"Back&Forth" at the Poodle Club
in Minneapolis, Feb. 18th!!!
        
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
 With a free 1 GB, there's more in store with Yahoo! Mail.
_______________________________________________
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l