Heads-up: SpaceStation keyboard amp is apparently back

[SK]

I, too, am intrigued by this amp. I'm not concerned about the bass since I have a sub to augment it. And I have no reason to doubt the spacious stereo effect it touts and its projection in the room, and I'm glad you can dial in the effect to taste.

 

I can't demo it, and I can't tell from the videos if it's a real revolutionary winner or a revolutionary novelty. If I understand correctly, instead of two distinct L/R channels interacting with each other in normal stereo, it makes a combined L/R channel interact with another L/R channel in an opposing phase. My question is, how is the fidelity affected without clear L/R separation?

 

Will it be a pristine, clear sound for acoustic piano patches on a DP (as with any clear left/right signal through a good stereo amp), or will it sound a bit like a mass of frequencies and processed sound to fill the room - which may muddle the solidity and clarity of the original sample tone.

 

Tone quality is first to me, and the room filling effect is second. But I'm openminded - if both of those aspects meet my needs, I'll get one. I look forward to the coming reviews.

[PianoMan51]

Can't wait for a real review. My expectation is that the speaker will provide an 'effect'. Just like Leslies, or the tremolo in a Rhodes Stage, or a Roland Jazz Chorus provide an effect. Artists will figure out what to do with it. But to expect some supernatural stereo presentation is perhaps naive. Does anyone think that the thousands of stereo speaker companies haven't ever experimented with an M/S speaker? Or better yet, if I invented one that really worked well, would my target market be for keyboard amps?

[HAMEGZ]

Can't wait for a real review. My expectation is that the speaker will provide an 'effect'. Just like Leslies, or the tremolo in a Rhodes Stage, or a Roland Jazz Chorus provide an effect. Artists will figure out what to do with it. But to expect some supernatural stereo presentation is perhaps naive. Does anyone think that the thousands of stereo speaker companies haven't ever experimented with an M/S speaker? Or better yet, if I invented one that really worked well, would my target market be for keyboard amps?

 

 

I think you need to visit the site.There is a video of a group mixed thru a little mixer outputting to a single V3, sounds damn good.

[rockinredeye]

Two things: I have a MarkII and the stereo field is really there. If you play a familiar recording through it, the left and right program material will be there the way you are familiar with it. Hard to explain but absolutely true. Sounds great.

 

The other thing is the sub out. That is mislabeled. It is a full spectrum sum of the left and right channels. If you use a sub speaker, you'll need a crossover somewhere.

 

Well, three things. How loud? We have a nearly deaf guitar player. Sometimes he used to turn his Twin Reverb up way too loud. But he would turn around to me and tell me to turn down!

 

O.K. four things. Before we went IEMs, when playing a song with organ, I would turn the width control up all the way and the Leslie sound seemed to go all over the place. And it made me smile. Mono Leslie sucks. SpaceStation Leslie sounds close to real.

[AnotherScott]

Yes, when I played the earlier version, I thought it really brought the leslie to life. Unfortunately, I didn't like it for piano, and couldn't justify bringing a separate hefty amp to gigs just for organ, especially since I play a lot more piano than organ. But if I were doing organ solo gigs, yeah, it would have been a good choice. Now if the new one is indeed better for piano than the old one was, it becomes that much more interesting.

 

[drawback]

+1

 

This is the key for me to buy one. When I asked Aspen about it he had just made the video with Michael Boddicker and I took a look at the link. Sounded good through my headphones but it's impossible to really tell from that.

 

[AndyW]

 

... Subs get heavy. I tried the Acoustic Image ... This weighs 20 lbs and goes down to 30 hertz and sounds great on the low end. Does anyone know if a cheaper bass combo (Hartke, Orange, etc) would be an option? I play jazz and groove music primarily.

 

20lbs for a bass-combo is insanely lightweight, especially when it sounds good in addition.

 

112dB max SPL. This was designed for upright bass in a jazz combo setting. Just like the Acme cabs, it goes way down low and is very small. As a result it's highly inefficient and not very loud. I have an early Contra, only 200 watts into 4 ohms, and I've tried it as a sub for a B3 gig. No go. Just not loud enough to keep up with a drum kit.

 

 

I tried running my KT-80 and a Series III Contra from Acoustic Image in stereo but the Contra could not keep up. Distorts in the mid-range too easily.

[garnermike]

Sure, I can see the RCF TT08A being enough for LHB. Would probably work even for me, playing a band that is loud and heavy on the reggae.

[miden]

Interesting that at Sweetwater the listing says 280w TriAmped, but in the specs further down I can only see 140w?

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Spacestation3/

[HAMEGZ]

http://www.centerpointstereo.com/images/cps_specsheet18.jpg

 

LOOK at the specs on THEIR cut sheet again

 

100 watts to side plus 100 watts to front LF plus 40 watts to mid plus 40 watts to tweet = 280 watts

[AndyW]

I hope the 32 pounds is right!

[HAMEGZ]

They are on their way to Sweetwater according to Mr Pittman, and should arrive in Ft Wayne today or tomorrow.

 

Damn this G.A.S.

 

 

[cphollis]

Really looking forward to someone here posting a thorough review. It's a fascinating idea.

[16251]

I'm ready to buy one and was going to pre-order but decided to wait for the people with more GAS than myself. I don't play enough gigs to being buying anything, but would buy one of these in a flash after reading people's reviews.

[HAMEGZ]

YES YES YES

Sep 16, 14

Your order has been picked, packed and transferred into the FedEx system. It can no longer be changed. More tracking information will be displayed just as soon as FedEx makes that information available.

 

I should have it by Friday for a gig !!!!!!!

[cphollis]

Wow -- very keen to hear all of your impressions. I've got enough GAS on this thing to tip me over if you come back positive. Especially interested in how acoustic pianos sound through the thing.

[HAMEGZ]

IF it arrives by Friday I will only have a little while to unpack it and hook it up at the house just to make sure it works, the trial by fire will be the gig Friday night. Small club <100 people, small stage .

[AndyW]

I hope you get it for the gig!

 

[HAMEGZ]

Estimated delivery :

Thur 9/18/2014

 

ohhh yes!!

[DanL]

I'm as excited as you are... I have the $$ set aside for this already, but really need a real life review or 2 before I jump on it.

[Mike Martin]

These are really great speakers. We've had them at our booth at NAMM. Aspen has let us borrow one here at Casio. They fill a room in a way that traditional two speaker system does not. It is much more similar to a leslie speaker in the way it disperses sound through a room. The new version sounds very good with piano and insane with an organ and a Vent.

[Aussie_Chicago]

Damn it Mike, your not helping my GAS for one of these...

[AnotherScott]

I hope the 32 pounds is right!

Yes... the Sweetwater page says 48 lbs, big difference. Maybe Ham&Egz can weigh his for us!

[HAMEGZ]

Shipping weight on the bill of lading lists 45.9 lbs, and thats with boxing, etc.

 

I will weight it naked (not me, the SS)when it arrives

[Al Coda]

Damn it Mike, your not helping my GAS for one of these...

 

Same here, I want one,- but I´m in europe.

 

A.C.

[garnermike]

32 lbs. was listed weight for the GTubes SpaceStation MK2. On my scales, it is closer to 34 lbs. The publicity of this new version says 40 lbs., which makes some sense as it has some added components/workings. An advertising angle for it has been "light weight," so I do hope it comes in, after packaging, at not more than 40 lbs.

[Jazzmammal]

These are really great speakers. We've had them at our booth at NAMM. Aspen has let us borrow one here at Casio. They fill a room in a way that traditional two speaker system does not.

 

Mike, I know you do gigs. I also know you have to watch the volume at NAMM unless you're in one of the bands doing shows in the hotel lobby or whatever. Do you think this thing by itself is strong enough for a medium sized 4 or 5 piece bar gig where there's no FOH? The last one of those I did we had a guitarist and a trumpet player sitting in with our regular 5 piece keys, bass, drums, sax and vocalist. So it was a 7 piece and we got fairly loud. I was playing my SK1 through my 425W Barbetta because for this gig my EV 112P isn't quite enough, close but not quite.

 

Bob

[Mike Martin]

Bob,

I haven't had it in that kind of environment. We had it on a XW keyboard display at NAMM but it was never that loud. The one thing that is different between this and your Barbetta or your EV112P is those speakers are directional. The Center Point Stereo speaker in general will be giving you much more dispersion...assuming the sounds you're putting into it are in stereo. So I would expect that band members on the other side of the stage are going to be able to hear you much better at a lower overall volume.

[ashevillecabbie]

Surely someone will stack two of these atop a subwoofer sooner or later--unless we an convince our guitar playing brethren to "turn it down".

 

In the modern era good guitar tone is not dependent on volume.

 

[HAMEGZ]

Surely someone will stack two of these atop a subwoofer sooner or later--unless we an convince our guitar playing brethren to "turn it down".

 

In the modern era good guitar tone is not dependent on volume.

 

I am wondering if indeed one did that, if you would have some serious phase cancellation .

Now what about mimicking the old two Leslie setup , one on either side of the stage.