Heads-up: SpaceStation keyboard amp is apparently back

[dsetto]

Dan L, great suggestion. I will infer from your usage, that the SSv3's desirable room-filling properties doesn't "bleed" into the keyboard player's vocal mic any more than a traditional monitor (or even PA). I.e., a keyboardist's vocal mic doesn't feedback more when an SSv3 is the monitor (or combined monitor-PA on intimate gigs) as compared to traditional speaker. Sound right?

[MoodyBluesKeys]

Aspen, could you give the exact specs for the SS fuse? Thanks, Ray

I'm very confused about the fuse too. Elsewhere in the thread, Aspen has recommended "changing the 1.6 amp fuse for a 2 amp" in 230v models. If I recall correctly, he's also recommended slo-blo fuses. But the back of the amp is clearly marked "3.15 Amp Fuse" The fuse itself (as far as these old eyes can see) is marked "T3.15A250V" I can't find "slo-blo" anywhere on the amp or the fuse. I'm no engineer, but when it comes to fuses, I'd think there's a pretty big difference between a 1.6 Slo-blo and 3.15 fast acting type.

 

OK - the 1.6 amp slo-blo fuse is recommended ONLY for 220 volt use - most of the world electrical grid is 220 volt, the US uses 110, Japan uses 100 (unless they have changed recently) for normal outlets. the 3.15 amp fuse is used ONLY in the 110 volt instances. By electrical theory, Power (watts) is equal to the product of voltage (volts) times current (amperes).

 

A 3.15 amp fuse at 110 volts can carry a load of 346.5 watts. A 1.6 amp fuse at 220 volts can carry a load of 352 watts. These figures are quite close to each other in power.

 

However, there is another factor to be considered, since electrical circuits are alternating current. When power is first applied to a reactive circuit (resistors produce resistance, but capacitors and inductors produce reactance), there is a brief surge of power to the device (reasons will be omitted due to the fact that Theo, JDan, and a couple of others would be able to follow). Experimentally, Aspen likely has found that this surge results in occasional fuse failure in a normally working circuit. So, the recommendation is for 2 amp fuse, which will allow 440 watt continuous power. The surge is higher with the 220 volt circuit than with a 110 volt circuit.

 

When one specifies fuses, one must also consider that a particular mechanical type of fuse, such as a T3 (which specifies the dimensions and shape) is not available in an infinite variation of sizes, but in certain sizes. A 2 amp is the next larger commonly available size above a 1.6. (for that matter, many old fuse designs were 3 amp instead of 3.15).

 

Does that help?

 

[Calyx]

If anyone is looking to sell their V3 please PM me. $750 is a bit steep for me to buy new. I live in Seattle.

[16251]

If anyone is looking to sell their V3 please PM me. $750 is a bit steep for me to buy new. I live in Seattle.

You snooze - you ...

[Calyx]

If anyone is looking to sell their V3 please PM me. $750 is a bit steep for me to buy new. I live in Seattle.

You snooze - you ...

 

No snoozing here. I just found out about them a couple weeks ago.

[rickp]

If anyone is looking to sell their V3 please PM me. $750 is a bit steep for me to buy new. I live in Seattle.

You snooze - you ...

 

No snoozing here. I just found out about them a couple weeks ago.

Understandable, Calyx, since it hasn't been reviewed yet in "Keyboard" or similar mags (although a thorough review will be appearing sometime soon from this forum's Dave Bryce) and you wouldn't even see it for sale anywhere unless you specifically peruse Sweetwater's keyboard amp section.

 

But-for the savvy and heads-up folks in this forum, I wouldn't have had any idea about it either.

 

I see you just registered; hope you enjoy and benefit from the forum as much as I do!

 

 

 

[MathOfInsects]

I hadn't reflected on that. I wonder where I first heard about it? At any rate, some of the first information I found about the SS3 after searching, was from this thread on this site (of which I wasn't a member yet, nor somehow had I ever heard of it, in spite of now seeing three or four people I share markets/groups/jobs with posting here, and one or two who play on stuff I've listened to for years). But I'm grateful, since now I guess I'm among the very first adopters of this cool box.

 

By the way, I don't charge any more for convoluted run-on sentences, they're yours for the very same price as the good ones.

[DanL]

Dan L, great suggestion. I will infer from your usage, that the SSv3's desirable room-filling properties doesn't "bleed" into the keyboard player's vocal mic any more than a traditional monitor (or even PA). I.e., a keyboardist's vocal mic doesn't feedback more when an SSv3 is the monitor (or combined monitor-PA on intimate gigs) as compared to traditional speaker. Sound right?

 

I tried my SS3 once as a vocal monitor, the 1st time I used it. I had to do some drastic EQ on the monitor return (I have a 15 band EQ dedicated to it) and definitely had more feedback issues than with my K10 which is set pretty much flat aside from rolling off low end that vocals don't need.

 

For me, a vocal monitor's ideal position is more in front, aiming back at me if it's a house provided speaker. When my band is mixing itself, I use the K10 on top of my rack aimed right at my head where I can keep it turned down low but still hear it clearly. The SS3 really doesn't work in either of those 2 positions. I like the SS3 behind me and a little off to the side, 6' away or so and on the floor. It might work for some people like that but it's not worth the trouble, it's easier to plug in the K10 and not worry about it.

[Calyx]

I hadn't reflected on that. I wonder where I first heard about it? At any rate, some of the first information I found about the SS3 after searching, was from this thread on this site (of which I wasn't a member yet, nor somehow had I ever heard of it, in spite of now seeing three or four people I share markets/groups/jobs with posting here, and one or two who play on stuff I've listened to for years). But I'm grateful, since now I guess I'm among the very first adopters of this cool box.

 

I actually found out about the Spacestation on Sweetwater and stumbled upon this forum when Googling for more info on it. I'd never heard of the MusicPlayer Forums before then.

[Dave Bryce]

Okay, I thought I had seen everything there was to see with my SSv3. Not so...

 

A local KC forumite came over to check out my Space Station. I set it up in my living room with my PC3 so he could hear it. Sounded killer...anyway, while he was playing it, I wandered out of the room into the kitchen, which is separated from the living room by a wall that you can walk around from both sides to get to either room. Get this - while in the kitchen, separated from the living room by the wall, I could still hear the stereo effect. Clearly. Seriously.

 

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y172/davebryce/IMG_4132_zps5dtjrwgb.jpg

 

The wall I'm talking about is the one with the Japanese triptych on it - kitchen is behind it. The SS is sitting to Steve's left, right next to he QSC K12 you can barely see in the photo. It's pointing up at him.

 

I couldn't believe it. Never had a chance to walk away from the thing in my living room, because I was always the one playing it. I went back into the room and asked Steve to walk around the wall while I was playing. His observation was the same.

 

Now that's cool.

 

dB

[16251]

I found out about the SS in this thread. I was the first person to reply cause 1.) always hated having to carry two speakers. 2.) never heard of this technology ie v.1 an v.2, as well as the Fender Keyboard amps. 3.) loved the concept after reading about it and knew I'd have to have one.

 

Thanks garnermike, I do remember how jazzed I was while reading your post.

[Calyx]

So here's a question. Who here uses (or wants to use) the Spacestation but not for keyboards?

 

I'm an electric cellist who has wanted a full stereo sound since I heard John Scofield live with two chorusing Sundown amps.

 

For those of you non-keyboardists who have tried it, what do you think?

[Joe Muscara]

So here's a question. Who here uses (or wants to use) the Spacestation but not for keyboards?

 

I'm an electric cellist who has wanted a full stereo sound since I heard John Scofield live with two chorusing Sundown amps.

 

For those of you non-keyboardists who have tried it, what do you think?

If you're putting in a mono source, you won't get any advantage from the SS. As Aspen has posted, you'll need some sort of stereo effect on it to get anything useful. Reverb, chorus, stereo delay etc., would be likely candidates.

[Alan Steinberger]

So here's a question. Who here uses (or wants to use) the Spacestation but not for keyboards?

 

I'm an electric cellist who has wanted a full stereo sound since I heard John Scofield live with two chorusing Sundown amps.

 

For those of you non-keyboardists who have tried it, what do you think?

 

My wife and I are planning a visit with Aspen soon, and she's a professional cellist. I'll see if I can talk her into recording some Bach unaccompanied on her NS 5-string. (She's not an improviser.)

 

I've had a thought, anyway, of doing a dummy head recording of the SS in Aspen's studio, so maybe we can kill two birds, so to speak...

[Calyx]

If you're putting in a mono source, you won't get any advantage from the SS. As Aspen has posted, you'll need some sort of stereo effect on it to get anything useful. Reverb, chorus, stereo delay etc., would be likely candidates.

 

Of course. I'm running through a Pigtronix Echolution stereo delay/modulation. There are also stereo instruments where each pickup is output separately so that what you hear is like putting your head between the pickups. But stereo effects are very common, it's just that most non-keyboardists use them in mono.

[cphollis]

FWIW, my various Nord string samples (cello, violin, viola) sound amazing with a bit of chorus and reverb. Not that those would replace a real string player

[Aspen]

Aspen, could you give the exact specs for the SS fuse? Thanks, Ray

I'm very confused about the fuse too. Elsewhere in the thread, Aspen has recommended "changing the 1.6 amp fuse for a 2 amp" in 230v models. If I recall correctly, he's also recommended slo-blo fuses. But the back of the amp is clearly marked "3.15 Amp Fuse" The fuse itself (as far as these old eyes can see) is marked "T3.15A250V" I can't find "slo-blo" anywhere on the amp or the fuse. I'm no engineer, but when it comes to fuses, I'd think there's a pretty big difference between a 1.6 Slo-blo and 3.15 fast acting type.

 

Sorry everybody, here's the data:

 

120v (USA) operation = 3.1 amp slo blo (NOTE: a "T" preceding the value indicatea a slo blo fuse, so also can be seen as "T3.1 amp"

 

230v (EU, Australia, others) operation 2 amp slo blo (or "T2" amp)

[Aspen]

I think Aspen should put a FAQ with all this info on his web site, and link to it in his sig here.

 

Joe (and to all my other faithful! friends here) YES, I am working on that right now, and have felt a need for that for some time. But your prompting (or, cattle prodding) has put this on top of my priority list.

 

I hope to have this on the CPS site within a week or so, then folks will not have to plow back 60+ pages!

 

Very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused, should have been done months ago!

[Boolean]

Okay, I thought I had seen everything there was to see with my SSv3. Not so...

 

A local KC forumite came over to check out my Space Station. I set it up in my living room with my PC3 so he could hear it. Sounded killer...anyway, while he was playing it, I wandered out of the room into the kitchen, which is separated from the living room by a wall that you can walk around from both sides to get to either room. Get this - while in the kitchen, separated from the living room by the wall, I could still hear the stereo effect. Clearly. Seriously. ....

 

Interesting ! I have a question, if you had a ping-pong delay type bouncing between L&R channels, would you still hear that directional separation from another room ? i.e. would you hear delay repeats from opposite sides ?

[Dave Bryce]

Okay, I thought I had seen everything there was to see with my SSv3. Not so...

 

A local KC forumite came over to check out my Space Station. I set it up in my living room with my PC3 so he could hear it. Sounded killer...anyway, while he was playing it, I wandered out of the room into the kitchen, which is separated from the living room by a wall that you can walk around from both sides to get to either room. Get this - while in the kitchen, separated from the living room by the wall, I could still hear the stereo effect. Clearly. Seriously. ....

 

Interesting ! I have a question, if you had a ping-pong delay type bouncing between L&R channels, would you still hear that directional separation from another room ? i.e. would you hear delay repeats from opposite sides ?

It's hard to describe the way the stereo effect works. It's not a conventional dedicated L/R, per se - just different things happening in different parts of the room.

 

dB

[B. J. Love]

Thanks Moody and Aspen for the fuse info. I made something very simple as hard to understand as I possibly could. Too many years in Japan...

[Boolean]

It's hard to describe the way the stereo effect works. It's not a conventional dedicated L/R, per se - just different things happening in different parts of the room.

dB

 

So there is a perception of "depth" between L&R sources rather than absolute directivity perhaps?

[cphollis]

Okay, I thought I had seen everything there was to see with my SSv3. Not so...

 

A local KC forumite came over to check out my Space Station. I set it up in my living room with my PC3 so he could hear it. Sounded killer...anyway, while he was playing it, I wandered out of the room into the kitchen, which is separated from the living room by a wall that you can walk around from both sides to get to either room. Get this - while in the kitchen, separated from the living room by the wall, I could still hear the stereo effect. Clearly. Seriously. ....

 

Interesting ! I have a question, if you had a ping-pong delay type bouncing between L&R channels, would you still hear that directional separation from another room ? i.e. would you hear delay repeats from opposite sides ?

It's hard to describe the way the stereo effect works. It's not a conventional dedicated L/R, per se - just different things happening in different parts of the room.

 

dB

 

Yes. I still haven't figured out how best to describe the effect using Aspen's system.

 

It's stereo alright, but not the hard-panned L/R we are all used to. Someday, someone brighter than me will do serious academic research on exactly how our brains process stereo signals, but -- until then -- it's a very pleasant effect for most listeners: stereo effect, without obvious spatial separation of the signals.

[B. J. Love]

It's hard to describe the way the stereo effect works. It's not a conventional dedicated L/R, per se - just different things happening in different parts of the room.

 

dB

Yeah. Like with auto-pan. It's not like sitting at a Suitcase Rhodes or sitting in the sweet spot between a pair of near fields as the sound pans back and forth. It's more like listening to the Suitcase from the audience's perspective; there's pulsing and motion, but not distinct panning.

[Raymb1]

It's almost the same effect as having a real piano in the room. Ray

[Dave Bryce]

It's hard to describe the way the stereo effect works. It's not a conventional dedicated L/R, per se - just different things happening in different parts of the room.

 

So there is a perception of "depth" between L&R sources rather than absolute directivity perhaps?

That's actually quite a good way of putting it. That aspect becomes really apparent when you add a stereo reverb to a dry instrument in real time.

 

Another thing that I keep noticing is how easy it is to have a conversation near the amp, even at higher volumes. Another nice (and unexpected) perk.

 

dB

 

 

[timwat]

IMHO, "stereo" is the incorrect term to use, as the term carries all this connotation - distinct L and R channelization, a focused sweet spot where balance coalesces, an attempt to build a "wide soundstage, and all that other audiophile jargon.

 

Rather, what this little speaker does is create a spacious, multi-vector point source - very much like (as Ray points out) having an actual big old acoustic point source in a room - an acoustic grand piano.

 

I'm guessing because to some degree all conventional speakers beam along a vector trajectory, they don't do a great job generating the complex reflections that acoustic instruments create as a point source (in all directions, including the vertical).

 

The SSv3 also doesn't perfectly imitate a true acoustic point source - but it does a much better approximation by working along more than one vector at the same time.

 

Been a while since my college physics classes, but that's my best guess for now.

[cphollis]

Yeah -- accurate, but certainly not sexy. Describing the system as a dual-channel, multi-vector point source may be more precise, but won't really convey the experience.

 

Kind of like describing sushi as cold, dead, raw fish.

[Daddyg3042]

But....I love cold, dead, raw fish.

[Aspen]

What's the status with back orders and shipping? If I were to want one shipped to the UK who would I be best going through?

 

If you want to wait a couple of months, Thomann are going to be stocking them.

 

SSM

That's great, just what I wanted to hear! Thanks SSM.

 

Chiming in; Yes, Thomann will be our dealer for Europe, and we are thrilled to have them! Also we will be soon supplying Ikebe in Japan, and we are also in discussions with master dealers in Russia and Australia.

 

However their first deliveries will not be until later in June, at the very earliest. We still have some importation hoops to jump thru, so their first order is still "pending". If all goes well, I believe mid to late June will be the earliest possible delivery to Thomann and Ikebe.

 

However it is important to note that in the past, and for the meantime until Thomann has stock on hand, I am supplying all export early adopters directly from Aspen & Associates. Once Thomann has stock, I will of course refer all sales orders to them for Europe, but I will continue to supply export customers in those other 230v countries where we have not yet set up a dealer relationship.

 

RE 230v: I rewire for 230v, and change the T2amp fuse (plus add a spare).

 

RE Price: my 2015 export sales policy is to give a $50 discount off the $749 to all my early adopters in other countries, to help offset your shipping and importation expenses. I also include the $50 SS v.3 cover at no charge (a MSRP $50 value). Therefore, my A&A export customers pay $699 + shipping for the SS v.3 w. cover. I also use an extra outer shipping box, so the gross shipping weight is 47.5 lbs.

 

RE Shipping: FedEx, UPS, and the other "biggies" are EXTREMELY expensive...like $700+. So instead, I have used USPS (the Post) which has been much cheaper, and so far no problems. This runs b/w $175 and $250 just depending on which country.

 

RE Delivery: takes 8-10 days to Europe, about the same to Australia.

 

RE Service: I support the customer directly, so far nothing major that I have not been able to handle t the customer';s total satisfaction. As I said, all my export users are very happy and playing gigs, and many are posting here. After doing this for 45 years, I really understand how important this issue is and I take it very seriously. My end users are my family, and I treat them like family...always have.

 

FY I have also shipped into 5 Euro countries and also to Australia and New Zealand many times, so far everyone seems very happy.

 

I only mention all this to clear up the issue; I do have a small reserve stock right now set aside for export customers. However, I expect these to be sold out long before my next delivery on track for late April arrival.