Bossbandbob

Thanks Dave Yeah, Got a great deal from Tombsalley that I took a blind leap on!

One thing that is impressive about this amp is that in my studio I have two regular PA speakers playing mp3s that I practice with in the traditional stereo V configuration with my head being right in the 'sweet spot.' I have the SpaceStation about 8 behind me off center towards the right. Whatever patch I play on my keyboard through the SS sounds like it is between the two PA speakers- right in that 'sweet spot!'

Head's-up: SpaceStation keyboard amp has apparently been delivered and is in my studio now! I have only tried it with the VR-09 so far, but the organs, sim, and Strings sound awesome, and yes, even the Rock Piano never sounded better. A bit disappointed with the EP's as they do not not have enough bottom end but that is probably inherent in the board. My Casio PX-5s EP's always seems to have more balls and fullness than this Roland's. I played along with several LOUD MP3's this AM and the SS showed the keyboards tones through nicely. I may try the SS at my very LOUD Stones Tribute band's gig this Fri...should be interesting..Lotsa Piano and EP in the Stones music.

I do Paint it Black in my Stones band and Don't Come Around Here No More in my Petty band with the Sitar on my PX-5S, which is pretty decent.Still I find the Sitar on the WK better. I just made the one on my VR-09 as a back up. Never thought of adding slow rotary to it..will try that.

True but since you have an iPad, the Korg M1 app ($19.99) has 3300 sounds. I'm guessing there is a sitar in there somewhere. Good to know.. But unfortunately I don't the IPad so can't gig with it.

I think this has been asked here before but I have not been able to find an answer here or by googling. Does anyone know where to get replacement drawbar knobs for the VR-09? After now losing two of them at gigs , I have glued the remaining ones on with Elmer's!

http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss153/bossbandbob/Ideas%20-%2012.jpg Actually just tried this with 2 side firing speakers. Not sure if I actually reversed the polarity on those and if this sounds like the Space Station but this sure does sound good with a leslie sim or my Ipod playing. The stereo effect is strong anywhere in the room except when your right near the speakers. The volume is also the same anywhere in the room. It follows me into the next room and up the stairs as well but with decreasing volume with distance. EDIT: Even though the speakers are 6' in front of my keyboard, the Leslie effect seems to be coming from behind me as well. Tres Cool!

I am planning on buying the SS over the summer but I like experimenting with this stuff. Would a set up like this with two powered monitors approximate the SS ? One powered speaker has R & L rca inputs (I presume swapping them like in diagram changes polarity?). This monitor I am using for side firing R-L actually has a passive speaker output for the other side speaker. The other powered speaker (center-front)has two channels of 1/4" input. http://i571.photobucket.com/albums/ss153/bossbandbob/Ideas%20-%2012.jpg

Keys,this sounds like fun to try! Any way to do this with a powered mixer with no pan controls? I have a Yamaha EMX312sc in my studio. I can probably reverse the polarity on input 4 with cabling. I also have pair of powered monitors.

Thanks for repeating yourself, Mike...You talked me into getting this thing! Just gotta sell some stuff first. Thanks for posting your videos Jazzoo as well..great playing and the SS seems to carry it very well.

Sounds loud enough to me! Was this just the SS on stage (no sub out)?

It depends on how loud your rock band is and how aggressive your sound is... It is hard to imagine a single 8 inch speaker overcoming a Marshall stack whether in mono or stereo mode. Physics are physics. Personally, my sound is very aggressive Hammond organ that needs a lot of bottom end. I tried to dial in that sound at NAMM to see if the SS3 could handle it. Unfortunately I was unable to do it in the time allotted. It's hard to believe that the SS3 could achieve that sound above the din of the rest of the band. I would like to see if it could. Up to this point not one member has posted a video recorded from the back of a club in a hard rock, non-FOH supported situation. That would be interesting. I am very pleased with the sound of my rig as is. I'd like to see that video as well! sorry, was still editing when you posted.

So for people who actually own one (beside spazzkey), is it loud enough for a Rock band in a medium sized club or not? In three contexts: 1.as monitor and out to FOH 2.as primary amp without FOH 3.as primary amp without FOH with sub out to powered speaker. (my guess would be yes to 1 and 3) Someone here is selling one as he claims it is not loud enough. Yes, I know stereo makes it seem louder.... "re loudness - the dead tribute band I play in likes it really loud... even without the sub my SS can be painfully loud - and with the sub no contest... I've been asked to turn it down, don't think I've ever turned it up beyond 2, 12 being at the top and 5 max..." -spazzkey "So if what you really want is to go loudness for loudness against a marshall half, and your patches are mostly mono (or you don't really care if they're stereo or not), I'd strongly suggest a powered speaker and a line out to the board rather than this cool but idiosyncratic box" -mathofinsects

Thanks Tim! I presume the other players in your band on that cramped stage can also hear the SS better than your previous amplification set ups? For me, the solution was getting the bass combo amp. I play a funk gig in Oakland on a postage size stage. Having the SS on top of the GK raises it up 18", so it's firing closer to ear level. It also takes up no more precious stage real estate - you're stacking vertically. I don't get the "bloom" (that's farther out in the room), but monitoring works very well.

My bands have played on some very cramped stages. When we have backup singers and a sax, it can get up to 8 or 9 on stage. Would the SS work well in this situation? It seems if I have to have it too close to me it won't work well for my monitoring. As is I often have to have my powered speaker real close to me. The only other option for the SS in these situations, I guess, would be on a stand near, but off the stage.

Well "the amp is only human." It's also giving me bad GAS!

Alto Professional TS110A 10" 600 Watt powered Speaker. Sounds great! Of course, right after I bought it, I started getting interested in the Space Station amp.. However after a redesign of my Stone's band's practice room sound system, I can't hear myself very well anymore using my old POS Alesis Sumo100 for my monitor. I expect the new Alto to solve that problem.....and sound a lot better.

Isn't the sub out usable for FOH? (Most common question?) I remember reading that it is a full range signal but can't remember reading if it is stereo. From Aspen's FAQ page: The SUB output is an unfiltered full frequency range signal that is a combination of both the Left and Right signals (or the mono mix). It is a line level signal suitable for driving a powered sub woofer, sending as a "mono" signal to the FOH mixer, another to drive an additional stage monitor (e.g. to the far side of a stage).

Isn't the sub out usable for FOH? (Most common question?) I remember reading that it is a full range signal but can't remember reading if it is stereo.

Thanks for your responses. Adjusting the kb parameters for the amp and the amp for the room certainly makes sense. Wasn't there a thread her recently about where to hear this amp from other members? A Google search could not find it but I would love to hear this thing locally in a club setting.

I just started getting interested in this amp...have not read through all 70 pages here though! Has any one ever answered this question that I believe Another Scott posted on one of the earlier pages of this tread? "the problem of possibly needing to alter knobs on the SpaceStation itself whenever you switch from, say, your piano sound to your clonewheel, which is not practical (to say nothing of the quandry it puts you in if you're playing piano and organ simultaneously)." Is there a setting that is a happy medium?

Just another example of how Hammond, back when the Tonewheels were built, got everything right for jazz and rock playing...so be it mostly accidentally!

Yeah, checked out the menu and owners manual last night, not much there for keybed adjustment parameters, just "initial touch" which, as mentioned, does nothing to correct the trigger point. I compared the key throw on the A-101 to the VR-09 and the the Hammond keys definitely offer more resistance. In other words, you have to press them slightly harder on the Hammond to get a note to sound. Just something to be aware of and get used to if you are OK with the rest of the VR-09 board.

To me it's a more sensitive trigger than my A-101.