Aspen

Wow, I am really enjoying the diversity of comments here guys, THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing your real world experiences, and in so doing, keeping this thread among the top (real) musician threads anywhere on the internet. (and certainly the most fun!) I just love reading ALL the gig reports (and I do read them all). Gigs I could only dream about seeing in person. From the "early adopters" like Jazzmammal Bob on his new Nord (I know he'd been wanting that Red KB since I first met him) backing a jazz vocalist with a long lost of standards, to Zaphod's cool stereo enhanced synth video he shared (wow! I put the phones om for that), to "jpst" (need to know the acronym please!) gig in an old English castle no less...wow, how cool is that (actually probably very COLD, I had a company in Birmingham yeras ago and have been on a few castle tours where I forgot to bring that extra pair of socks). But in these last few pages I see a common thread (no pun intended), relating to "placement and bloom" (or lack thereof). So for those of you who are just tuning into the program tonight who will be a part of the next 2 million views...and not wanting to review and read the previous 150+ pages of GAS geekdome that we are...I'd like to offer a piece of "bloom" advice and a "CPS Geek Challenge" for the next time you find yourself in that "too close to bloom" situation (IE: so tight you are sitting on a cushion placed on top of a SS3?): Put your SS3 into "reverse". Huh? One wonders; has Aspen been getting enough sleep lately? (actually yes, as I just spent way too much time painfully listening to Tom Petty's 1st gig revival of Mudcrutch last night at CSUN, where they REALLY could have used about 1/10th the volume...70's Phyco Folk rock @ 125dB SPL)...but I digress. But seriously folks, when "seeking the elusive butterfly of bloom", reflections (which create distance) are your friend! So in a tight situation; do what all good sense tells you is completely insane; point it backwards to face a wall or corner...and see what happens. You may just love that effect! That "reverse" position will usually double the distance from the SS3 to your ears, to your bandmate's ears, not to mention your audience's ears. Remember; your SS3 is a light bulb, not a flashlight. So pointing it into a wall doesn't really change it's "character" so much...it just enhances that 3D CPS bloom! Distance is your friend w/ the SS3, as many have noted here recently (and has been mentioned umpteen times starting back in Season one, chapter two...was that when Clinton was president?) And so I will resubmit at the risk of seeming redundant (or worse, senile) any loss of mids or highs can easily be compensated by cranking up MFQ and/or the HF to compensate. FYI, I often conclude my SS3 demos here at APR studio (which has a decided lack of reflections) by turning the amp around 180 and letting the 1st time listener hear the BACK SIDE of my little speaker...always unexpected and quite the crowd pleaser! Now remember, in my APR studio our big room it is still a fairly small room by club standards, and also I am about 3-5 feet from the wall. So when placed in "reverse". pointed at the wall, it really"blooms" nicely...because that position doubles the distance for the listener. Frankly spoken, you can hardly hear any difference in sound quality listening to the SS3 like this, but you will get TWICE the bloom! And again, a slight bump in MF and HF and you're good! I know this sounds totally crazy and Counter-intuitive (same word?), but you just might be surprised, and you will definitely "amaze your friends". And after all, isn't THAT why we are in this business?

Great Brad, thanks for sharing...that does sound cool. I'd sure like to see some pix of the SS3 in that venue...it sounds like a CPS dreamscape. Also, maybe we could post those along with your show dates on our CPS family page. Might bring a few curious CPS fans for a listen, and I'll trade you a Spacestation T-shirt! BTW, our SS3 T-Shirt includes the tag that originated here on KC; "Spacestation v.3, everything else is just a box". My favorite one liner...and a KC original! And BTW Brad, in case your SS3 is now a "keeper", then maybe your gear tag signature could use an update?

Chiming in here; 100% agree with timwat that cables should be the first substitution to see if that corrects the issue. Thanks Timwat for your excellent customer service (I owe you a T-shirt!). And you are so right, the CPS encoding matrix is very sensitive circuit. As a "sum and difference" circuit designed to highlight any unique "differences" b/w L&R, if one of those signals has a weak connection or any irregularity it will be heard primarily thru the Side speaker as distortion. And the most common irregularities I have experienced have come from weak or bad cables, connections, or less than optimum signal processing somewhere in the chain (one user discovered he had a bad 1/4" output jack on his "L" Nord KB send...which he didn't notice thru his previous KB amp. However I am concerned you say "Even before, I could not turn beyond 12 on Width". In practice, if you have a strong stereo signal source there is rarely a :need" to go much beyond 12 o'clock...unless you really want an exaggerated stereo effect, or you are in a very dead room. So this makes me wonder if something was wrong from the start with 1) your signal source, and/or 2) again cabling and signal chain processing (mixer/no mixer, etc?) In case you have tried new cables and/or new source material (IE: a familiar recording played from your iPad or a CD Player), and you still hear the same distortion in the Side system, I will PM you directly and we can go thru a short check list of other possible culprits that could be causing your distortion. One way or the other we will find the gremlin in your Side speaker and eliminate him!

Excellent Zaphod, thanks for sharing your experience! So now...are you ready to add the SS3 to your "active gear" signature tag now :-)

Awesome Endless, thanks so much for sharing and the update...you made my week. Wow, 100+ gigs under your belt, ! guess your talents are in demand! Of course I field every "problem", and do my best to solve them quickly and keep my CPS family happy. Not that we get THAT many issues springing up, but any thing man made can be broken. So it's REAL nice for me to hear your SS3 is holding up as designed, making you happy, and that you are kind enough to share that with me and the members on this amazing forum. It just reaffirms my faith in the technology and in my wonderful manufacturing, and dealer partners who are sharing in this amazing success story...along with all my early adopters here on KBC...without which this success story does not exist! So THANK YOU!

Play a CD or MP3 with a Hi Hat, you'll hear it. My SS3 QC process; 1) Start with a full range signal source (CD or MP3). I use Steely Dan "Babylon Sisters" as my reference song, or sometimes Michael McDonald "What a Foll Believes".BUt any familiar track that was well recorded, not too distorted, and with a full range band. 2) with all knobs off, turn up just the Level about 1/3 to 1/2. This gives you just the 8" woofer fairly loud...so the "bass to low mids" range. 3) Now turn up the "MIDS" level, this powers up the coax 1" compression driver which is centered in the 8" coax woofer...this will bring up the vocal range. I usually crank it to overkill, then back it off to 50%. BTW, 50% is where I "tuned" my SS3 in the design stage...for WIDTH, MIDS and HFQ. This is a good "starting point" for the plug and play crowd. 4) Next bring up the HFQ level (High Freq). Here's where you will hear the Hi Hats start to sizzle. NOTE: if you're playing a Rhodes of Hammond patch there is really nothing in this HF Range to get the tweeter excited...so it may seem like it's not working. 5) Lastly, I bring up the WIDTH level, and feel the stereo patch...which is nice on those above mentioned tracks. Again, try to crank it (yuk, will sound bad I promise...like too much "wet" sounds on any stereo FX box), then back it of top 50% and you will be smiling. NOTE: if using a mono patch, like a straight EP w/o effect...then you will hear NO side speaker and the width control will do nothing. Just turning the width control all the way on/off will also tell you how "wide" the stereo source is) Once you balance your MIDS, HFQ and WIDTH, the LEVEL will raise and lower the overall SS3 component mix to the required SPL for your application. NOTE: If using a powered sub "post" SS3 thru the SS3 SUB output (recommended), set the sub level last in the above process. Then your SS3 master LEVEL will also maintain the level balance of the SUB to the SS3. I'd offer the same suggestions whenr using the SS3 SUB out as a full range send to add a "re enforcement" amp for those double Marshall stack battles with the nearly deaf & over tattooed shredder that just joined the band...be sure to point your Roland KB amp w/ Piezo directly at his good ear :-)

I had the same issue not too long ago and after speaking to Aspen (who was very helpful and offered to have me send him the speaker on his dime if it was indeed bad even though it was out of warranty) I removed all the screws on the front of the SS3 and popped out the main center woofer speaker and there was a metal cap thingy that had broken loose from inside somewhere and stuck itself to the big magnet - I showed Aspen and he said it doesn't have any effect on anything and if I wanted to I could just glue it back on to where it came off, which I did and everything has been fine ever since ... It probably just came off when I was transporting it back and forth to gigs ... here's a couple pics of the part and maybe it's the same for you: http://pctechsource.com/musicgear/pix/thumb_IMG_1939_1024.jpg http://pctechsource.com/musicgear/pix/thumb_IMG_1940_1024.jpg http://pctechsource.com/musicgear/pix/thumb_IMG_1941_1024.jpg Hope that helps ... This small graphite shielding cap marked "470" covers one of the inductors on the PCB. They can be easily bumped in assembly (oor disassembly) and crack off. Other than the above mentioned rattle issue, they are harmles. If you want to glue it back on, you will see a bare coil on the PCB where it belongs, or also you can toss it as it isn't vital to sound or operation in the SS3 application for which we use this component.

Thanks for your report. It seems like you are struggling to dial the SS3 in to sound great in all venues, which I assure you it can. So I am just wondering here if you've tried it horizontally? Or perhaps sideways on a small amp stand like many of the SS3 fans have done? Also, to maximize bass it's better horizontally and on the floor (raising can reduce bass response) Also, I do not recommend turning up the width much past 1-2 o'clock, especially if you are using strong stereo vocal effects, just because it can sound unnatural. And BTW, a sideways position will spread those stereo FX quicker and better and you will hear it better in close proximity...so perhaps you won't have to crank up the width that far. Also, IF your music is heavy bass dependent, as your Synth name might imply, augmenting the 3D stereo soundfield of the SS3 with a small powered sub may make you very happy. Many here use an inexpensive powered sub for that under 100Hz area with great results in some venues, and leave it in the car for others. Regarding why didn't I use larger speakers, I have just two reasons; size and cost. One of my prime design goals, and a feature many here have really appreciated, is our very small footprint for the 106SPL output. I accomplished that with smaller drivers computer tuned for a smaller enclosure and a 4 way Class D amp design...which also kept the price low and keep it accessible to all. Remember, I already had a hit product in the SS MK2. Sweetwater sold 100s of them, but after selling GT to Fender, they decided not to continue it, and yet years later folks still wanted to buy it! So the goal was to upgrade that product, and not make a totally different, larger and more expensive product. Of course a larger 12" speaker in a lager box with double or triple the power would be great, and I am not against that at all. I made HUGE custom CPS Cabs in years past but they didn't sell nearly as well as the SS3. But if you double the size and weight, you can also expect the cost may double as well. Plus the double weight and size may also "limit the appeal" too! BTW, adding a small powered sub to the SS3 breaks up the weight and size into 2 boxes, and can accomplish the same goals of "more bass" for less cost than a "bigger" SS3 with a 12" Front system, as many have discovered. Then for smaller gigs they can (and do) leave the sub in the car. I guess I am saying, there are many markets for CPS. And it is as you say; "scaleable". And once I can ramp up and meet the demand for the current SS3, I can start to look at larger (or smaller!) versions of the Spacestation.

I like the Mini Tremor too, the right size and good pricing (bang for buck)...but not sure it is available in Canada for the same price as we get here. I bought the Berhinger B1200 and it's has always been over kill, I run it at 1/3 to 1/2 level tops. If you are in Canada, then Long & McQuade probably have the best on line selection of subs, and/or small bass amps (also poplar w/ many CPS users) Looking at what they offer, This $450 USD (%600 CD) JBL powered sub looks good, and has 1/4" TRS inputs: https://www.long-mcquade.com/51435/Pro_Audio_Recording/Subwoofers/JBL/10_Powered_Studio_Subwoofer_With_XLF.htm Also if y ou go the mini bass amp route, these all have 1/4" TS inputs of course, and have tone controls that can roll off highs and mids (and so repurpose it as a sub...or not), then little this Canadian made Traynor "Small Block"amp looks good with it's SS3 matching metal grill: https://www.long-mcquade.com/21828/Guitars/Bass_Amps/Yorkville_Sound/Small_Block_200_Watt_-_1x12_inch_Bass_Combo_Amp.htm Remember, the $515 price on this L&M bass amp link is in Canadian Dollars (about 75% of the USD), so about $385 in USD. Pretty good value. Also, L&M has a very attractive rental program (if you live near one of their stores) where you can rent one of these Traynor amps real cheap, and apply some of those fees toward purchase. In fact, it was the L&M rental program that inspired my Rental Partner program where you can rent a SS3 to try it out, then apply up to $50 of your rental receipt toward purchase.

Welcome to the family, and thanks for your support! I have been following your decision making process. I heartily agree with all the great replies and tips from "the amazing CPS gang", and REALLY appreciate their input in my absence. In fact, this group is so experienced now I rarely see the need to chime in, they beat me too it...but I enjoy reading all the great interchange. I especially like the suggestion about trying a sideways set up in your close quarters venues, but also I agree that we sometimes over think all this. There really is no "wrong" position...because it does sound "blooming" good almost anywhere you put it! So on that sideways note...I'd like to give you MY gig report from a few Friday nights ago. I did a fun brewery gig in Van Nuys at MACLEODS (authenic English pub brewery) with a local LA "almost famous" Americana band called the Sweet Potatoes; Laura Hall and Kelly Macleod are two female singer songwriters with great mostly original songs and vocals (you may know Laura Hall as Keyboard Girl & MD on all the Drew Carey TV shows such as "Who's Line is it anyway"). But in Sweet Potatoes the girls front and play acoustic guitars (Laura doubles on squeeze box) and are backed on bass and vocals by Laura's husband Rick (a Disney TV regular actor, you kids would know Rick), plus an awesome Cajon player and another ringer playing banjo, lap slide dobro and a mean harpoon. So LOTS of open mics into their PA with all guitars and bass going into various amps. But this regular gig had been a nightmare for them. They had so much conflicting level from all this amplification in this super live room, and crammed into a small corner (no stage)...feedback and monitoring was a huge problem. So when Laura came out to APR studios to try out a SS3 for her new KB amp (had been using a Roland...in mono of course..and had heard about the SS3), she loved it (naturally). But then she told me about her other band, and how much trouble they were having in the smaller venues. So I mentioned to her that the SS3 might double as an "all in one" vocal and instrument system "for the whole band". So she called my bluff, and the game was on! I agreed to bring down a SS3 and mix for them thru their mixer, on the condition they leave ALL their amps in the car. If it seemed the SS3 wasn't cutting it, they could bring them in and do the "usual set up". I wanted to prove they could go completely thru the SS3...so no other amp in the room....sound and play better plus enjoy it more too. They had warned me; this brewery had terrible acoustics and feed back and monitoring were big problems in past. They had a 16 channel mixer they had previously just used for vocals w/ JBL powered PA speakers + several amps + monitors. I felt all that "amplitude" with so many sound sources was making the bad room acoustic issues even worse. They wanted to try the SS3 for vocals only, and their acoustics...but I challenged them; try my way first. I ran everything thru their 16 channel mixer (no channels left over!!), and JUST one SS3 set in the corner, but because Rick played electric bass, I brought along my B1200 to be safe. The Brewery was a typical concrete wall/floor industrial unit, and the steel roll down loading door was the back drop for the band. Imagine the acoustics of a really bad gym, plus a steel door at your back! No carpets, no baffles, zip! Probably the worst acoustics I had ever heard. I used the SS3 in the corner sitting upright on top of the B1200 sub for the first set and gradually kept turning the sub down (remember, I had hubby's Martin acoustic bass going thru the system as he left the bass amp in the car)...but the room was so live and boomy, the sub was just "too much". But it sounded GREAT, and they instantly LOVED it. I walked the room once I set my mix, and the coverage was good...lots of loud talking but no problem hearing this band over "the buzz", and the music covered the whole brewery. As I have mentioned before; reflections are very SS3 friendly, so the bloom "happened" in like 3 feet! Their delicate 3 part harmonies were clear, everyone could hear and hit their parts, and once I set levels they "mixed" their own guitars, bass and percussion intuitively...making my job easy (yea, Macleod Time!). However for the 2nd set, I took the B1200 out of corner and unplugged it...I was at near zero by now anyway and in this room I believed they would not need it. Also, I turned the SS3 on it's side!. In the 1st set, the side speaker was shooting right at the Dobro and Cajon players who were set up behind the girls, and I could feel their discomfort (thou the only stereo I had going was some stereo vocal delay). So I put the SS3 on it's side (same corner location BEHIND the band, up against the roll up door and side concrete wall. I used a rat trap (boxed like a 3x3) lying near by as a "prop up" (forgot my amp stand...darn). But now the side speaker was shooting harmlessly to the floor and back wall...for an even quicker bloom! WOW, it was all good, even better that set. Of course as they were getting acclimated so they played and sang better too...a typical 2nd set! But we did not miss the sub...especially as the SS3 was now sideways on the floor, so it had more natural bass coupling...it was near perfect! (nothing is ever perfect in my world :>) I know it sounds crazy, but this room was so live "less was more". The mix was really easy to find; and just one amp made it the same mix for all...and ple ty of SPL for this band. Of course, these guys were seasoned pros, and instantly found the right groove once they could HEAR an even mix. Everyone was comfortable and REALLY enjoyed it...the level was great (running the SS3 about half way to it's max level...but to be fair; they were not a "loud band"). I had a ton of head room...and not one feed back moment all night...even though the SS3 was directly behind (on an angle) to all the vocal, guitar and dobro mics...and the Cajon mic was on the concrete floor. BTW, every one of these 5 open mics were within 4-8' of the SS3, which was placed behind them in the corner! This was a bucket list gig for me and the SS3, something I had been wanting to try for awhile, and the Sweet Potatoes were a perfect opportunity. Needless to say they bought one the next week and....it's also Laura's new KNB amp for the TV show (but doubtful the SS3 will ever make it on camera!). So, Synthaholic; I am sure you will find your first few gigs "enlightening", and quite a different experience from your pole mounted Pasport PA. But as it is different it may take soem getting used to and dialing in your patches will be required...you can really play "wider" now, because it will be transmitted evenly throughout the room. And as s some have already suggested here...try playing a loop so you can walk the room and get a feel for levels...and how "wide" you stereo patches will sound, no matter where you are. That will give you some confidence. Then just relax knowing how well your audience can hear you and play you butt off! And do try that sideways position tip, with or without a sub, that shortens the "bloom" effect so even at 3' and set off to your side...you will get "bloomed" and be hearing what your audience hears.

I always wondered why they didn´t pay attention to this since decades. I can guess. There is no real need for mono. I'm old so I remember the days of listening to music on the AM radio in the car. That's when you needed mono compatibility. And TV sets too, they were always mono. Not anymore. Of course it would be nice for MI companies to acknowledge that their beautiful stereo instruments, once brought on a stage, might be played through a single wedge or (mono) amp. I agree but my ringing ears say "no more speakers"! I have to do it, unfortunately. IMHO, that ringing in the ears is from using highly directional speakers with a cutting mid horn....typical PA monitor, beamy flashlights; all their SPL is very directional with little or no no energy off axis. It's your "monitor" so naturally you point them at you...and your ears get killed, making it hard to hear anything else. This is a leading cause of tinnitus, and frankly spoken, IE monitors can be just as damaging if you are not careful. With the SS3 we get a VERY wide dispersion (300 degrees), and a soft dispersion that is "big" w/o being "loud". This is more like a light bulb, rather than a beamy flashlight...and you plus every one stage can hear you clearly without you getting into a Loudness Contest!

Looking for a rental partner in Atlanta...got any leads? Then you can try it out on a gig or rehearsal and if you later decide to buy one get up to $50 back upon purchase w/ your rental receipt.

Hey Synthaholic (luv that handle), one of our first users was a one man band act, Andre Berry, who is also a world class bass player and tours with David Sanborn. Andre had been using a QSC powered monitor and wanted something that gave him more depth. He has drum machines, sequenced sample, synths and vocals. Then plays live bass building a bottom thru loops and finally sings over all of that...it's pretty amazing when you hear him live. He came out to try out a SS3 about a year ago at our studio, then bought one straight away. Shortly thereafter I spent a night at a local club and heard two sets. Amazing act. He also had a female vocalists sit in on some songs. This was a challenging format for any speaker, but extremely entertaining, especially in 3D stereo! A very complicated multi track stuff, and kinda reminded me of what you requested. We had Andre come back a few weeks later and video record some of his stuff for us. You can see this (and 24+ other live CPS SS3 videos) on our CPS website. Andre recorded in our big room, at around 95+dB and thru a M/S stereo mic system with no "remix tricks", so it is just as he rolls and as close to "being there" as I know how to record. Put on a set of good headphones and listen to an artist: One caution, the CPS host blabs too long, he thinks you really want to know how all this works and he spends WAY too much time on that (he was just learning himself...later videos have MUCH shorter intros). My advice; skip thru all the tech talk and FF to the meat, about half way thru when Andre starts to play. It's a treat to listen how he builds his tunes thru the SS3. This is segment one, we did two segments with Andre that day, and the second good too BUT it has the same Bla Bla boring host rambling the same tech talk...so again you should probably skip directly to his performance.

This IS a great little box that does many useful things, also helps eliminate ground loop hum too. I have several around the studio and they are VERY handy. BTW, Hank Landsberg (Henry Eng. founder) is a top shelf audio engineer, an old friend, and a fellow member of the Hollywood Sapphire group, which has been in existence since 1946. HSG is an informal dinner group of audio engineers in the recording industry that has met once a month (1st Tuesday) to discuss advancements in the world of audio recording, and is credited with establishing audio standards such as the Sapphire cutting stylus that became the basis of the RIAA curve that all 33LP records still use today (in the 30's and 40's there were MANY different formats for cutting and playback of records, but Sapphire guys "fixed that"). FYI recording legends from Bill Putman (UA founder) to Les Paul were foundiumg members of HSG...and HSG was credited for founding the Audio Engineering Society (AES)...which became the "formal" standards committiee which still keeps the industry grounded (literally; pin 2 hot!) However HSG has chosen to remain an informal dinner group, which has a lot of fun bouncing new ideas around off eeah other. CPS for example was an idea started as a sketch on a napkin b/w myself and Drew Damiels (rip), and Hank Landsberg little Matchbox you mentioned was first presented at HSG to a round of applause. I am one of very few past "Chairs" of the HSG, only 5 since 1946...imagine that! I ran the meetings for over 7 years! Oliver Berliner preceded me, you may have heard of his grandfather Emile Berliner who invented the first microphone and later flat disc recording...which he called a Gramophone. RCA bought and renamed it the Victrola. The Grammys are named after Berliner's invention! The current HSG Chair (whom I appointed when I chose to step down recently to focus on CPS) is a legendary KB player you all might know; Michael Boddicker (who was an early Spacestation adopter of version 1, 2 and now the SS v,3!). FYI Michael is also a great audio engineer with scores of big movie sound tracks to his credit. I mention all this to give you some insider insight on just how many new audio ideas and products have "come to life" (over the last 70 years!), and also as an invitation; in the case any of you ever find yourself in North Hollywood on the first Tuesday of any month, please be my guest at a Hollywood Sapphire Group meeting, we always have an interesting presentation on something new (or old!) and a great round of talkin' pro audio over a pretty good Italian buffet.

Well we just got this upgrade kit going recently so I guess we've sold maybe 5 total MK2 upgrade kits so far. I think they have all been the full C kit w/ 3 main drivers replaced and the 2 L-pads....everyone seemed very happy. But this is really for the DIY crowd, it's not for everybody. Also not something I am doing as a "business model", so I am not really "pushing it". It's just available to those who have an interest in modernizing their CPS amp with our new custom made drivers without having to buy a new SS3. Also, I believe it is my personal responsibility to support a former Groove Tubes or current Aspen Pittman Designs customer as long as I draw breath, and no matter how long ago they purchased my design. To your question of "how many" MK2 amps, I am really not sure. Unfortunately, all my production journals went to Fender when I sold GT back in '08. I recall we did 2 or 3 runs of 100 amps, then one last run up to 200. So, maybe 500 tops. That last run went to Fender and mostly arrived after the sale. Since they had no plans to continue with the Spacestation, these were blown out below cost...I think many here may have bought them as low as $200 in that close out sale. So, spending another $200 to upgrade these older MK2 amps to a SS3 component level is actually not a bad deal in the end. Of course that bad ending for the MK2 put a marketing challenge on me when I reintroduced the v.3, even 7 years later. But because of my single US dealer partner business model and no marketing expense (I am APD's only employee, and we do not advertise!), that keeps the street price much lower and gives a better value to the customer. The good news is; the new Spacestation is doing VERY well. It is one of the best selling KB ever at Sweetwater (my only dealer outlet in the US, other than our website), and I am happy to report that we've made far more SS3 amps already in just these 12 months since it's release by many times than we ever sold MK2 amps. Then also as you have witnessed, this mega thread here recently passing the "Million Views" threshold with 100s of positive gig reports from my early adopters here (THANK YOU ALL!) is really unprecedented for any amp, much less a keyboard amp! Without today's web based forums like this, and my extremely cool dealer partners like Chuck Surack over at Sweetwater here in the US, and Hans Thomann from Thomann Music Haus in Germany who supplies all of Europe direct, and at comparable prices to our US MAP, this CPS "little big" amp would never have been. So I am am more than happy, and very grateful this Christmas season. Many thanks again to all my SS3 user and dealer partners! I appreciated your post on this, Aspen, for two reasons. First, I started this SS3 thread back in June of 2014, and it's nice to see that it has become one of the longest threads ever. Second, I based that post (and many of my other thread posts) on my good experiences with a MKII. I bought that MKII from Sweetwater for a discount price of $299 around Thanksgiving of 2011 (the last run of MKIIs sold?). As for the SS3 I bought, it's now over 100 gigs old. Nary a single complaint from me, and lots of compliments from listeners. I always use it with either a Motion Sound K-12 kb amp (100w, 12 inch woofer), or a Fender Rumble 100 combo bass amp (100w, 12 inch woofer) linked via the subwoof jack---just to get a little more lower end. All good! All good Mike, many thanks for starting us all off on this long and winging road. I woke up a few days ago and thought it would be lost forever,it felt like I lost 100+ friends in an instant. Also good call using a spare Bass or mono KB amp tp get a bit more sub support...really frees up the SS3 to play with the big boys.

Hey everybody...OK, I know this is getting old, but for some of you in the Seattle area looking to try out a SS3, we just opened another great CPS Rental Partner: Bellevue American Music see: http://bellevueamericanmusic.com/indexa.htm The owner there, Reese Marin, and I have been friends since the 70s when I ran the upstart Sound Stage Music store, and he ran the legendary Don Wehrs' Music City..both in downtown San Francisco (ah, those were the daze) Later, I switched sides of the counter and became Reese's Acoustic amp rep (The DOORS and Ray Manzarek used Acoustic amps, and the 260 was the KB amp sound of the Light My Fire recordings as well as all the concerts. Nothing sounds quite like a Vox Continental driving an early Germanium transistor amp pushing a re entry paging horn and 2x Altec Lansing 421a 15" speakers. Wow, my ears are still ringing) But I digress in a flashback...so to briefly recap; if you live in or near Seattle you can rent a SS3 from Aspen's old friend Reese to see if it "lights your fire", and then get a credit up to $50 for your rental against your SS3 purchase from either A&A or Sweetwater. Nuff said, Peace. BTW; a big shout out to mynameisdano here on KC who PM prompted me to give a call to BAM and land this new Rental Partner in Seattle area...I booked 'em Dano!

More good news for our friends in and around the Dallas area. I got yet another Christmas gift; a great new Rental Partner, Sound Productions. These guys are the largest pro touring back line provider in the USA, have been around for 42 years, and are great folks to deal with (is there anyone friendlier than a Texan?). To review our new Rental Partner Program: Many of you had expressed to me your frustration that you are not able to "try before you buy" at your favorite local music store. But sadly I am just not able to support a wide dealer network of stores anymore(been there and done that with a 30+ employee based company for 40 years. Too stressful, and it almost killed me, literally) . Then I came up with an idea to start a chain of APD "Rental Partners"...we are just getting this off the ground now. An APD rental partner provides anyone with an inexpensive (and possibly free!) way to try a SS3 before you buy it. Rental rates will vary around the country, but you can rent a SS3 for no more than $50 for a gig or rehearsal from any of our Rental Partners. Then later, if you decide to buy a SS3 we will apply your rental receipt to a purchase...up to $50! Just send us (or Sweetwater) the rental receipt and we'll apply that to your purchase! How this works; I provide the SS3 amp to our rental partner for free, on a 90 memo loan basis, even pay his shipping. He keeps all the rental fess! As long as he rents it at least one time in that 90 days, the memo loan automatically renews. We currently have APD Rental Partners in LA, Nashville, Fresno and now Dallas, you will find them on our website. But here's our newest Rental Partner, Sound Productions: https://www.soundpro.com BTW guys, I could really use your help with this. So if you have a favorite local rental company, or a store that rents in your area, please let them know they can call me direct and/or give me a PM w/ their contacts and I'll call them. I'd really like to get a wide network of APD Rental Partners going so everyone would to be able to try out the APD products. Thanks for your great support and Happy HolyDays to all my many friends here.

Hey all, Great News! I got an early Christmas present this week that should be of some interest to all my SS3 early adopters in OZ, as well as those looking to buy a SS3 down under; we just landed a perfect dealer partner for Australia; Audio Chocolate! Several of you here on this thread had recommended Audio Chocolate during our epic thread early on, season 4 I think. We had reached out back then but it was early on, and we were a new (very) small and untested company. Audio Chocolate is the cream of the dealers down there, and they have a host of great products already that keep them really busy...so we got a very polite "maybe later". Well now, apparently the buzz in their ears has grown, likely from many of our early adopters down there who made a few calls (THANK YOU!!), so we finally got their attention...and they said "yes!" Hooray! Their first order is in process and the first "mass quantities" of SS3 amps should ship next week. Even better, Audio Chocolate will be representing not just the Spacestation v.3, but all (4) of our APD products; the DuoTonic tube guitar pedal, our DT1 Dual Top condenser mic for stage and studio (NOTE: we won TEC award for that when it was branded the GT Convertible), and our magnetically attaching pop filters the PFM and PFM+. Perhaps the best news is that their direct prices on APD products are VERY reasonable, even lower than those who were importing the SS3 direct...and with WAY less hassle and waiting. I was looking for a dealer partner, not a "distributor", to avoid the "2-step" markup and not price APD products out of reach. Audio Chocolate agreed to keep this us "direct" to end user, and so our end user prices for our pals in Oz will be in line with US prices. For example, the SS3 is only $160 over our direct A&A price for our US customers, and our cheapest shipping (USPS) to OZ was running around $250 on average. Plus now you will have the convenience of "stock on hand" and the customer support of a local dealer with a great reputation for service (very important to me). Audio Chocolate is pretty well known, so I probably do not have to introduce them to my friends in OZ, but here are their contact details: Audio Chocolate Pty Ltd E : sales@audiochocolate.com.au W : http://www.audiochocolate.com.au 777 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn | Victoria 3122 | Australia Phone: +61 3 9813 5877 The APD products are already up on their website and they are taking orders for the first shipment! See: http://www.audiochocolate.com.au/brand/aspen-associates/ Happy HolyDays to you'all, and MANY THANKS to all posting here for your on going gig reports and constant sharing with great suggestions as we both test the limits of what the SS3 can do (far more than I imagined frankly!). And, a special thanks to those of you SS3 Aussies who put a buzz in the ear of Audio Chocolate!

What he said; go direct young man! The only down side is that you'll probably sound better than everybody else. I must say however, "old school w/ all dynamic mics"?? That usually meant "Mono" in those days (I know, i was there!). Just sayin... But seriously folks; IMHO best way to mic a SS3 in stereo is in M/S. That's what used for all the CPS videos, and we usually posted the micing technique and processing in my videos. However I have also said before, I have never been 100% Happy with my results; "being there" inside the eye of the CPS image is just better....as many have discovered. And, I liked your suggestion of a bi-polar (Fig 8) ribbon + Cardioid dynamic for an old school M/S approach, But them why not TWO ribbons to make M/S? It may sound better if the transducers are "matched". But in either case (M/S or X/Y) I would place the mics about 6+ feet away and hopefully the SS3 could be "cornered" for max effect. That way the KB will "bloom"and may still have enough isolation. However if your engineer is really old school he may not even HAVE a M/S decoder box and/or M/S software in his HD recording software (some versions of Pro Tools do not offer M/S decoding). But still, as many have pointed out after listening to my CPS videos (w/ headphones please!), and then getting their own SS3...our recordings fall short, and it is not like "being there" in the eye of that 3D CPS image. IMHO, you just can not 100% capture/record that crazy CPS 3D imaging (try as I have). So usually new owners who've bought the SS3 based on the videos have their expectations surpassed, which is a good thing (and better than the reverse). I know I read this too late for my comments to be of use to you, and this session has already gone down. But I would love to hear how it came out, and what solutions you chose. Heck, I may even learn something!

Thank you SOOO much Doug...you have been a great asset for spreading the word about CPS down there. I hope to hook up w/ a Mexican Dealer partner at NAMM, I inadvertently forgot to put them on my target list on my last post...but certainly Mexican musicians are as big, or bigger, of a target market for CPS than Canada or the land of OZ! And congrats on your continued success...so well deserved...your videos you post are just awesome! I hope SS3 has played some small part in all that fame and fortune for you! Please make some time to come see APR studios and shop next time you come home for a visit...maybe for the holidays? Or Namm?

Hey Bill, thanks for bring this issue up, it has been a point of confusion for a while. I know it seems like we had a $20 increase...but actually the SS3 package price w/ cover has gone DOWN $20, about 5 months ago actually...but just recently reflected on the SW website. Previously the SS3 was $749 MAP, and the the nylon cover was sold separately for $49 MSRP, $39 Map. Since most guys ordered it w/ the amp or soon thereafter...it was complicate to keep track and make sure we had enough to go around; we were always running out of covers! So I think I announced a change of plans about the cover back in season 5, maybe in June sometime; I made the decision to include the $39 cover in every SS3 box, and raise the package price by $20 to cover my costs. This decision really simplified life for SW, A&A and offered a $20 savings for most our end users. But unfortunately Sweetwater had not updated their webpage to show this new "package deal" in a timely manner (hey, they are real busy over there). So until very recently the website still showed the SS3 price at $749 + $39 for the cover. Of course they still kept taking orders for the $39 cover with most SS3 sales, but when the user opened the box and saw they already HAD a cover, then they had to get a return authorization order and ship the extra cover back...a time consuming and expensive drama for everybody. But now I think the marketing guys have caught up with the purchasing guys...and we both (A&A website and SW website) should be showing the SS3 + cover price at $769, and no longer $749 w/o cover. In fact since July, you would not have been able to buy a SS3 without a cover included in the box! Sorry for the confusion, sometimes it takes a while for a good idea to be implemented, even with the best of intentions!

Aspen, the manager from the North Vancouver store heard mine when we did a gig together a few months ago. I'll certainly let him know you're talking to head office. Maybe one of their own voices chiming in will help Toronto "consider." That is so awesome of you Drawback THANKS! When/If I ever make CPS T-Shirts I'll send you one! L&M is an old established dealer with a great rental system as part of their business model. So musicians could rent and demo the SS3...and as you all know, hearing our CPS technology on a gig or rehearsal is MUCH better than watching my stereo recorded videos...which can not capture the 3D effect. So I think they would be my #1 choice for a dealer partner in Canada.

I have an exciting announcement; I am "turning Japanese, I really think so". (apologies to the "other DB") We have just shipped our first stocking order to our new Dealer Partner in Japan! They are Sound House Music, and they are the "Sweetwater of Japan"; a single large location in Tokyo but a larger internet business presence that features a vast inventory of the coolest stuff and super savvy customer support throughout the country. See the Google English translation of their website: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.soundhouse.co.jp/&prev=search Selling in Japan is complicated. They have their own "UL" and stringent testing requirements...it is an lengthy and expensive process, and also we have to make a special "Japan only" power transformer to sell there. All this took me over a year to put in place, before I could even send a sample! This complex challenge is largely due to Japanese AC wall voltage; AC current in Japan is 100VAC, with "Alternating Current" frequencies of 50Hz (in the West) and 6oHz (in the East). FYI The US also had these 2 different AC distribution frequencies before it was finally standardized nationwide @ 60Hz in 1948 (So Cal Edison was the last hold out for 50Hz!). But now the certification drama is over, and the CPS SS3 amps are on a container heading to Japan as I write this. So, "domo arigatou" to our newest Dealer Partner Sound House! Now, on to the rest of the world; my next targets to find "Mr. Right" dealer partner (note; NOT a distributor who sells to dealers and thereby nearly doubles the street prices) are Australia, New Zealand, and Canada...where we already have dozens of SS3 users who bought directly from my A&A website or Sweetwater Sound. FYI, we are currently "under consideration" at Long and McQuade in Canada, so I am hopeful we can start to supply Canada locally (call your store managers there!!). But sadly, I have no prospects "Down Under", yet. Hopefully we'll find a match at NAMM show next month. If anyone is reading this from those countries, I would greatly appreciate any tips and/or help you could provide to that end...I want every musician on the world to have the opportunity to hear Center Point Stereo.

Well we just got this upgrade kit going recently so I guess we've sold maybe 5 total MK2 upgrade kits so far. I think they have all been the full C kit w/ 3 main drivers replaced and the 2 L-pads....everyone seemed very happy. But this is really for the DIY crowd, it's not for everybody. Also not something I am doing as a "business model", so I am not really "pushing it". It's just available to those who have an interest in modernizing their CPS amp with our new custom made drivers without having to buy a new SS3. Also, I believe it is my personal responsibility to support a former Groove Tubes or current Aspen Pittman Designs customer as long as I draw breath, and no matter how long ago they purchased my design. To your question of "how many" MK2 amps, I am really not sure. Unfortunately, all my production journals went to Fender when I sold GT back in '08. I recall we did 2 or 3 runs of 100 amps, then one last run up to 200. So, maybe 500 tops. That last run went to Fender and mostly arrived after the sale. Since they had no plans to continue with the Spacestation, these were blown out below cost...I think many here may have bought them as low as $200 in that close out sale. So, spending another $200 to upgrade these older MK2 amps to a SS3 component level is actually not a bad deal in the end. Of course that bad ending for the MK2 put a marketing challenge on me when I reintroduced the v.3, even 7 years later. But because of my single US dealer partner business model and no marketing expense (I am APD's only employee, and we do not advertise!), that keeps the street price much lower and gives a better value to the customer. The good news is; the new Spacestation is doing VERY well. It is one of the best selling KB ever at Sweetwater (my only dealer outlet in the US, other than our website), and I am happy to report that we've made far more SS3 amps already in just these 12 months since it's release by many times than we ever sold MK2 amps. Then also as you have witnessed, this mega thread here recently passing the "Million Views" threshold with 100s of positive gig reports from my early adopters here (THANK YOU ALL!) is really unprecedented for any amp, much less a keyboard amp! Without today's web based forums like this, and my extremely cool dealer partners like Chuck Surack over at Sweetwater here in the US, and Hans Thomann from Thomann Music Haus in Germany who supplies all of Europe direct, and at comparable prices to our US MAP, this CPS "little big" amp would never have been. So I am am more than happy, and very grateful this Christmas season. Many thanks again to all my SS3 user and dealer partners!

My experience with using two SS3 stacked has also been underwhelming, although I have coached a few users in better ways to do that if you must (that was back in season 2, episode 4). Quickly on that, to review; space them WAY far apart. Best is front and rear of the room you are performing in...or in the case of a split room restaurant, using these 2 SS3 amps to cover those separated areas...and you can also better balance your levels that way, yet still preserve the 3D stereo effect. The funny thing is, it's human nature to hear a good thing and just want "more", and of course when we are discussing stereo we THINK in duality. So naturally, the 2nd most commonly asked second question I get when demoing CPS for the first time is "wow, what would 2 of those sound like?". To which I reply, it is "less, not more". And then I describe in detail the "how and why" of CPS technology that revolves around providing a "center point source", and thereby curing all the historical evils of the conventional stereo speaker approach that produces a very small sweet spot, and far larger sour spot (unless you run them in mono, as we most often do). (BTW, does anyone remember the Season 4 episode 2 contest for the "The 1st most commonly asked question" :>) The simple beauty of Center Point Stereo is that it works best by itself, unless you want or need more "under 100Hz" support...then either a small (100wt+) sub or small bass combo might be very nice (but not often is one "necessary"). For example, I would almost never use a sub when doing a few vocals and acoustic guitars (a growing application I am noticing), just because there is not much happening under 100Hz in that situation...it just adds mud. Same for a solo KB/vocal in a small bar or club...you won't miss the sub at all. (the room being that small will multiply your sub harmonics with it's corner standing waves and you'll usually be just fine). However, I usually would recommend using a sub (or small bass combo...that can also work great) in the case your KB is providing LHB for the band (especially when there IS no bass player), and/or you are playing a larger big room or outdoor gig competing with a dueling stacks of Marshall Metal Meanies. I also use a powered sub when reinforcing large ensembles mixed thru a mixer and when I take the KB and/or bass player direct to mix w/ acoustic electric guitar and vocals. If you guys haven't tried this yet, you are missing something really cool. FYI, I have done gigs with up to 12 inputs mixed into a single SS3+sub (3 vocals, 2 stereo guitars, bass, 2x stereo KBs) and with a live drum kit (not mic'd) and it sounded AMAZING. Imagine, leaving all that extra PA, monitor and amp gear home, along with the van. Plus the load in and set up is quick, and you hear exactly what you heard at rehearsal...the mixer can be tweaked for the acoustics of the room with a single EQ...and you have a master level for the band (club owner's dream come true...although with CPS stereo club owners rarely ask you to turn down, because CPS allows for easy listening and normal conversation levels at the bar and tables despite a potential of 105dB SPL...yet another unique CPS advantage). This is a perfect solution when playing a smaller restaurant or venue with a band of 5 or more and limited stage area. I also get really great performances, probably because every player can hear the same big wide stereo mix (the SS3 is also serves as the perfect monitor), so it's easy to "mix" their own levels by ear and thereby "form the pocket" with every other player. It sounds like a studio recording and the players KNOW what the audience is hearing too. BTW, can also give you a great live recording of the gig by adding just a small MS mic overhead the drummer to feed to your monitor mix that would feed your recording device. It sounds awesome, very tight and clear with little audience or room effect (read; unwanted echos) except from the single drum mic and the vocal mics which retain the "live feel". Lastly to your comments about subs vs. small bass amp combos; While I heartily support the many who have had good success using a small bass combo instead of a powered sub, I must also say, that my preference and 1st recommendation would be a small sub over a bass amp. This is especially true if you are planning a second purchase, and don't already HAVE a nice small bass combo collecting dust (in which case, use what you have and save the $$, and anyway as many have noted here....you'll probably not need it on all your gigs or rehearsals anyway). My reasoning is two fold; 1) because using a "sub 100Hz amp/speaker" there is less interference above 100HZ for the SS3 to clash with. That clash can degrade the 3D effect we all know and love, and 2) there just isn't much NEEDED above 100-125Hz...so even if I roll the bass amp off w/ it's tone controls you really don't need much level. ALso, if I compare what a small powered sub costs, with a decent small bass combo...the bass amp is usually 2 to 3 times more expensive...and you won't need or use any of it's control features...except the level. In my early years, I did full band reinforcement gigs with just a Best Buy $100 Hi Fi Sony 100watt powered sub w/ an 8" speaker. It was just enough...and no possibility of being "too much", which can ruin a good performance (as many have mentioned...too much sub can really suck!) Sometimes, less is more...as with bass solos (apologies to Jaco).