Aspen

Sure, I'll tackle that question, although I am certain I've covered this back in Season one, or in one of more of my instructional videos. But also I'll try to expand on this while I am at it (sorry, I really can't help myself) The SS3 design is more like a sophisticated studio monitor, than a guitar amp with "tone controls". IMHO, tone controls area waste of expense (and your $) placed on a KB amp. That's because unlike guitars, today's modern keyboards have extensive sonic "modeling" incorporated their various patches, and are "good to go" directly into the mixing console for recording or FOH PA. They sound best with a nice set of headphones. They do not NEED tone shaping! For example, you rarely see a recording engineer "change EQ" on your KB in a session. So IMHO, tone controls per se on a KB amps are not only useless, they can potentially do harm by adversely changing an otherwise perfect patch (to make it sound good from where you are sitting). As I said; the SS3 is more like a studio monitor with 4 transducer components, each with it's own amplifier and level control...but only to allow it to be acoustically tuned to it's environment (like a tri-amp PA or a classic 3-way studio monitor). The Front facing speaker has 3 components; a 8" poly cone foam suspended coax woofer that evenly covers the low end and starts to roll off around 2.4K Hz (as I recall), a 1" coax mid HF driver that covers 2.4KHZ up to 10-12K HZ or so, then a a Neo magnet ultra HF tweeter that kicks in around 10 K Hz and extends the SS3 FR range to 20K Hz. It also has a 4th amp driving the full range 6.5" Side facing speaker. These 4 speaker components, each with it's own Class D amplifier, have been optimized for their cabinet environment with DSP phase and EQ modeling so that you will have an approximate flat response when the MF, HF and Width (Side) levels are set at 12 o'clock. Then the master level brings the entire system up and down as needed. That said, if your signal source is full range (and many KB patches are NOT) each of these components will see some duty, just depending on the tonal spectrum of that patch. But if you are running a Rhodes patch for example, which is a model of a soft tine dynamic design driving a 12" speaker that had no HF to begin with, you will not hear much rotating the MIDS level, and absolutely nothing from the HFQ level...just because there is nothing there to amplify! If you want to test the MIDS and the HFQ levels of your SS3, as I have said MANY times before, just play a well recorded full range CD with some vocals and may be some some hi hat and you definitely wake up those components. I use Steely Dan cuts like Babylon Sisters as my reference when I design and/or QC a CPS amp. Lastly on "tone controls" in general and why I excluded them from the SS3 project: My first ever CPS keyboard amp was a licensed product to Fender, they did the design. See: http://support.fender.com/manuals/keyboard_amplifiers/Keyboard_200_SFX_manual.pdf This 200 watt 12" w/ Pizeo tweeter KB amp had extensive tone controls, 3 on each of the 2 instrument channels and 3 more on the master section. Plus it had DSP for effects like chorus and such....making it a complicated mass of controls. It retailed at $1,000 amp (and that was 15 years ago!). It was a bomb, didn't sell, and they never made a second run. I believe that was the last time Fender made a KB amp. It didn't sound THAT bad if you left the tone controls flat and turned off the DSP. But if they had spent more on the acoustic components, and less on the bells and whistles (as I advised them), it might have been a winner. IMHO, all those tone controls could have contributed to it's early demise. Tone controls are made with coils and/or inductors that isolate a certain area of the response curve and amplify (or cut) that area...and in so doing disrupt the phase integrity of the signal (read; sounds honky). This can do great harm to your otherwise balanced and modeled KB patch. Also, tone controls can not make up for a crappy transducer (like a Piezo squeeze box tweeter)...although a user will try! Give a tone control to a user, he will naturally want to use it and/or "over use it". This ultimately sucks the tone out of your KB...and probably one reason why the SFX200 bombed.

Right on Doug, great point! Speaking as a member of the audience, more so than a player these days, I love the many comments and gig reports here confirming what I have experienced; how this little CPS box fills a room without offending the overall mix of the band. Frankly spoken, I never dreamed it would be working so well in some of the larger (louder) venues I have had the pleasure of attending. From the Disney Hall with the LA philharmonic, to outdoor band concerts, to packed clubs with 200+ listening to a loud rock band....it just fills the room and fits right in! In fact, I have listened to more KB players in live performance over the last year since I launched the SS3, than the 20 years before...albeit with a new motivation to better understand my end users. And I am always off stage, a member of the audience now! Most my adult life I had been focused on playing, designing and perfecting guitar amps. But after 30+ years there wasn't that much more I could offer. (with the possible exception of live stereo guitar amps...and CPS may still offer some challenges for me there). But these last few years focused on developing the ultimate stereo KB amp have been like a new lease on life for me, and the most exciting, and personally rewarding time EVER in my life. And, this time around, my reference is completely from the perspective of a "listener", a member of the audience! (trust me, you do not want to hear my KB chops!). So, I heartily agree with your point Doug; Audience Lives Matter! Speaking as an outside observer (and having watched some of your performances on those videos you have shared with us), your concern and respect for the listening quality and pleasure of your audience may be one reason why you seem to be working constantly!

I am sure there is scientific formula based on size of the larger bass wave forms and how high the lift is before it "decouples"...but really, suffice to say the closer and more solid the coupling to the floor you place your SS3...the more bass enhancement you will notice. Just try this yourself w/ you SS3 (or with ANY speaker); stand well away and have with a pal gradually lift it off the floor as a good full range CD plays...you will hear this "loss of bass effect" really noticeably at around 8-12 inches of lift...but probably not so much difference b/w 1 and 3 inches. So if the amp stand is around 1-3 inches I think you are good. I can tell you from my experience I do not like the SS3 on a pole, unless it is a REAL tall pole so as to couple with the ceiling and also if you are using a sub. Then you can get away with pole mounting. I have a SS3 in our big room at APR mounted upside down on the ceiling...and I REALLY like that too. But I also think when using the amp stand means you will also likely be setting it horizontally...so that the side speaker is positioned MUCH CLOSER to the floor than in the upright position. And naturally that enhances it's coupling to the floor and, in so doing, increase the Side spearker's bass response too...as well as the shorten the distance of the "bloom" for the CPS 3D imaging. I think some guys actually prefer this method now that they have experimented with it, especially in smaller clubs and tighter spaces. But as with all "concepts", the science should follow the arts. One of my wise audio Yodas who mentored me, Dick Rosmini who was a world class musician and audio engineer (part of the Tascam portastudio development team, which empowered the musician "project" studio revolution) had a great line he always use when we were discussion "theory" and "formulas"; "Let's try one and see"! The best measurement tools you will ever have are your own ears. Believe in what you are hearing, not what scientists, brochures and "measurement" guys tell you. If you like it better on the floor sideways on a 1" or 3" amp stand...then it IS better!

Wow, how did I miss that in season 6...I like the lower profile for the reasons you mention; more bass! I need one of these myself...and at $25 on sale at Sweetwater this is a no brainer...ordering today!

Whoa Doug boy, dat sum Spunky Fhit...thanks for the share!

Well I haven't tried it to be certain, but if it's like the first two Fender SFX versions, the CPS encoding network would only be "activated" with a stereo signal, which would only be present if the stereo FX were brought into the mix. Otherwise all you will hear from is the Front speaker system. In theory, you can't do much with a mono signal in the World of CPS technology, we require some stereo signal to wake up the Side speaker. But it only takes a hair of stereo Hall reverb to make that amp come alive, so it's not like you'd need a heavy level of FX to get great dimension. BTW, I just noticed one other thing about this new Fender SFX amp, it is a two channel MONO Input amo with stereo FX for each channel...but I see no way to use this for a L&R stereo KB amp as there are no stereo L&R inputs. Just "Chan 1 and Chan 2". I was considering trying it on KBs...but I am not sure it could actually accept a stereo input...at least it does not appear to be able to do so. Understandable, as it was designed for guitar, which is almost always a mono source.

Wow $899.00 and only bi-amped. Seems like no licencing and going direct (sort of,) is/was the ticket. Yes, going direct with a single dealer partner has some cost advantages for the end user (Sweetwater and my Aspen & Associates website are the only USA vendors of the SS3...both of us selling at the same price of $749+cover, incl shipping). However. Fender has cost reduction advantages too with their larger scale of manufacturing. Buying 1,000s of widgets at a time is way cheaper then me buying 100s of widgets. And also I see other value added items that justify the higher price; this amp TWO channels that can accept mics or instruments and each with built in DSP stereo FX, so you can have hall reverb on vocals and Delay/Chorus on guitar...very cool...so you don't need a mixer. Yes, the power is about half, with 2 amps instead of the SS V.3's 4 amp tri-amp Front design. But probably it is not "half as loud". In general rules of audio physics, doubling power only adds 3dB...barely noticible....and also speaker efficiency plays into the response and SPL as well. Fender usually has very competent designs in that department. I am anxious to try one out myself (they have promised to send me one so I will report back here with my detailed "review"). NOTE; even though it has a 2-way Front speaker w/ a passive x-over, their HF driver may extend further out than the coax Eminence APT driver we use in the SS3, so a super tweeter may not be necessary for this design...and/or also remember that an acoustic guitar doesn't have the bandwidth demand of a KB amp like our SS3....which had a design goal of a "stereo powered monitor" so it had to be ready to reproduce any stereo source...including full range backing tracks. Plus it's got a trick wood cab and the whole package weighs in at 26 lbs...not to mention our "stereo everywhere" CPS technology! So I seems like it will be a very attractive amp for the electro-acoustic guitar player that sing and needs an all-in-one package for those small single gigs...it should be a great street musician amp. As I said, I am looking forward to hearing a KB/guitar duo/trio with one of each on stage; a SS3 for the KB and and the new Fender SFX on guitar. Now that would be something to hear!

Thanks for the heads up Tim, I have known this amp was coming for a (way too) long time...so I was happy (but not surprised) to hear about it hear first. FYI, this is Fender's 3rd generation of CPS licensed products, made under their trademark name of SFX (Stereo Field Expansion). We have granted Fender the exclusive license in this acoustic/electric category and are both proud and honored to have them as a CPS partner. Frankly spoken, I am REALLY excited to see it's finally out, it;s been several years absent from their line up! Their 1st generation SFX Acoustisonic guitar amp had a 42% market share and sold very well for several years. But I felt they missed the mark on their 2nd generation. Bu now it seems like they have really up their game on #3 (yes, another V.3!). I wish them even more success with this one. May it live long and prosper! Hey, wouldn't it be great to see a club duo or an acoustic piano/guitar band playing w/ a SS3 KB amp AND a Fender SFX Acoustic amp! Maybe you might tell your guitar playing pals to step up and join the CPS family...this amp looks pretty cool! I will have to make a call and get one to test. The video looks pretty good, very nice looking curved wood cabinet and they even spelled my name right in the credits! And just 26 pounds! See: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/fender-acoustic-sfx-2-channel-160w-acoustic-guitar-stereo-amp

Hmmm, I really LIKE that idea. It seems like a better "no gain loss" solution than using the B1200 pass thru 100Hz high pass filter that sucks like 10dB from the signal chain before the SS3 (which is why I use my B1200 "post SS3"). Any good active x-over should have a buffering stage and so offer an output with "unity gain" (no gain loss), which is the goal. Then, any small bass amp or powered PA cab should more than suffice to carry the ultra LF while allowing the SS3 to get much louder because it doesn't do the heavy lifting in the under 100Hz region. Thanks for the report SB...very creative!

As I have chimed in before, back in Season 2, episode 22...there are MANY better (read; larger) companies already making powered subs that work just fine, and for a very low cost. I simply do not care to compete in that crowded field, but rather want to focus my limited assets and resources on doing "The One Thing" nobody else can; Center Point Stereo. And to address other recent and reoccurring comments here about a possible larger Spacestation; "IF" and when, I ever may make a larger SS version, then for sure it will go to 50Hz, get louder, and so not need a Sub. But as I have already mention several times already; today I am fully focused on making ever more SS3 amps to meet the growing demand you guys have blessed me with...for which I am SO very grateful! FYI, and additionally, some of you may know I have also recently released a new version of my old TEC award winning Convertible mic, now called the DT1 (Dual Top condenser mic for stage and studio), a new tube based dual tube Pentode-Dual OD pedal called ther DuoTonic, and some magnetically attaching pop filters. So I have been REAL busy bringing all these new APD Products on line too. And I would remind you in the Laws of Physics, that "bigger" means "bigger price and size"...and so not always "better" for many who have older backs and shrinking wallets. So, even if I were to release a larger version, it would have to be heavier, larger and much more expensive. And also there is NO WAY I would ever dream of replacing and/or discontinuing my most successful product EVER in 40+ years of developing products..the SS3 is here to stay as long as God gives me breath. Lastly re: SS3+SUB; in gig reports from many SS3 users here, the SS3 stand alone has been quite enough for those smaller gigs! Even those who have bought a sub to extend the LF for those larger, louder rock gigs do not always bring the Sub for the medium and smaller gigs, especially when there is a bass player in the band occupying that territory. Thanks again to all you SS# fans who've chipped so often, and so effectively, on these reoccurring questions and comments from the many potential and first time SS3 users. You guys here on this KC thread have been my best beta testing and customer service team a guy like me could ever dream of having! Someday I should throw a "CPS company picnic" and jam party here at APR studios, but I am not sure how many of you could actually make it. Still, it would be fun, and you are all most deserving!

Excellent Zaphod, you are on the right "path"!

OK, I think I'd like to chime in here at this point. I think a lot of good advice has been distributed here on this issue, and I do not take issue with any of it...you all have made some good points. But Randelph still feels the question has not been fully answered...and I agree...this can be a confusing discussion for those with a limited technical background. There are many facets to this gain management issue, including the "missing link"; loading, or impedance matching (or mis matching!). So perhaps I can clear up the muddy waters a bit, and promote a fuller understanding of gain management re: noise, distortion and impedance matching...aka "loading", and elaborate on the benefit of using a mixer b/w the KB and the SS3. First off, as Randelph describes his various gain settings I believe he is degrading his S/N ratios, and not maximizing his "tone". When using a mixer the LAST Volume to be raised (to need) should be the SS3 Level. Think of the gain management of any signal path as "bigger in front, and lower in rear". So you would always want to maximize the signal level (short of distorting it) at every stage or decision point. So this allows you to keep the last stage of the gain chain (SS3 level) as LOW as possible as you reach the desired playing (or recording) volume. This a "true rule" for any mixing situation. So for Randelph; drive your KB level well up, saving a bit of headroom for those solos as you may want to do occasionally to rightly show off after a guitar solo. So then set your mixer channel 1st trim for input "gain" so that it's Red LED Clip light is just below it's "peak" (when you're cranking out that show off solo). The next "gain" stage is the mixer's individual channel volume, which should also be set well up. Usually mixers will have a "00" Unity gain setting about two thirds up the channel fader (or rotary) pot and show "+1db" above that point, and "-1db" below it. Now if all signals being mixed were 1st set to the same "clip" point, then had their channel levels set to unity...then in theory they would all have the same volume. But of course, this mix balance may change a bit if you need one channel lower or higher than the others (usually the band member who brings the PA and/or mixes will sound the loudest). But in this way you are using your pre fader "gain control" to balance you various instruments (and vocals) so they all should have about the same "volume" when their channels are set for "00" unity....and you can "mix to taste" from there. Next; raise the "Master" output level of your mixer. If you have a VU meter or a more modern LED metering system, you'd want to get that well up there too, perhaps just below "clipping" when your various sources are really "cooking" (or near their max playing levels). Now at least know your KB and then your mixer is not distorting, while delivering the most amount of signal and the lowest signal to noise ratio possible to the SS3 inputs. OK, so now the LAST thing you do in your "gain chain" is set the Master Level on the SS3 amp. My guess is this will usually be around 12 o'clock, not 3 o' clock...unless you need ALL of the 107dB the SS3 can deliver (which happens...I fully understand about Marshall stacks and deaf drummers)! So in this way, if you begin to hear distortion you KNOW it is the SS3 hitting the ceiling of it's ability. (and every amp has it's limits...the SS3 is no exception). But it can get VERY loud and stay clean if you follow the above "true rules" of gain management. But there is another, often misunderstood, benefit of using a mixer b/w your KB and SS3; impedance management. Matching the "impedance" of your source to the next gain stage is key to getting good clean tone from any instrument and amp combination. Many toss around that word "impedance", explaining that is a measurement in "Ohms" (true enough), and yet do not have practical or full understanding of it's possible negative impact (if mismatched), and how important it is to signal processing and keeping a good sound as you manage your "gain" chain. I like to use a layman's approach of explaining impedance with a simple anaolgy of a water pump and a garden hose. You guys who are more technical, please forgive my over simplification that follows...bite your tongue please. So imagine the pump is your amp (or signal source, in Randelph case his KB)) and this pump is designed to delivering 100 pounds of water pressure into an 1" garden hose. So, in this case study, the "pipe size" (or impedance") for the "flow" is like 1 Ohm of impedance. As long as you flow stays in that 1" pipe, 100 pounds of water pressure (signal) is delivered to the next input stage (IE; the input impedance..AKA "Load"...of your amp or mixer input stage). Matching the pipe size b/w source and input stage keeps the water (signal) flowing easily...and nothing is "lost" in transmission. Life is good. However what of if the next stage has a larger pipe size "input", or "load impedance? Lets say it's got an opening of 2" pipe...or otherwise a higher impedance...well, then you'd have a reduction water pressure (gain), cut down by 1/2...now you'd have 50 pounds of water pressure. So then, the next pump stage has to "make up" that loss (amplify more) to get your water pressure back up to 100 pounds. And there's the 1st problem; in so doing it MUST contribute some artifacts (IE: adds NOISE), and also might degrade some character of the flow as it "adds gain" (loss of frequencies). Not good. The next stage (IE: your mixer, or SS3 amplifiers) can make up that pressure (gain) loss...but it can not make up loss of the source's sonics and/or get back your noise floor (FYI, each gain stage adds noise...so this "noise floor" accumulates when ever you add amplification!). On the other hand, what if the next stage has a SMALLER pipe size opening (load impedance)? Let's say it hits a pipe size of just 1/2". Could you can expect 200 pounds of water pressure out the other end? Or, can you imagine that smaller "load" might cause your water pump to "back up" and work a lot harder. Well, you'd be right about both scenarios...to some extent mismatching these pipe sizes (impedances) can have some negative effect on your "flow". Also, your pump could possibly "overload" and that could easily cause distortion.. In the common case of a power amp designed to deliver 100 watts into 8 Ohms...loading it down with a bunch of speakers (parallel wiring DIVIDES the load each time you add another cab) down to 2 Ohms can actually cause your "water pump" to blow! Also. imagine in this scenario your pump, even if it doesn't "blow", your "source" is having to push harder because it is not well matched to the next stage...and this can degrade signal...even cause distortion. OK, now let me bring this all home, and get back to our "design challenges" when designing the SS3's input sensitivity and loading impedance. Well, we understood our SS3 could be "looking at" signals from either a (relatively) high impedance (relatively) low gain -10dB Keyboard signal OR a (relatively) low impedance (relatively) high gain +4db mixer signal. So we had to set out SS3 "input sensitivity" somewhere in the middle to accommodate either. And also so either "source" could drive the SS3 to maximum SPL Levels...and stay fairly clean in the process...not easy! Now a typical mono combo KB amp would have a input sensitivity set to optimize a typical -10dB (or slightly higher) KB signal, while a typical mono powered PA speaker has an input sensitivity optimized for a +4db Low Z mixer signal (although some do offer a switch to -10db). But for the SS3 we had to find a "happy middle" ground. That said, using a mixer and turning the SS3 down will usually give you a slight improvement in sonics, and also a slightly lower S/N ratio too. So while the SS3 can deliver excellent sonics and low noise while reaching 107dB + with just a KB plugged directly in (and does for many on this forum), a mixer can possibly improve your results in some situations. And of course, those extra channels and possible builtin stereo FX can really expand your performance options and also provide more flexibility for gain management and better impedance matching. In some situations, adding a mixer b/w a KB and the SS3 did "the trick" when a user complained about noise, distortion, or a thinning of tone. A mixer can optimize both the gain and loading b/w a KB and the SS3 input stage....which is a almost always a good thing.

Gregor, I do believe the component change out alone would be a welcome improvement, no doubt. FYI, the SFX100 and Spacestation were "rushed" into production for the customer in time to meet the Christmas push (Guitar Center), so my regret was that we didn't have the time to do the computer modeling and "shaping" required to really get the most balanced FR out of the small format cabinet...sadly. So the sound was a bit too "midrangy" for me, and many who use AP for example (still, the CPS effect sold many of these for the B3 clone guys). (NOTE: the amp and speakers were the same in both the SFX100 and Spacestation, only the SFX100 had a vocal mic pre w/ the Alesis Hall reverb chip) That said, the addition of the newer USA Eminence coax, the improved Side speaker, and the 2 L-pads to dial back the mid horn (especially) should allow the user some shaping in of itself...and should improve the overall sound noticeably. I have to confess, I have not tried it myself...I just have no time in my life right now with several new product projects in hand, and also running my recording studio whose business has picked up lately (thank God!). But the components should fit right in, and the basic DIY Guide I published for the "MK2.3" upgrade kits should still apply as the cabs are fairly similar. Frankly this is not the first time somebody has asked me about this, and while my "suspicion" is that it may be well worth the effort and expense, I'd hate to recommend this based solely on "my educated guess". So I'd love to hear from somebody (like you Greg) as to how much improvement can be achieved in the early "V.1" series. In fact as I think about this (again), I'll make you an offer Greg..."a Keyboard Corner first"; I'll ship you one "C" kit free (the full upgrade kit w/ all 3 speaker components + 2 L-pads)...and you can be our "Beta Tester"...on the sole condition that you report back here and send me a report, maybe take a few pictures as you go so we can post that up on the CPS site. That will let us all know how it worked out! Deal?

Great performance, and an interesting pairing of the old and our (very) new Spacestation...wish I could have heard it live! Amazingly, the recording was pretty good and they blended well together when heard thru headphones (not laptop speakers) Thanks for sharing Steve!

Hey all, a little CPS announcement as promised. Over the past few years I had upgraded a bunch of locally owned SS Mk2 amps with some (or all) of the new components we developed for the SS v.3. This "upgrade" also adds two passive L-pad so the Mid and HF components can be dialed back, as we can do in the active x-over v.3 design. Michael Boddicker had a pair of these "MK2.3" for about a year while we were working on the v.3 and before we released it. This upgrade really makes a noticible improvement. Truth be told, it was a MK2 owner who made this upgrade himself and brought it in for me to hear a few years ago, and when we A/B'd this to my stock Mk2 I was blown away. Frankly that visit convinced me to redesign the Spacestation MK2 and led to the current V.3 design. d always been in my mind to offer this upgrade in a DIY kit for my many CPS Spacestation MK2 owners. Now as the dust has settled and I have raped up V.3 production and caught up all the back orders...I have finally got around to it! There are 3 kits; The "A" kit has just the USA made Eminence CX2008 8" woofer and the 2 L-pads, the "B" kit adds the Eminence APT mid range driver, and the "C" kit adds to those a new Eminence 6.5 high power Side speaker. I have posted the DYI instructions and prices on the CPS website, you can see these here. I have always felt it was my duty to make available to my end users all the on going improvements to my products, when ever possible. This took quite a while but I finally got it done. See it here: http://www.centerpointstereo.com/news.php

Count me +1 w/ Hammond Dave, you guys in "rare forum" tonight...I am having way too much fun reading these latest chapters. I think it is true that you can use just the SS3 and a KB for many of those smaller gigs, but no doubt the gain management of a mixer between adds more headroom...I remain a fan of using a small mixer w/ just a touch of Hall Reverb on almost all the patches....unless of course your gig IS a Hall....

Depends on the environment. The idea is to have the side speaker aiming at the most reflective surface available. So on a carpeted stage you'll want to point the side speaker facing up toward the ceiling, into a corner or toward a back wall; on a wood/concrete or similarly reflective stage surface, aim the speaker down. Yes, Drawback is spot on here, excellent observation (proving someone has been reading this thread!). In retrospect perhaps I should have shown it both ways in the video, and mentioned that. Frankly, I don't stage or write these videos, I kinda wing it (drives Brian crazy). So as I set it up the cables were running stage left. So the natural way to place it on it's side, and later on the the stand, was magnet down in this demo. While it is true there are some differences in frequency response depending on which way the Side speaker is pointing (but very little difference in "energy"), it is not as much as you may imagine. The SS3 side speaker design is far more balanced front to back than you might expect, and much more so than other conventional speaker designs. It is also arranged in an "open baffle board" design which is more neutral front to back, and finally...it was computer modeled to compensate for all that. Additionally, the specially designed Eminence 6.5" speaker we chose has a 1" exit hole straight through to the voice coil (with a small screen to keep dust and debris out), and so it has an exceptionally good HF response off the rear as compared to other speakers. This "vented voice coil" magnet design also allows for higher power handling as it dissipates heat from the voice coil, which was the original intent of the design. It just worked our for us to be a happy accident that this vent allows foe some pretty good rear side HF response too!

Excellent gig report bear, many thanks! Next time I believe it will be even better. Our CPS technology seems to improve the more times you use it....it will grow on you. But it also makes a pretty good 1st impression, as you shared with us. Regarding improving the monitoring your piano/vocal, if the placement gave you too much side and not enough front, I would suggest 2 possible solutions; 1) adjust the angle a bit more toward you, or 2) try the horizontal position with a small wedge, with the front speaker on your side where you play. I think I may have posted this new video owners manual already, if so please forgive my redundancy...it shows various positioning techniques...including the horizontal approach: https://youtu.be/dzPCYg5QA0c Thanks again for the informative gig report, you really made my day! FYI, I will have some new CPS stuff to be announced next week, stay tuned....

Thanks! re; "is there a difference b/w which side is up?" Well, maybe a small difference at the most. But the "stereo 3D" image shouldn't change at all...while the bloom distance is shortened (improved in most cases). Certainly BOTH the -L&-R are emitting equally from either side of that Side speaker whether it's facing up or down (much like the combined +R & +L emit equally from the Front speaker). I think there has been some confusion about that issue expressed here back in Season 2, episode 4. To prove my point about that, put the SS3 in the center of a room and walk around it full circle. You will notice the L&R image "locations" never changes! In fact, I sometimes like facing the SS3 directly into a wall or corner, then standing back to listen to the rear of the SS3...something you would never think to do with a conventional speaker...and strangely, it sounds pretty good! It is true, one side of the Side speaker will have a bit more HF (the cone side), so it could be you would hear a slight change in HF depending on which side you lay it on. Speaker cone facing up may have a bit more HF to hit the back wall, while speaker cone side facing down to a carpet will tend to absorb and reduce HF. But basically I have tried it both ways, and I hear very little difference. Frankly I like the Horizontal position image both ways (hmmm, maybe should we rename this the "missionary position"?). Anyway you lay it guys, this is a great solution especially on tight stages. However, I do think leaving it on the floor will allow both the Front and Side to "couple" better w/the floor and in so doing produce more low frequency. Raising it on that amp stand helps projection but then it loses a tiny but of low end. Perhaps a worthy trade off in some situations where projection is more needed than added LF response.

Hi All, love the interactive dialog lately, seems there are so many CPS customer service reps on this site to help out w/ the questions for those who do not want to re read 135+ pages (can't blame them really). I am truly grateful and humbled to be in your company, many thanks guys! Knowing that so many of us never read the manual, myself included, I decided to make an "SS3 Operational Manual Video" last week. It's just a quick and brief overview (well...as compared to my usual epic rants) and I have just included the "quick start" basics. I also added a thank you and a plug to you KB Gurus and SS3 pioneers here on this amazing forum, it was actually you early adopters here on KC who discovered the "sideways" application for those close quarter positioning....for which I am very grateful! Most of you probably know all this stuff on the video (and more), but anyway, I hope you like it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzPCYg5QA0c

Thanks for your support and welcome to the CPS Family Spence. You made some great observations here, words of wisdom...and quite intuitive for an early adopter (yes folks, the SS3 has yet to have it's first birthday...hard to believe!) I'll be looking forward to a report after your polarized gigs this weekend...but it sounds like you'll be well prepared (after reading so many helpful hints on this "War and Peace" mega forum how could you NOT be forewarned!) And also thanks for mentioning this about the "cover in the box" Spence. That's the way most new sales will be packaged from here on out. You see, we had so many "after sale" orders for this $40 cover that it was disrupting my "keep it simple" business model. Nearly everyone ordered it afterwards. So I was having them made over here at Le Cover 30-50 at a time but it seems we were always out of stock and so folks were waiting a long time to get delivery. (maybe some of you experienced this inconvenience...?) So I sourced an identical SS3 cover where we package our custom made USA Eminence speakers with the Eminence Chinese made electronics and cab. So now we pack a cover in every SS3 box at the factory, and have raised the MAP price from $749 to $769. So this is cheaper and less hassle for all. For the moment, it is still possible to buy a SS3 w/o cover for $749, and a cover for $39, from our website or the Sweetwater site. But eventually we will phase those options out so just the $769 package will be available.

Yes, better on all counts! I licensed the CPS patent first to Fender, about 15 years ago while my patent was still "pending". And in that deal I insisted they make 3 products (in return for an exclusive); a KB amp, a satellite version that could be used with any guitar amp that had a FX loop, and the one they really wanted the technology for...an acoustic electric guitar amp. Well, the SFX (Stereo Field Expansion...their TM for the CPS technology) acoustic guitar amp did VERY well. It had a 42% market share, received a TEC nomination and won product of the year from the joint international press at the International Musik Messe in Frankfurt (those Euro guys "got it", while the TEC award went to the 2nd edition of the EVH guitar...go figure). But the SFX Satellite and SFX 200 KB amp were comparative commercial flops, for different reasons. The Satellite was just too hard to use, nobody "got it". Guitar players need to keep it simple, and also not too many stereo FX back then (circa 2000). The Fender SFX 200KB amp should have been a slam dunk, but it had several catastrophic design flaws (IMHO). First most was the black carpet covering (like cheap PA speakers of the day) that collected more lint than a clothes dryer after a few weeks in the store. It also had a 12" guitar speaker woofer, a Piezo tweeter for the high end (think scratchy caulk board), and 3 channels w/ a ton of EQ + stereo FX on every channels, including a vocal mic channel. The problem was, it sounded like a cheap PA w/ a piezo brittle high end....and there was absolutely no "modeling". Even in those days, many (if not most) KBs were stereo and were good enough sounding to record direct! IMHO, they should have just given mixing levels and nothing more...KBs didn't NEED a bunch of EQ OR stereo reverb and chorus (and still don't!). So today Fender is working on the 3rd evolution of a SFX acoustic guitar amp (thank the Lord!), due out in the next few months. But they have lost all interest in building another KB amp. They see themselves as a guitar company first and foremost. So I decided to take a 3rd bite at tha Apple, an it seems we finally hit the mark. BTW, this v.3 third version underwent extensive testing and computer modeling to deliver a truly wide appeal product with world class audio quaity...and NO stereo FX or equaizers! But it is only available from Sweetwater OR Thomann...you can't buy one from a Fender dealer. Now that you know the Fender SFX history, I'll close w/ this; Fender never asked me once what these should have as features, or asked my input on the audio design. So other than licensing my patent to them, I had nothing to do with any part of those designs. That is something I regret, and also regret they didn't have sucsess with their KB amp like their guitar amps....I really wante them yo make a tube SFX KB amp!. IMHO, t was a Golden opportunity lost, as there was a demand then (and still now) for a stereo transmission that works, for all those stereo engines out there!

Hey Rohan, first off THANKS for your GREAT gig report and kind words, much appreciated. And that HK sub looks more than up to the task...first I've heard of it but we don't see that brand over here much. Lastly, to you your question about being the first CPS "Braveheart" in Scotland; well yes, to my knowledge you are! Thanks for taking that leap of faith, and be sure to let the good folks at Thomann know your happy experiences, I am depending on them (alone) to supply the growing the CPS 3D stereo choir over there in Euro land!

Thanks Professor John, and yes...it has been a hellava ride for me, and a case study on teaching old dogs new tricks! I used to feel the need to "chime in" more often in the beginning (Season 1 & 2) but now it seems there's always a helping hand to do that for me...so thanks to you all. For those who wish they could hear one before they buy I must apologize, my fault! Because as unique as my center point stereo transmission technology is, so also has been my approach to marketing it; not available in stores but only on line from A&A and my exclusive dealer partner Sweetwater Sound. This certainly handicaps my sales potential, although I do not think I could build these much faster! But it does allow me to focus on building more products and giving my end users a better value, as I have nearly zero overhead in a "sales team", advertising campaign, field reps and "trainers", etc...so that means I can sell it for less to you...and also put all my profits back into customer support, and developing other new and interesting products for APD (Aspen Pittman Designs)...of which CPS is just one division. In past, when I had Groove Tubes for 30 years, w/ 35 employees, 2,000 dealers and 5-6 trade shows around the world, I spent like 65% of my budget on salaries, trade shows, advertising...and maybe 10% on new product development. Also, I traveled 5-6 months a year and had no TIME to work on new projects or TALK TO MY CUSTOMERS!...the two things I love MOST about this business! And then that life style almost killed me, so everything changed for me overnight. After I sold GT and went into a one year life saving treatment...I realized I could never let my life get that crazy again, should I ever decide to get back into developing products. Hence the new "less stress" approach to the APD line. For me, less is more as I focus on The One Thing! So, after a year+ of wood shedding developing the Spacestation Version 3 out of my old MK2 Spacestation (off the market 8 years!), and then 10+ months on this forum after it relaunched last October (well most guys didn't get theirs until well after Christmas with our long back order condition)...this whole experience has just been pure heaven! So many helpful comments and ideas from my early adopters (CPS faith partners!) on this forum have expanded the applications for the SS3 as I never imagined. I never would have imagined my little SS3 could hang so well in the medium to larger venues until I heard some of these wonderful gig reports...and until I went out to some these gigs and heard it for myself! We've got the SS3 at Disney Hall and at the Hollywood Bowl! I always had faith in my technology, but I never felt I had hit the right design or the right marketing formula...until the SS3 and my partnership with the folks at Eminence USA, who really deserve the credit for the high quality build and amazing reliability, and the folks at Sweetwater who serve as my sales force and customer support arm. Now I am released to do what I love, and do best; develop new products! We have come a long way in these few months, and converted a lot of musicians to enjoying the full spectrum of stereo performance that their instruments have always been capable of...but I truly believe we have just scratched the surface! The word is spreading! However, I do apologize to those who would like to hear it first, so I am trying a new idea to overcome that hurdle; I just launched a new program that will allow you to "try before you buy". Check out our new "Rent a SS3" rebate program...coming soon to a rental house near you: http://www.centerpointstereo.com/rental.php We just started this and I need to add more rental houses across the country. So if you have a favorite local rental house, please ask them to contact me and I'll get them set up ASAP. Thanks again to all my SS3 family for your support and comments here...I am really enjoying these last 3-4 pages as you respond to the curious...as it is REALLY hard to describe the "intangibles" to someone who's never heard their KBs in 3D stereo...like trying to describe color TV to the blind...but you are doing a darn good job!

I wouldn't mic the SS3 for your sound. Run your stereo signal directly into whatever you're using as a DAW. Run another line or set of lines to the SS3. For the rest of the sound, use mic splitters, running one to your live-sound mixer and one to your DAW. (Alternatively, some [all?] Grace mic pre's have three outputs: one for monitors, one for FOH, and one for DAW. Call around the City to see about renting one for the day.) If you want an additional ambient mic or two to capture live sound, that's fine too. Just watch for bleed/feedback. I suppose you could run them M/S and really capture the spirit of the SS3, but a traditional stereo pair will work fine/well/best/quickest. +1, great advice! The goal here is to get best sound (and mix potential) to sell the band...and so use direct (or close miced amps & drums) when ever, and where ever possible. BUT, with any DAW you have nearly unlimited channels...so I really like the idea to ALSO set up a MS "crowd" mic and mix that w/ your directs to give the "live" feel. BTW, I prefer a MS Stereo mic for the room or crowd mic over X/Y and other styles (no surprise there :>)