Aspen

LOL, EIGHTY FIVE POUNDS, little puppy indeed! And, what a bargain at just $1,999 (on sale). Guys, I really love the sub harmonic comments here, really, but frankly spoken, when you need a little LF (under 80Hz), you only need a little! As I have posted in Season 1, Episode 2...maybe 90 pages ago, for YEARS I brought along a 15lb 100wt Sony HiFi Sub I bought new at Best Buy, on sale for $99. I happened to stop in there today and noticed they STILL have a Sony 10" 100 wt sub for $99. Only down side is you'll need a RCA to 1/4" cable...but heck, those are cheap too. The footprint is 12x12 so matches the SS3 perfectly. That solution added all the LF a man could want for "most" small to medium" venues I was doing. You will see it in some of my early CPS videos. Not sayin' a better sub isn't worth the $$, and appreciate a quality sub for sure...but when I run that $299 B1200 (post SS3 is my preference) I usually have to be very careful not to over shadow the SS3....just sayin'....so I keep it under 100Hz and about half power.

It seems most the guys, like DB, are positioning the side speaker facing down, and I can imagine that may sound better on a hard stage floor (better reflections, shorter "bloom" distance). But I could also imagine if you were on carpeted stage, and say also next to a wall (hard surface), it may sound better to fire the side speaker up. At least that's what I found when testing this in my big room at APR studios. But frankly, I did not hear a demonstrative difference either way. It really seems to work well both horizontally and vertically...and best if the (either side of) side speaker finds a floor, a corner, or a wall surface as early as possible to "improve the bloom". I can confirm that the face side of the side speaker had a bit more HF range, but the rear side is surprisingly bright for the "back side' of a speaker. That's probably due to the magnet design; notice there is a 1" hole on the back side of the 6.5 Side speaker that goes all the way thru to the voice coil, and in so doing allows a bunch of HF signal to "exit" the back door. There is a fine steel mesh screen at the bottom of that VC hole to keep dirt out of the voice coil...so this is "safe". FYI, we tested a bunch of different side speaker designs, and have also used dual side speaker arrays over the many years I have been playing with this patented technology. The advantage of dual speakers (either facing each other or facing outward and spaced) is that the FR is uniform on both sides...but it adds cost! Using just one side speaker provides enough interplay" to "make the 3D magic", and allows us to keep it more affordable (always a consideration). But as most speakers have a big solid magnet on the back side they are naturally very "one sided", so the trade off of using a single side speaker is losing some FR on the back side. That was a problem with the SS1 (Spacestation and SFX100 w/ mic channel & reverb) and the SS2 (MK2). But this unique Eminence 6'5" open magnet "donut" design has a much more uniform FR front to back. And although not perfectly balanced, it was much improved over the earlier 2 designs. I am not sure that was Eminence's intention when they designed it...but it sure was a good fit for our one side speaker approach when developing the SS3. BTW, for those of you with a SS MK2, we are about to make available a V.3 component upgrade "DIY upgrade kit that includes two L-Pads to balance and "tune" the MF and HF components as you can do with the V.3. There will also be 3 progressive DYI kits; one with just the custom USA made CX2008 8" woofer (poly cone, foam surround...a super cool 8"), and a second that adds to that the USA made MF driver (APT), and a third kit that adds to those this "donut"style 6.5" side speaker. (NOTE: All speakers in the previous SS1 and SS2 were Chinese speakers, not bad but they far short of the SS3 components...especially with regard to the 8" coax woofer.) All of these kits make a noticible sonic improvement in a MK2 (but I do not recommend this for the SS1 amps). That was the box I was using and demoing at NAMM 2014 while I developed the V.3...with all 3 components upgraded and the L-pads installed to trim the 3 components of the Front speaker system. IMHO, an upgraded MK2 is 90% as good as a V.3....it gets very close. Before the V.3 was ready, I had upgraded Michael Boddicker's MK2 amps, and also did a few for some of the guys posting on this forum too. I stopped doing this upgrade when I launched the V.3...just don't have the time anymore. But I have had some requests from MK2 owners so I decided to put these DIY kits up on the website. They should be up there by the end of next week, and you will be able to see the photos directions to evaluate if this is within your skill set. I am really not trying to "sell" these, I just want to provide a customer service option for those who do not want their MK2 sitting in a closet, and/or may not have the $ to buy a new SS3. So I hope this informal "announcement" is Kosher with the group.

Have to chime in here, this shot taken w/my Droid phone..but after hearing Dave's band...I wish I had brought my Canon XA10 w/ serious stereo audio recording potential because Dave's band was shit hot, and the SS3 even surprised me! DB had a very shallow (read; cramped) stage footprint and so had his SS3 set sideways on that amp stand technique popularized on this thread. This was also the first chance I ever had to hear my SS3 "sideways" with a shit hot band in a Rock setting. Very impressive, and it more than covered that venue; big but not loud, and sat really nicely in the mix...no matter where you sat. The guitars, Bass and drums were "perfect", and the vocalist in this band was amazing. I only wish I had heard him in the PA as well as Dave and his band mates...but this was a hard venue for a band (and a PA) as the audience was basically 180...a thin long room w/the band in the middle. Still, under the challenging circumstances, a job well done! They played a (very) wide variety of 70's and 80's Rock and even some obscure Beatles tracks...and they nailed them all. Next time. I'll be sure to bring a recording rig and capture that energy...and DB and his band are definitely not lacking in energy! Here's a pic I took showing the way Dave had his SS3 set up "sideways" on that cramped stage...it worked VERY well...and now having heard I can highly recommend it! Also, in this position, there is not complaints from anyone who is on axis with the Side speaker...and I heard absolutely no "down side" to this approach (ooops, pun intended). http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y172/davebryce/DB%20doing%20SS3%20Sideways_zpsri2y2oep.jpg

Well, it was a long journey for you, but the day has finally arrived! May you enjoy your SSv3 as much as the rest of us ... +1, welcome to the family SB, and to our National Lampoon's excellent summer stereo adventure and holiday!

Actually I think it IS fair to compare these, and for double the price you SHOULD expect a better sub experience. As I have always said, your ears are the best "measurement tools", and you did a great job of measuring here...very thorough! And, even though the $299 sub is a great value and can be a solution form many, sound is so subjective and you want to be completely happy with any purchase...regardless of price. BTW, there are lot of subs selling for far more, so I'd rank the price of this EV as "mid level". Your experience may have me shelling out for an EV sub myself, just to be in a better position to respond to so many questions I get about this. I like offering a good/better/best option...and just like you, I need to hear these for myself. But I wonder; I noticed you said "The only tweaking I did was adjust the sub volume to taste." So I checked out the back panel of the EV zxa-1, and I noticed there is not much you CAN tweak...which may be a GOOD thing! I see no x-over slope point control. Then reading their specs, they spec the response @ 40/50Hz to 100Hz, indicating the have a fixed limit...I actually LIKE that! The SS3 doesn't want a sub to get into it's "sweet spot" which starts around 100Hz. BTW, my SS3 still has response below 100Hz...it just tappers off at 3dB per octave. I also see no "hi pass filter" on it's A/B outputs, so I believe this to mean it passes the signal thru to the SS3 with no gain change and/or FR change...I also like that! The one drawback I experienced with the B1200 is that loss of gain when run pre-SS3, so I like it better post SS3. I also limit the B1200 to 100Hz or less, and so the EV may be a better "plug and play" w/ less tweaking required. Sometimes less is more when it comes to "knobs". Thanks again Redknife for a great report...very informative.

"Two things that I'm really happy to hear." [quote} Ditto, now THAT's a gig report I can get behind, thanks! It's these little things in life that count. Which is why I made the SS3 as small (and lite) as possible, yet still loud enough for those small to medium gigs. In this case (and at my age) Size Matters.

Wow, thanks for that good news! I've been waiting to hear this...it has been a long time coming. Thanks again "jpst" for the report, and please let us know how long the delievery time is from Germany, and also we'll be loooking forward to your first gig report. We already have 4 SS3 amps I sent into UK, but now with he ease of purchase and lower pricing I believe your SS3 family members will be growing. I also would like to remind you that we have a "CPS family page" on Facebook for announcing SS3 upcoming gigs. This is an excellent way for curious players to actually hear one since I have no plans for doing a general distribution business model on our CPS Product line for music stores. It still amazes me how the vast majority of SS3 owners have bought one solely based on just recommendations and gig reports from other players, mostly those posting on this thread...for which I shall be eternally grateful. Without you guys, and CPS fans like Tim Acomb and Michael Boddicker (who have EVERY CPS amp I ever made!) encouraging me to do this Version 3, and also my old friend Chuck Surack from Sweetwater Sound who "backed my play" (and now thanks to Hans Thomann too who has opened up Europe for CPS), I could never have relaunched this "bucket list" product of mine. Bless you all!

I ditto Al's comments here Slats8, for higher volume gigs that will let the SS3 play louder and cleaner. There is a small gain reduction, and not just because of the Hi Pass filters, but that is easily made up with the SS3 Level...we have lots of gain there. Two more things I have mentioned before, and which bear repeating (because who's gonna review 122 pages!), is your comments about the distortion you hear when you have your SS3 maxed out, and your fear of blowing speakers. Blown speakers: These speakers are extremely well rated and balanced to this amp design, and as such, so far (knock wood) we have had no blown speakers! We did have one 6.5 Side that had a buzz but we believe that was defective unit from the start. This reliability rate is also due to the Tri-amp design. The electronic crossovers (as opposed to passive crossovers) provide additional protection because each speaker only sees signal in it's useable frequency range. Additionally, our use of 4 Class D amps, which actually get cleaner as you turn them up, provide a comfortable sine wave signal for speakers, as opposed to a distorting square wave signal that hammers speakers and causes wear and damage. Distortion at higher levels: Most any amp can be driven into distortion, and the SS3 is no exception. However the SS3 is a really clean amp and the distortion issues I have seen so far with the SS3 have been input signal based, that is, the signal is distorting BEFORE the SS3 input. In every case, this was easily corrected by use of a mixer between the KB and the SS3. This allows for optimum impedance matching and better gain management as you will have a "peak" indicator and several gain stages that allow for optimum gain management. You may not need a mixer for every application, but it sure helps for most those higher SPL situations, and it also gives you the ability to "match" several KBs and also have convenient mixing features at your fingertips, as you can locate the mixer close to your KB. It also doesn't have to be a big bulky expensive mixer, there are several small format quality mixers with these gain management features AND have some cool stereo FX (for that sit in vocalist or guitarist) available for under $300. There are even some "mini mixers" under $99 can work fine too if it's just gain management you are after. That said, there is one Achilles heal to the SS3 that may be the source of that distortion you are hearing; the sub jack. The SS3 is a sealed system, that is, it is a non-ported design with no "vents" to allow air to escape as the speaker moves and pushes air. However, the Sub jack has a 1/4" outlet so when not in use there is a tiny amount of air that can escape thru this hole, and it produces a small "farting" sound (for lack of a better word, sorry..last time I mentioned this we had a page of farting jokes...let's not go there again please!). This "escaping air distortion" is only heard at higher volume levels and only if you are within 5-6 feet, so the audience isn't hearing it, and it doesn't really hurt anything. The "fix" is pretty easy; just plug in any 1/4" phone plug into the Sub jack and "seal that hole". Problem gone. Any old plug from a bad cable with the wire cut off at the head works fine for this. Of course when you use a sub (or small bass amp as many are using), that also seals that rear Sub hole and eliminates the problem too. Again, this "escaping air distortion" is only heard at very high sound levels, so many of you may never notice this. But in the case you do, now you will know how to "fix" it.

Wow Doug, great stuff...what a voice (the pianoman and guitarist ain't bad either). I especially liked it when she sat down on stage framed by the SS3 and your KB, very dramatic and perfect for that song. I'd like to link that on our CPS website, with your permission. I recall you had posted another song from this concert with the whole but this one was new to me...many thanks for sharing.

Yea, I can relate; that's called "it wasn't invented here syndrome". I had that experience myself with several large companies in this industry to whom I offered a CPS license. They all turned me down, for much the same logic. And with the singular exception of my license to Fender for their SFX line of acoustic guitar amps, which at one time held a 42% market share using my patent, I was unable to find any "big company" to "see the light". So, that's the primary reason I decided to make this SS version 3 myself...and I'm kind of glad it worked out that way because on this 3rd version I had total control over the product....and I could take my time to get it right. Of course if the great folks over at Sweetwater had not agreed to back my solo play, there would be no v.3. Fate blessed me with two great partners; Eminence USA who is my manufacturing partner, and Sweetwater Sound who is my dealer partner. So I can just focus on designing the best amp possible. Perhaps you should look for a similar arrangement for your idea.

Whoa, that caught my attention...but in fact a "false alarm"...and nothing of real concern to me; #1, Sony would not talk to me...even if I called them on my dime (and that's OK w/me)...they do not know I exist (and I'd like to keep it that way!) I am interested in producing music, not reproducing music. FYI, I do have a new Fender amp in the works for acoustic guitar due out later this year...and it will be a smaller format than the SS3...but other than licensing them my technology this will be a Fender product, and the 3rd evolution of a SFX amp (their TM)...but more than that I am not at liberty to say. #2, Brettymike, Did you watch the demo link on this little Sony Ipad speaker you sent me? I did. FYI it's a single amp and single active MONO speaker w/2 extra passive drivers (ie; no voice coils or amp attached...passive radiators have often been used to increase LF in sealed systems like this)). So of course it would it would sound the same everywhere; because it is MONO. It is certainly NOT "stereo everywhere" from one "Center Point" box, and therefore nothing in common w/ my patented Center Point Stereo...thank goodness! They say it can be connected to another one like it via blue tooth to make a Stereo Pair, but then of course it would be just like any stereo pair and would only have a small sweet spot (boring). Then watch the following review (from that link) on that Youtube thread on this new Sony speaker; a very disappointed reviewer saying this new Sony is not as good as a $50 Stereo Angel speaker like you see at every swap meet. While I am sure it sounds great, rest assured it is not SS3 technology on a mini package with my technology. Of course that thought has crossed my mind. But as any ongoing work on a larger, or smaller, version of the SS3, let's just say I would never "talk the talk" until I was ready to "walk the walk" (if ever). And while I REALLY appreciate your many comments and gig reports on the SS3...and also your well intentioned suggestions and speculation about "next steps", my immediate and near term focus is still trying to produce enough SS3 amps to fill the growing demand. Keep in mind my SS3 has only been shipping for about 10 months, and we've been back ordered (taking orders) for over 8 of those of those months. Even with continuing doubling of our production runs every cycle...it's only been the last 45 days that we have we been able to "ship from our shelves!" And all this success for a speaker that is selling entirely on user testimony and not available to try out in any stores. So this is truly an unprecedented marketing story for a unique and groundbreaking amp. And much (if not most) of our success is directly due to the amazing family of players here on KC who took a giant leap of faith with me to buy one without actually hearing one...for which I will be eternally grateful. And also, I am humbled and truly grateful for their so many informative and honest gig reports with continuing experimentation (such as this "sideways" application!). It seems like every one of you have become a part of my "beta tester" family...the best I ever had...and have taken the SS3 to arenas of application my dear departed partner Drew Daniels and I never imagined. But please understand...if and when I have anything concrete to share about a SS3 "mini", or an SS3 "XL", rest assured I will be talking about it here first...but ONLY when and if you can actually buy one (and not before). And also please be assured...I will not be changing ANYTHING about the SS3...I am not imagining a "new versions". I think the 3rd time of my Spacestation was the charm. And, I'd be a fool to mess with a good thing! You can't fix that which is not "broken"! Lastly, and while I am "commenting on comments" here, I must again remind you that "comparing specs" (like "max SPL") from the spec sheets can be deceiving. Audio is not a "perfect science". Your own ears are your best comparative measurement tools...so don't just rely on the catalog "numbers". For example, the industry standard method for measuring Max SPL is to do so "on axis", directly in front of the speaker and usually @ 1 meter...which is also the way we achieved our SS3 105 max SPL measurement. However, our CPS technology creates a highly unusual 300 degree dispersion...so our SPL level doesn't fall off dramatically as you go "off axis", as with typical the PA speakers. And also, who actually listens to any speaker on axis @ 1 meter! So this really is like comparing "apples to oranges" (or as I have mentioned before; flashlights to light bulbs). Our industry is accustomed to powerful but narrow and beamy "flashlight" style speakers, while CPS is a gentle, broadly dispersed "soft light bulb" type of speaker. Many of you have commented that you are surprisingly heard throughout the stage and room without "blasting out the front row". IMHO, this is one of the most attractive features of CPS. But if you are comparing a PA style speaker with a self proclaimed 131 max SPL to our much broader dispersed CPS w/ a 105 max SPL...you may find the effective volume in the room is much closer than what the "numbers on paper" may indicate. I like to think of our box as big and wide, and not just loud and narrow.

The box is made of a high density MDF wood (very dense particle wood board), then covered in Tolex style material. This material is acoustically dead, and IMHO it really sounds the best. The challenge for me was to get a loud 105+dB SPL from a very small footprint cab (under 1 sf), and the density of the MDF helps me achieve that. It is also just a bit cheaper than plywood, but then you need to brace plywood to get a similar low resonance FR. So then the cost to get the same acoustic performance is much more expensive with Plywood or an injection molded plastic (in small quantities anyway). The down side is that MDF is a bit heavier that plywood or plastic. BUT it also helps me achieve great audio performance and keep the price point low.

Thanks for this report Dave, and the tease about Alan's gig this Sunday...but I must know; when and where! (I love Randy Newman) If you will be playing out w/ an SS3 please keep in mind the CPS family page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/810801589001231/ There is also great thread started right here on KC too for SS3 sitings (or should I say hearings?), so folks can come and hear for them selves: https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2669065/Anyone_near_have_Spacestation_#Post2669065 IMHO these are much nicer, and more meaningful experiences than just going into a Guitar Center to hear one, plus you are supporting a brother and live music!

Excellent post, thanks for sharing. I have done the "whole band" thing many times now and it really is amazing. The best feature is the way band members HEAR the same mix and just seem to play better too. However, I also discovered the limitations of using a "less expensive" mixer to blend strings, VOX anad keys...too many channels pumping all at once seem to overload those "under $300" mixers and cause intermodulation distortion (IMD), where one channel's dynamic event can adversely influence another channel's clarity. And the proper gain settings and/or using a compressor can really influence the end result. Originally I thought I had just hit the limits of my SS3 until I upped the quality of my mixer, (recently bought one of those of the new Yamaha MD series w/ compressors on each channel and dual internal stereo FX...great sounding preamps too. Man, that really made all the difference. And, no more farting (so no more fart jokes please). As my father educated me in becoming "cool", he said; "son, it's better to be a smart feller, than a fart smeller". Words to live by....

Exactly Aussie, great post. I also love the Yamaha stuff too, just bought one of their new mixers w/ dual FX so one can be used for instruments (IE.rev/chorus for guitars) and another for vocals (Hall).I will be using it for full band reinforcement with a single SS3 in small venues (this is I believe the #1 application in future as more small ensemble folks catch the CPS wave). Yamaha offers a great value and that particular one has a 3 channel input, each w/ a separate level control. Interesting that you thought to use the headphone output for the SS3, that is another L/R output found on most mixers (maybe every mixer!) and while that HiZ low level signal is not usually hot enough to drive a PA amp or powered PA speaker to max SPL, the increased sensitivity of the SS3 input should work very well w/ a headphone output signal. I use it all the time driving my Mac HP miniTRS out to the SS3 for SS3 demos (Side Bar; even your cell phone headphone out drives a SS3 to full SPL...but don't try that w/ your K10 or DXR10!) Bottom line, the SS3 can usually be your stand alone solution, but if you want to enhance it's 3D effect..and it sounds good to you...then go for it! Let your ears be your guide, as evidenced by Aussie's redirecting the added spk for a better vocal monitor...so my suggested "rules" can be broken if YOU think it sounds and/or works better...just go for it! This is supposed to be fun, and not all science! Brings to mind one of my favorite quotes ever by an amateur musician who was a professional scientist: "If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music... I get most joy in life out of my violin." -Albert Einstein, 1929

My first Gearfest was a total blast....what a scene. This was one of the best organized gear shows I had ever experienced, amazing staff and facility....everything was top notch! Last time I visited Sweetwater was 8+ years ago, I had just released the SS MK2 and did a presentation on it there. But the next year I sold the company to Fender and too some time off the heal myself and get well. They had started Gearfest right after this time so I never had a chance to attend one before. But now I will never miss one again (God willing) ! It was like a mini NAMM show (which frankly are too big anyway) with every major brand represented...however at Gearfest the VIPs were the Sweetwater customers, the musicians from every walk...and not the "dealers only" vibe. I met folks who came from New York and New Orleans, many from Nashville to Chicago...and everywhere between. Had a chance to one on one with players and show them my SS v.3. Plus had a special day on Thursday to meet over 100 Sweetwater reps in my own private demo room in the big building they called "office hours". The reps can take a 15 minute break and stop in and meet me and see/hear the new SS3, the new DT1 mic and the DuoTonic tube pedal I just released. It was non stop and the 6 hours just flew by! Hard to imagine, but most every one of those sales guys had sold a SS3 since we released them....but had never HEARD one! Well, we fixed that. Best moment for me was finding Chuck Surack himself (SW founder) standing at the front door greeting every customer who came thru the door. The cool factor at Sweetwater starts at the top, Chuck is real people and a pretty good musician himself. He told me that he "owed me an apology"; and that when they were setting up the KB department in the totally new in house mega store, that he played a SS3 for the first time. He told me he was "mesmerized", and that he "played for 45 minutes straight"...and he was apologizing because he had never actually heard the V.3 either! How cool was that? Anyway we were all set up in tents, basically with outdoor acoustics, and lots of background noise. But still that little v.3 cut thru it all...just radiated everywhere...and even surprised me! As always I gotta real kick showing the 3D effect to all kind of players for the first time...I'll never get tired of that! And I know for sure we also sold several to small guitar/vocal groups, so the SS3 fan club is growing beyond our KB brothers...which was very encouraging personally for me because I believe that is another important application that is broken and that CPS can fix. I'd like to thank Redknife for coming out and stopping by our little stand with an open mind, and also thank him for his support...much appreciated. Now for all of you who now have a SS3 and are using it out live, I'd like to remind you to please bookmark our CPS Family Facebook page where you can post and promote your next gig, along with giving others a chance to hear a SS3 live! See: https://www.facebook.com/groups/810801589001231/

This gig report hit my all my buttons, and moved me to chime in. It is my vision is that someday the whole band can plug into one mixer and one CPS speaker and have the same experience you had; "real time monitoring". IMHO, this is "do-able" right now, but few would volunteer to venture into these uncharted waters of live performance thru a single speaker. But by "fate", you had to improvise. And as you commented, you (and the guitar player) were delighted with the sound! But may I suggest it was not ONLY the "sound" that you describe as "fantastic" (which IMHO I think is partly due to the best "sounding" CPS system I have made to date) that delighted you. But suggest that additionally the increased comfort level of hearing you and your band mate's playing in "concert" from a single Center Point speaker...or as I like to call it "Real Time Monitoring" of your performance....was contributing factor to your "sound". This may have gone unmentioned, or even unnoticed by you...just because it was so "comfortable". But in my CPS experience, it was surely a big contributing factor to your "fantastic sound" (your words, not mine). Consider this; if I were to take a poll of everyone reading this post right now, and ask; "what's single most difficult and/or challenging, and/or most frustrating thing about playing out live with your group?...I'd bet the #1 answer would be the difficulty of "monitoring the overall band mix and knowing how I fit into same". In fact, few of us hold out any hope that this challenge could ever be met. Even w/ IEM and/or perfect stage monitor mixes....it's still a crap shoot. However, when the "electric" keys and "electric" strings of this jazz ensemble suddenly were sharing the same EXACT "center point" of reference...nobody can hide and/or be hidden from each other. So, you instinctively found "the pocket", because your shared the same point of reference and actually the same "place in time". Your were literally "time alined", or in more common words; you were "in the pocket" (and could not escape it if you tried!). Seldom have any of us experienced THAT! This co habitation arrangement measurably increased your comfort level, and in turn could not help but improve your performance. Hear no evil, play no evil! or in other words; nobody can "hide" if you all share in the same "Spacestation". I have experienced this phenom first hand, many times...and it still gives me chills. This is one (of the two) most significant and unexpected benefits we never imagined when my partner Drew Daniels (my co inventor) and I began this long strange CPS trip...ever so many years ago. But this benefit of "real time monitoring", along with the other unexpected phenom of "audience friendly listening"...the unexpected benefit of actually being able to converse with your wife or pals w/o screaming while the band is hitting 100 dB 12' away...is without doubt the REAL magic (blessing?) of the CPS technology. And these features are also why I think we are just scratching the surface of perfecting the difficult world of live performance. Someday, we will not wonder "how we sound', or how we "fit in the mix", or if the audience can "hear us"...we will just KNOW. And more importantly as a result, we will be able play out live without the constant stress of "not knowing". Thanks so much for sharing MOI, your experience brought a big smile to my face this week end. I hope this leads to more purposeful experimentation in this direction. Sometimes accidents happen for a good reason! NOTE: next time add a small taste of "00 Hall reverb" in your mixer to your guitar player (or vocalist)...that will really wake up side system in the CPS and "zoom the bloom". Just a taste goes a long way to add some 3D imagining.

+1; Good question and one I also would like to have answered. Perhaps one of our fellow SS3 owners here w/ this EV sub could try it PRE and POST SS3 and let us all know if the gain level to the SS3 is attenuated in the POST routing.

Basically AC, an "active" "Hi Pass" filter should not reduce gain...by definition, it lets FR above 100HZ "pass" (w/ no change!). But in use, I found the B1200 pads back ALL signal (full range...albeit far more so below 100Hz as is the stated design goal) That it cut the full range signal levels that much was a surprise to me...and not a happy one. You are right, a sub should not be expected to add make up gain...because it should not CUT any! In theory, it should be "unity gain", or no change in signal levels, on the "pass thru" signal. I am not sure why the B1200 behaves this way...but because it does cut signal gain I am not sure the 100Hz filter is worth the loss of gain in the chain. Frankly, IMHO, this should NOT be happening, and I need to do a bit of research on this (in all my spare time....not!). Should it sound different; yes. But should it "pass" higher than 100HZ signals that are down 10dB (or more)...absolutely not! But I am happy with the performance when used POST SS3, no issues there, and also it gives me an easy demo to show the "with, or without" benefit of a sub.

Guys, please don't egg me for chiming in cheaply here, but for the last 8+ years from the MK2 to the SS3 I used a cheap Sony HIFi sub bought at Best Buy for $99 (on sale). It's about 100 watts and has a 10" down firing woofer. It worked fine, never overshadowed SS and added "just enough LF" to balance w/ the previous MK2 and the later SS3. I did demos out everywhere, NAMM show most recently and also at APR studios for our visitors...you will see it in my videos (and in some of those it is actually turned off!). As I started equipping local pals with MK2 rigs, I needed more of these and found them used at local swaps for $25-50. I just bought a nice Yamaha last Saturday for $30...it works fine. Sometimes "Less is More", in the case of subs...that is just my personal opinion. I bought the B1200 because so many here had success with it and I was curious...and many asking my opinion about which sub to buy...and it was CHEAP @ $299. I can't see paying more for an "under 100Hz" amp than what you'd pay for a SS3...which does so much more where it REALLY counts; ABOVE 100Hz! The B1200 certainly it is more "pro", meant to travel and it had the 100Hz filtered Hi Pass output which I wanted to try. That said, I have tried it PRE and POST SS3 (also w/ and w/o the HI Pass) and I have to say in most cases I prefer using the B1200 POST...for several reasons. 1) I am demoing the SS3 ALWAYS with a mixer as I need several types of sound sources handy including KB, guitar, voice...but mostly with specially recorded "wide" tracks and videos. And I am not playing with a loud drummer, so I do not need MAX SPL all the time. So that said, I also need to quickly demo the SS3 "with and without" the sub. So running it POST allows me to quickly disconnect and reconnect the sub...showing what the SS3 does by itself. I do not use a lot of sub volume, just enough to be "noticed". In fact w/ this quick A/B, many folks realize they probably will not need a Sub for most applications. 2) Not sure why, but using the B1200 PRE SS3 seems to suck a bit of gain from the chain...I'd guess around 10dB. This is not critical because I have enough gain left in the SS3 input stage to make that up...but I do not like anything that sucks gain in my chain. 3) IMHO, a 500 watt class D sub w/ 12" woofer is overkill for the SS3, about twice the sub that is really need to balance w/ the SS3. Of course you can always "turn it down", but because mixing a sub happens 3-4 feet from the box most players do not realize they are running it too hot, and/or also are setting it's ceiling too "high". One fellow here recently recommended a max HF ceiling setting at 80Hz, and I am probably in that camp, even though I have suggested 100-125Hz before (albeit with a lower volume setting). Again, Less is More when adding Subs....they should be "Felt", but not "Heard" IMHO...it can alter the clarity of the SS3 image if played too loud. I'd like to recommend to Al Quinn one idea before he returns that B1200; try it "post" SS3 on one gig first. Set the SS3 to the level you need w/o the sub connected. Then plug it in and set it for a low Hi pass, say 80Hz, then turn it up ONLY until you notice it...not too much, just enough to feel it. I'd be curious in your observations when used like that.

Sorry, no. EUR 799,- is end user price and equivalent to USD 894.23 today. Nothing against Thomann, I buy there often,- but gear in germany is much more expensive than in the US and Thomann won´t change that. A.C. Sorry AC, I was comparing Apples to Apples; VAT in Europe is average 19% and we don't have VAT in USA (thank God). So Thomann's 799 Euro price includes VAT. Therefore your price before VAT is equivalent to about $700 USD. That's $50 LESS than buying it here. Then again, if Euro guys were to buy from Sweetwater or me, you would still add 19% VAT PLUS another $150 (average) USPS. Therefore by using a direct dealer in Europe and arranging direct importation from our factory plus giving them a very low "partner" price, I have been able to keep SS3 price in Europe as low as, or even lower than USA. The reason gear is much more expensive in Europe is 19% VAT (and even I can not change that ;>)

When I follow your link above, it says EUR 773.- No biggie ... but "back in stock" it´s july 20 which is almost in 2 (TWO) month. Now, when I go to the german site,-the price suddenly is EUR 799,- while estimated delivery is july 20. Very often, when they annouce that, the item isn´t available that date. Aspen Pittman Designs SSv3 (Thomann) So,- now you say it will be available in june ? A.C. Since this is the first shipment to a new dealer partner...I can't really say when they will actually arrive. The shipment will be ready to leave the Eminence factory next Friday, the 29th. It takes about 3-4 weeks to make it to USA, so I am guessing about the same for Germany...but frankly I have no experience with this so it's just an educated guess. I am sure Thomann doesn't want to promise late June, then disappoint...so they are probably playing it safe.

Hi Niven...so I just yesterday replied to another German musician who plays a Nord Piano2 with a similar question, and here's what I told him: "Hi Bernd, Thank you for your interest and inquiry. I am a big fan of the Nord KB. FYI, the USA head technical support manager in USA, Pablo Mastodon, is also a big fan of our Center Point Stereo Spacestation v.3. Here's a recent article about Pablo....check out the SS3 in his amazing Nord shrine museum! http://www.nordkeyboards.com/man-behind-nords-us-live-tech-support When I first talked with Pablo, he told me he had "never heard a KB amp he liked". Then after I sent him one for a try out, he bought it and told me "Now I can't say that anymore!". We also have many Nord demos thru the SS3 on out website, among dozens of other videos,. You can listen to theese (with headphones please!) Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC6mou0cL64 Now to your questions about price and availability. Until recently the only way anyone could buy a SS3 from Europe was direct from our Aspen Pittman Designs headquarters here in San Fernando, California...or maybe some guys bought them from our exclusive USA dealer partner Sweetwater Sound and converted them to 230v (pretty easy). I do a special discount for my early Export adopters, but by the time they paid freight, duty and VAT to their door in Germany the cost was almost 1,000 Euros (while here in USA players buy for about $650 Euros!) Still many really wanted this groundbreaking new technology, and so they paid the price (gladly) because we did not have a dealer partner in Europe. But now "I can't say that anymore!" I am very happy to announce that as of next month (or by end of next month anyway), our new dealer partner Thomann Musikhaus will be delivering the SS3 to all of our European friends and family...and for a greatly reduced price and risk for you; just 771 euros including VAT...so about the same than our US players are paying (or even less considering VAT (tax) and shipping!) And most Euro guys I've heard from really like dealing with Thomann, they have a great reputation for treating customers right and still offering great prices! Much like Sweetwater, they are the Gold standard over there. Here's the link: http://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.html?bf=&sw=spacestation This is a limited quantity for our first delivery to Thomann...so I am pretty sure they will sell out fast and maybe even before they arrive in Germany. Sweetwater has been sold out and back ordered for 6.5 of the 7 months since we released it here! So I advise you to get your order in early...otherwise the next delivery will not be until late August!"