cphollis

Thanks for sharing this, Aspen. Mine is already on backorder, can't wait to give it a shot. Looks to be perfect for a small, bar band where the main mission is keeping the levels reasonable but still sounding good. It will also get duty as my keyboard-only amp for slightly larger gigs. A full report will be forthcoming

Great feedback, thanks. Mine is on order. I think Aspen has a winner here

That's the appeal. If I bring along a boatload of gear, I can get all sorts of stereo. But I don't want to do that all the time, especially in smaller venues, or rehearsals. And the idea of "everyone gets a stereo mix anywhere" is very appealing.

Aspen -- everyone has their own Nord piano sample favorites, but a couple of popular ones include the Fazioli and the Bright Grand. They're best straight out: no effects except for maybe a hint of reverb. While you're at it, a few of the Rhodes samples with chorus or tremolo would be nice as well. Doing a recording with a live band (including drummer!) is a great idea. Thanks!

Aspen -- big kudos for engaging with folks here on the forum. Not only can you get great feedback and inputs from this knowledgable gang, but I'm sure that more than a few people have now decided to take the plunge on the V.3 -- myself included. Mine is backordered at Sweetwater, but I'm very much looking forward to putting it to work, at which time I'm sure I'll have some suggestions for you to consider going forward. Fully understand your point on focusing where you can make the most impact. The built-in mixer comments are mostly about convenience. Many of us have a pair of stereo outs from two keyboards, so we schlep along a small mixer, a wall wart, and another pair of cables. Having something minimal built-in means less things to worry about, but albeit at additional product cost -- although some are willing to pay for the convenience factor.

OK, based on everything here, just called Sweetwater and ordered one. Three weeks or so they said, as it's backordered. I will make sure that I offer up a detailed review on this unit and how it does with Nord acoustic piano voices as part of an electric band.

DoverDave -- thanks for the detailed notes. I think I'm getting closer to a picture of how this unit might perform for me. Nice to hear that you were running Nord acoustic pianos through it, and you liked the sound OK. You weren't exactly raving about it, but it wasn't objectionable. The fact that you consider it better than the Motion Sound KBR-3D tells me a lot, as I struggled with one of those for a while. Interesting thoughts about using a few of them as a PA. I'll wait for others to experiment on that one ...

Regarding Aspen's comments on acoustic piano programs and their respective stereo content ... makes sense. For example, the Nords I play have a definite and tangible stereo element to their acoustic piano samples (even without effects), which I think will work nicely as far as the CPS goes. My only concern is accuracy of reproduction of the tones themselves. I've burned through a lot of amplification gear that couldn't handle the transients from those samples without compressing or distorting them. I probably won't know the answer until I bite the bullet and get one to try it. Or one of you guys gives it a go

Waiting for more data points, but I'm starting to think of this as a dandy practice amp

Aspen said "no, it wouldn't" -- as long as the full-range speaker was precisely underneath the SS and oriented along the same axis. You'd hear proportionally less stereo effect if you were in the path of the full-range speaker, but it would certainly be there. Outside the path of the full-range speaker, it'd be all SS, which would be very desirable. If it were me, I'd try it solo and see how far it could go before bringing on a helper. Aspen keeps emphasizing that "musicians don't have to play as loud if everyone can hear each other". I've got to think he's thinking small ensembles, and not the sometimes-raucous gangs I play with.

After a brief email exchange with Aspen, I think that if the unit isn't loud enough by itself, the next step is to put it *directly* on top of a full-range self-powered PA cab like the QSC K12. I am convincing myself that a modest amount of the stereo effect can go a long way. Use the self-powered PA for volume and cut, and the Spacestation V3 for fill. Very much looking forward to the first wave of reviews here ...

Wow -- very keen to hear all of your impressions. I've got enough GAS on this thing to tip me over if you come back positive. Especially interested in how acoustic pianos sound through the thing.

Really looking forward to someone here posting a thorough review. It's a fascinating idea.

I think CPS is on to something with this SpaceStation thing. I, for one, crave dimensionality and spaciousness in my sound. I took a flyer on a Bose L1 Model II in my quest. Great for low-volume, intimate gigs, but got absolutely crushed by any electric band. Way 'spensive, too. Not worried about the bass thing for the type of music I play. Either the unit will be sufficient, or I'll plug in a K12 or two if needs help. Since I tend to play with moderately loud groups, I'm wondering how well it will stand up to the cacophony of guitar, drums, etc. Looks a little light in the wattage department, but I'm open minded. Maybe haul it along with my existing stereo rig for a better "fill"? And, then, product execution: reliability, etc. But I'm definitely interested.

The web site shows a MAP of $595, which makes it more than a toy. I'm thinking of it as a potential "enhancer" to my existing amplification: richer Leslie effects, more convincing chorus and pans for my EPs, etc. Doesn't look like it would do well for APs, nor do well standalone for most situations -- unless it was a very small venue, and even then ... Looks like they're having their challenges getting it into production and into the channel -- no evidence of it on the Sweetwater site, or anywhere else.

Greetings, all My name is Chuck, I spend most of my time in Massachussets, and I'm a non-recovering keyboardaholic. I play in two fun bands with semi-pro musicians (very different styles) so I have plenty to keep me busy these days. Equipment-wise, I've gone a bit overboard. Right now, I'm all-Nord: Electro 4, Stage 2, Piano 2. For amplification, all-QSC: a pair each of K8s, K10s and K12s for different settings. Standardization, baby! Back in the closet somewhere I have a Yamaha CP5, a MO8, a Motion Sound KBR amp, and a Bose stick. And that's after I just sold a bunch of stuff. Style-wise, I grew up during the 60s-70s-80s, so that's what I like to play: roots rock, classic rock, country, blues, motown, etc. Acoustic and electric pianos, B3 organ sounds mostly. Maybe a nice horn line here and there. I'll play other stuff if I have to (e.g. 80s hair band, power synth, etc.) but it's not really my thing. I don't sing much, but it's something I'm working on. I took the obligatory piano lessons as a kid for a few years, but quickly found I could teach myself most anything I wanted to learn, so I guess that makes me mostly self-taught. Although my chops are pretty good, getting lessons from a pro is something I want to do down the road. Did a lot with music when I was in college, and then did very little for a long time. Five years ago, I decided that I wanted to work less and play more, and -- so far -- that's exactly what I've done. I play for fun. I have enough bandwidth these days to be in two bands at any one time in addition to a few personal projects. I also am an acoustic piano nut, but we won't get into that here, as this crowd seems to be mostly gigging musicians. It's a pleasure to meet all the characters here . I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about!