SteveCA

I took the plunge and picked up a Behringer B1200D-Pro sub. It's a great "companion" piece for the SS3. Here's a recording of a rehearsal for a performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue where I performed on a Steinway B and my accompanist, Kay Hooper, played the orchestra part on a Roland A-88, running Ivory II Steinway D through a SS3 and the B1200D sub.

I've been using the SS3 for a couple of months and after an initial "learning phase", have been very pleased with the sound. My primary setup is a Roland A-88 running through a MacPro laptop with Synthogy Ivory II Steinway D, VB3 hammond plug-in, Main Stage 3 and Ableton live. I've also used the SS3 with a Nord C2 and Roland Fr3X accordion. For smaller venues, I've found that I can plug directly into the SS3 (solo piano, piano duo, organ trio). Played an organ trio gig in a small restaurant last week. The SS3 was in a corner - sounded great, bass was fat enough for the small room. For solo piano or duos, I position the SS3 at about a 45 degree angle to the wall. This maximizes the reflected sound and, as a result, I'm surrounded by piano with an overall level that doesn't overwhelm the listeners. I played a big band gig a couple of weeks ago where I plugged right into the SS3 and used the subout as a feed to the mains. Great out front and on stage sound - the sax section actually asked me to turn down. For gigs where I need more volume, I use a small Behringer mixer. First time I used it with a alt-country/rock band (keys, two guitars, pedal steel, bass, drums), one of the guitar players commented "that's an amazing little box". Also received complements about the SS3 after an outdoor gig with the country band. Since dispersion of the sound from the side speaker is an essential part of the SS3's sound, I picked up a couple of pieces of plexiglass (6"x 8") and using velcro, fashioned a pair of wings that I can attach to the SS3. Works great for outdoor gigs where there's no reflective surface. I've been thinking about getting a subwoofer, but have been satisfied with the SS3's range for small or medium venues and for larger venues, go for a good onstage sound with the SS3 and run the subout to the mains.