Heads-up: SpaceStation keyboard amp is apparently back

[Boolean]

Thanks for the info.

[Boolean]

So while I do have some stock, a small share, this is mostly for export sales (I need to convert to 230v for example

 

Does this mean that Sweetwater does not sell a 230V version ? ...is my only option to purchase directly from your company ?

[Aspen]

Thanks Aspen, and sorry, did not realize looking at the amp that the 8" is ported, but hope you realize too that the post was not intended in any way to knock the 8" (in fact, I noted it will "clearly produce notes at volume in low ranges") but to just honestly answer a fellow forum member (whom I recognized from many other posts, particularly about venue house pianos, as someone who has played some terrific acoustic piano powerhouses) about achieving that low end grand AP tone and resonance - a tall order indeed - but one I believe is filled by the SSv3 coupled with a small bass amp (and as I am about to further respond to timwat, the GK MB210 amp I'm using is probably overkill).....

....After just three full days of ownership, I wouldn't want to be without this amp. Thanks for a truly game-changing product. I mentioned in an earlier post seeing several well-seasoned musicians (over 140 years of playing collectively) acting like children over the sounds coming from this thing in rehearsal - they're musically hard to surprise, and they were truly enchanted with it.

 

Rick, PLEASE, no need to apologize at all! On the contrary, I apologize if sounded anything less than thrilled over your nearly perfect (well, 99.9% perfect) response to a great question.

 

I am both humbled and recharged by your response, and I especially loved perspective of adults acting like kids. That is so true, and something I can totally relate too as well. After all we all have a bit of "kid" in us, which is why we became (and stay) musicians!

 

In fact for me, after 15 YEARS of demoing CPS I STILL act like giddy kid every time I show this to a new musician (young and old), and ask them "to walk around and then direct them into the next room and say let me know when the Leslie stops spinning" (and as you all know, it never does!). I just love the look on their faces...it's my 2nd favorite demo gag!

 

Of course my #1 favorite demo gag is when I ask them to stand on the other end of our big room at APR while I crank up Michael McDonald's "Keep Believin'" to around 100dB...then walk over and whisper something to them. They can't believe they are hearing me clearly without me screaming over the music. I love the look on those newbie faces, and I suspect some of you are having the same fun with your pals. It's like pulling an audio rabbit out of the hat...fun stuff!

 

So again, very sorry if I seemed overly sensitive about your (VERY) small clam in an otherwise perfect post...I just wanted to correct the fact that indeed we are a "ported cab", and it also gave me a chance to repost the design features and achievements, like getting our partner Eminence to remake that amazing CX2008 they had discontinued.

 

You know, after 57+ pages it helps to repost some design details because nobody who is just joining us has the time to go back and re read 57 pages!

 

I must tell you all, after reading some of tonight's latest 1st impressions and gig reports, I am blown away how big our CPS family has grown! I am truly humbled and grateful for every one of your wonderful posts....PLEASE keep them coming, you guys obviously "get it"!

 

And after 6 long frustrating years of trying to get every name brand "player" in the business to license CPS and build a KB amp....none of whom "got it", all of whom declined, and some of whom slammed the door on me...followed by 18 months of hard work and setbacks as I finally decided to come out of retirement and relaunched this product myself with the invaluable help of 2 great partners in Eminence and Sweetwater, your experiences and posts here have made it all worth while.

 

So I can not THANK YOU all enough for your kind words and support. I welcome you all into our growing CPS family, and really it FEELS like a family! We are all breaking new ground together, rediscovering stereo and forever changing the way live music can truly entertain a crowd, without blowing their ears out.

[Aspen]

Here's a thought for Aspen. What if I picked up another Emminence and put it in an appropriate cab? For us handyman types is there a fairly simple DIY way to get an external speaker tap from the internal LF amp by drilling a hole in the back of the SS for a 1/4" plug? I think that simply adding a 2nd Emminence would do the trick for most needing just that little bit more oomph and you're not talking about lugging another 40-50 pound powered sub.

 

Bob, in a word; no. In a paragraph; the amp/speaker impedance issues are very complex and the system is balanced and perfectly tuned "as it is".

 

So, IMHO...a powered sub, or bass amp rolled off so as to act like a sub is the ONLY way to go.

 

Next time you come up to APR, you can try out that Behringer sub and trust me...you will love it!

 

Otherwise, I completely agree if by using a sub I can get considerably louder than I'm already am that would be too loud for me. Ear plugs for sure in that case. I completely understand how people who haven't experienced this amp yet can wonder about volume, I wondered the same. This thing kicks ass.

 

Bob

 

Thanks Bob, nicely put!

 

[Aspen]

So while I do have some stock, a small share, this is mostly for export sales (I need to convert to 230v for example

 

Does this mean that Sweetwater does not sell a 230V version ? ...is my only option to purchase directly from your company ?

FYI, every SS v.3 can be fairly easily converted by rewiring for 230v. And, you can "special order" a 230v system from SW, but it's a bit more complicated and takes some time to get one. I have converted a few for them (and happy to do so), BUT that needs to happen upon a production run delivery, which are usually sold out in advance. So next chance would be mid April.

 

Also, Sweetwater also only use Fedex exclusively to ship export, so international shipping is pretty expensive and prohibitive for most.

 

A&A has serviced most export customers so far, as we offer a few advantages; if we have one in stock, we can convert it and ship within a day. We also use USPS, which is on average is about 60% less than UPS or Fedex.

 

But as we grow, my goal is to have a "Sweetwater-esk" partner in every marketplace. FYI, we have just partnered with Thomann Musikhaus to service all of Europe. I think they are taking advance orders now. But our next production runs are sold out for the next few months, so their first deliveries will not likely arrive until late June.

 

We also have partnered Ikbeki stores in Japan, and are close to opening partners in Russia and Australia.ut again, probably the will not see stock until June, or after.

 

Eventually, we would like to service every country thru a dealer partner, but that is going to take some time to set up.

 

Meanwhile, and only while I have available stock on hand, I will continue to do my best to service the international markets directly from A&A, and keep the importation expenses at a minimum.

[spazzkey]

Well, I got mine on Tuesday - inspected and signed off on by Aspen no less - played around with it at home, comparing to my AI ten2 and bose L1/double bass - initially had my c2 running through the vent, then the sk1 through the vent and direct...

 

noticeably less low end than both the bose and the AI, which is no wonder... I don't play too loud at home, initially had the space station aimed back at me from in front of the c2, in the middle of the room - sounded fine, but not blown away by it... then I set up the sk1 and switched between the three amps - again some differences as to be expected, but it was not blowing me away...

 

last night took it to rehearsal with just the sk1... had it set up behind me, angled against a wall...

 

the organ (jim alfredson's tone wheel set) sounded killer - spacious, awesome!

 

still preferring the vent output over the sk1 sim into the spacestation fwiw... and the volume was plenty, enough to hurt my ears and send the bass player around the corner into the hallway... we're talking loud jam rock with drummer, strat/vox and bass... had to dial it back...

 

also used the sk1 wurly patch which I liked but was metallic - think I need to dial in the frequencies and side speaker, which were set at 3(highs/mids) and 2 (side)...

 

not sure if this has been addressed before - I need to be able to run my nord (for piano etc) into this as well - (with the AI ten2 I have two channels) - and I need a line out to FOH for both keyboards...

 

any suggestions on what brand/model (stereo, I presume) mixer might work best for this?

 

I've been a mono man all along, this stereo thing is new to me...

 

guess I am a little anxious about how to get this to work with both keyboards - the AI is comparably much easier to use with two channels, XLR line out, controls on front, making it very user friendly in regards to level/EQ adjustments on the fly - realizing now that I need another piece of gear and more cables...

 

the good news is that while the controls are on the back, the indicator lines on the knobs are raised, so I should be able to adjust by braille if necessary... specifically re Aspen's comments on differing highs/mids settings for B3 vs AP... which I'm not sure I am going to get into, the idea of going to the back of my amp/monitor between, let alone during songs does not appeal...

[jimkost2002]

Klaus, thanks for your detailed assesment!

Re: Mixers- you will never go wrong with a Mackie 802 VLZ4 --- or any Mackie Analog Mixer (NOT PRO FX-!!!!!!)

The 802 VLZ will be the best $199 you'll spend. Clean, quiet and lots of headroom. Built like a tank.

 

On another note, I just received my SSv3 on Wed but I've been working like a dog getting home past the time I can fire it up in my Bklyn apt. I'm itching to "get behind the wheel but I won't be able to hit it til next Wed after 3......

I will publish my "review" after then.

 

 

[TomKittel]

Klaus, thanks for your detailed assesment!

Re: Mixers- you will never go wrong with a Mackie 802 VLZ4 --- or any Mackie Analog Mixer (NOT PRO FX-!!!!!!)

The 802 VLZ will be the best $199 you'll spend. Clean, quiet and lots of headroom. Built like a tank.

 

I second the Mackie recommendation. With two keyboards the more compact Mackie 402 would also do the job. It offers three pairs of stereo inputs (including one tape input). Yamaha's MG series also offer good audio quality but are not as rugged as the small Mackies.

[rickp]

I second the Mackie 802VLZ4; mine is a several years old VLZ3 with nearly daily use, still works like new.

 

Will add that the flexibility of these mixers is extraordinary for the size and price. As an example, I run three keyboards into it (one is for bass and is mono), the two stereo keyboards go to FOH via the XLR outs and back to the SS3 via the 1/4 control room outs - so there are separate volume controls for the mains in each direction (can also use 1/4 main outs to the SS3, sans separate SS3 volume control, if you want to use the control room outs for recording). The bass keyboard channel is switched from the main outs to outputs 3/4 via a button on the channel strip (which can also be used as a mute button if you aren't tapping the 3/4 outs); bass goes to FOH via the TS/TRS output 3 (using a TRS 1/4 to XLR adapter to send via XLR cable)and back to a bass amp via the AUX 1 out, so you have separate volume controls for bass FOH via the channel's fader and to the amp via the aux knob (the mixer also has a master AUX 1 knob).

 

Since adding the SS3 (in place of 2 K8's) on top of the bass amp (GK MB210 for small venues or modest FOH/sub support), I wanted to use the bass amp to supplement the SS3 for the CP4's APs and a bit for the SK1 and so just eased a bit of aux 1 into those channels - but the EQ setup on bass channel and bass amp wasn't good for the stereo boards. But, running the SS3's sub-out into an open mixer channel allowed dialing in the right EQ to feed the stereo boards just a bit into the bass amp as supplement (using the channel strip's aux 1 knob only and leaving its master fader off).

 

All of that is a convoluted and rambling endorsement, I know, but I think it demonstrates the sort of options and versatility the 802VLZ4 offers in a $199 small tough footprint.

 

 

 

[rickp]

One other 802VLZ4 trick to use it as a stereo IEM amp as well as a FOH/SS3 stereo source:

 

Use the XLR main outs for FOH, use the 1/4 main outs to SS3, feed a stereo return monitor mix into a stereo mixer channel and hit that channel's 3/4 button to take that out of the main mix;

 

On the control room/headphone section of the mixer, choose to monitor the main 1/2 channels and also the 3/4 channels; you can then use the headphone jack to hear your keys AND stereo monitor return (mix the monitor feed vs. your keys via the monitor channel's fader, adjust mix volume via headphone volume knob).

 

 

[Jazzmammal]

...specifically re Aspen's comments on differing highs/mids settings for B3 vs AP... which I'm not sure I am going to get into, the idea of going to the back of my amp/monitor between, let alone during songs does not appeal...

 

Don't know about the Nord but the SK1 has an EQ section right on the board. It's nothing to turn down the hi freq when you switch patches from organ to piano on the SK.

 

Bob

[Aspen]

OK, chiming in again on this "mixer decision".

 

Yes, that Mackie 802 is a great solution, and a proven workhorse. And I highly recommend using a mixer w/ gain trim, and channel levels to balance your KB and get the right signal chain structure. The SS benefits from a good gain structure, so many guys who initially complained about some distortion eliminated that issue by adding a mixer (so the distortion was in the gain chain structure, not the SS)

 

All that said, IMHO for the same money (or even less), I'd go for the Mackie ProFX8. Or actually any similar stereo mixer with some form of built in stereo FX. I will explain that reasoning in a minute. It may add a bit of size to your set up, it's a few inches wider and deeper, but it may be well worth it for the additional options it offers.

 

Comparing just the "mixer features" between the 802VLZ4 ProFX8 we see they are basically about the same; same 3x stereo channels and mic/inst inputs inputs, with same EQ and signal path controls. So that's a "push".

 

However, the ProFX adds a master graphic EQ, albeit just an 8 channel. So IF you wanted to boost the overall LF on the SS v.3...this would work for that, or it could help tame an overly live room that was too "hot" in the upper mids. Rarely have I seen a room that couldn't benefit from some acoustical compensation.

 

But perhaps for me the most attractive feature the ProFX8 offers over the 802 is stereo FX! I admit I love most any stereo engine. And why not, I make the only live stereo transmission that actually works!

 

So why do I suggest adding stereo FX to a KB that has near perfect stereo modeling already? Actually, I do not. If you like your stereo patches, you can keep your stereo patches...no harm done here.

 

However, if you ever would use a mono KB, like a synth or early analog KB (Rhodes, Clav, Whirly) adding a touch of stereo Verb will really wake up the SS and give you a great new "width"...BTW, we usually we record them that way!

 

OK, so you don't use any of those, cool. But what about the KB player doing a single (or duo) who might have a vocalist sitting in, or an acoustic electric guitar player sitting in (or part of the group)? The SS v.3 is an amazing AE guitar amp and also sounds great for vocals. And having one point source for 2-3 instruments and voice really enhances your natural ability to "mix" your performances (all players hear the same mix balance). And again, having a touch of stereo FX on guitar or voice is wonderful. And heck, if you ever use a mic in these smaller venues, and want to leave the PA home, then YOUR voice will sound fuller, richer (Heck, everybody can use a bit of Talent Enhancement on their vocal).

 

Lastly, even if you are just doing KBs, adding a touch of Hall verb to your overall mix can liven up a really dead room, and give the Side speaker some "width" content to "bloom", right along with the stereo content of your KBs.

 

So how much more is the ProFX8 as compared to the 802? Actually, the ProFX8 is currently selling on the Sweetwater site for $20 LESS @ $179!

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ProFX8

 

But really most companies today are making mixers w/ builtin stereo FX. So if all mixing features being equal, I'd be glad to pay a bit extra to have that stereo FX option, for all of the above stated reasons.

[Polychrest]

For those who've used both, what's the best sonic placement for the SS if you're running it with a sub like the Behringer B1200D: stacked on top, on the floor beside it, leaning against a wall? Or is it room-dependent?

[rickp]

OK, chiming in again on this "mixer decision".

 

. . . IMHO for the same money (or even less), I'd go for the Mackie ProFX8.

 

Great description of the Mackie ProFX8 - one other great feature of that mixer, especially for the money, is USB record/streaming capabilities.

 

And, internal power supply is always a huge plus in a small mixer.

 

If I didn't need the extra output bus/channeling options for separate bass routing, I'd be on it.

 

 

[spazzkey]

thanks guys - very helpful information on the mixers - I can see I am well into and moving (getting sucked?) rapidly deeper into the vortex in my never-ending quest for the ultimate tone... with portability...

 

Jazzmammal - thanks for the reminder on my sk1 onboard eq...

[Raymb1]

Anyone know of a source for fuses for the SS? I've been to Home Depot, Radio Shack and Best Buy. They don't have that fuse. Thanks, Ray

[cphollis]

For those who've used both, what's the best sonic placement for the SS if you're running it with a sub like the Behringer B1200D: stacked on top, on the floor beside it, leaning against a wall? Or is it room-dependent?

 

My BD1200D just arrived, plus required cables. I'll have some playtime this weekend, and let y'all know what I find out. I'm guessing that stacking one on the other will be good enough, since I'm thinking about those teeny tiny stages I've started to play.

[rickp]

For those who've used both, what's the best sonic placement for the SS if you're running it with a sub like the Behringer B1200D: stacked on top, on the floor beside it, leaning against a wall? Or is it room-dependent?

 

. . . I'm guessing that stacking one on the other will be good enough, since I'm thinking about those teeny tiny stages I've started to play.

 

I seem to recall some discussion/affirmation waaaay back in this thread about supplemental speakers needing to be placed on the same vertical axis as the SS3's 8" main to not disrupt the atmospheric/sound wave disturbance the side speaker array creates to produce the stereo magic . . . and I may be waaaaay off on that. Stacking has worked well for me though.

 

 

[endlessummerkeys]

Ha good one!! Yes there was FOH but a VERY large stage and that was my point. Sounded great. Sorry for the confusion. Not sure about empty seats, but probably like most other gigs.

[JoeToGo]

As one who recently switched from guitar to keyboards, I found this thread while looking for advice on amplification. The fact that one commenter's signature says the only thing he'd put through a Roland KC is a chainsaw definitely caught my attention, since I was using two of them. After reading through most of the then 56 pages [yes I did!], I sold my KCs, convinced that the SS was the ONLY real choice. When it arrived on Wednesday, not even work could keep me from trying it out.

 

Now, I'm new to all this running-several-boards business, so I could do with some sensible advice.

 

Running thru the Yamaha MG60X mixer that someone else here used, I immediately found that the lefthand side of my Korg CX-3 alarmingly blatted out the SS's woofer at anything over a small volume. *Loud* was out of the question -- and I don't mean garage-band-loud; I mean above conversation level. This was partly because I was applying about +5db +to the low EQ on the mixer, to reproduce the fullness of the KC60s I used previously. Flatting out the mixer EQ gave me more room, but still not as loud as the KC60s on half-volume.

 

I was surprised the bass gave up so quickly. At present I play in two bands: one a trio w/ drumbox & acoustic guitar -- no challenge, volumewise. The other is a rock band a la the Stones. I don't do anything like lefthand bass in either band, but those low notes should have some presence when played. The SS sounds great in the quiet trio, but I'd be afraid to touch the left side of the CX-3 in that louder band.

 

This may sound like I'm complaining about the SpaceStation. I'm not -- it's a fine device, and I expect to get some eyeballs as soon as I find an excuse to bring it into church. But it seems there might be something I'm not doing right, when all you much more experienced players don't seem to be having these problems. Yes, obviously I can get a subwoofer -- I'm thinking the GK MB115 or MB210 -- but a big part of the SS appeal was *less weight*; carrying two amps was something I was trying to avoid.

 

On the other hand, if I must: I don't know anything about the sub out, and the Sweetwater page doesn't give any details. I assume it's line level, but does the sub only get certain frequencies, or the whole range? Can the sub out be used to send the mix to a PA? And what is the best way to combine the SS with a PA? I had thought to use the SS as the PA by itself for the acoustic band, but now I'm fearful of putting a drumbox through a speaker which was overwhelmed by the CX-3 .... if there's something I'm overlooking, I'd love to hear. Already I can see that a larger mixing board would be necessary (stereo instruments take up channels in a hurry!).

 

All advice is greatly appreciated. And I also wish to say I'm glad Aspen got through his chemo/halftime experience, and dedicated himself to great equipment like CPS -- it's an inspiring story that I'm glad to support. I look forward to being as delighted with my SS as everyone else is.

[theGman]

Ray, I ordered some fuses off Amazon. I couldn't find them locally either.

 

I was going to see if they were indeed the right size, but I didn't locate the fuse holder. I was at work in my showroom at the time, so I didn't have time to find out where they went.

 

I thought someone said they were behind the on/off switch, and I didn't have time to disassemble this area, so I figure I'll look some other time.

 

I know someone posed something on this thread, but it is so very long, I didn't have time to look over 58 pages!

 

Paul

[esfusion]

So here's a question. If I pan a number of mono sources (voice, bass, horns, guitar) across both channels of my mixer and blend them in the stereo out, does the SS send any content to the secondary speaker? Or, because there is no "difference" in the sound sources does it just sum all of the mono sources through the front speaker?

[Raymb1]

It's right next to the on/off switch. Easy to take out. I just found out that another Radio Shack in my area may have those fuses. Thanks, Ray

[jimkost2002]

I had a chance to boot up the SSv3 for the first time this afternoon with my Nord Electro 4........

 

My first impression is simply

 

WOW!!!!!

Aspen, you are a genius, sir!

In almost 30 years of professional playing, I have NEVER heard anything sound this good. I cried tears of joy (inwardly).

I haven't even tried the sub 37 with stereo delay yet!

More to come on Wed.

[timwat]

Received mine this week, tonight was first time to gig it.

 

Primary complaint: Sweetwater does not ship the correct mix of candy I prefer. I only got two Bit 'O Honeys, and too many red spiral mints and jawbreakers.

 

Other than that: home experience. The Space Station is small, but hefty. That 40 lbs. is all of 40 lbs. It benefits greatly to my ears by sitting on one of my Ampwedges. The "width" control is really significant and can drastically alter the sound - upper MR, presence and timbre - not just "stereo width". Adjusted in very small increments to fiddle, ended up just a smidgen off 12 o'clock. The MR adjustment also changes the sound a lot, but I don't hear much difference with the HF thing.

 

AP on the CP4 is SOOO much better on the SS v3 than on two DXRs. Sound is warmer, woodier, and far more even, balanced response from tip to tail. Really a joy to play piano sounds now. It also helps a lot (in my living room) to place the side speaker firing close proximity to a wall or closet door. Also, dial up a Rhodes tremolo patch (stereo panning) and it's a revelation. Balanced, loads of depth, yet you can still play single line solos and the line remains intelligible and musical (rather than just a useless panned effect).

 

First gig report:

 

CP4 direct to SSv3 in sextet, acoustic jazz. I put it in the rear corner so the side speaker could bounce off the rear brick wall. AP is warm, distinct and blooms in my ears. I ended up disabling the reverb on the second tune, and it holds together in the room dry a lot better. Drummer on other side of stage reported he could hear me clearly without struggling, even though my perceived volume had me fearing I was too playing at a too conservative volume. Steel drum patch on Duke's "Limbo Jazz" was really warm and nuanced - not "gimmicky".

 

All to say first gig was very, very encouraging. I need to gig it in all my varied contexts (electric jazz quartet, 10-piece funk band with the Kronos / Wave rig, etc.) but I can confirm all the glowing reports already in this long 58-page thread.

 

Also, I never felt the need (in this context) for a bass amp or subwoofer. While I may feel differently in another context, right now I doubt it. But that's just me. Because of my dread about schlep factor, if I have to add something for more LF support, it will probably be a GK MB 110 combo bass amp. Check the specs, you'll see why - 100W into a 10" speaker, only 20lbs. I don't think for my use I'd every need anything more.

 

Now, I broke my vow not to buy any new gear in 2015. This exception was definitely worth it.

 

If someone would just send me a huge bag of Bit 'O Honeys.

 

 

[Aspen]

So here's a question. If I pan a number of mono sources (voice, bass, horns, guitar) across both channels of my mixer and blend them in the stereo out, does the SS send any content to the secondary speaker? Or, because there is no "difference" in the sound sources does it just sum all of the mono sources through the front speaker?

 

If there is no stereo L&R signal, then a mono source will only be audible thru the Front speaker.

 

However, if your mixer has built in stereo FX try adding a bit of Hall Reverb, then the side speaker will come alive and really add dimension to your overall mix...you will like it!

 

And if you do not have built in stereo FX, try adding them thru your mixer's aux send/return...these 1RU units are plentiful and inexpensive on Craigs List.

[Danny Linguini]

AP on the CP4 is SOOO much better on the SS v3 than on two DXRs. Sound is warmer, woodier, and far more even, balanced response from tip to tail. Really a joy to play piano sounds now. It also helps a lot (in my living room) to place the side speaker firing close proximity to a wall or closet door. Also, dial up a Rhodes tremolo patch (stereo panning) and it's a revelation. Balanced, loads of depth, yet you can still play single line solos and the line remains intelligible and musical (rather than just a useless panned effect).

...

 

Also, I never felt the need (in this context) for a bass amp or subwoofer. While I may feel differently in another context, right now I doubt it. But that's just me. Because of my dread about schlep factor, if I have to add something for more LF support, it will probably be a GK MB 110 combo bass amp. Check the specs, you'll see why - 100W into a 10" speaker, only 20lbs. I don't think for my use I'd every need anything more.

 

Ahhh -- this is exactly the kind of first-hand impression I was looking for. Two questions regarding your CP4's AP -- did you use stereo or mono piano programs? And, you noted that the sound is 'warmer and woodier -- but does the brightness of the CFX manage to sparkle through? That's my biggest complaint using the ZLX -- no brightness at all, just dull notes, and trying to EQ it in makes it sound even more artificial. I've noted in another thread that I'm having much better luck with that through the pair of B210D's, but of course good enough is never good enough.

[MoodyBluesKeys]

OT comment:

 

If someone would just send me a huge bag of Bit 'O Honeys.

Do a search, you can buy BitOHoney candy in 5 lb lots for about $20 (or 30 lb lots). 5 lb is about 450 individual pieces.

 

I loves me some BitOHoney, looking at a jar with about 4 lb in it right now.

[ADino]

Received mine this week, tonight was first time to gig it.

 

Primary complaint: Sweetwater does not ship the correct mix of candy I prefer. I only got two Bit 'O Honeys, and too many red spiral mints and jawbreakers.

 

Other than that: home experience. The Space Station is small, but hefty. That 40 lbs. is all of 40 lbs. It benefits greatly to my ears by sitting on one of my Ampwedges. The "width" control is really significant and can drastically alter the sound - upper MR, presence and timbre - not just "stereo width". Adjusted in very small increments to fiddle, ended up just a smidgen off 12 o'clock. The MR adjustment also changes the sound a lot, but I don't hear much difference with the HF thing.

 

AP on the CP4 is SOOO much better on the SS v3 than on two DXRs. Sound is warmer, woodier, and far more even, balanced response from tip to tail. Really a joy to play piano sounds now. It also helps a lot (in my living room) to place the side speaker firing close proximity to a wall or closet door. Also, dial up a Rhodes tremolo patch (stereo panning) and it's a revelation. Balanced, loads of depth, yet you can still play single line solos and the line remains intelligible and musical (rather than just a useless panned effect).

 

First gig report:

 

CP4 direct to SSv3 in sextet, acoustic jazz. I put it in the rear corner so the side speaker could bounce off the rear brick wall. AP is warm, distinct and blooms in my ears. I ended up disabling the reverb on the second tune, and it holds together in the room dry a lot better. Drummer on other side of stage reported he could hear me clearly without struggling, even though my perceived volume had me fearing I was too playing at a too conservative volume. Steel drum patch on Duke's "Limbo Jazz" was really warm and nuanced - not "gimmicky".

 

All to say first gig was very, very encouraging. I need to gig it in all my varied contexts (electric jazz quartet, 10-piece funk band with the Kronos / Wave rig, etc.) but I can confirm all the glowing reports already in this long 58-page thread.

 

Also, I never felt the need (in this context) for a bass amp or subwoofer. While I may feel differently in another context, right now I doubt it. But that's just me. Because of my dread about schlep factor, if I have to add something for more LF support, it will probably be a GK MB 110 combo bass amp. Check the specs, you'll see why - 100W into a 10" speaker, only 20lbs. I don't think for my use I'd every need anything more.

 

Now, I broke my vow not to buy any new gear in 2015. This exception was definitely worth it.

 

If someone would just send me a huge bag of Bit 'O Honeys.

 

 

Great review Tim..I ordered one thursday. For me,ordering something w/out getting to try it first, your review made me feel better about my decision. My gigs r all trio's to sextets and many include a vox. Thanks, nice review.

[rickzjamm]

Nothing I can say that hasn't been said in depth already, but when my SS arrived this week I spent hours in aural bliss... this unit is a game changer. As Timwat said you need to go dry (or very little wetness ) on the APs for a more authentic sound but the EP spoke to me like never before. I used it for fake book chugging on a small single gig with my PX-5S then last night cover music at a huge birthday bash with my RD800... some massaging is required for the venues but the SS responds like a champ, definitely overjoyed.

Thanks Aspen, your name will definitely be among the Mount Rushmore of creative innovators in the history of music (and thanks Timwat for your avatar).