Heads-up: SpaceStation keyboard amp is apparently back

[HAMEGZ]

A real Leslie speaker system is, uh, mono.... but you hear the sound all around, just like an SS3 produces its effect.

 

The stereo Leslie comes from recordings where there are two 180 degree mics on the horn..

[HammondDave]

A real Leslie speaker system is, uh, mono.... but you hear the sound all around, just like an SS3 produces its effect.

 

The stereo Leslie comes from recordings where there are two 180 degree mics on the horn..

 

That's a little misleading. A real Leslie speaker uses sound reflections from a spinning horn and drum. The direction of the sound waves are continually changing, and creating massive changes in sound reflections in a room, as well as direct sound to the ear. Add a second Leslie and you have reached Nirvana.

 

The SS3 seems to trick the ear into hearing a more "spacious" sound through routing some information through a side speaker. Throwing it out of phase tricks the ear into hearing that 3D sound.

 

I would bet that if you had a real Leslie speaker in the same room as an SS3, and A/B'd the signal to each one separately (and using a Vent for the SS3) you would hear two totally different sounding effects,

[Jazzmammal]

You're right of course Dave. With all the gushing about the SS (a lot of it from me), it won't compare to a real Leslie. #2 would be me sitting in the sweet spot of a good pair of powered speakers (but the audience doesn't hear that great stereo) and 3rd is the SS. What makes the SS so great is it's size and the effect but it's still a compromise. If it was available 30 years ago I probably wouldn't have cared because in those days I had a van and carried all that stuff around because that was the sound you had to have. That's what everybody did and that was it. In fact now that I just wrote that I know for a fact if someone put the new SS on stage next to my hotrodded leslie and took the tap from my chopped B3 and plugged it in I would have yawned and said yeah, so? What's that piece of crap supposed to do for me on organ? It would have sounded good with my Rhodes though.

 

Now, it's a different era, different gigs and I'm definitely not hauling literally a half ton of stuff around in a full size van.

That makes the SS the greatest thing since sliced bread for what I need now.

 

Bob

[Tombsalley]

I can only speak from my experience and use of the SS.

Love it for the mere fact that it covers a lot of ground in a small package.

I am not a keyboard player. I've played keys for some of my own recording

But, I am more of a singer and guitar player.

For my use, it fits the bill. It doesn't replace a perfectly set

Of speakers panned hard left and right.but, you can't get this in a live

Situation. At east not for everyone. With the SS I can get

An even dispersion of left and right information Much Better

Than a typical mono system. It is more or less stereo omni to me.

It works as a small pa and covers monitoring so far.

Time will tell.

But so far so good!

[HammondDave]

You're right of course Dave. With all the gushing about the SS (a lot of it from me), it won't compare to a real Leslie. #2 would be me sitting in the sweet spot of a good pair of powered speakers (but the audience doesn't hear that great stereo) and 3rd is the SS. What makes the SS so great is it's size and the effect but it's still a compromise. If it was available 30 years ago I probably wouldn't have cared because in those days I had a van and carried all that stuff around because that was the sound you had to have. That's what everybody did and that was it. In fact now that I just wrote that I know for a fact if someone put the new SS on stage next to my hotrodded leslie and took the tap from my chopped B3 and plugged it in I would have yawned and said yeah, so? What's that piece of crap supposed to do for me on organ? It would have sounded good with my Rhodes though.

 

Now, it's a different era, different gigs and I'm definitely not hauling literally a half ton of stuff around in a full size van.

That makes the SS the greatest thing since sliced bread for what I need now.

 

Bob

 

Here is to all the Hammond players who used to (and some still do) lug hundreds of pounds of organs and Leslie's to and from gigs. I am going to start a new thread about this called "How Much Weight Have You Lugged Around?"

[Tombsalley]

God bless ya! Are you insured? Obama care at the minimum?

I guess if it pays and it makes you happy then it's worth it!

And I'm very sure the listener appreciates it.

I for one, am never satisfied. So, you have my envy.

Go with what works.it is a proven product also.

Aspen has something special to offer also.

It's just a matter of what you like. And I'm liking what

He has made us. No, it's not a Leslie. But,it gives enough

Of that kind of magic in a bit smaller frame. A magic of it's own.

And that is what this thred is about.

So, a new thred makes perfect sense for your admiration

Of your devices. Certainly would be warranted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cphollis]

Yet another gig report. Stop me if you've heard this before ...

 

Outdoors festival, maybe 300 people, only vocals through the FOH, the rest was stage sound. My homeboy Grateful Dead cover band, me playing APs, EPs, and big B3/leslie sounds. SSv3 on top of the B1200-D set back in the corner of the stage. Width dialed way up. A bit of boost on the highs, that's about it.

 

A small blessing, the stage was big enough to put it 3-4 feet away from my ears, so I had enough "bloom" to hear. I was worried that I didn't have enough volume, but my spies said "we can hear every note you play perfectly" and they were maybe 100 yards from the stage. Part of that is that I've "sweetened" all my voices for the SSv3, so they come across distinct and crisp.

 

One of the songs we do is Gimme Some Lovin (as the Dead did cover it), and I really cranked the grinding leslie effects. Also did some dirty organ on New Minglewood Blues. Huge, swirly sound. Plenty of volume. Blew some people away, I did.

 

One guy came up during the break and asked "what the heck are you playing through?". He was a keyboard player in an earlier life, and couldn't believe the sound I was getting. So I ran him through it ...

 

Another older guitar war horse from many bands came up during another break, and complemented how I wasn't competing with the guitars -- I was creating color, fill and rhythm in a totally complementary space. He also wanted a tour ...

 

There were times where it was appropriate to get loud: guitars, drums, etc. More than enough clean volume to be heard, even dominate if I wanted to.

 

So much easier (and more even sound) than my previous approach with self-powered PA speakers on poles set back on the stage. This won't be a surprise to any of the SSv3 owners, though. The SSv3 and B1200-D fit nicely on my fold-up mini hand truck, so schlepping wasn't bad at all.

 

Not that any of you need more convincing

[Aspen]

A real Leslie speaker system is, uh, mono.... but you hear the sound all around, just like an SS3 produces its effect.

 

The stereo Leslie comes from recordings where there are two 180 degree mics on the horn..

 

That's a little misleading. A real Leslie speaker uses sound reflections from a spinning horn and drum. The direction of the sound waves are continually changing, and creating massive changes in sound reflections in a room, as well as direct sound to the ear. Add a second Leslie and you have reached Nirvana...

 

...I would bet that if you had a real Leslie speaker in the same room as an SS3, and A/B'd the signal to each one separately (and using a Vent for the SS3) you would hear two totally different sounding effects,

 

Great discussion, reminds me of that old Certs commercial where the VO finally says "stop, you're BOTH right...it's two mints in one!"

 

Of course technically "speaking" (pun intended) a Leslie IS mono, but in reality it is MORE than stereo because it creates a Left and Right "speaker position", AND a Front to Back "speaker position" as well!

 

Speaking as a man who owns and loves both The Real Thang and the Simulated Thang w/ a SS3, and keeps them in the same room, I would take that bet Dave; IMHO, I don't think a good Leslie sim played thru a SS3 w/ sub, and my vintage Leslie 122 sound "totally different". In fact I believe they sound quite "similar"...and many here who actually OWN a SS3, and say a Vent or a Hammond SK1, might agree.

 

Of course that A100+122 is a magic sound. I also make a (meager) living recording my Hammond A100 + Leslie 122 in stereo thru tube mics and tube preamps which help enhance them, and my clients are pretty happy with my "stereo" results. This process is of course how the great Leslie sims are created...by a great stereo recording or stereo sample of the Real Thing.

 

But in order to HEAR that stereo recording of the Real Thing (or a Leslie Sim of same) you either need a good pair of headphones, or a chair placed in a perfect position b/w two good monitors...and that's just not practical for live performers. So a real Leslie had always beat a Sim played thru a "louder" pair of PA speakers, at least as far as the bandmates and audience were concerned. So, THAT is the problem that Center Point Stereo solved. And, those who own one already it know it works nearly as well as the Real Thing, and in some applications maybe even better!

 

For example, a CPS system can project it's 3D image all over the room, and even travel thru doorways and into adjacent rooms. A real Leslie can't do that.

 

Of course, size matters,and our little 8" coax will not produce the sub 100Hz LF sounds a Leslie 15" woofer will in close proximity. But add that B1200 sub and we'll out perform the Leslie for LF boom every time. The Leslie 1" horn is actually very nearly the same as our 1" MF coax horn component...so in that range we offer as much, if not MORE SPL. And while I love that tube powered 50 watt Leslie amp, the SS3's four sweet sounding dynamically deep Class D switching amps combining for 280 watts are actually louder than TWO Leslie 122 speakers...I've done the measurements!

 

So Dave, as you live in LA, feel free to stop by APR studios sometime and compare them for yourself. I think you'll find they are not "totally different". And you won't have to lug your Hammond and Leslies up here, you can borrow mine!

 

[HAMEGZ]

Dave I was referencing "mono" in that a Leslie, for example my 147, has a single channel mono tube amp into a crossover.

 

Now however, thats where it ends, yes you are correct, the magic is the rotating woofer and horns that fill the room with sound.

 

The SS3 is indeed different in that it starts with a stereo source and does the M/S thing.

 

 

Vents, internal rotary sims, and others "attempt" to create the swirl(for lack of a better word in my brain) through among other settings, a Left and Right output(in addition to the crossover, eq, etc)

 

Maybe we are getting too hung up on the stereo word???

Why was stereo invented, according to WIKI:

 

Stereophonic sound or, more commonly, stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that creates an illusion of directionality and audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two or more independent audio channels through a configuration of two or more loudspeakers (or stereo headphones) in such a way as to create the impression of sound heard from various directions, as in natural hearing.[

 

I think the SS does that(yes with two audio channels)

 

Now as far as the Leslie, how many people know why the Leslie speaker was developed?

 

Leslie worked as a radio service engineer at Barker Brothers Department Store in Los Angeles, which sold and repaired Hammond organs.[2] He bought one in 1937, hoping it would be a suitable substitute for a pipe organ. He was disappointed, however, with the sound in his home compared to the large showroom where he originally heard it. Consequently, he attempted to design a speaker to overcome this. He initially tried making a cabinet similar to Hammond's, but soon concluded that pipe organs produced a spacially varied sound because of the different location of each pipe. He set out to emulate this by making a moving speaker. He tried various combinations of speakers and speeds, and discovered that a single one running at what's now known as the "tremolo" speed worked best. After further experimentation, he decided that splitting the signal into a rotating drum and horn helped accentuate bass and treble frequencies.[3]

 

So he was trying to emulate a pipe organ sound, albeit filling a space with sound.

 

Nothing, as Dave and Aspen say, will replace a real Leslie, my MS 145 is a mechanical rotating system, but it cannot touch the 147 as far as audio sweetness.

 

BUT, my SK2 even with its internal SIM sounds better the the SS than just my K10 or two channels of "stereo"

 

If I had roadies and was in a big band, you bet I would have the real things, but I am my own tech/road guy and lifting Leslies and my AV is a memory.

[Al Coda]

Why was stereo invented, according to WIKI:

 

Stereophonic sound or, more commonly, stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that creates an illusion of directionality and audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two or more independent audio channels through a configuration of two or more loudspeakers (or stereo headphones) in such a way as to create the impression of sound heard from various directions, as in natural hearing.

 

I think the SS does that(yes with two audio channels)

 

Up to now I don´t know how the SSv3 really sounds because it´s not available in my country.

I´m waiting for it will be @Thomann though ...

 

Stereo:

Ideally, a quality stereo system uses 2 identical speakers.

 

This is what SSv3 doesn´t !

 

My guess:

 

a)

most bandwidth comes from the tri-amped front of the cab

 

b)

consequently the single amp powered smaller full range side speaker produces a different sound image than the front-array and that´s not only the difference of L+R and L-R, there must be a difference in frequency range and SPL/loudness too.

 

Now I wonder if it would be an improvement when there were TWO identical tri-amped LS arrays, one for the L+R and the other for the L-R, or,- whether the difference in frequency range is intentional and required to get the effect the SSv3 produces.

 

A.C.

[cphollis]

A strange but pleasant anomaly just surfaced.

 

Living room recording gig, sound guy only had one (!) open channel for keys, so I mixed everything to the SSv3, and handed him the "sub out" L+R summed 1/4" output. I use quotes as it's really a full range output.

 

I was sure that the leslie sims and other stereo effects would get collapsed into flat nothingness using this approach.

 

Just heard the rough mix, and it's pretty impressive for entry-level recording. All the faux stereo effects are there bigtime, especially the leslie. Completely counter-intuitive to my understanding of things, but there it is.

 

Based on this experience, I have no reservations around handing a single mono output from the back of the SSv3 to the sound guy at larger gigs. It's all there.

[drawback]

Did you do any piano on that session?

 

 

[cphollis]

Did you do any piano on that session?

 

Yep, mostly AP and EPs, with a side of B3.

[jimkost2002]

Awesome to hear that news cphollis!

On an unrelated note, this thread is fast approaching 100 pages!!!!

Woo hoo!!!!!

[mynameisdanno]

Anybody in Seattle own one of these?

[Joe Muscara]

Anybody in Seattle own one of these?

Maybe someone has offered in this thread?

[mynameisdanno]

Thanks Joe, missed that one!

[klezman]

Used it standalone at my Gospel gig. Finally, the cleanliness I've been looking for. Plenty of power when working with bass and drums compared to the K10 and so much better sounding. Finally hear the stereo chorus on my Rhodes patches and the MainStage B3 lost some of its shrillness. Overall, the first amp I've been happy with in years.

[SpPiano]

I just had a blast using my SS3 and the behringer sub for an organ trio using VB3. This was my first gig playing left hand bass the whole night with this setup and it sounded amazing. We played jazz at a fairly quiet level, but it was in a pretty big hall. I was able to bring the SS3 and the sub in on one little cart, so my setup was incredibly easy.

[JeffLearman]

A strange but pleasant anomaly just surfaced.

 

Living room recording gig, sound guy only had one (!) open channel for keys, so I mixed everything to the SSv3, and handed him the "sub out" L+R summed 1/4" output. I use quotes as it's really a full range output.

 

I was sure that the leslie sims and other stereo effects would get collapsed into flat nothingness using this approach.

 

Just heard the rough mix, and it's pretty impressive for entry-level recording. All the faux stereo effects are there bigtime, especially the leslie. Completely counter-intuitive to my understanding of things, but there it is.

 

Based on this experience, I have no reservations around handing a single mono output from the back of the SSv3 to the sound guy at larger gigs. It's all there.

My guess: vocals or other instruments were miked and mixed in, not panned center. SS3 bleed into these mics provided enough spatial cues for your brain. If I'm right, if you listened to the keys track solo, it's sound that dead mono you feared.

 

There's nothing magic about the sub-out jack; it's the same signal being fed to the volume-tone-control preamp feeding the front-facing feature (Aspen, please correct me if I'm wrong). The magic was what happened in the room thanks to the side speaker bleeding into mics, along with someone doing a good job mixing the tracks.

 

The sub-out jack is a nice convenience. It shouldn't be any different than sending your own summed mono output to FOH, in terms of results. Just less hassle.

[cedar]

I just had my first rehearsal with the SS3 (for an organ trio gig). I played bass lines on my Yamaha CP4 and otherwise spent the entire time playing a Hammond xk1C. Aware of people's comments about placing the SS3 a little distance away, I positioned it about 6 feet away to my left, and slightly behind me.

 

Before rehearsing, I walked around while my daughter played the keyboards. Standing 20 feet away, it did seem that the overall volume was louder than when I was sitting at the keyboard myself.

 

The drummer in the trio is a bit loud but the guitarist is quite soft. From my position at the keyboard, I certainly had plenty of volume, but I was turned up more than I expected would be necessary for a trio in my living room. I think that the level (on the front speaker) was set somewhere in the middle (which was similar to the setting for each keyboard on the mixer as well the levels on the keyboards themnselves). It kind of made me wonder how loud this unit actually will get, when I eventually need it for other groups. This is my first time using a small mixer, so maybe I should simply have turned up the levels on the mixer?

 

As for the actual tone, the acoustic bass patch on the CP4 and the B3 sound on the Hammond both sounded pretty great to me. But I did not get a chance to experiment with the left/right settings. (I think I kept it at about 12-1). IN the future, I think I might turn up that dial.

[Aspen]

Living room recording gig, sound guy only had one (!) open channel for keys, so I mixed everything to the SSv3, and handed him the "sub out" L+R summed 1/4" output... I was sure that the leslie sims and other stereo effects would get collapsed into flat nothingness using this approach.

 

Just heard the rough mix, and it's pretty impressive for entry-level recording. All the faux stereo effects are there bigtime, especially the leslie. Completely counter-intuitive to my understanding of things, but there it is.

 

Based on this experience, I have no reservations around handing a single mono output from the back of the SSv3 to the sound guy at larger gigs. It's all there.

 

My guess: vocals or other instruments were miked and mixed in, not panned center. SS3 bleed into these mics provided enough spatial cues for your brain. If I'm right, if you listened to the keys track solo, it's sound that dead mono you feared.

 

There's nothing magic about the sub-out jack; it's the same signal being fed to the volume-tone-control preamp feeding the front-facing feature (Aspen, please correct me if I'm wrong). The magic was what happened in the room thanks to the side speaker bleeding into mics, along with someone doing a good job mixing the tracks.

 

No correction needed here, you make a GREAT guess and also an excellent point IF there were open mics in the room and IF there was KB monitoring sound in the room, and therefore the CPS effect would be "in the mix" via the open mics. That can sound very good, as some of you who've done a live recording of the SS3 have discovered. If it sounds good in the room, it may sound even better on the recording. Of course the room and mic technique is paramount, but the SS3's 3D Omni feature will gently "backfill" any live room recording.

 

Brings to mind a live recording we did at APR for a solo artist, Constance Demby...call her alternative everything!

 

She writes and performs "healing music" and brought room full of her fans for this marathon live recording session (2 hours non-stop). She plays 2 Kurzweils, a Roland AP Board, a hammered dulcimer, a massive "Space Bass" of her own making (8' across, 4' high...hard to describe) and she sings as she moves between these instruments. Hypnotic Chakra stimulation abounding, hard to describe really, but everyone felt REALLY good afterwards.

 

We had 6 open GT condenser mics in the room for the vocal and acoustic instruments (4 on the Space bass, her primary instrument), and took all the KB direct. Every track went thru one of my GT tube mic preamps. But we needed to do a live mix for the 25 or so in the audience so we played this back in the room (in stereo of course!) using THREE SS MK2.3 amps (placed far front, far back, and one overhead). It's a big (nicely balanced) tracking room and we wanted even coverage at very low levels because of the many open condenser mics...which stayed "open" thru out the performance (we never knew where she'd be playing).

 

So we were kinda "reamping stereo" live in the room...and we figured we could always edit out any of the open mics during the mixing stage...but we didn't need to, because it sounded amazing! Of course we HAD the dry DI KB sends, but we used BOTH that plus the open mics which heard the KBs in the room filling experience of three Sapcestations (albeit it back then they were MK2.3 versions, before I finished the V.3). (yet another case for multiple spaced SS...?)

 

She said it was by far the best live sound she had ever heard, and said the same for the recordings. That's saying something because this lady has 20+ CDs recorded live and in studio around the world in over 30 years, and she is way beyond "picky" about her sound (as are we, I might add).

 

So here's a CPS "thought for the day"; next time you track your KB in a studio session, run a SS3 in the room with you and try placing a few open mics around in the room, or better a stereo pair as room mics and/or an overhead stereo pair. Track this in addition to your usual direct feed to the mixing board (tube preamps optional...but highly recommended). Then listen to the playback direct PLUS that stereo room feed. I think you will be impressed as we were, and if not then no harm done...just use the DI track.

 

You know, tracking electric guitar is often done with direct and several room mics in addition to a SM57 on the speaker cone. This common technique gives that guitar track added dimension. So this is much the same thing I am suggesting for KB tracking.

 

And BTW, much like reampin' a guitar track thru another amp/room after the fact...another common trick these days...you can do the same w/ your KB DI tracks. Just play your ABR (after been recorded) KB track back thru a SS3 in the same manner described above to add dimension...then mix them together and see what happens.

 

We did something like that for David Morgan's EP track on "This Side of the Dirt", where he plays a EP patch on a Casio thru a ViPRE tube pre, after which we then reamped that thru a (real) tube Leslie 145 and stereo tracked that cab thru 3 mics and tube preamps in our big APR room, very lush...hear a sample here, it's track #10: http://chamberlaintripp.com/albums/outsider-by-choice/

 

Frankly, I never intended the SS3 to be a KB recording studio tool. Recording KB direct today usually sounds just great...so why bother? But sometimes great tracks just "happen" by accident, and in this case with Demby, it was a wonderful CPS accident!

[Aspen]

I just had my first rehearsal with the SS3 (for an organ trio gig)....This is my first time using a small mixer, so maybe I should simply have turned up the levels on the mixer

 

If I could offer a quick tip; one of the main advantages of using a mixer is getting a proper signal chain flow. So, here's "set up" method I recommend for optimum SN ratio and to avoid over driving the SS3.

 

Start with all levels down. Then set your KB at 3/4+ to full output and play something hard (or set it on auto play). Next, bring up the mixer's pre-Gain trim level until you see that channel's Red LED "clipping" light flashing, then back it off a few clicks (you do not want to see that Red light again, so be careful not to crank you KB much higher in performance). This insures your are getting the right level to the mixer preamp stage, but not over driving it to distortion.

 

Then set you KB channel to "unity" on your channel fader level. This is usually about 3/4 of the way up and often denoted by a "00", "0dB" or a sideways "Figure 8".

 

Then set all the rest of your channels in the same manner. This insures your various sources arrive to the various preamp channels at roughly the same srength, and are "clean". Later, you can balance your various sources from this "unity" channel fader position.

 

Now bring up your mixer's master output levels until you see those Master Green LED signal VU Metering lights start to jump up...maybe bring these up to about half way. That will maximize your mixer's SN ratio (Signal to Noise) and insure you have a good balanced mix with a strong signal to feed the SS3, but also with no distortion either.

 

LAST, set your SS3 LEVEL to the desired volume for the venue and performance. You may find that to be well below 12 o'clock, don't worry, use your ears (and your bandmates ears) to judge the sound level. And as mentioned many times...back away from the SS3 and get off axis. This gives it "room to bloom".

 

Now, if after this set up you find you're running the Master Level well above 3 o'clock and starting to hear distortion on ALL patches...then you have hit the limit...and need either a powered sub or another larger/louder solution for your gig.

 

I recommend starting all the other levels (Width, MF and HF) around 12 o'clock, then "season to taste". But IMHO, you should never need to raise the Width OR the Side levels beyond 3 o'clock.

 

I also remind all early SS3 adopters and/or first time viewers here that we have a pretty good FAQ section at our CPS site: http://www.centerpointstereo.com/faq.php

 

[cphollis]

A strange but pleasant anomaly just surfaced.

 

Living room recording gig, sound guy only had one (!) open channel for keys, so I mixed everything to the SSv3, and handed him the "sub out" L+R summed 1/4" output. I use quotes as it's really a full range output.

 

I was sure that the leslie sims and other stereo effects would get collapsed into flat nothingness using this approach.

 

Just heard the rough mix, and it's pretty impressive for entry-level recording. All the faux stereo effects are there bigtime, especially the leslie. Completely counter-intuitive to my understanding of things, but there it is.

 

Based on this experience, I have no reservations around handing a single mono output from the back of the SSv3 to the sound guy at larger gigs. It's all there.

My guess: vocals or other instruments were miked and mixed in, not panned center. SS3 bleed into these mics provided enough spatial cues for your brain. If I'm right, if you listened to the keys track solo, it's sound that dead mono you feared.

 

There's nothing magic about the sub-out jack; it's the same signal being fed to the volume-tone-control preamp feeding the front-facing feature (Aspen, please correct me if I'm wrong). The magic was what happened in the room thanks to the side speaker bleeding into mics, along with someone doing a good job mixing the tracks.

 

The sub-out jack is a nice convenience. It shouldn't be any different than sending your own summed mono output to FOH, in terms of results. Just less hassle.

 

Now that I think about it, you're probably right. Plenty of mic bleed in the room, so there you have it.

[SK]

The SS3 arrived last week. So much has been said, this review will be brief.

 

For digital AP sound, it exceeds my expectations. This thing puts the sound in the air the way acoustic instruments do - the missing link in sound systems until now. The natural sounding dispersion makes your brain believe the instrument is real.... 3 dimensional and solid, topping off good sound quality with a vital touch of realism.

 

Whats been said about the sound being heard evenly/clearly around the room is true. The video and audio demos are only proof of adequate volume level, but you cant gauge the realism from the demos.

 

The small SS3 has a lot of volume. You get to give the audience the sound you want them to hear, and then you can hear exactly what they hear. So theres no going back to just traditional amps/PAs/powered speakers for me.

 

Kudos to Aspen, and for the reviews that steered many of us in this thread.

[Raymb1]

Just heard your CD 3 Trios. Outstanding. I've known Howard from way back. I bought the SS a few months ago and have been very happy with the sound. Perfect for small jazz gigs.

[SK]

Thanks a lot Raymb1, glad you liked that old recording. You know Howard! Great person and drummer.

 

Dave, things are good - hope everything's going good for you too. We've both used the SS3 and we really like it. About the amp... I'll just say you should expect you may be a little underwhelmed at first until you grasp what the amp actually does. It doesn't have the most detailed tone in the lows/mids/highs of the most expensive speakers - it just adds, what I'm calling, a realism factor, and complete dispersion.

 

It'll take a little tweaking for each room, but after that, there's a presence that sounds/feels like nothing else. I also recommend, if you haven't, to check out this thread - a treasure trove of info. Best to you.

[Aspen]

Thanks Steve and hope all's well with you and Sue.

 

Your short review has me wanting to make the short trip over to Van Nuys to check it out at Aspen's studio.

 

Uhh Dave, Van Nuys? P-p-p-lease! We are located in the "Historic and Visionary" city of San Fernando, or as I like to think of it; "2.4 square miles of heaven, surrounded by Los Angeles".

 

Regardless, any GPS will lead you to 91340 and you are always welcome of course (as are ANY of my KC pals).

 

Unfortunately I sold four more SS3 over the weekend so I am now officially "sold out", again. My good partner Sweetwater has been sold out for weeks (they get the lions share) but they are "taking reservations", again.

 

The good news is we are expecting another very big shipment (our biggest yet, a triple X) soon...maybe another week.

[I-missRichardTee]

What is best way to order this amp?

I live in San Diego County. I can drive north and get it directly?

[cedar]

Quick question: I just noticed a slight, high-pitched sound from the SS3. The buzz is there even when nothing is plugged in.

 

This is so subtle that no one else has mentioned it to me. I did not even notice it until recently. I think it is inaudible while a keyboard is being played, and only apparent at close distance. But I am curious if anyone else has heard this or has an explanation or suggestion. I assume it is nothing worth being concerned about.