Hi, I've got a 4 piece upscale casino band. I've also got an acoustic duo project.
For the duo, this system is a no brainer...

However, for the 4 piece, we do casinos that have their own PAs and also smaller rooms where we rent for a few hundred bucks.

How do you Cover bands, or small time bands justify having, say 3 or 4 of these things in your live rig? I get the transportability of them and also the storage and no-trailer stuff. But if you're in a band that rents systems for these types of smaller club shows, how would you justify purchasing a few of these at a few thousand dollars a pop? I can't see being able to convince the other members of my band to spend this kind of dough on a system for each of them. Not knocking the system. I've heard it, played and sang on it, but when you've got guys that're used to going in, having a PA there and it only costing a few hundred bucks... it's a tough sell. We only rent PA gear once in a great while. Usually we do larger casinos.

Thanks. Just looking for a way to convince my band bros...

Hey - I think for most of us here the reason we use the L1 is we sound better. We finally hear what we sound like. For some that is not good. Some of us have vowed never to use any sound system but the Bose. There are others, myself included, that can play into a house system and tolerate it. I think Pete aka.drummr has said he has had problems with some of the bands he is in getting them to convert. If you are going to judge this system based on cost then you should probably stay with what you have. If you are looking for the best sound and live experience then "GO BOSE". Either way, you are working and seem to be doing well. You didn’t say what instrument you play or if the clubs provide back line equipment. Either way you are working and that is a good thing. Good Luck -Roy

Sorry Roy- It was my first post (after ready many)

I'm the singer, frontguy, and rhythm guitarist. I swap from Rickenbacker 360/12, to Strats/Tele/Rick 620 and also a direct 12 string acoustic guitar. The clubs do not provide backline. I actually almost wrote this part...> I play through an amp that I really love and am not looking to dump it. I knew that might come up. Although, for the gigs where we use our own PA, I could probably be swayed.

But for 4 of us to have these, it'd be like 8,000 or something. I think we could get away with 2 of them, but not sure. I read some posts that said 2 would work, but you up your bass speaker count.

We DO care about the way we sound as we are a heavy harmony band, but in this market (and this band has been around since the 70s), it seems like such a huge price for sounding good.

Sorry, not trying to whine as I like the system. Just trying to figure out how to sell it...

Hi Brywool, and welcome to the forums.
Have you had the chance to use an L1 with any of your larger groups yet?

I have been using two Model II systems with bands I play in, using them for drums and vocals only.
They use their backline amps still, and mostly play way too loud.
In spite of that, the L1s are able to cut through and be heard clearly in the audience, albeit down a little bit in the mix.

I've got lots of gig pics and video clips that I will post.

Best,

Here is a shot of two Model IIs providing vocals, piano, kick, and drum overhead mics. This is typical of my *fill-in* gig set ups when providing vocal reinforcement. This is not the ideal situation for the L1s, but is certainly better sounding on stage and to the audience than a typical PA with floor monitors would. As the soundman, at least I "know what I'm hearing". That was never possible in the past with other gear. (Here is a YouTube clip from that night.)

Here is a clip of an outdoor gig.

Thanks Drumr. It seems like this'd work, though we do some stuff that's a bit harder, so I'm not sure how that'd go. SEEMS like you'd be able to run 3 vocalists, and acoustic guitar and a minidisc player through one of these and then rely on everyone else to check their volumes onstage... but you know how that goes. Trying to tell a drummer or guitarist to play dynamically can bring it's own problems. I guess I'll just have to think about it some more. IDEALLY, everyone should have one of these and a bass module. But there's no way I could sell that to certain band members. Too bad. I'll probably still get one for my duo project though. 'preciate the help!

Just installed two of these (Model I and 2 subs per tower - to start) in a club last night.

Room had poor acoustics and a traditional PA was too loud and lacked intelligibility.

Right now I'm routing 2 of the wireless OM5 mics to Ch1 of L1(left). The other 2 wireless OM5 mics to CH1 of L1(right). These are fed by subgroups 1 and 2 on the FOH mixer.

Band leader has Taylor guitars that he swaps between during the night on a single wireless unit. I routed that to subgroup 3 and into Ch2 of L1(left).

Bass player has an Ampeg combo amp on stage. Right now we are running the headphone out to Ch3 of L1(left). This defeats the speaker in his amp and gives us total control of the bass level. Trying this set up out tonight - may go back to letting him just mix his bass via the amp into the room acoustics.

Drummer currently has Kick, snare, hi tom and low tom mic'd. These are fed to subgroup 4 on the FOH mixer and routed to Ch3 of L1(right).

2nd Guitarist uses a Line6 PodXTlive pedal.
This is taken from the Direct Out on his channel on the FOH mixer and routed to Ch4 of the L1(right).

To cover the 20' wide stage with vocal a bit better, I have panned the Vocals into Subgroups 1 and 2 on the FOH mixer.. thus putting 80% of the vocal into its relative L1 and 20% of the vocal into the L1 on the opposite side of the stage.

This will get dialed in over the next few weeks and should practically run itself soon.

Hey, Rain ... seems like a great setup. Let us know how it progresses!

quote:

Originally posted by Brywool:
It seems like this'd work, though we do some stuff that's a bit harder

So the vocals would be buried more...yes, it could be trouble.

quote:

SEEMS like you'd be able to run 3 vocalists, and acoustic guitar and a minidisc player through one of these and then rely on everyone else to check their volumes onstage...

Having all three vocals in one L1 does put a damper on them a bit...each voice in a separate system is better, or at least limit it to two vocals per system...that's pretty much what I do.
In my picture, the keyboardist, and the lead singer(out of the frame) are in one, the bassist and I in the other.

quote:

Trying to tell a drummer or guitarist to play dynamically can bring it's own problems.

Don't I know it! However, I was old school too, and got over it. It's never too late.

quote:

I'll probably still get one for my duo project though. 'preciate the help!

That's wise...you could even try breaking them in by using your L1 system as the *monitors*, or as your *personal system*, like I do in my other classic rock band. That would probably work well, and clean up your stage immensely.

Down the road, buy another, two would probably make it, IF you can get them to lighten up just a bit.
The band in that pic...the bassist is coming around quickly to the idea of dynamics, the pianist is still clueless. The singer loves the L1s.