I've been playing with one since yesterday afternoon.

I am very very impressed.

Initial impressions - this sounds a lot like my Model II.

Out of the Box
I can certainly imagine running with the two channels with a dynamic microphone (I've tried my Beyerdynamic M88) and my Larrivée with L.R. Baggs iMix NoCut, or my Morgan with Fishman Under Saddle Transducer with PickUpTheWorld Quackbuster or my Larrivée Classical with Fishman Under Saddle Transducer. That is - all the acoustic guitars I've tried sound fine. That is - even without the T1®.

This would also make a great amp for an electric jazz guitar. I've tried several (no Preset) and it's wonderful.

Side-by-Side the Model II
In a space up to say as small coffee shop (800-1000 square feet) I would be just as likely to take the Compact as the Model II. I am working in a space a little bigger than this, and if competing with a noisy crowd or coffee grinders, I'd probably prefer to have the Model II.

I was telling someone last night - for an acoustic duo for concerts up to 100, I would probably prefer two Compacts over sharing a Model II with a T1®.

Sure you can to do more with a Model II and T1® but within the realm of the smallish venue, I think Compact will be just terrific.

Within say 25' you have to push the Model II hard to get it to seem louder than the Compact. I was surprised at this. As you get farther away, the Model II seems to maintain its volume better. This is no surprise.

When I push the Compact it does seem to clip or compress, but you have to be running LOUD to make this happen.

PorchBoard
This is important to me. The PorchBoard works. It's not as deep a thump, but it would be fine in a small acoustic concert setting. Interestingly, this is when I use the PorchBoard most. Anything bigger and I am probably working with a rhythm section.

The connection: Channel 2 - Guitar in ¼ inch jack and PorchBoard in one side of the RCA inputs.

Questions?
I'm going to try a few other things, (e.g. Electric Guitar with pedals, Condenser microphone with external phantom power)

Anything else I can try for you?

quote:

- this sounds a lot like my Model II.

Can you say anything about what makes the sound any different than the Model II, since you have said it "sounds like", not "sounds the same", given things are as equal as can be in terms of tone, volume controls, etc.?

T1®

As expected, the T1® works fine with the Compact. The experience in the near field (what you'd hear on stage) is very similar (Compact compared to Model II).

For anybody who wants to do some side-by-side testing with a Model II, try connecting the Analog Master output to the Compact Channel 2 (turn off Preset).

By default - you'll have sound coming from both the Compact and the Model II.

To kill the sound out of the Model II, got to

Prefs:
- Master Out
-- Pre Master Volume

Turn down the Master Volume knob.
This will allow you to hear the T1® to Compact connection without hearing the Model II.

This not something I'd be doing at a gig, but it is one of the ways that I was comparing the two units.

You could also use the T1®Master Analog output to an A/B switch (A - to Compact, B - to Model II).

So I'm still thinking about when I would use the T1® and when I wouldn't.

Since I already have all the cables for the T1® strapped to my microphone stand, it would be very little more trouble to use the T1® than to go without. But the sheer simplicity of using the Compact alone is beguiling.

Hi St. I wondered if you had tried your T1 with the compact to dial in a better "thump" from your porchboard.

Respect,
Col. Andy

Sounds like the Model II
Hi John,

quote:

Originally posted by JohnNell:

quote:

- this sounds a lot like my Model II.

Can you say anything about what makes the sound any different than the Model II, since you have said it "sounds like", not "sounds the same", given things are as equal as can be in terms of tone, volume controls, etc.?

Erring on the side of caution, I didn't want to say "exactly the same".

There are differences when you are close up. For example: If I am seated directly in front of the Compact (fully extended), I don't hear the highs as well as I do with the Model II. To be clear, I'm talking about being seated close enough to reach over my head and touch the column. That sounds extreme - and it is. But this is also exactly how close I have been to the Model II on several tiny stages.

This could also be an issue - it was in fact - when I was reaching down to adjust the tone controls for the Compact Channel 1, Vocal Microphone - I bent down and there were no highs.

I'm also finding that I have to run the Compact at what feels like a louder volume to fill up the room I'm in - about 1500 square feet.

That's just an impression - I haven't run around with a Sound Pressure Level meter.

Also - look up - you'll see that I DO hear a difference with the PorchBoard. But this makes sense. The fundamental for the PorchBoard is around 30 Hz. The B1 goes down to 40 Hz, the Compact Power Stand goes down to around 65 Hz.

Hi Col. Andy,

quote:

Originally posted by Col. Andy:
Hi St. I wondered if you had tried your T1 with the compact to dial in a better "thump" from your porchboard.

Respect,
Col. Andy

Tried it. Didn't make much difference. I think I was clipping the Compact by that point so EQ or gain adjustments with the T1® wasn't going to help.

Putting this all in perspective; at this volume where this is really an issue for me, I've probably playing with a rhythm section and I wouldn't need the PorchBoard anyway.

Horizontal Dispersion

Exactly as advertised. This thing sounds great off axis. That is - way off to the sides, you still get all the upper range. This will be great for monitoring in ensembles on shallow stages.

This is just about my only issue with the Classic/Model I. On a shallow stage, I cannot hear my band mates (running Classics) as clearly as they can hear me (running my Model II). I know this because we've swapped rigs just for testing.

From what I can hear walking around it, the Compact is going to be terrific in this respect.

With a PackLite®

I tried using the Compact Line-out to a PackLite®. I won't be doing that live at least not without a a crossover.

The Compact Line-Out is full-range. So I was hearing too much low end (Guitar and Vocal) when all I really wanted was more in the sub 100 Hz range.

Trying this reminded me of how cleverly Bose engineered the Bass sub system (1 B1, 2 x B1, Bass Line Out, PackLite) in the other models.


Please understand, it's not that the Compact is lacking in bass. This was just an experiment.

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

quote:

Hi St. I wondered if you had tried your T1 with the compact to dial in a better "thump" from your porchboard.

Hi Andy...ST's answer is about what I expected.
I often try to dial in other frequencies when using the Porchboard, but nothing seems to change it's basic tone.

ST...would you say, seeing my Fish Fry video on YouTube, that the C would provide enough thump for my needs?

That is just too cool ST.


When I do the Jazz and Beatle festivals in Orillia there is no stage. You can't put the L1's behind you because some of the audience is behind you. We usually set the drums up in the middle and use two L1s run stereo in order to get everything from one side to the other. I’m thinking in this case the L1c would be the perfect monitor for me. Louis could use it for his restaurant gigs were the footprint of the L1 classic is too big and he has had to resort to using a piano amp.

I'm sure the L1c would work for Louie's needs but do you think the L1c would work in my scenario? Would it work better at half stack as a monitor for a drummer sitting down and his ears are 48" from the ground?

Condenser Microphone / External Phantom Power

Summary:
Condenser microphone plus external phantom power battery pack - It works fine.

That is: I used an external battery pack and tried several phantom powered condenser microphones. They all sounded fine, although perhaps not as good as they do through the T1®.


After doing some testing, I think that when using the Compact, I'll just stick to a dynamic microphone just because it sounds great and it is the height of simplicity (or use the T1®).


More thoughts:

I doubt there is anyone here that enjoys his/her Neumann KMS 105 more than I enjoy mine. I was disappointed when I read that there only one Vocal Microphone Preset and that there was no phantom power. So, no support for my favourite microphone. But after listening to the Compact with my Beyerdynamic M88 (a dynamic, hypercardioid microphone), I think I'll be fine using the dynamic microphone with the Compact.

Smiling...

NOW you guys can really start to see why I was so excited last year when I got my SA...

I'm absolutely NOT trying to incite direct A-B comparisons or even discussion, just saying...

Very best - this will be quite enjoyable for you...

MIKE

PS - so... WHO got Serial Number 00000001? :-)

Hi Mike,

I don't have a SoloAmp here, and I'm quite leery of making comparisons about sound when I can't do direct A/B testing. I do know that you are happy with what you've got though, and I am glad for you.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike in Texas:
Smiling...

NOW you guys can really start to see why I was so excited last year when I got my SA...

I'm absolutely NOT trying to incite direct A-B comparisons or even discussion, just saying...

Very best - this will be quite enjoyable for you...

MIKE

Going way back to some of our conversations about this Mike, one of absolute drop-dead deal breaker issues was that anything thing I might use as my 'small rig' has to sound like my 'big rig'.

The Compact meets that criteria and I am delighted.

Hi ST,

Well, if you're delighted then it MUST be good.

I anticipate an entire new focus on the L1 series by "the industry" now that the Compact has arrived. This means almost everyone who appreciates good professional sound can afford to enter the world of Bose. Price now has been totally removed from a potential buyer's objection list.

Perhaps you could venture a response to this question: If the Model II with a T1 and two B1's equals a performance level of 100%, how would you rank the Compact and T1 combo? I am assuming from your comments thus far that the number will be greater than 50%.

The more I think about this, the more difficult it may be to answer. But do your best.

Another question ST

Could this be an answer to our short ceiling problem?

Half-Stack
The people at Bose have consistently encouraged us to use the Compact on a table in the collapsed position, or on the floor in fully extended position.

So I had to explore this.

First, the Compact, fully extended is 78 1/2" tall or about 5 1/2" shorter than the Model II (84") or 4 1/4" shorter than the Model I (82 3/4"). This extra clearance should help all of us who have run into a ceiling that was just an inch or two too short.


Now if use the Compact collapsed on a table (30" high), then the speaker portion is about 30-46" off the floor.

If you operate with just one extension, it's about the same; 32-48" off the floor.

Okay - let's talk applications. In most applications where I do public speaking - if there is a table present, my audience is probably seated so the Compact on a table is going to be close to ear height. So that make sense.

But if people are standing (or dancing) I would most certainly run fully extended with both extensions.

In this case the ceiling was almost 5" too short for my L1 classic.That would give me 1/2 an inch clearance with the L1c fully extended. Do I have that right?

Hi Starvin

quote:

Originally posted by starvin007:
That is just too cool ST.


When I do the Jazz and Beatle festivals in Orillia there is no stage. You can't put the L1's behind you because some of the audience is behind you. We usually set the drums up in the middle and use two L1s run stereo in order to get everything from one side to the other. I’m thinking in this case the L1c would be the perfect monitor for me. Louis could use it for his restaurant gigs were the footprint of the L1 classic is too big and he has had to resort to using a piano amp.

I'm sure the Compact would work for Louie's needs but do you think the Compact would work in my scenario? Would it work better at half stack as a monitor for a drummer sitting down and his ears are 48" from the ground?

In pictures that you have posted, I recall seeing that your ears were at about the break in the Cylindrical Radiator® of your Classic.

I measured and that's about 44" off the floor.

The active speaker at half-mast is from 32-48" so you'll be getting the full brunt of that - maybe more than you'd want. If you are more than a few feet away, you might be better off running fully extended and let the sound spread out into the room too.

I think this could work really well as a monitor. The side-to-side dispersion is great too. Much more like the Model II than the Model I/Classic.

I wonder if you will have an issue with your KSM9 (?) overhead microphone, but it'll probably be fine.


For your short ceiling problem (on the boat) I guess the question is, can you work with something 78 1/2" tall?

Hey Starvin,

Now we're down to the last half inch. I think you're just going to have to try it.

quote:

Originally posted by starvin007:
In this case the ceiling was almost 5" too short for my L1 classic.That would give me 1/2 an inch clearance with the L1c fully extended. Do I have that right?

quote:

I guess the question is, can you work with something 78 1/2" tall?

Absolutely! I have 79". Close but I 'm sure I could make that work.

Thanks ST