I have to avoid synth swoops on my double B1 system due to inablility to cleanly handle the low lows. it's quite understandable, though. I still love my system.

I'm wondering if two more B1s and Packlite could handle that low end activity ? It's not that often I need to do that, if ever, BUt I like the idea of of handling a full spectrum of sound as needed.

Are there any other keyboard people handling this situation in other ways? such as attaching an additional sub-system for this purpose, like the new JBL powered 18.

I've experimented with Hartke 4x10 and crusty peavy bass amp utilizing the bass out of the channel, but still noticed "bottoming-out" perhaps I'll need a better amp for this experiment.

Hi, KC!

No matter how many B1's you have, they don't go (much) below 40Hz (roughly an E two and 1/2 octaves below middle C) -- check out this posting..

If you are looking for that low end rumble from a relatively pure synth tone (like a pipe organ), you have to look for something to supplement the bottom frequencies.

Be careful of the specs -- some of the "well-known" sub-bass systems have a low-frequency cutoff in the range of 32-45Hz ... and that's not much different than a B1. For the low-lows, you need to be looking at 16-22Hz low-end cutoff.

howdy Dan !
nice to hear from you again, we've discussed this before, I know. thanks for the 40hz reminder. I do notice the weaker low tones below that low E as related to bass lines, and the Bose specs point this out.

putting together the physical spec-words and and numbers and the actual sound is always a great learning point for me.

In this topic I was talking about those filter swoops that do indeed sweep the entire spectrum. As pointed out by others, I should get the ToneMatch to roll off freq that will rumble.

I now understand that the extended bass package will increase the power of the lower bass notes and subwoofer MM-whatever can handle those sweeps....more equipment to haul.

SO, one more time, when plugging-in bass-out, how does this change the freq outputs of the B1's ? When there is no bass-out plugged in the B1's go down to 32hz ?? is that correct?

and when bass-out is plugged in and sent to subwoofer, does that cut off change to what?


THANKS to all for the comments and feedback.

No, the use of the bass-line out does not change the lower cut-off. The lower cutoff of 40Hz is a physical design limitation, not electrical.

All that the bass-out connection changes is the relative amount of power sent to the "internally-connected" B1's ... that is, when you have B1's connected directly to the L1, then plug in the Bass-out connection, the assumption of the designers was that you've plugged in two more B1's via a Packlite (or similar) amp.

So, as long as you don't touch any volume controls, when you plug in the Bass-out connection, the power to the "internal" B1's is reduced so that the overall amount of "bass power output" remains the same -- now spread across 4 B1's, not just 2. The sound ought be almost exactly the same.

However ... you now have twice the "capacity" of bass output, so that you can either turn up the overall volume more and keep that "balanced" sound, or you can turn up just the Bass controls (e.g.: for more of that 40->~120Hz, depending on which Model of L1).

The lower cutoff does not change.

So .... what that means is that if you have a powered external sub-woofer that goes lower than 40Hz, you do NOT want to feed it from the Bass-out -- because that output includes the 40Hz low-end cutoff.

Having said that -- note that on the L1 Compact the output is a "true", full-range line-out ... not a bass-out only. So, when using a Compact L1 it *would* be appropriate to take the Line-Out into an external sub-woofer that goes lower than the 65Hz cutoff of the Compact. (No, that's not a typo -- the Compact L1 only goes down to ~65Hz, whereas the B1's on the large L1's go down to ~40Hz.)

aaOOOO ! I was for-certain under the impression that the low cut-off point of the B1(s) changed when bass-out was used.

Hi KC,

The crossover frequency doesn't change but the output to the B1s does.

See: Bass Line Out

for more details.

Thnx for the article ST, always nice to hear form you...it answers all questions. for now I've tried the 3rd party systems, it really messes up the tone. My best bet for handling filter sweeps is either avoid them or perhaps, at the keyboard, roll-off below whatever that low C below the low E of a bass guitar.

savin' up for extended bass package and toneMatch.

thnx to DAN for comments as well.