Portable PA specs: Vocopro Drifter VS Bose L1 Compact

[dnathan]

Thank you Ben & Joe - You've got me looking in that direction. I've always liked JBL's stuff.

A lot of my DJ friends love their QSC systems. They do pretty well.

I think the best system I've ever heard is the Bose L1 Model 2. The utopia for me is its ability to deliver low-volume sound equally throughout the room. My guess is that it creates a lower SPL overall, with longer range, and which can be bolstered via additional subs. Probably overpriced, but then again I'm typing on an Apple! *Ahem* But the subs, employing a crossover, is what I feel in my chest that enhances the audio experience without killing my ears. Pragmatically, it makes more sense to me to have an array with speakers pointed across the horizontal perspective (Bose) that vertical (JBL EON1). I don't understand why I would want a speaker pointed at the ceiling and another at the floor. I'd bet money it's a patent issue.

 

[DrewE]

Pragmatically, it makes more sense to me to have an array with speakers pointed across the horizontal perspective (Bose) that vertical (JBL EON1). I don't understand why I would want a speaker pointed at the ceiling and another at the floor. I'd bet money it's a patent issue.

If the speakers are independent drivers (with their patterns pretty well-defined and not overlapping), arraying them horizontally increases the horizontal coverage. For a typical line array design, however, they are designed not to be independent but rather to have constructive and destructive interference with each other, and through a lot of design and math and such the pattern control is much more defined in the direction of the arraying. Thus, a vertical array, contrary to what your eyes might suggest, can have a much tighter vertical pattern control, sending less sound towards the ceiling or floor and more towards ear level.

Any patents on the basic orientation of driver arrays would have expired years ago. Patents relating to specific designs are, of course, a different story, but not the fundamental underlying technologies.

 

[dnathan]

It's the math and engineering that I appreciate so much, and makes me willing to pay more for what works.
Do I understand right that an array like the JBL would perform better sideways? I can see why concert arrays are point down, as they point to the ppl in front and in back at the same time. But for a dance floor the target is horizontal. They're just no mounted high enough.
Per the JBL speaker pointed to the ceiling, is that for a cardioid-delay affect of some kind? I notice that the Bose also have the top pointing slightly upward. I'm trying to figure out why, since there aren't any people up there.

I'm surprised the knock-offs aren't pointing every which way like the Bose. Horizontal dispersion is quite useful, especially to DJs who constantly reposition their speakers toward the crowd.

 

[macsound]

The non-forward facing angled directions of the drivers in the bose is called Articulated Array. They use this wonkadoo approach in tons of their cabinets. They say it's to increase coverage but I think it's more to do with reducing or disguising comb filtering and lobes created buy the interesting and unique way the EQ their tiny speakers to create that solid midrange.
It is a trademark, not sure if it's patented, and it seems a weird thing to patent, but who knows.

 

[FMEng]

The JBL is going to have the widest horizontal dispersion when standing as intended, vertically. They are column speakers. The stacked and closely spaced speakers in a column reduce the dispersion in the vertical plain, which is helpful to reduce reflections in some environments.

You haven't told us what sort of program you wish to amplify, or what kinds of spaces you want to do it in. The more details you give us, the better the suggestions will be.

 

[RonHebbard]

The non-forward facing angled directions of the drivers in the Bose is called an Articulated Array. They use this wonkadoo approach in tons of their cabinets. They say it's to increase coverage but I think it's more to do with reducing or disguising comb filtering and lobes created by the interesting and unique way they EQ their tiny speakers to create that solid mid range.
Is it a trademark, not sure; if it's patented, and it seems a weird thing to patent, who knows.

Standby all those derogatory BOSE acronyms:
( @TimMc Don't miss your cue. )
Derogatory BOSE acronyms: GO!
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[TimMc]

Standby all those derogatory BOSE acronyms:
( @TimMc Don't miss your cue. )
Derogatory BOSE acronyms: GO!
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

Glad to oblige.

Buy Other Sound Equipment

 

[dnathan]

Okay Tim, I'll buy the Vocopro Drifter. ) No, the JBL looks pretty good. I appreciate all the feedback!

 

[Craig Hauber]

(unless the Bose name helps you get gigs...)

I have discovered around here that alone is almost worth more than anything.
-Worth enough that you could still afford to buy better speakers, de-logo them and set them up behind the Bose (which you then leave unplugged)

 

[MNicolai]

I have discovered around here that alone is almost worth more than anything.
-Worth enough that you could still afford to buy better speakers, de-logo them and set them up behind the Bose (which you then leave unplugged)

This happens more often than you'd think with guitar amps. Someone gets signed with Orange Amplifiers or someone else as their sponsor and has a wall of amplifiers behind them with the drivers removed (easier on the guys who have to schlepp them around). Then there's a little Marshall or Fender behind the stack with a mic in front of it.

Little bit different but I've joked with some line array manufacturers like d&b that they need to sell empty cabinets. They've started to make their speakers so efficient you can cover more ground with fewer, smaller cabinets. Compared to the old V-DOSC days, the speaker hangs don't look loud enough.

 

[dnathan]

The best sounding speaker is the one run by a pro. A pro can do so much more with so much less.

 

[macsound]

As much as people hate on Bose, what you may notice is how consistent they are. People who have opinions about a bose product don't waver from year to year or product to product.
In my experience and understanding that means they know what they're aiming for when engineering a product and they hit that expectation to the extent that you could take the badge off the grill and someone could walk in the room and say it sounds like a Bose PA.
In the recent years, like 2013 and on, I've seen a resurgence in bose being installed. Some installs are better than others but none are as bad as some of the worst installs I've seen. Probably something to do with the company being so locked down on details and probably a limited number of "qualified" installers.

All I'm saying is I've heard many brands sound terrible and wonderful but bose that I've heard all sounds about the same no matter the facility. Hotel bar, crappy guitar player on the street, Universal studios, hot topic, wedding. All sounds about the same, even out of key.

 

[MNicolai]

Bose has been making a comeback in live sound since the release of their RoomMatch series. Ignoring the fact that they previewed it around the country with tuning presets set by a guy with hearing loss, they're not my first choice, but they get the job done. I get the sense that their product quality is okay but they don't always understand the nuances of the different markets they're in.

 

[TimMc]

Bose has been making a comeback in live sound since the release of their RoomMatch series. Ignoring the fact that they previewed it around the country with tuning presets set by a guy with hearing loss, they're not my first choice, but they get the job done. I get the sense that their product quality is okay but they don't always understand the nuances of the different markets they're in.

Bose (Better sound through litigation) shamelessly pimp their consumer brand image in a way that some specifiers of commercial or professional audio systems will ask for the brand by name. They've drunk the marketing cool aide. In fairness to Bose, their installation products survive on their own merits for the most part.

 

[TimMc]

Sorry, Ron, sad but true.

The real genius of Bose lies in their marketing - say something long enough, and sue those who publicly challenge those statements, and eventually the public will believe the marketing as it goes unchallenged for fear of litigation. In the commercial audio installation biz contractors will dump any product or brand that does not meet specification because they don't want the call backs during the warranty period. Bose's products for this market tend to perform as spec'd.

 

[rwhealey]

Bose has been making a comeback in live sound since the release of their RoomMatch series. Ignoring the fact that they previewed it around the country with tuning presets set by a guy with hearing loss, they're not my first choice, but they get the job done. I get the sense that their product quality is okay but they don't always understand the nuances of the different markets they're in.

RoomMatch is one of the only line array-type products that has multiple horizontal pattern options (including asymmetric!) with horizontal pattern control down to 200 Hz. I have had several successful projects with RoomMatch. It has some quirks to the voicing that I am not fond of, but it does allow the designer to get the sound off the walls and ceiling and onto the audience like no other line array-type product.

I have also had multiple successful projects with the MA12EX, when it is used as intended (situations where you need the extremely tight vertical pattern and you can't afford a digitally steerable column array). They really only work for speech and light playback, but can get you excellent intelligible speech and light music in reverberant spaces.

For most people doing live sound, the L1 is not the right product. It is a different story if you are doing playback only, but I would still buy a nice powered 10" 2-way and a pair of modern 15" subs in both cases over the L1. The Bose RoomMatch utility loudspeakers are traditional 2-way point sources and sound quite excellent. I'm not sure why Bose hasn't released an active version of the 8" and expanded the line on the consumer side.

 

[TimmyP1955]

Yamaha DXR series is the way to go IMHO.