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Author Topic: Bose L1 Compact As FOH Speaker  (Read 8110 times)

Robert Lunceford

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Re: Bose L1 Compact As FOH Speaker
« Reply #30 on: October 16, 2019, 03:47:56 PM »

The FOH guy said “we have twelve altogether”.  My guess is you are correct, each tower handles a different “instrument”.
Pat Metheney is using the L1 as intended. One L1 per instrument. This is what Bose recommends.
If you have a 5 piece band you should be using five L1 speakers. The Bose L1 is intended to be used as both a FOH speaker and monitor simultaneously. The L1 is placed behind the performer just as Metheney is doing.
I am not sure why “ the experts” come unglued when someone uses a Bose product and is happy with its performance. The mention of Bose on this forum is like waving a red rag at a bull.
Whenever a professional musician such as Pat Metheney uses a Bose product, it is typical for someone on this forum to speculate that the musician is only using the Bose because they are being paid by Bose to do so.
« Last Edit: October 16, 2019, 04:09:33 PM by Robert Lunceford »
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: Bose L1 Compact As FOH Speaker
« Reply #31 on: October 16, 2019, 04:28:42 PM »

Pat Metheney is using the L1 as intended. One L1 per instrument. This is what Bose recommends.
If you have a 5 piece band you should be using five L1 speakers. The Bose L1 is intended to be used as both a FOH speaker and monitor simultaneously. The L1 is placed behind the performer just as Metheney is doing.
I am not sure why “ the experts” come unglued when someone uses a Bose product and is happy with its performance. The mention of Bose on this forum is like waving a red rag at a bull.
Whenever a professional musician such as Pat Metheney uses a Bose product, it is typical for someone on this forum to speculate that the musician is only using the Bose because they are being paid by Bose to do so.

Because most of us are familiar with Bose's long history of successful marketing and lawsuit-happy legal department, perhaps?

I take no issue if a performer as accomplished as Pat Metheny, or as un-accomplished as might be found, prefer to use Bose products on stage, in rehearsal or recording or at home.  I don't care if they pay full list price or Bose gives it to them or even pays them to be seen with their products.  Those are individual decisions for that performer/act.

The reality of professional live sound reinforcement is that Bose's consumer marketing hype doesn't wash in most of *our* applications.  Bose makes nothing suitable for the majority of work that makes 80% of my employer's revenue but that doesn't stop clients from asking for a Bose "system" in the 5,000 seat multipurpose hall.  I tell them "sure, we can do that".  I'll bring my mom's Wave Radio.

Note Steve Payne's observation about the video - yes, you see the Bose products on stage but can also see the ground stacked line array.  My comments about the Bose devices being backline will stand.  The performer is using them as a source of localized sound production solely for their own instrument or voice... and I don't care what the performer uses to achieve that, it's not my job to tell them what to use; it's my job to share their performance with the hundreds or thousands who came to hear the performance.  Because that is *my* responsibility, I tend to choose products with a track record of success in providing quality audio to thousands.

Use what you want, Robert - that's all good - but lets not bullshit ourselves into thinking a collection of L1 does a PA system make.
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Robert Lunceford

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Re: Bose L1 Compact As FOH Speaker
« Reply #32 on: October 17, 2019, 12:42:36 PM »


Use what you want, Robert - that's all good - but lets not bullshit ourselves into thinking a collection of L1 does a PA system make.

I don’t own any Bose Professional products. I have K-Array, FBT, and Danley speakers.
If I recall correctly, Bose states the L1 will easily cover a 300 seat theater.
The rock group Foreigner does use a collection of L1 speakers as their PA system for their small acoustic performances.
https://youtu.be/sibKEEBlfWs



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Don T. Williams

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Re: Bose L1 Compact As FOH Speaker
« Reply #33 on: October 17, 2019, 06:47:10 PM »

If the Bose L1 is so good, why does Pat Metheny need the house line array and additional wedges placed on stage as seen in the video. These 12 systems are being used as instrument amplifiers.  He still needs powerful professional monitors and a real FOH sound system.  There is nothing wrong with what he is doing, but that's not his PA system and not what he needs for monitors.  He still needs a real professional system for sound reinforcement and monitoring as shown in the video.

You will also notice some additional Bose speakers being used a floor monitors aimed back at Foreigner.  And look at the size of the venue.  I call that small!  Do you see any 300 seat theaters where the Bose L1 is used as a house PA.  I don't think so.  As a replacement for a personal instrument amplifier and a personal monitor system in a small venue its Ok, but again it is not a front of house system despite what Bose advertising implies.  I'm betting that Pat Metheny and Foreigner paid nothing for the systems.  This wasn't money out of their pockets.  Again as used, in these examples they are acceptable, but this very situation specific.  A pair as a FOH system in a 300 seat theater is not going to work.  A dozen scattered around the stage is really iffy and would only work with a very limited type of act.  This business doesn't work on iffy!

One other point.  Have you seen the specifications for a Bose L1?  106dB max. (112dB peak) at 1M and -3 dB at 65 Hz and sells for $1000.00.  This is acceptable for a 300 seat theater? Really?  There are dozens of under $300.00 speakers that are 20 dB louder and go 10 to 15 Hz lower.  I'm not saying those speakers are adequate for a 300 seat theater either, but its a lot closer - at about 1/4 of the cost of the L1.
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Geert Friedhof

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Re: Bose L1 Compact As FOH Speaker
« Reply #34 on: October 17, 2019, 07:17:14 PM »

... Bose Professional products...
https://youtu.be/sibKEEBlfWs

Sounds (pun intended) like a contradictio in terminis to me.
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Tom Roche

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Re: Bose L1 Compact As FOH Speaker
« Reply #35 on: October 17, 2019, 08:13:00 PM »

We used an L1 Model 2 with B2 bass module and ToneMatch mixer (~$3300) strictly as a stage monitor.  We never taxed it, only running two vox, one acoustic guitar and just a little bass guitar.  It performs fine in that regard, but it's a terribly expensive monitor.  And it isn't magically immune to feedback.  As FOH, it's woefully inadequate for pretty much anything other than coffee shop acoustic gigs.  Using it outside is the worst IMO.  I think my home stereo gets louder and sounds better doing it.  Given cost and real world performance, I'll take an MI-level 12" top and sub any day.
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Robert Lunceford

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Re: Bose L1 Compact As FOH Speaker
« Reply #36 on: October 18, 2019, 05:04:56 PM »

I was flown in to be a “band engineer” at the Siletz Bay Music Fesival. The FOH PA was two L1 model II speakers. I would estimate that the venue seated around 200-250. The band was grand piano, upright bass, drum set, and four singers using Omni headset mics. I had no problem getting the singers above the band, and no issues with feedback. The vocals were very intelligible and the volume was adequate to be heard easily throughout the venue.

Bose did not invent the column array but they certainly made it popular. Since the introduction of the L1, there have been copy cat versions by almost every other competitor. I know quite a few musicians who own L1s and they all absolutely love them. Most musicians don’t really care to be audio engineers. They would rather not haul in and set up mixers, monitors, speakers, etc.  The L1 is popular because of its performance and simplicity.
As far as the cost of Bose,  take Scott’s post as an example. One of his clients was a band that had
hired his services in the past. For around what they might pay Scott to do four or five shows, they were able to purchase a Bose F1 system. Scott had doubts about the capabilities of the Bose F1 system but band engineers for Aerosmith, Santana, Shakira, Miles Davis, etc. gave favorable reviews of the F1 system deployed in a 1000 seat venue.

https://youtu.be/keUtck_F7es
« Last Edit: October 18, 2019, 05:15:43 PM by Robert Lunceford »
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Jerry Dycus

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Re: Bose L1 Compact As FOH Speaker
« Reply #37 on: October 19, 2019, 07:55:19 AM »

I was flown in to be a “band engineer” at the Siletz Bay Music Fesival. The FOH PA was two L1 model II speakers. I would estimate that the venue seated around 200-250. The band was grand piano, upright bass, drum set, and four singers using Omni headset mics. I had no problem getting the singers above the band, and no issues with feedback. The vocals were very intelligible and the volume was adequate to be heard easily throughout the venue.

Bose did not invent the column array but they certainly made it popular. Since the introduction of the L1, there have been copy cat versions by almost every other competitor. I know quite a few musicians who own L1s and they all absolutely love them. Most musicians don’t really care to be audio engineers. They would rather not haul in and set up mixers, monitors, speakers, etc.  The L1 is popular because of its performance and simplicity.
As far as the cost of Bose,  take Scott’s post as an example. One of his clients was a band that had
hired his services in the past. For around what they might pay Scott to do four or five shows, they were able to purchase a Bose F1 system. Scott had doubts about the capabilities of the Bose F1 system but band engineers for Aerosmith, Santana, Shakira, Miles Davis, etc. gave favorable reviews of the F1 system deployed in a 1000 seat venue.

https://youtu.be/keUtck_F7es

I am the one who started this thread with my question about using the L1 Compact as a FOH speaker. I had used it only once, and was totally inexperienced with its use. Here is a message I posted on Bose forum yesterday: "I have sought and received good advice several times on this board and now want to share my experience. Yesterday, our quartet sang in an L shaped room about 30'x60'. I lined the singers up shoulder to shoulder, each with a hand held microphone into a Yamaha MG12XU feeding channel 2 of the L1 Compact place about 3' directly behind the middle singer. The L1 filled the room with great sound for the audience, plenty of monitor for the singers, and the great news, no problem whatsoever with feedback. My speaker equipment load changed from over 100 lbs. to 29 lbs. My setup time was cut in half. Equipment footprint in the venue was drastically reduced. The mess of speaker cables and power cables previously spread across the floor was cleaned up. I couldn't be happier with my investment in the L1 Compact." I do not provide sound for hundreds or thousands like many of you do, and I apologize if I offended you ability to do so.
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Bose L1 Compact As FOH Speaker
« Reply #37 on: October 19, 2019, 07:55:19 AM »


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