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[nialle.travnik]

Hello folks,

I just received our proposals from the two companies who are bidding on our new installation. For the mains, Company A is proposing two solutions, a high end (JBL) solution, and a medium-range (EV).

Company B is proposing an SLS Ribbon-line array.

Company A is subtly and politely dismissing the SLS stuff as underpowered, under-constructed and "new kids on the block".

Anyone have experience with this stuff? I have no idea what to think.

[Brad Weber]

Hello folks,

I just received our proposals from the two companies who are bidding on our new installation. For the mains, Company A is proposing two solutions, a high end (JBL) solution, and a medium-range (EV).

Company B is proposing an SLS Ribbon-line array.

Company A is subtly and politely dismissing the SLS stuff as underpowered, under-constructed and "new kids on the block".

Anyone have experience with this stuff? I have no idea what to think.

Going just by brand name offers very little insight into the actual performance of what is proposed.  And knowing nothing about the goals or objectives for the systems provides limited basis for assessment of what is proposed.  In simple terms, you want a system that provides some, hopefully fairly well defined, functionality and performance.  Thus you need to assess what is proposed in the context of the overall system and how well it supports the goals and needs defined.  Simply addressing Brand A versus Brand B does neither of these.
 
So if you can tell us about the space, the goals defined for the system and more information on the proposed solutions then people can have a better basis for any comments.  And if there were little or no defined goals and expectations offered as a basis for the bids received then maybe you might want to consider defining what the church would consider a desired or acceptable result and then getting bids based on that information.

[Frank DeWitt]

We have SLS Ribbon speaker systems for our mains and fills. They do the job nicely (and for new kids they are 5 plus years old)

What do the system plots from each vendor look like?  Are the building materials accurate?  What is the difference in SPL from best to worst seats? how many bad seats are there?

BTW if either vendor didn't model the room they are a non starter in my opinion.

[nialle.travnik]

Going just by brand name offers very little insight into the actual performance of what is proposed.  And knowing nothing about the goals or objectives for the systems provides limited basis for assessment of what is proposed.  In simple terms, you want a system that provides some, hopefully fairly well defined, functionality and performance.  Thus you need to assess what is proposed in the context of the overall system and how well it supports the goals and needs defined.  Simply addressing Brand A versus Brand B does neither of these.
 
So if you can tell us about the space, the goals defined for the system and more information on the proposed solutions then people can have a better basis for any comments.  And if there were little or no defined goals and expectations offered as a basis for the bids received then maybe you might want to consider defining what the church would consider a desired or acceptable result and then getting bids based on that information.

Sure Brad. Here's what I know:

This is a 500 seat sanctuary. This is contemporary worship with a strong SPL. The company that proposed the SLS speakers has done a model from our finalized cad drawings with a visualized walkthrough. I haven't seen it yet, but they apparently did a software simulation of the speakers in that space and used it to base the recommendation. They are pushing wall and ceiling treatments off the bat.

I'm wondering if there are any quality or "pedrigree" concerns with this brand.

[John Roberts {JR}]

Besides the obvious, did the two firms bidding offer references from other jobs that they have finished?  Ask their previous customers how happy they are with the work and systems they installed.

They will obviously steer you to happy customers, but unhappy customers are sometimes complicit in their unhappiness... insisting on a system too cheap to work.

Good luck.. time to do some homework.

JR

[nialle.travnik]

We have SLS Ribbon speaker systems for our mains and fills. They do the job nicely (and for new kids they are 5 plus years old)

What do the system plots from each vendor look like?  Are the building materials accurate?  What is the difference in SPL from best to worst seats? how many bad seats are there?

BTW if either vendor didn't model the room they are a non starter in my opinion.

Company A didn't plot, he says it's coming. He's a major consultant in the area with lots of experience, well known of HOW, arena installations and does the rentals for most big acts that roll into town. I trust that he can do this, for now anyway.

How are you using the speakers? How many seats, space, volume?

[nialle.travnik]

Besides the obvious, did the two firms bidding offer references from other jobs that they have finished?  Ask their previous customers how happy they are with the work and systems they installed.

They will obviously steer you to happy customers, but unhappy customers are sometimes complicit in their unhappiness... insisting on a system too cheap to work.

Good luck.. time to do some homework.

JR

Company A is a friend of our Pastor, and all the references check out. We've interviewed the Pastor of his latest HOW install and he was very pleased. Other references are also positive.

Company B is recommended by our architect. All glowing references.

They both seem very capable.

[Frank DeWitt]

We have SLS Ribbon speaker systems for our mains and fills. They do the job nicely (and for new kids they are 5 plus years old)

What do the system plots from each vendor look like?  Are the building materials accurate?  What is the difference in SPL from best to worst seats? how many bad seats are there?

BTW if either vendor didn't model the room they are a non starter in my opinion.

Company A didn't plot, he says it's coming. He's a major consultant in the area with lots of experience, well known of HOW, arena installations and does the rentals for most big acts that roll into town. I trust that he can do this, for now anyway.

How are you using the speakers? How many seats, space, volume?

Complete different system except that they are SLS.

2  SLS 115RTs mounted in front centered on each half of the congregation (isle down the middle 2 smaller SLS speakers hung right below them and pointed slightly down for front fill.

60s rectangular building high ceiling, seats about 300  modern worship

Full story.  The speakers were chosen and installed by the sound guy before me.  He chose them based on hearing a demo at a show.  I didn't like the sound.  I brought in a pro, He modeled the room, then moved them to the existing location aimed them using test equipment and EQed them.  Now they work very well.

[Mike Pyle]

Hello folks,

I just received our proposals from the two companies who are bidding on our new installation. For the mains, Company A is proposing two solutions, a high end (JBL) solution, and a medium-range (EV).

Company B is proposing an SLS Ribbon-line array.

Company A is subtly and politely dismissing the SLS stuff as underpowered, under-constructed and "new kids on the block".

Anyone have experience with this stuff? I have no idea what to think.

I have used SLS LS8695 columns for years now in portable applications. SLS has been well implemented in church and theater applications. IMO their products are very well constructed and sound excellent. I've covered 25,000 sq ft ballrooms with 1500+ attendance using four LS8695 columns plus appropriate subs, running amps delivering rms power levels, so I'm not sure what is meant by "underpowered".

[Michael Galica]

I'm a huge fan of the SLS system I've mixed on.  Really clean.  It wasn't line array, but still the ribbon drivers.  Super clean mid and high range, very intelligible, a little lacking in bass response though -- but that would be fixed quite simply by adding a sub.  They were the kind of speakers I actually had to try and make sound bad, and were really easy to have sound good.

As to Company A's comments, the whole "new kid on the block" thing doesn't fly with my -- the aforementioned system is over 10 years old now.  I can't speak to underconstructed, but I've been able to push the dickens out of those speakers (which were still clean and clear as can be) just had to match em to the right amps first.

[ProSoundWeb Community]