Bose L1 Model 2

[Dennis Manuel]

Has anyone used this system for a PA and if so what are your thoughts? And has anyone ran a steel guitar directly through the system?

[Paul Honeycutt]

My bass player just got one of these. We're going to try it as a band PA for the vocals and acoustic instruments. The electric stuff will go through amps. However, my bass player has been gigging with it with another band using a small EV sub as a bass/keyboard rig.

If you haven't bought one yet, see if you can rent one to try out.

[George Kimery]

I have not tried one of these systems, but, I did hear one at an outdoor festival a couple of years ago and they sounded good. And as advertised, the sound did seem to be the same volume up close or at a distance. After hearing it, I got interested and did a lot of research. Here is what I was told: You need to run everything through the L-1 system. It is next to impossible to get a good mix otherwise. Here is why: The L-1 volume is going to be the same on stage and anywhere in the venue. Your amp is not. If you play your amp outside the L-1 system and the mix sounds just perfect on stage, your amp will be too low at a distance, but the L-1 will be the same. Vice versa,if you play your amp loud so that it is the same volume as the L-1 at the rear of the room, then your amp will be way too loud closer up but the L-1 will not. It's sound volume will always be the same anywhere in the room but your amp volume will not. Perhaps playing your amp low and running it through the L-1 might solve the problem. But now, your sound may not be what you want coming through the L-1, but at least the volume will be the same anywhere in the house.

BTW, Carvin is making a system that looks similar.

[Mike Wheeler]

Just to clarify what George said, the overall volume level can vary from front of house to back of house...BUT the volume relationships between the various inputs (mics, guitars, bass, etc) will remain the same. That's the big thing with this system....you have a "single" point source, so to speak, for the whole band's sound so the mix is constant all over the venue.

It can be difficult for some musicians to get used to a system like this, because every musician has to remain aware of his level in the mix as it relates to everyone else's levels, and be willing to "play nice" with the others.

[Dennis Manuel]

Great information, keep it coming!

[Dennis Russell]

I use the L1 compact (which is lower power than the one you're looking at) for everything from acoustic guitar/vocal gigs to full on rock band gigs running electric guitar, keyboard and two or three vocals (usually we play bars and outdoor casuals so drums don't need mics and bass uses his own amp). I've used it indoors and outdoors. I love the way it sounds and like the fact that, because of the line array speaker system, what you hear 4 feet away volume and tone-wise, is what you hear 150-200 feet away.
One of the situations I use it for most frequently is as a utility player in a honky-tonk band. I run my pedal steel (with a boost pedal to give the sound a bit of a clean edge), banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar through it, while the rest of the bands use their amps and vocals are run through a pa. Because of the nearly 180 degree spread of sound, the whole band can hear me without being run through monitors.
See if you can borrow an L1 for a rehearsal or gig, try it. I think you'll like it.