Fishman Solo Amp

Riaan-Combrink

I remember Keira speaking about wanting to have a look at the Fishman solo amp a while back in the ongoing quest for the minimum gramme! ?

Review in the online version of the Jan 09 edition of Performing Musician just unlocked ...

http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/jan09/articles/fishmansoloamp.htm

Keira-WitherKay

yeah thanks Riaan..... i was initially very interested in this......

and i read a few reviews to date including the video one on you tube.... and like the idea...

but awefully expensive for what it is.....

my one gripe is that there are so few inputs....

these days 8 channel mixers are way compact and they coulda for that price made it a bit more versatile.... when i work solo i use 8 channels and it's all live....1) internal pickup of guitar ... 2) a condenser guitar mic.... 3/4/5/) 3 x percussion mics and 6) a vocal mic ...and 7/8 ) stereo input for ipod for music in breaks .... so i would have to use an external mixer .... so yeah a weak point i think there ...

the concept is great and as the article says wait a bit and behringer or someone else will bring out something cheaper more versatile and lighter....

weight wise it's still too heavy at 17kg ...to take on a plane and still take a guitar and a case or things to wear.... but i think it is the start of a new way of seeing solo/duo pa systems which is good....

it's only when you travel a lot .... and not on a huge tour budget that enables you to fly your gear via air cargo around the world ....you start to see the value in a lightweight yet decent PA system/amp and thus far few companies have woken up to this..... but gear is getting more compact and lightweight..... so i think seeing something like this produced commercially is the start of a trend.....

and i have a real passion...well it's actually become a hobby of mine to see just how lightweight i can get a 100W to 200W rig.... and still have the features i need..... and even make it battery powered ...

i have discovered and bought a 10 channel desk that behringer make Eurorack UBB1002 that is both adaptor and battery powered and is a full featured mixed ....it weighs in at 2.5 kg but i have just seen that beringer have now released a Xenyx version of the same desk...not yet available in this country .... and i can't seem to get my hands on a spec sheet...only operating manuals are available...... its Xenyx 1002B the eurorack version i use live and is awesome and full featured desk..... so i'm hopeing the 'cheaper" version the xenyx will have a plastic chassis and be lighter.. and i am aiming at one of them for travelling ....i know that the xenyx will be a lower quality than eurorack but to me it's all for live use and travel/busking use.... so a little noise is worth the mixer being 1kg lighter cos the eurorack has a solid steel chassis and built like a tank....

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/1002B.aspx

so my mission continues.... i will keep you posted ..... and gearhead is even looking into designing a custom design portable/battery/mains powered 100W system for me.... which i'm very excited about ....seems the technology is out there to do what i want just need someone technically skilled like gearhead to actually pull it together .....

yeah so exciting times and Riaan and everybody else if anybody see's any ligtweight systems....or has any idea's please contact me or just add to this post.... cos i have the philosoph of cutting even a few hundred gram's off something all adds up.... for example i recently bought an skb style classical case from a french company that weighs in at only 3.2 kg (without the guitar) ..... my last flight case was almost 6 kg without the guitar .... so this is my mindset ...and the goal is a rig with everything i need including guitar for about 12/13 kg but 10 kg would be 1st prise.... but i am realistic.... heheheh

so guys any idea's on how to cut down....or get a system to do this???

peace and light
Keira

`

peace and light
Keira

Ray

There is a review of a SR Technology JAM 90 in the December 008 edition of Guitarist magazine. Now I dont know much at all about these things but they are saying good things there. And the price they mention is 329 pound. As rivals they mention AER Alpha at 549 pound, Headway Shrieking 60 at 499 pound and AAD The Cub at 329 pound. As one of the points that they dislike about the JAM 90 is no reverb/delay on jack inputs. Is that serious?

Gearhead

It being serious obviously depends on your playing style. I don't know may players that use reverb switching during songs, which is the main reason for wanting a footswitch. Between songs one can just walk towards the amp, switch the reverb on and have a sip of the beer that's standing there.
I could imagine, in a more elaborated setup, some other piece of equipment switching the amp reverb on - my Roland GP8 has two switching outputs, one of which switches the reverb on my preamp. The reverb then becomes part of the programmed sound, even though it's in the amp. In that case the reverb jack had better be positioned in the back of the amp, to stop cables from cluttering the front.

Keira-WitherKay

Ray wrote: There is a review of a SR Technology JAM 90 in the December 008 edition of Guitarist magazine. Now I dont know much at all about these things but they are saying good things there. And the price they mention is 329 pound. As rivals they mention AER Alpha at 549 pound, Headway Shrieking 60 at 499 pound and AAD The Cub at 329 pound. As one of the points that they dislike about the JAM 90 is no reverb/delay on jack inputs. Is that serious?

hello Ray .... i read up about the Jam 90.... looks pretty good on paper, and was almost convinced till i saw it has only one 6" speaker.... and that will not cope with what i push through my system even at low level.... i need at least an 8 " to get the full sound i seek...i like a full but soft sound.... and tried the roland AC60 with dual 6" speakers and it was very thin sounding ... the roland AC90 with 2x 8" was much better but too heavy again ..... too heavy for my needs that is... about 14+ kg if i remember

anyway interesting amp the Jam 90..... love to hear one ...if anyone hears or knows of any in country right now let me know... thanks

peace and light
Keira

Bob-Dubery

Keira WitherKay wrote:
weight wise it's still too heavy at 17kg ...to take on a plane and still take a guitar and a case or things to wear....

Keira,

Have you considered becoming a guy as a solution to your travel problems?

If you were a guy then you could save loads of money by leaving behind all the unnecessary items IE a case of things to wear. The saving would be such that you could carry a six pack, a universal TV remote, a couple of magazines (heavy on pictures to help get you through the flight) and still end up considerably lighter.

Just a thought.

Bob

Bob-Dubery

Riaan C wrote: Review in the online version of the Jan 09 edition of Performing Musician just unlocked ...

http://www.performing-musician.com/pm/jan09/articles/fishmansoloamp.htm

I was confused by this
"a monitor input with its own level control that can be fed from the monitor out of a second system to allow a duo to hear the desired amount of each other on stage."

Que? Taking a line from a monitor and feeding it into this amp?

Keira-WitherKay

Bob Dubery wrote:
Keira WitherKay wrote:
weight wise it's still too heavy at 17kg ...to take on a plane and still take a guitar and a case or things to wear....
Keira,

Have you considered becoming a guy as a solution to your travel problems?

If you were a guy then you could save loads of money by leaving behind all the unnecessary items IE a case of things to wear. The saving would be such that you could carry a six pack, a universal TV remote, a couple of magazines (heavy on pictures to help get you through the flight) and still end up considerably lighter.

Just a thought.

Bob

lol Bob heheheh yeah but as i'm sure you know i'm a dyke it equates to a similar thing except i keep my d&ck in my top dresser drawer....

but i am winning my weight problem....if you recall on open mic at jonathan's i had already replaced my cymbal stand with a camera stand i have adjusted and saved a huge abount of weight ....

and i have last week bought a 8 channel line mixer to replace my desk.... mixer weighs 650 grams and is in a metal case which i am replacing with a plastic one as soon as i can get to communica..... btw the old mixer weighd 2.5 kg .... and the sound is as good...

now i have also been performing my Zahava's gig with just my 30 W crate amp and found it sufficient(last you saw me there i was using a 150W 12" ... last 2 shows i changed to the battery powered crate and it's working....and coping ...so mission accomplished...

my travel rig is not meant for clubs but small shows like Zahava's where soft music is required...and busking of course thats why it need to be battery powered

so i'm winning....

i also replaced my shure mic with a condenser clip on tie mic for mic ing up my cymbal.... so another cutback....

now it's just the amp to put in a lighter casing and we away....

once i get closer to what i'm seeking i'll post what the travel rig weight ....

this has definitely become my "hobby" to compress the gear ...

and another bonaus if i don't need a battery powered amp...i have an 8" moulded powered PA speaker (which i use as a monitor at open mic.... which is only 7.5 kg and powered at 150W ...but not battery powered ...so yeah at about 10 kg if i use that amp... but batterry one is about 11kg on it's own .....

anyway i'm winning and having fun doing so...

like some of you have GAS over guitars ect...i have the unresistable urge to get my travel rig finally sorted... and my goal is 12 kg ....

peace and light
Keira

Riaan-Combrink

I'm loving this thread. Following Keira's quest for 12kgs has become one of my interests. Keep us posted!

Duberry, that was very cheeky. Loved it though! ?

Bob-Dubery

Riaan C wrote: I'm loving this thread. Following Keira's quest for 12kgs has become one of my interests. Keep us posted!

Duberry, that was very cheeky. Loved it though! ?

Errrr... ja... turned out to be cheekier than I'd imagined and may have looked like a cheap shot at Keira.

My apologies for any offense - I can sure assure you none was intended and none still would be intended.

FatBoy

Also loving the various threads on Keira's quest for a light weight rig, interesting stuff.

Bob I doubt she took offence, I have taken a few shots at her in chat and she always comes out the winner ?

?

Keira-WitherKay

heheehhe Bob, takes a lot more than that to offend me, and i was brought up within a family that had a wicked monty pythonish sense of humour... so believe me i absolutely loved your post ... and had a good chuckle over it.... didn't my response show that....

so please i'm not the one you need kid gloves with.... ever hehhehe

so no need for any concern....

and yeah guys the travel rig is coming along....every week it's getting closer..... i'm convinced i can do this....

next step is sourcing an empty 8" molded cabinet.... if anybody knows where i could buy one( without speakers) please mail me .... even if it's 2nd hand...as long as the cabinet is not damaged or cracked...but scratch's and worn marks i can live with ...

peace and light
Keira

Bob-Dubery

Keira WitherKay wrote: heheehhe Bob, takes a lot more than that to offend me, and i was brought up within a family that had a wicked monty pythonish sense of humour... so believe me i absolutely loved your post ... and had a good chuckle over it.... didn't my response show that....

Things that would be obvious when spoken between two people in the same room might not be so obvious when typed up on an on-line forum. So unless I'm out for a fight with somebody - which is not the case here - I find it safer to err on the side of assuming that offence may have been taken.

Gearhead

About the light weight project: Keira remember the Eminence Acousti... thing you are thinking of using needs a tweeter (and a good one at that, too) so your light weight cab needs a front (baffle) that can take a tweeter. I still think you need something purpose-built for the cab.

On the dykes topic: the mother of my second girlfriend turned dyke when her two lovely daughters were in their teens. Never bothered me so much but I did need to ignore all the anti-man comments. You'd think that it's easier to talk about lekker women with dykes but that just never seems to work out... especially not with your lover's mother ☹ might try my guitar teacher ?