How do I replicate the sound when I plug directly into the L1 Pro 16 through the Bose T4S Mixer

Portable PA
1

I am a musician, I am in an acoustic duo that plays live music, we play using a single guitar and a single microphone.  Thats it.  He plays guitar, I sing.  Simple stuff.

 

We have a Bose L1 Pro 16 PA system and a Bose T4S Mixer.  When we play gigs, we typically plug our mic and guitar directly into the Bose L1 Pro 16 and it sounds amazing.  Very happy.  Don't even need the mixer.

 

However when we play gigs that use a "house PA," we need to plug into the mixer.  The mixer outputs to both our Bose L1 Pro 16 and the house PA.  We have not been able to replicate the amazing sound we get when we simply plug directly into the PA. 

 

What are the settings of the Bose T4S mixer that will achieve that magic sound we get when plugging directly to the PA?  There is some sort of rich, sustaining, magic sound that we cant replicate through the mixer.  Are there recommended settings to achieve this on the T4S mixer?  

 

2

Hello kreppy30,

 

Your L1 Pro 16 has a "line out" jack on the rear.  It sends the full mix.  (The manual seems to infer that it is only for the Sub1/Sub2 or other bass module, but it is indeed a full mix that can be used to send to another system. The is post-fader, so any changes you make to volume levels will affect the outgoing mix as well.)

 

Don't give up on the T4s, however.  It has some great features and much more versatility.  Whereas the L1 Pro series "set and forget" EQ buttons are nicely dialed in, don't be afraid to A) research the countless other forum posts that others have made looking to dial in "their" sound, and B) explore all the options and hints here.

 

Does that help?

3

OK.  So you are saying I can line out from the L1 Pro 16 to the house PA?  If so, got it.  and yes that helps.

 

However, there are only 2 ports on the L1 for instruments.  What if I also play guitar, and my partner also sings harmonies?  Can I run those through the mixer and our standard guitar and mic through the L1?  then line out to the house PA from the L1?

4

Hello again kreppy30,

 

"So you are saying I can line out from the L1 Pro 16 to the house PA?"  Yes.

 

"However, there are only 2 ports on the L1 for instruments.  What if I also play guitar, and my partner also sings harmonies?  Can I run those through the mixer and our standard guitar and mic through the L1?  then line out to the house PA from the L1?"  Yes.  The line out on the rear of the Pro 16 sends the combination of all inputs whether mic, instrument, TRS (1/8"), aux line in (1/4"), BlueTooth, or ToneMatch port.

 

As you test with the T4s, you'll probably get it "dialed in" for all four inputs.  That would be a great advantage, as you could then save "scenes" that can be used with your Pro 16 (or any other system, for that matter) for even quicker setup.

 

One more thing, for long-term development:  As you work with different venues, you may find that their house systems vary greatly, as will their expertise in making you sound good.  You may want to concentrate more on learning how to set up the T4s for your best sound, along with how to set up an Aux mix to send to the house.  By using Aux, a mix sent to the house can be changed according to the what the "house" needs or wants, without affecting the mix you want in your Pro 16.  House engineers are sometimes "just hook it up, it'll work ... I think" amateurs, many are total professionals who aim to learn and maximize your sound.  Be prepared for the former and enjoy the latter! 😄

 

Have a great time experimenting!

 

 

 

5

Thanks again for your quick and thorough replies, very beneficial.

 

Can you by any chance provide some advice or some "quick setting" on the mixer that offers a great vocal tone for my gig tomorrow with a house PA?  I use a Peavey microphone and didnt see it in the tonematch list, so I just selected the Shure 58 randomly.  Does that help anything? 

Do you know of any other magical vocal setting to improve the sound?  I've been through it several times and havent been able to equal the straight sound of the PA (50% bass, 50% treble, 50% reverb and the "Mic" setting). I also find it difficult that these easy settings are not included on the Mixer (you can for sure tell this is my first mixer 🙂

 

I cant thank you enough for your responses as I'm in a jam for a quick fix

6

Hello again, kreppy30,

 

Unfortunately, there is no "quick setting" that I can suggest, as my ears (and obviously, location) are so much different.

 

Knowing the particular model of Peavey mic that you have may be helpful, but note that the Pro 16's internal settings are not mic-specific, so choosing a mic in the ToneMatch settings on the T4s will obviously be different than if you leave it "flat".

 

If you are using the System EQ presets on the Pro 16 (Off, Live, Music, Speech), here are the settings that it uses (thanks to Dylan_R at Bose in this post.  (One thing I forgot to mention earlier:  The System EQ preset does not follow to the Line Out jack, just the treble, bass, reverb and any settings you might make on your T4s. )

 

Here are some notes on changes in the System EQ settings:

  • LIVE – slight reduction in 100Hz, bump around 1KHz, slight reduction at 10KHz

  • MUSIC – increase around 100Hz, increase around 10KHz

  • SPEECH – reduction between 100Hz and 500Hz, bump around 2KHz-3KHz, bump over 11KHz

You should be able to approximate these settings using the Para EQ for your mic channel.  Just make sure you have properly gain-staged your mic (instructions here).  That's a step you don't have to do on the Pro 16, but almost always on any mixer.

 

Then just volume, zEQ and Reverb to taste ... take your time, experiment, but most of all, enjoy!  I know it took me years to "dial in" what I wanted (once I got my first L1 system, it became easier to do.)  Some folks get it quickly, others take longer.  It's all OK!

 

Remember also, what you hear in your head is different than what you hear when you record yourself (videos or audio recordings) and that's OK too!  (The quality of the recording and the playback device[s] will matter as much as your performance.)  Whether you try to mix for your audience or for yourself,  don't get fixated on one or the other.  Concentrate first on your performance, to the best of your ability, and the equipment will enhance it!

7

Hi kreppy 30,

 

Open the T4S manual to page 36. Use the Bose Singer/ Songwriter scene. You can use the information in the Manual to duplicate settings of vocal and acoustic guitar to allow for both you and your partner. Create a new scene, kreppy plus one ,and save it.

Keep tinkering, you'll either figure it out or come back with more questions.

 

O..