Pt I
A while back, in another thread, the question arose about finding a small crossover, to use with a Bose L1 Compact system, and a subwoofer.
Another forum member found and suggested the Rolls SX21 tiny crossover.
I had been looking for a solution like this for a long time, so I bought a Rolls and tested it, out live with my acoustic drums. It was quite the success.
Of course the success probably depended somewhat on the small-ish nature of the venue,
meaning that the Compact didn’t have to throw the sound all that far.
A good thing, since it was competing with a Classic L1 used by our guitarist/singer.
Also, I was only mic’ing my kick.
My gig report later in that thread mentions set up details and my perceived results.
Bottom line is that the Compact, the Rolls, and a Bose Extended Bass Pkg can work very well together, very, very well.
Part II
My testing also led to the discovery that the B1s can sound really good out in front of the drums. My band mates said they could hear my kick way better than usual.
I would like to add a bit more to this subject.
I tried a similar setup a few weeks later at a gig with my Model II and my Trapkat (e-Drums), putting the B1s in front of the set.
This time though, I had 4-B1s, not just the two I’d used for the acoustic drum test.
I thought that this would be a really big sound…unfortunately, it was not.
The e-drum kick sound was very weak with the B1s out front, and the overall sound of my drums was “disjointed”.
It sounded like only two of the 4 B1s were working, but putting my ear up next to them, they all worked.
The guys in the band were looking at me like “what the heck, where’s the kick??”
So, I’m just guessing that this was due to acoustic properties of our setup; outdoors on a patio, not indoors in a corner, low roof overhead, not the 16’ ceiling of the bar.
I only mention this to say that putting your B1s out front of your drums may not always work as sterling as it did for me that first time with the Rolls set up.
However, I wish to reiterate how impressed I was by the Compact’s performance with a sub-woofer and crossover, for mic’ing a kick drum.
I will continue to experiment with the “B1s-out-front” idea in the future with the Trapkat when it returns from the shop with pad upgrades.
Until next time.
I was wondering if 2 B1’s is enough for micing a kick drum in a band? Any thoughts?
hi 7777,
I believe that 2-B1s can handle acoustic kick at the typical low volume band gig,
it’s what I’ve been using for the last year or so.
Four B1s of course, sounds fuller, and I love that sound, and couldn’t live without it for a long time.
But now things have changed, I’m older and tired-er and two is fine.
If you are a louder rock band, four, no doubt, would be my suggestion.
Back when I was a 4-B1 & Packlite convert, forum member Starvin wrote a lot about his successes with only two.
I didn’t understand it until I heard CDs of his groups, and how they play so tastefully and dynamically.
Now I see, and it has let me give in to that concept, hence…two B1s again.
However, I prefer four B1s with my Trapkat e-drums, it offers the fullness that electronics seem to need.
Whatever I do though, the audience never comments on it one way or the other.
So it seems that 4-B1s is one of those “whatever is comfortable (or comforting) to you”.
PS
Having a T1 and the “kick gate” will get you the most from either a 2 or 4 B1 setup.
For me, it’s a necessity.
Only once, recently, did I have opportunity to not need the kick gate
It was when I had the B1s out in front of the band, not near my bass drum.
I posted about that in another thread…the Rolls thread, I think.
Hi Drumr Pete,
quote:However, I prefer four B1s with my Trapkat e-drums, it offers the fullness that electronics seem to need.
I have to wonder if this is at least in part because there is no acoustic kick drum in the mix when you’re playing the Trapkat.
But then I’m just a guitarist so what do I know about drums.
Thank you. I do have a T1. I will check out the kick gate.
quote:Originally posted by ST:
I have to wonder if this is at least in part because there is no acoustic kick drum in the mix when you're playing the Trapkat.
But then I'm just a guitarist so what do I know about drums.
You are correct ST, there is no acoustic drum in the mix to add it's own low tone.
Also, V-drums are a cleaner sound overall, and need more of that real low signal (and noise).
BTW, I hooked up the Trapkat to the crossover and B2 again this morning.
I had been concerned that the video might have been misleading.
The demo song sounded fine, the music track in relation to the drum sounds.
But I wondered if the V-drums alone could get up enough steam to really make it work.
Well, it seems there is plenty power available, and it works.
I had to turn up the T1 ch 2 & 3 up higher (from 9 to noon), and the master higher (noon to 3), but left the crossover where it had been. Neither the crossover nor the A1 showed any Red LEDS when the volume was really hot, and I heard no distortion.
Definitely enough Oomph for a gig.
I noticed that overall, the V-drums sounded very clean, lots of highs, but not a bunch of "boom".
The kick was tight, similar to 2-B1s, but I thought I'd heard more boom before.
It must have been only by comparison to the B1s.
The V-drums sounded good overall, I expected some thinness in the snare drum, I thought I'd heard that before.
But the snare and all the overhead drums had enough fullness.
I almost prefer this sound to the Model II, in that my TD-12 Samples are all cleaner, crisper sounding.
We have some upcoming gigs with too-low-a-ceiling (our first ever) and this has to be my rig.
quote:Originally posted by 7777:
Thank you. I do have a T1. I will check out the kick gate.
Try a few different mics as well.
I used to always use an Audix D6 kick mic, but when using the kick gate, my old D-112 offers a bit more low end.
The kick gate really shuts the signal down fast, and you need all the bass you can get into it before that happens.
Hello, pretty late to this party but where do I find the "Kick Gate" on the T1 ? Please and Thank You !
Hi Tom T,
The Kick Gate is under Comp/Gate.
Find it?
ST
Yes I did ! Thanks so much !! The Bosepro community it most excellent !!!
Hi,
The Rolls SX21 is enough to power-up the B1?
Hello again NZenzo209,
You still require a power amplifier in order to use a Rolls SX21 with the B1 in this configuration. In this case, the poster was using a Bose A1 Packlite amplifier. The Packlite is one of the components that can be used in the "Bose Extended Bass Package", referred to in the title of this thread. This package was designed to let you use additional B1 Bass Modules with the L1 Model II, Model 1S, Model 1, and L1 Classic.
The "... another thread ..." that DrumrPete referred to at the beginning of this post was in a different forum post, (the link inside the original post is broken) and he mentioned using the Packlite there.
While I appreciate the desire to use what you already have to save expense, you would probably be better served to obtain a powered subwoofer designed for general use, such as the Bose Sub1 or Sub2.
Does that help?