We are a small group of 3 with three Acoustic-Electric guitars with three vocals. We do a mix of Folk, Country, Classic Rock and Mariachi. We use Sennheiser 935 mics, a 12 hole Behringer mixer, and a L1 compact for our performances. I am seriously thinking of upgrading to L1 model 1 or Model 2, and adding the T8s tonematch to try to get a little more punch for some of our gigs. I really like the Compact but would like to get a just a little more power. So does it make more sense to overboard with a Model 2, B1 base (no drum or bass player) or simply upgrade to the L1 model 1.
If you ever think about down the road and getting a bass guitar you will be ready for it. We sold our huge Electro-Voice mains and monitors along with a mixing board and a suitcases full of cables and it took over an hour and a half JUST to set up! Then of course a sound check. It now takes 15 minutes to set up the L1 Model 2 with Tonematch 8s and the sound is incredible. Clean, crisp and powerful. We played for 400 people last weekend and you could hear everything at the end of the huge room down to the last guitar note. Nice thing is you can adjust the Tonematch to the venue and save it so when you go back just put the saved settings for that room. Worth every penny!
We have an acoustic duo/trio (2 acoustic guitars with pickups, 1 upright bass, 2 vocals) through a L1 M2 with 2 B1s. We used to have a L1 M1 for many years before it started having issues so we upgraded to the M2. We’ve also recently been using the Bose S1 Pro when we perform as a duo in smaller venues.
To address your question, I would recommend going with the L1M2 with at least one B1. The M2 has a better articulated speaker tower array that projects the sound better than the M1 and the M2 base is so much more compact and easier to lug around than the huge M1 base.
You’ll find varying opinions on which bass module to use B1 vs B2. We stuck with the B1s as we already had them from our M1 setup. The M1 had a bit more bass coming through the speaker array so we added a second B1. That works fine for us when our upright acoustic bass player is with us. Also, I can just bring one B1 when we play without the bass. A single B2 is fine too, just a bit bulkier and heavier to transport. Some say it is too much bass though. I would try a B1 first and see what you think.
The T series mixers are great and you can save settings with ToneMatch EQ to make your setup easier. We already had 12 channel Yamaha MGX series analog mixer that we’re used to. It has nice mic preamps, digital effects, and plenty of channels to expand into when we use multiple instruments or adding vocalists etc. Going with a digital mixer offers a lot of flexibility, but there’s a learning curve to best take advantage of their features. For us, going with a T4 or T8 would be overkill.
Hope this helps.
I was wondering in the beginning if we should get the T8S and asked a lot of people AND tech support if I could still use our older mixer. They were split down the middle. Once you get the hang of the T8S, it really is a lot easier to set up and use. Glad we did it. Glad to see your happy with what you got. Maybe we will try it sometime to see the difference.
What a great forum. My concern was that the L1 model 2 which is advertised for up to 500 people might be a little larger than we need since we are so close to doing what we need with the compact, but it sounds like those with the experience feel that the extra money for the model 2 is a smart move since the sound is so much better with 24 speaker array. I also use a TC Helicon Voice Play Live but find I only use it on a few songs and mostly on one setting, so I probably can get close to the same thing from the T8. So mostly it is 3 guitars with pickups, and 3 mikes, and the idea of having pre-adjusted for various gigs sure makes a lot of sense.