Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Paul Fidlin, an English friend of mine, who designs speakers (Fender, 
Celestion) and now resides in the US, has had a large hand in the 
revolutionary new Bose Personal Amplification system, consisting of a 
thin cylindrical speaker, the pedestal that supports it and contains 
all of the electronics, a remote control, and, for some instruments, 
a separate subwoofer or two. Originally intended to eliminate the 
need for a PA in small to medium sized venues (each cylinder radiates 
sound about 180 degrees), allowing each musician to hear him/herself 
and the rest of the band just like the audience does, it may 
eventually become a favorite with e-drummers, both at home and on 
stage. Though not inexpensive by monitor standards--about $2000 for 
the system with a single sub--it is by no means overpriced when its 
convenience and versatility are taken into consideration. Guitar 
Center was smitten enough to ask for, and receive, exclusive retail 
rights. Presumably, the system will find its way to Musicians Friend 
as well. 

Right now, supply is so limited that review samples are scarce, but 
Paul says that he'll set one up for me to try when he has one 
available. Apparently, it won't find its way to Europe for a while. 
For information, go to the Bose website and then to products for 
musicians.

Ed

The question about amping, both at home and on stage, comes up 
regularly. Bose has come up with a system meant to consolidate and 
simplify amplification, eliminating the need for separate stage 
monitors, PAs, and mixers, while also claiming to improve sound 
quality. Individual musicians can use one of the configurations, but 
groups stand much to gain if all of the members use one, assuming 
that it works for them. Months ago, the designer of the system asked 
whether I'd like to audition it for e-drums; we haven't been able to 
get it together until now, or, should I say, a couple of weeks from 
now. Since he's a friend of mine, we'll work together to get the most 
out of the system. Bose would like to extend the market for the PAS, 
and e-drums are a likely candidate to benefit from it. Guitar Center 
has been the only store to offer it, besides Bose's own sales 
program, and lately the various GCs have moved a cylinder and sub 
into the drum room. Most of us, however, know how difficult it is to 
get a handle on a product on GC's showroom floor. 

Anyone have experience with this system? If so, please contact me 
privately if you'd like to report on it or post a reply to this 
message. I've asked drummers at a number of forums for suggestions or 
questions that I might be able to answer either through personal 
experience with the PAS or through access to the designer. More 
information is available at bose.com, if you navigate to the Personal 
Amplification System gateway.

Ed

Hey Ed,

I've been able to try out the Bose systems, in fact I was the first guy 
at GC to sell these systems, back in my salesman days. And, primarily 
to e-drummers.
I played several gigs running a laptop-based DJ set with tons of 
softsynths through it, and the sound was nothing short of awesome. It's 
very transparent, especially running drum modules (I ran a Roland 909 
and a TD-8 through it), the low end was crystal clear, and using 2 subs 
it was nothing short of huge. The amazing thing about it is that the 
system doesn't distort, the power is there, but it doesn't blow your 
head off.
I would say it's the dream rig for electronic drums.

Hope that helps,
Stuart McConaghy

On Mar 10, 2005, at 12:09 PM, emf wrote:

>
>
> The question about amping, both at home and on stage, comes up
> regularly. Bose has come up with a system meant to consolidate and
> simplify amplification, eliminating the need for separate stage
> monitors, PAs, and mixers, while also claiming to improve sound
> quality. Individual musicians can use one of the configurations, but
> groups stand much to gain if all of the members use one, assuming
> that it works for them. Months ago, the designer of the system asked
> whether I'd like to audition it for e-drums; we haven't been able to
> get it together until now, or, should I say, a couple of weeks from
> now. Since he's a friend of mine, we'll work together to get the most
> out of the system. Bose would like to extend the market for the PAS,
> and e-drums are a likely candidate to benefit from it. Guitar Center
> has been the only store to offer it, besides Bose's own sales
> program, and lately the various GCs have moved a cylinder and sub
> into the drum room. Most of us, however, know how difficult it is to
> get a handle on a product on GC's showroom floor.
>
> Anyone have experience with this system? If so, please contact me
> privately if you'd like to report on it or post a reply to this
> message. I've asked drummers at a number of forums for suggestions or
> questions that I might be able to answer either through personal
> experience with the PAS or through access to the designer. More
> information is available at bose.com, if you navigate to the Personal
> Amplification System gateway.
>
> Ed
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Community email addresses:
>   Post message: DTXpress@yahoogroups.com
>   Subscribe:    DTXpress-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
>   Unsubscribe:  DTXpress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>   List owner:   DTXpress-owner@yahoogroups.com
>
> Shortcut URL to this page:
>   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DTXpress
>
> Alternate DTXpress site:
>   http://www.dtxpressions.com
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, Stuart McConaghy <stuart@s...> wrote:
> Hey Ed,
> 
> I've been able to try out the Bose systems, in fact I was the first 
guy 
> at GC to sell these systems, back in my salesman days. And, 
primarily 
> to e-drummers.
> I played several gigs running a laptop-based DJ set with tons of 
> softsynths through it, and the sound was nothing short of awesome. 
It's 
> very transparent, especially running drum modules (I ran a Roland 
909 
> and a TD-8 through it), the low end was crystal clear, and using 2 
subs 
> it was nothing short of huge. The amazing thing about it is that 
the 
> system doesn't distort, the power is there, but it doesn't blow 
your 
> head off.
> I would say it's the dream rig for electronic drums.
> 
> Hope that helps,

Stuart,

Yeah, it helps a lot. In fact, I was hoping to get your attention; I 
figured that you'd have valuable experience with it. So far, I've 
heard only good things about the PAS from the limited number of 
edrummers who've used it, and I've encountered a slight amount of 
skepticism from those who haven't. The design is certainly intriguing 
enough in its own right to attract all sorts of perspectives. I can't 
wait to get my hands on it (and I'm already dreading the moment when 
I give it back). Thanks for the report. I want to go into this 
audition with as much background as possible.

Ed

Hi,

I didn't see that you posted a link for the readers here...? So 
here's one!

http://www.bose.com/controller;jsessionid=Czp3h4jxJWxthGt0GqLtmnlPQ4G
ZqWcvywrzVLhbJKpWrmkNVdGV!1821043101!-2040064277?
event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/musicians/solutions/index.jsp&links
ource=rightnav_img_solutions&pageName=/musicians/index.jsp

I have not tried this system myself, nor have I heard them in 
action. But I've been eyeballing this. But I've heard the Home 
Theater Systems and was very impressed.

You mention those that have not tried them are skeptical...Rightly 
so! 
I have some concers here with this myself...Firstly, what about the 
stereo L/R image/feild with only 'one' cylindrical radiator? 
Wouldn't this them be in mono? Would one need to buy two of these 
radiators to achieve stereo? I didn't see in this link any info 
about the single radiator being able to send the stereo imagery out 
in it's sound dispersion...? Not so cheap either:O...

This got my mind working though...Are there any implications that 
this system or it's technology can be used in the studio? Or does 
Bose already have a studio speaker system/nearfields? I like the 
idea of how it radiates sound in different directions.
But even I bought some speakers with like 5" cones and on top are a 
different kind (I guess) of piezo tweeters that throw sound at 180 
degree's, and it works. This seems to help in a situation of close 
proximity only needs, and they're fairly in inexpensive, but sound 
decent.

So to recap my concerns are;
1) Stereo Field
2) Possible Studio Uses (with this or similar)

Steve



--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "emf" <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
> 
> The question about amping, both at home and on stage, comes up 
> regularly. Bose has come up with a system meant to consolidate and 
> simplify amplification, eliminating the need for separate stage 
> monitors, PAs, and mixers, while also claiming to improve sound 
> quality. Individual musicians can use one of the configurations, 
but 
> groups stand much to gain if all of the members use one, assuming 
> that it works for them. Months ago, the designer of the system 
asked 
> whether I'd like to audition it for e-drums; we haven't been able 
to 
> get it together until now, or, should I say, a couple of weeks 
from 
> now. Since he's a friend of mine, we'll work together to get the 
most 
> out of the system. Bose would like to extend the market for the 
PAS, 
> and e-drums are a likely candidate to benefit from it. Guitar 
Center 
> has been the only store to offer it, besides Bose's own sales 
> program, and lately the various GCs have moved a cylinder and sub 
> into the drum room. Most of us, however, know how difficult it is 
to 
> get a handle on a product on GC's showroom floor. 
> 
> Anyone have experience with this system? If so, please contact me 
> privately if you'd like to report on it or post a reply to this 
> message. I've asked drummers at a number of forums for suggestions 
or 
> questions that I might be able to answer either through personal 
> experience with the PAS or through access to the designer. More 
> information is available at bose.com, if you navigate to the 
Personal 

> Amplification System gateway.
> 
> Ed

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "zapaxe" <a_zapelectric@h...> wrote:
> So to recap my concerns are;
> 1) Stereo Field
> 2) Possible Studio Uses (with this or similar)

Steve,

Setting up in stereo--that is, using two PAS--is certainly an option, 
but since each Bose PAS disperses sound 180 degrees, the spread may 
be satisfactory in mono in many situations/venues. The PAS will also 
work well in a practice space. As studio monitors they would have 
less value. The point of studio monitors is to give the engineers in 
the booth a general idea of how their work will sound on consumer 
stereos, whereas the Bose PAS is a pro unit geared toward live use, 
which is a totally different animal. Stereo speakers vary in their 
ability to spread a soundstage between and beyond the two source 
speakers, but not all of them that have wide soundstages also have 
depth or good point-source definition, let along tonal accuracy. A 
PA/monitor-type system like the Bose won't necessarily share all of 
the desirable design elements or compromises that apply to home 
audio. They are not meant to reproduce pre-recorded sound.

Ed

They seem a little expensive at $2000.  The Yamaha one seems much 
more afordable after pricing the Bose.

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "G" <kickflippin@h...> wrote:
> 
>  They seem a little expensive at $2000.  The Yamaha one seems much 
> more afordable after pricing the Bose.

But the Yamaha apparently doesn't sound all that good; can't be used 
live as anything but (maybe) a personal monitor; doesn't potentially 
eliminate the need for separate mixer, monitor, and PA on stage; 
doesn't radiate sound 180 degrees; doesn't have the capacity for 
multiple connections; doesn't eliminate muddying sound reflections, 
and isn't made to be compatible with a wide range of other 
instruments.

Hi Everybody! Just to say you can use a short url instead the usual
soooooo large http address .... create a tiny url linked to your large
url and send the short one to your friends!

http://tinyurl.com/

regards
Ricardo Ruiz
¿Drummer? From Chile

>> http://www.bose.com/controller;jsessionid=Czp3h4jxJWxthGt0GqLtmnlPQ4G
>> ZqWcvywrzVLhbJKpWrmkNVdGV!1821043101!-2040064277?
>> event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/musicians/solutions/index.jsp&links
>> ource=rightnav_img_solutions&pageName=/musicians/index.jsp

Today I picked up my Bose PAS for review as amplification for 
electronic drums.  The designer gave me a brief tutorial. I must say, 
without having heard it yet with e-drums (only bass and synth) that 
it is incredibly simple to set up and use. However, The preamp 
section has numerous presets geared to all sorts of instruments, 
mics, and situations, in addition to a totally flat-response default. 
I'll have to bone up on the possibilities a little. Bose would be 
receptive to adding a preset or two for e-drums, or even simply 
recommended settings with preexisting presets, if a good case could 
be made, to aid e-drummers'ease of operation even further. 

The portability of the system alone has much to recommend it. Each 
section has its own carrying case--the base and the two halves of the 
tower. My auditioning system has two bass modules, with handles. The 
whole kit'n'kaboodle fit in the back of my Subaru wagon with room to 
spare. Man, if transporting had been this easy when I was dragging 
equipment from one venue to another, I'd probably be a less miserable 
old coot today. 

For those of you who are interested in this thing for practice or 
performance, I may add my impressions in installments.

Ed