Purchasing an Electro - what else should I consider?

[pablomastodon]

hi afrosksully,

check out the pix on the Sweetwater website (mel posted the link above)

it doesn't really have outs at all, except for sub out, which I have not tried to use. the way to run this live with feeds going to FOH will be via DIs to share the signal between amp and PA

[jfenton]

I saw that article, but I'm going to wait...any speaker that calls itself a "space station" is a little suspect for me. And it sure ain't cheap for an 8 inch woofer. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Spacestation3...

...But when I hear that the House is providing the sound, I cringe...because even though it means I get to haul less equipment, it also means I'll fight to be properly mixed.

...and also fight to be properly monitored.

At the risk of repeating myself, for 25+ years I've been saying that I've never met a keyboard amp that I liked. Then Aspen called me one day (my first time meeting him), asking to place one or more of his SpaceStation kbd amps in the Nord booth at NAMM for demo purposes. Well, that didn't happen (for reasons which had nothing to do with the quality of the amp), but he did send one to my home for me to check out. This resulted in two things: 1) I can no longer say that I've never met a kbd amp that I like, and 2) my credit card got dented. After test-driving it on one gig I had to call him up and let him know that he was never getting it back from me.

Perhaps the name invokes images of Sputnik and asteroids, which might understandably make someone mistrust the thing without ever hearing it, but I suspect that it was derived from the sense of SPACE which the amp creates and had nothing to with leaving orbit. Whatever...this thing is pretty darned amazing. For a compact package, it's quite a load, weighing roughly the same as an 88-note Nord. I have not tried pairing it with a sub yet, but have no doubts that this is a really good idea. Sounds phreaking awesome just the way it is!

Certainly for most of my musical life that price tag would have kept me away, and it might be understandable that many others will feel the same way, but I did eventually figure out that buying reduced quality gear in order to scrimp on money was a lose-lose proposition. Using the example of a Peavey kbd amp I owned in the late 80's, it sounded like crap, couldn't compete with the guitarists' Fender amps, and I was out a sizable piece of change. In the long run it's better to do without for a while until you build up your bank for the RIGHT tool instead of wasting money on wrong tools along the way.

Bless, Pablo

PS -- to the OP, get a gig bag or hard case, according to need. Protect your bright red baby.

By looking at the specs, the frequency response range at the low end is not where I would like it. This might force you into ordering an additional subwoofer if you need more bottom.

[DJKeys]

I also purchased the Space Station and have gotten more compliments on my keyboard sounds then with any other amp. The audience actually hears it as well or even better then you will on stage. Placement is crucial, and I have found that up against a wall slightly tilted and askew to my ears is the best. I would recommend against pointing it directly at you. When playing with a band with a bass player, the lack of low end (below 100Hz) can actually be a positive thing. I use a NS2 and a Prophet 6 on gigs and find that the sound reproduction is really excellent in the low mid/mid/and high range. I don't play left hand bass or EDM, so the lack of bass is not an issue. The PA has two huge subs, so it is made up there.

Expensive? Yes.

Worth it? Yes

-dj

[Arjan P]

One more thing to consider for the OP, especially for studio use: a dust cover!

[greenonion]

I treated myself also with a halfmoon switch for switching the Leslie effect. Nord's is quite expensive so I found this one: http://www.organicsound.com.pl/pl/halfmoon. Purchased it through ebay and is well built, works like a charm and gives that vintage feeling.