Nord User Forum

https://www.jblpro.com/www/products/por ... RaFBnuQydc



Just ordered a set of these, finding the set of features usable:

• One trip to/from the car and sensible size and weight
• 8" units big enough for gigs when there is a bassist; I like 8" speakers anyway
• Sub out for connecting my little 300w Markbass combo for the pedals - I like to have them amplified separately and be more tweakable
• Enough channels for organ in stereo, mono stage piano (my preference as I'm a Wurly man) and a mandolin which I also play live - for which there is a switchable Hi-Z option.

Downside - as is often the case, the DSP is mono so will need separate reverb for C2D/Vent but I plan on getting a TC HOF anyway. No deal breaker.

Anybody got a set and can verify I did the right thing, or say "For the love of God, man - NO!"...? Any thoughts appreciated.

One man's opinion? You did ask ...

This is entry-level gear. If that's what you were looking for, great! Although I have no direct experience, I wouldn't expect it to sound awful. Nor would I expect it to sound particularly good either.

I would expect it to sound OK for things like DPs, organs, synths, etc. I would expect APs to sound somewhat painful through it, which might be acceptable if APs aren't your main thing. If you're intending it as a personal monitor, fine. If you're expecting it to fill a venue, you may find some challenges, depending on how loud the other musicians play.

If it were me, I'd be prepared to spend a bit more to make my rig sound top shelf. A pair of decent self-powered PA speakers, and a small mixer w/effects if needed. More money, but I would think you'd sound a bunch better.

I wouldn't despair though. I have a fleet of amp gear depending on the gig. Some lower-end stuff (e.g. SpaceStation CPS V.3 which is sort of in this class) all the way up to some stupidly expensive gear if needed. So, maybe consider this the start of your amplification collection?

Play your heart out through it, write a review and share with others?

(Edited below)

cphollis wrote:One man's opinion? You did ask ...

This is entry-level gear. If that's what you were looking for, great! Although I have no direct experience, I wouldn't expect it to sound awful. Nor would I expect it to sound particularly good either.

I would expect it to sound OK for things like DPs, organs, synths, etc. I would expect APs to sound somewhat painful through it, which might be acceptable if APs aren't your main thing. If you're intending it as a personal monitor, fine. If you're expecting it to fill a venue, you may find some challenges, depending on how loud the other musicians play.

If it were me, I'd be prepared to spend a bit more to make my rig sound top shelf. A pair of decent self-powered PA speakers, and a small mixer w/effects if needed. More money, but I would think you'd sound a bunch better.

I wouldn't despair though. I have a fleet of amp gear depending on the gig. Some lower-end stuff (e.g. SpaceStation CPS V.3 which is sort of in this class) all the way up to some stupidly expensive gear if needed. So, maybe consider this the start of your amplification collection?

Play your heart out through it, write a review and share with others?

Thanks for pitching in. I know EXACTLY what you mean, which is why I asked! The price seems too low for 'real' JBL, and this kind of clip-it-all-together stuff has previously been the kind of thing that "one stop shop" big companies like Fender would make rather than PA guys.
(Whatever 'real' JBL is these days as they seem to be little more than a filing cabinet in the offices of Harman Kardon, like dear old AKG before them...)

It's not the start of amplification collection, though - I'm an old hand - but the fact is - I'm getting jaded with lugging two RCF or Mackie cabs around, and mixer so thought I'd give it a crack. If it's no good, a Motion Sound combo will be the thing.

PS Had a CPS SpaceStation V3. It didn't work for organ, it flapped and farted. A real shame, as that mid/side design was screaming for Leslie simulation to show it off, but no - I think that it is due to a stereo Leslie sim being a real 50-50 workload between left and right info, but that little 6" side speaker on the SSv3 really expecting to see much less unique information.

I agree with your comments on the SSv3, I try to keep the stereo effects subtle for that reason. And when I want a better sound all around, I pair it with something like a QSC K8.2 or RCF TT08-a, but then you're back to schlepping two pieces of gear.

Enough people seem to like the new Motion Sound amps, so at some point I'll probably break down and give one a try.

For anyone who asks on a recommendation, I usually steer them to a pair of QSC K8.2 or similar on a pair of short poles behind you, plus a small mixer -- and you're good for most situations, soft or loud. Weight/size not too different from what you are looking at.

cphollis wrote:I agree with your comments on the SSv3, I try to keep the stereo effects subtle for that reason. And when I want a better sound all around, I pair it with something like a QSC K8.2 or RCF TT08-a, but then you're back to schlepping two pieces of gear.

Enough people seem to like the new Motion Sound amps, so at some point I'll probably break down and give one a try.

For anyone who asks on a recommendation, I usually steer them to a pair of QSC K8.2 or similar on a pair of short poles behind you, plus a small mixer -- and you're good for most situations, soft or loud. Weight/size not too different from what you are looking at.

The little 2x8 Motion Sound 408S will be the one I go for if the JBL stuff turns out to be a bit toyshop. Same deal - a sub out for occasions when bass pedals are required; nice and compact stand alone for gigs with a bassist on.

That SSv3 was flawed from the word go for organ. Essentially you've got that poor little 6" dipole and a 40W amp trying to keep up with the main coax 8" and HF tweeter, with more than twice the power behind it. You are right that 'narrowing' the stereo effect helped a lot because more of it came through the main front channel, but it got to the point where I thought the whole mid/side effect was lost and ditched it, as I'm a 70% Hammond sounds man at gigs.

QSC is Pat Quilter, right? I'm a convert to his guitar amps already. Sold my Fender and Magnatone tube amps and never looked back.

They are an interesting package, they thought of a lot of neat stuff in the design. I'd be interested to hear how you intend to use them.

As a monitor + mixer (where there is a separate FOH PA), I think it falls short - especially if you have 2 keyboards. If you plug your keyboards into the JBL mixer ins, then use one of its outs to go to FOH, there's no way for you to plug a FOH aux into the JBL mixer (without it also being sent back to FOH). So if you want to use it as a monitor, which includes signals from other instruments, you need to add a separate mixer with proper AUX routing anyway.

Could you go into a bit more detail about the way you intend to hook it up Rob? Is there a feed to FOH, and where will it come from? I think they could work well as a complete small scale PA, but I really can't get my head around how to use it as a monitor - unless you're only interested in monitoring keys, or the only input to the JBL mixer is an AUX feed from FOH.

CountFosco wrote:They are an interesting package, they thought of a lot of neat stuff in the design. I'd be interested to hear how you intend to use them.

As a monitor + mixer (where there is a separate FOH PA), I think it falls short - especially if you have 2 keyboards. If you plug your keyboards into the JBL mixer ins, then use one of its outs to go to FOH, there's no way for you to plug a FOH aux into the JBL mixer (without it also being sent back to FOH). So if you want to use it as a monitor, which includes signals from other instruments, you need to add a separate mixer with proper AUX routing anyway.

Could you go into a bit more detail about the way you intend to hook it up Rob? Is there a feed to FOH, and where will it come from? I think they could work well as a complete small scale PA, but I really can't get my head around how to use it as a monitor - unless you're only interested in monitoring keys, or the only input to the JBL mixer is an AUX feed from FOH.

Certainly - just as keyboard backline for myself. Nothing fancy with a cross feed to or from FOH.

It'll be the C2D > Lounsberry Tall & Fat > Neo Ventilator > TC HOF reverb > JBL set (stereo channel) and Piano 2 73HP >JBL set (mono). I do sometimes play a mandolin on gigs so that might get a channel too.

Yes, lots of neat design there and nice that the cabs look relatively standard when unclipped unlike other ungainly offerings in this same clip-it-all-together market!