From 7 till 8 P.M. this evening I did a Concert in the Park in Aberdeen, Maryland, the largest outdoor venue I have performed to date. The park area measured approximately 500 feet by 800 feet wide--big to say the least. I was in a pavilion that was about 5 feet above ground level, and while it had a roof, the sun angle was such that I had to sheild the keyboard and computer by putting up a black umbrella on the side of the keyboard stand to block the sun.

The PSR-3000 main volume was set at the 1 O'Clock positon while the bose volume level on the remote was set at 1/3 of maximum volume. The 3-band EQs were all set at the 1 O'Clock position.

The bottom line is everyone in the park, which was a pretty large crowd, said they loved the music, and there were several comments about how clear the music sounded in contrast to other groups that had performed at the same location during the past two months.

The folks that hired me for the concert said "This is the first time in the three years that we have been holding the concert that people have actually got out of their seats and danced--this has never happened in the past!"

They said they will be calling me in the next few days to book me for next year's park concerts, and also for concerts in two other city parks.

When I set up the system I fired up a midi file directly from the keyboard, and walked throuout the park while it played. While there was some fall-off in volume at about 150 feet from the speakers, it wasn't more than maybe 20 percent at the most. The amazing thing was that the volume remained pretty constant beyond that point, all the way to the opposite end of the park. Ironically, the guy that owns the barber shop which was located 250 feet behind the pavilion said he was enjoying the music as well, and said he was amazed at how much volume was flowing from the pavilion to his shop. The tower and sub were both facing the audience--180 degrees away from his shop--neat!

Just thought you would like to know how the Bose L1 perfomed in a large, outdoor venue.

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

First time I ever heard the Bose PAS was over 3 years ago at private party outdoor venue. As I approached the music, I couldn't tell if it was a live bluegrass group or a recording. It sure sounded live, but I also considered that a PA system wouldn't sound that good... and that's when I was ~ 500 feet from the source! Of course I was thrilled when I realized what it was.

Later, I was talking with a musician standing 7 feet from the Bose. He had never seen or heard of the PAS. He was in disbelief when he realized where the sound was coming from. Yes, the Bose L1 certainly does the job outdoors.

Glenn

BTW Gary, congrats on another victory!

Glenn

Gar, congratulations on your big success with your Concert in the Park. Terrific to hear (as expected) that your Bose L1 setup covered your outdoor venue so well. On another note: as far as my next PA system upgrade goes, still haven't decided between the Bose L1 or EV SxA360 quite yet, but since my equipment budget itself it'n't quite there either, I'm not hard pressed to make a decision for at least a few months yet. I must say though, that your outdoor gig report has helped to form my decision, so I really appreciated your input on this.

Gar: About how many people were out in the crowd and how far away were most of them situated? It would be GREAT if you could post some pics for us to enjoy.

Glad to hear you were able to block the sun enough to view your KB screen ok. I played an outdoor event last week as well and totally sympathize with the frustration of reduced screen visibility (even with shade & umbrellas) outdoors. In addition to an umbrella, to afford better visibility & easier screen navigation and to easier view on screen song lyrics, I had to put together (out of black cardboard) a hooded unit which surrounded my Tyros2's tilt screen and also extended out towards me. Unfortunately I don't have pics to share of it. Like Gary, I keep hoping Yamaha and other keyboard manufacterers will wake up to the needs of us outdoor gigging keyboard players and finally incorporate 'anti reflective' display screens which are viewable outdoors.

Scott

Gary,

Congratualtions on a very successful gig Although the Bose is not in my immediate budget and future I would be happy if you would post a playlist from that event! Love to hear what had them on their feet dancing.

Thanks

[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 08-09-2006).]

Scott,

The audience, which was by actual count by a park attendant, totaled 154 people not including another couple dozen staff persons that were selling hotdogs, softdrinks and taking care of other park duties.

The most distant audience members were approximately 500 feet or more from the pavilion, while the majority of the audience was scattered from 100 to 300 feet away. Later when I asked the park manager why they sat that far from the pavilion she said it was "because some of the bands show up with huge speakers and turn up the volume full blast so the people in the back can hear them. The people sitting close to the pavilion were having their heads blown off, especially as the evening progressed and they continuted to crank up the volume even more." She later commented that she, and her co-workers were amazed that with my sound system the volume was perfect throughout the park. One of the park workers even came up after the concert and asked where my speakers were. Kinda' neat!

Stephen,

I kicked things off with Bad Leroy Brown then played the following:

Bie Mier Bis Du Schoen
Chicago
Kansas City
Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime
Your Cheating Heart
Just A Gigalo
Jambalaya
New York--New York
Crazy
Summer Wind
Key Largo
Beyond The Sea
The Way You Look Tonight
Taquila
Shake Rattle & Roll
Run Around Sue
Johnny B. Goode
La Bamba
Show Me The Way To Go Home
and finished off the night with God Bless America

Cheers,

Gary


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Travlin' Easy

Gary ..... you done good for an old fart !!! ... way to go, man ...
t.

Thanks Gary, that's good to know. I play at least 12 of those selections at many of my 1 hour senior center gigs and I do get good reaction to those tunes. So it pays to listen to you full time pros post here!

Way to go Gary! I had the chance to hear the Bose system Saturday night. It was a first anniversary party at a restaurant I've been playing. I hired two guest musicians to help. One was a keyboard player who used my Carvin set-up. The other was a guitar player who used the Bose.

Frankly, I wasn't impressed with he Bose. It was OK, but not clearly superior. Maby it was because the sound was only a voice and guitar (Martin).

I certainly see no reason to go out and get a Bose system.

At this house job, I use two 200 watt 6 channel heads and 4 cabinets (One a hot spot monitor). Two are permanently mounted on the walls for sound dispersion. It may not be fair to compare a permanently mounted and fine tuned system with a Bose which was brought in 10 minutes before the performance.

Whatever "floats your boat", but right now, the Bose system, two subs and all just isn't for me.


Russ

I would have liked to hear the arranger plugged into the Bose so you could compare the two systems. Intead of "Apples and oranges"

Gary,
I appreciate you sharing the story and the information on the Bose system.

Nice variety of tunes too.

Ed

Monday night, my band [Just in Time} worked an 1 1/2 hour show at a NJ boardwalk [SeaIsle] ..We were set up on the board walk with a stage back drop behind us and seating of about 500 in front of us..The beach and ocean behind us..The extended boardwalks to either side of us..

I used our Yorkville set up 2, 520 Yorkvilles on poles[550 watts each] and a 700 watt Yorkville subwoofer.. The Yorkvilles were spaced 30 ft apart, and I used a pair of Mackie 300 's with a 600 watt head as addition coverage width wise..One to each side of the Yorkvilles about 50 feet farther down the line.. Lineral coverage was about 150 feet..

The volume settings were mid [12 O Clock ] on the keyboards..The Mackie mixer was at 25 % volume, and the Yorkvilles set at 1, O Clock..

The total crowd was more than 2,000 people, with around 200 delightful young ladies dancing if front of us...I love the way the girls look at the shore..

Now this was an outdoor advent...I am not quite convinced the Bose would have handled this job because of the lineral assignment and the big area[the ocean]...

People were out on the balcony's of their condos for several streets over...I don't know how many people listened to our show..

It was one of the best shows I ever worked..

Fran
Is 'Just in Time" the band consisting of you and the pretty ladies?
Who's carrying all that stuff for you

I think i'd try 2 Bose systems before i'd carry that load.

And if they still couldn't hear me in the back. That's OK. If they like me, they'll move an elbow themselves up ...
Mick Jagger, step aside, MrEd is in town tickling the plastics

http://www.justintimeband.com/


No Ed , that was yesteryear..Two guys and a gal now.

BTW the Mackies and 600 watt head set up was the promoters stuff..They set it up..

[This message has been edited by Fran Carango (edited 08-09-2006).]

Must be the thong bathing suits

Fran,
I checked out your link.
The group sounds very good together. Puts out a nice sound.

Stephen,

HI FRAN I JUST CHECKED YOUR JUST IN TIME VIDEO CLIP & THO I ENJOYED THE MUSIC, I NOTIECED THAT THE DRUMMER WASENT ALWAYS PLAYING THE SAME DRUM SOUNDS HEARD IN THE VIDEO ? I SUSPECT A MIDI FILE WAS USED IN ADDITION TO THE LIVE PLAYING AM I CORRECT

Wow!
Fran, you have a great group.

Great singing and very tight performances.

Ian the Impressed

Nice songs Fran. Don't know how much is played live and is pre-recorded (midi maybe), only reason I say that is half way through one of the songs Fran leans over to his left as though he is possibly adjusting a mixing desk? his hands appear to be off the keys but the keyboard is still sounding.
Anyway makes no difference if it gets him work and they all enjoy making music together

Gary + Scott (or anybody)
About that sun blocking issue...

Thats going to be more of a problem for me next year. Has anyone tried adding an additional monitor via the RGB/Video out?

With dual outs on the Tyros2, I would think that this could improve the situation seeing as the monitor is moveable/tiltable where the KB screen is not.

Maybe i will just have to have a winter project and build myself a 2-pole kiosk-style canopy that connects to the ends of the KB stand. Although in a good wind, everything would end up sailing.

Me, too, Mike. Everyything was happening in real time, and I had a 2nd job that night across town, so that wasn't possible. I did play my nylon string and sang a James Taylor medley that I usually do using the other ststem and still wasn't impressed. Then, again, it could have been the set-up.

thanks, good observation.

Russ

hi mr ed try an umbrella it will block out the sun & you should see your screen on ty 2

Willie the drummer is our regular drummer's son.. We had to put together a pro mo video and he filled in.. We just gathered video and i later edited it for the Pro mo..

Craig i always handle the mixer and You will never see me leave the keyboard other than reach with my left hand to ad just...

And guess what none of the tunes on that video are MIDI files...

They are MP3's that I record of our group..

Normally it Is Jo Ann, Stu [lead vocals] and myself...

Craig , where can I find you performing? Web page? I would like to check you out, I have never heard anything from you yet..Are you as good as Scott?

Russ,

I did a 50th anniversary party in your back yard at the University Of Kentucky in Louisville. It was in a huge hall, that was an EQ nightmare. The center of the hall, where I was set up against a back wall, had a very high ceiling, while on either side of the hall the ceiling level was only about 12 feet high. The walls were all hard paneling, the center floor was tile, while the side area floors were carpeted.

The bottom line is everyone raved about the music, and a couple local musicians came over to me while I was tearing down and asked where they could find the Bose L-1 locally. There was a guy there who booked music jobs for the Shriners who wanted to book me for their 2007 annual convention.

I sincerely believe that if you were to hook up your keyboard to the L-1 with a single sub, tune the keyboard's EQs and use one of the newer Bose presets you would be amazed at the sound quality.

Fran,

Betcha' my setup time was a lot faster than yours, and I'll also bet the Bose L-1 with a single sub would have provided better sound distribution and easily covered the same area. My setup time at the park was less than 12 minutes, and I wasn't rushing. Additionally, everything fit on a single Rock "N" Roller cart with room to spare. While I didn't have the gals in thongs, I booked four more jobs today from last night's job. Wow--thongs! :

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Hi, Gary...the University of Kentucky is in Lexington. You were probably at U of L (University of Louisville).

Thanks for the advice on the Bose, but after hearing this one and seeing the various parts, I think not!

Regards,

Russ

Fran, leave me out of this !

Scott

Good idea Tyrosman.
Do you think this one is a little too much?
[img]http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/wildaboutmusic_1899_249545066[/img]

Scott , how can I leave you out..Craig and you are like brothers..You guys even post together most of the time..Besides it was a question as a measuring tool....no need for your response , If you did not want to respond..

Russ,

You are right--it was in Lexington. My wife just corrected me. The clients live in Louisville. She was doing the navigating--I was just the driver of the van.

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Damn, Gary, I'm in Lexington, and would have really liked to visit with you and your family. If you're ever near here again, please let me know.

Russ

Fran there is no way I would post my web site on SZ just so someone on here can probably try and hijack it, I'm not that stupid.
As for songs I'm always busy doing tracks for other singers and groups I know, but before I get even more busy with the winter period coming up soon, I am going to produce an album on the T2 so stay tuned.
By the way Fran I've already had a top 100 hit in the UK with my group, our song we did for the football club in 2002 was only available in Chesterfield but it still charted somewhere in the 60's, outsold the Spice Girls in Derbyshire by 3 to 1 for 4 weeks on the trot and made quite a bit of money. See the link below http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A786468
I've also had quite a few organ CD's out in the past which also did quite well.

[This message has been edited by Craig_UK (edited 08-10-2006).]

Alright Craig,,way to go..Is there a sound clip of the song on line?

HI MR ED THAT WILL BE ENOUGH

NICE 1 CRAIG I REMEMBER THAT SONG INFACT I PLAY IT NOW & AGAIN

No clip Fran. If I manage to dig a CD out I'll post it, it makes me laugh as the studio we used only had a small PSR keyboard in there, nice cheesy piano sound with no sustain on it and small keys ahhhhhh
Stay tuned for T2 songs from me instead