With the line array choices and ease of setup, I was thinking my PA1000 external speakers in front of a line array might sound pretty full.

I never liked the Bose Compact (vs stereo speakers) with my keys, specifically the pianos. But that is just me. It is a great sounding system, thus why I am re-thinking the tri-amped PA speakers coupled with a line array.

Any thoughts?

Yes, get two LD Systems Maui 5s, for about the price of one Bose Compact. They are better, more versatile, deeper bass and totally reliable!

But what about one? Think it would sound good with the PA1000 speakers going too?

Yes, one would be fine. Two would be better! You always have a backup in place, and you get to hear that wonderful stereo! Frank has great prices!

DonM... Wise words from a pro!!

Stereo is best with the samples on the Korg Pa Series... in my opinion.

Actually, non of these speakers are line array. Pair of qsc k10 with a sub would kill any of these so called line array. But, it all depends what you want out of it. I would like to try these: http://www.ld-systems.com/en/series/curv...speaker-cables/

Don Mason knows of what he speaks - he has tried them all at one time or another, and so have many of us old farts.

Good luck, Jim,

Gary

Two Maui 5s dont look back

no one answered my question. does anyone use the on board keyboard speakers and just a mono system behind them. that's what i'd like to hear

Jim, I did for two decades and never had a complaint. In fact, I dead head plugged off the onboard speakers and just used the Bose L1 for a monitor because I was hearing what the audience heard. And, there was a single instance that those onboard speakers got me in trouble. On that particular day, I forgot to turn on the PA and didn't realize it until someone said they couldn't hear me hardly at all. I was hearing everything just fine through the onboard keyboard speakers, but my Bose L1 PAS ans sub were not turned on. Damned that was embarrassing.

Keep in mind that I used my special piano voice when I played piano, so mono sampling was never an issue. Same was true with some of the sax and guitar voices that I massaged for mono usage. No one in the audience ever knew.

Now, Don Mason and DNJ will tell you that you MUST have stereo and your audiences will hear that stereo output, but that has never been my experience in all these years of working with various sound systems, both conventional and vertical array.

Personally, I prefer vertical array systems over any conventional sound system for many reasons, the most of which is sound dispersion. When I was still performing, which was until August of last year, my Bose L1 Compact covered a 210-degree spread of any room that I played, and the falloff from keyboard to the back of most venues was less than 10-percent. You cannot achieve this with most other sound systems, and never with any conventional system - stereo or mono!

The second best feature of vertical array systems was virtually no feedback at all, which was never the case with conventional systems, even after I switched to feedback rejecting mics and my Crown CM-311A, which has incredible feedback rejection. I don't know exactly how this is accomplished, but it sure made me a happy camper.

Some folks are old school, I guess, when it comes to sound technology, but I can assure you that during the past two decades, the vertical array sound systems have made great strides in providing huge improvements in overall sound quality and clarity. Keep in mind that Vertical Array sound systems have been around in churches and theaters since the mid 1960s, but back then the columns were huge, most armed with 6 to 10 8-inch Jensen speakers in a housing that weighed up to 200 pounds and was made of 1-inch thick particle board and covered with black velvet fabric. The subs were 25-inch monsters that were placed beneath the stages or pulpits and had 6-inch maximum throws. You could blow out a candle with a sub using very low frequencies at a distance of 10 feet. They were brutes!

Today's vertical array systems utilize tiny speakers made with synthetic cones and small permanent magnets, often facing in different directions to facilitate better spacial coverage. Now that I have retired, I sold my second Bose L1 Compact to a local OMB entertainer that plays an old Korg, has a female singer, and a guitar/sax/fiddle player partner that works with him on his nite club job. When he goes out alone on the senior circuit, it's just him, the Korg and the Bose and a headset mic.

Hope his helps,

Gary

Wow, been out of the loop for buying p.a.'s lol. I have too many anyway. Nice to see there is another alternative to Bose. Competition is good!

Although I've never had the chance to hear the LD systems I did get to do a good tryout of the JBL EON One and came away totally impressed. Big full range sound and much louder than the system size would indicate. Best part is the easy setup / packup and moving of the system. One 40 lb piece with a balanced handle on the top.
I wish I was working more and had an excuse to buy a pair. Price is good at around $700 down from MSRP of $999.

There are actually several alternatives now. All seem to be derived from the Bose design but most make improvements and cost way less.

Almost ALWAYS. The kb speakers are my stereo monitor, and the Bose fills the rest of the room with even sound. For a really small venue, I take the tweeter out of the Bose, and just use the sub to add some "oooomph". The speakers in the 900 are pretty powerful, and the 1000 is touted as even better. we shall see.

** Sidenote:
Beware of using two line array speakers. Placement is critical to avoid dropouts, and cancellation. There are times when I tried 2 Bose towers, and wound up shutting one off, because it sounded better. They spread so wide that you get frequency cancellation in certain rooms. Listen carefully.

Jim, I use a Solton M-60 into a Carvin mono system. Been doing it that way at least 10 nights a month for 30 years.


R.

Here’s what I use...very impressed...

https://www.jbl.com/jbl_pro/JBL+EON+ONE.html

Hi Dave,

This doesn't apply if you run the rig in stereo only in mono. If you run 2 L1's in mono and both from the same sound source, Bose recommend that they need to be 20 feet apart to avoid cancellation although I have used them a lot closer with no apparent loss. I very rarely use more than one Bose L1m2 even for quite large venues and it fills the room better than most 2 stack conventional systems. When I start using the keyboard at gigs I may try the stereo option but for most of my venues the majority of the audience will not get any benefit from it, I don't do many 'sit down in the middle and listen' gigs :-)

Every room is different, but what I said about placement - It ONLY applies in stereo. In mono, there is no reason to use two. I haven't been in a situation that afforded me a 20 foot span in a looooong time. That was part of the draw to the L1 in the first place. I still believe that in most applications, 2 is detrimental to the coverage. This of course, is affected by exact placement, angle, volume, room acoustics etc. There's no one right way, but in almost every case I've encountered - the Bose is better in mono.