Electric Bass: Difference between revisions

This paper will explore, from a practical standpoint, the pros and cons of using the {{L1}} system for electric bass amplification. It is based entirely on the personal experience of the author and reflects his views on the matter.

The high cost of the {{L1}} system is the proverbial elephant in the room. There is no avoiding the fact that an extended-bass {{L1}} system, employing four {{B1}} bass modules, one {{L1}} system, and one {{A1}}  amplifier is among the most expensive bass rigs one can buy, on a par with the most exclusive of boutique amplifiers.

This raises the question of system sharing. The more sources each {{L1}} supports, the more cost-effective it is. However, this involves some sonic, signal routing and control compromises, as will be discussed below.

My own experience with the {{L1}} started when I purchased two single-{{B1}} systems to replace my band<nowiki>’</nowiki>s overly complex PA system. At the time, the {{A1}} had not been introduced, and in any event I was not able to afford all three of the systems we now have at the time.

The drawback to this hybrid solution, of course, was that I still had a fairly large, heavy bass rig to contend with. This led me to take the next step in optimizing the rig.

On the premise that part of the frequency spectrum produced by the rig<nowiki>’</nowiki>s conventional speaker cabinet was being duplicated by the {{L1}}, I purchased a small, lightweight single-15" speaker cabinet to replace the large 2x12. The overall configuration remained the same: bass plugged into the bass rig (now a 1x15), with a line out going to the {{L1}}. By itself this cabinet did not sound very good, but it didn<nowiki>’</nowiki>t need to…the mid- and high-end were being carried by the {{L1}}. This effectively eliminated the major drawback of the earlier rig – a big, heavy cabinet. I did prefer the tone of the 2x12/L1 hybrid system, but I was willing to compromise to gain compactness and light weight.

This final iteration of the hybrid system displayed many of the physical/logistical benefits of the {{L1}}, specifically size and weight. The 1x15 cabinet I had selected weighed less than 30 pounds and was about as small as a 1x15 cabinet can get. My four-space amp rack also made use of a very lightweight power amp.

Soon after, I was in a position to buy a third {{L1}}, which I did…basically because Bose had been right about every other claim, so I was willing to purchase it on faith by that time; they said that one system per performer is the way to go, and I had to find out. Needless to say I wound up keeping it.

The improvement in sound was incrementally better, but the difference was not as dramatic as it had been when moving from the conventional setup to the {{L1}}. Nevertheless, the consensus was that it was sufficiently better overall to justify the purchase. Accordingly, I sold my conventional rig (which offset the cost of the {{A1}} and extra {{B1}}s) and now use the extended-bass {{L1}} system, driven by a Line6 BassPODxt, as my bass amp. My {{L1}} also supports one channel of the drum machine and my vocal.

Many bassists have found results they like using only the {{L1}} system (typically a 2 {{B1}} system) using the existing presets. To my ear, however, the system alone can sound a bit dry and lacking color, even with the full extended-bass package.

There<nowiki>’</nowiki>s also the issue of "true" tube tone. Digital modeling can do many wonderful things, but it is not able to provide genuine tube tone. Fortunately, for bassists this is not nearly as critical as it is for electric guitarists, and the Line6 gear is able to produce excellent tone in its own right.

The first question many bassists have about the {{L1}} is, "can it push enough air?" This is an area where I believe many misconceptions come into play. Bassists tend to focus on how well a rig can reproduce the lowest frequencies, and how well it can produce the physical sensation of being hit with a powerful, low-frequency sound wave. My observation has been that the important part of the spectrum for electric bass isn<nowiki>’</nowiki>t down low…it<nowiki>’</nowiki>s in the lower end of the midrange, from about 100 Hz up. Adding too much signal below that point actually serves only to muddy the sound in my experience.

Ultimately this is a matter of personal taste. Several {{L1}} users are using large powered subwoofers as the Mackie 1801 subwoofers to generate that extra air movement. In my experience going that far is not necessary.

Another misconception is that adding more {{B1}}s will add "more bass." This is not so. What it does do is add more headroom. Bass frequencies require a lot of power, and the more you can throw at them, the better they<nowiki>’</nowiki>ll sound…at any volume. This is also true of conventional rigs: My old rig had a 1200 watt amplifier driving a 2x12 cabinet and it sounded superb because I was never pushing the amp hard. Unlike electric guitars where a heavily-driven tube power amp can produce improved tone, with electric bass it<nowiki>’</nowiki>s far better to have plenty of clean power on tap.

The audible difference between a two-{{B1}} system and a four-{{B1}} system with an {{A1}} is not that one "goes deeper" or has "more bass" than the other. The {{A1}}-equipped system definitely does have more "presence" and "punch" than the two-{{B1}} system. This is readily apparent in live listening demonstrations.

My own journey from conventional amplification to an all-Bose system has covered most of the possible configurations, from conventional rig to hybrid to a full-bore extended-bass {{L1}} system. At every stage I<nowiki>’</nowiki>ve been rigorous with my decision to move to the next step, conducting extensive A/B comparisons and choosing the most viable overall option. It says a great deal about the engineering of the {{L1}} that I no longer own a conventional amplifier.

Overall, my experience with the hybrid conventional rig/L1 arrangement was very positive. For the bassist who simply cannot afford his or her own {{L1}} system, but who has access to one belonging to a bandmate, I believe that a hybrid arrangement is an effective, but not optimal, solution. It is, in my opinion, well worth taking advantage of the 45-day trial period to test the extended-bass {{L1}} system against such a hybrid system. It was only after I had done this that I concluded that the added benefits justified the cost.

* Purchasing an {{L1}} system (particularly an extended-bass system) solely to replace a conventional bass rig is not financially justifiable in my opinion. The incremental benefit provided by the {{L1}} does not warrant the added cost. However, if it<nowiki>’</nowiki>s used to replace additional equipment as well, it is very cost-competitive.