Received By Bose Compact L1 First Impressions.

[sooty8]

Hi everyone

I received my Bose Compact today, unpacked it, yes i can see why it is popular on this forum, you can see quality even in the packing.
My first impression  of the speaker unit was, is that  the unit should be bigger then that. Straight forward  to set up.
Wow the quality, I did not think I sounded as nice as that after playing with the internal speakers of the S950.
I have the impression that all keyboards would sound through this system. I had only two issues with the sound, first the piano
was a bit lumpy, I hope someone can help me here as to how to get the best piano sound as possible.The second was very heavy on the base I have tried adjusting the keyboard sound to reduce the base, I am hoping someone can help me out with this.
Can someone also advise me on volume, is it best to have the bose on low volume  and adjust the volume on the keyboard or vice versa. Overall very impressed, yes it is expensive, I have a 3 year warranty  with the unit and the name Bose what other security do i need. If there are other tips which I have missed can you let me know, I want to get the best from this unit.
By the way I have only used it at home and I am impressed, so I feel quite confident taking this gear out gigging.
Thank you to all the members advice which has been given to me to date.

Steve

[2112]

Start by setting the Master Equalizer in the Mixing console of your PSR to flattest, most even frequency response; no boosting or cutting highs or lows.

Have fun!

[Toril S]

It will sound a little boomy in a living room, but when you take it out on gigs it will sound fantastic! Do not worry. Set the equlizer on the keyboard on flat. Congratulations! You will love the Bose!

[sooty8]

Thank you, I will set the  keyboard on flat.

Steve

[travlin-easy]

Steve, there is a huge difference in the overall sound when you take the Bose to a large room, such as a banquet hall, restaurant, nite club, etc... First and foremost, be sure the base unit is at least 3 feet from any wall - this prevents the bass from becoming boomy. Next, be sure to use both column extensions, which aids in the mid range sounds and helps disperse the sound evenly throughout the venue.

As for EQ settings, I have used the following on my S-950 with great success:

EQ1 - 3
EQ2 - 2
EQ3 - 4
EQ4 - 4
EQ5 - 3

As for the piano, I would suggest downloading the piano voice I posted, which is a very, very rich sounding, mono piano voice. This can be saved in your user voice area and selected directly from there any time you need it.

Hope this helps,

Gary 

[sooty8]

Thank you Gary for the EQ Settings and the piano voice.
Its strange after hearing yourself  through the external speakers for so long and then through the Bose Compact it's a new animal
Completely,  you hear all the sounds rather then some.

Steve

[DonM]

Gary's piano will help, BUT the Yamaha is designed to be heard in stereo.  It has panning, stereo effects, etc.  The best possible solution is two speakers.  I have two Maui 5s, which are about the price of one Bose Compact, and they have better bass, more connections, e.q. and Bluetooth.
Previously I had two Bose Compacts and when I tried to get by with one I wanted to unplug everything and use headphones! 

[sooty8]

Thank you Don, do you know where I can find Gary's  piano voice, I cannot find it.

Regards

Steve

[DonM]

I don't.  I even looked for it.  I'm certain Gary will chime in and let us know.  If not, I'll call him and get him out of bed! 

[travlin-easy]

Don, the cat woke me up at 9 a.m. - she wanted her breakfast!

Here's a link to all the custom voices I created, including several piano voices: https://app.box.com/s/620aqowt5q1vlnvcl7n9

Good luck,

Gary

[sooty8]

Thank you Gary, what made you call the cat Don? as your cat is having breakfast I am having dinner.

I did not thank you for your country designing the Bose system, a cleaver chap.

Have a nice day Gary and thanks again.

Regards

Steve

[travlin-easy]

Steve, notice the comma after Don, which means that I am addressing his comments and is not the cat's name. It's one of those quirks with the English language that is difficult to explain. The cat's name is Rudy.

Enjoy that Bose, Steve. It is a fantastic sound system.

All the best,

Gary

[Toril S]

Who killed the cat?😀😋😍

[DrakeM]

i wanna know why Gary was sleeping in past 9AM? Where was he the night before?

[Toril S]

Interesting.... 

[Rick D.]

Sooty8,

In order to get the best piano sound, is to purchase another Bose. The piano is a stereo instrument and playing it through one speaker does it no justice. I bought one and a year later ended up getting another one. The sound is amazing.
Another thing to keep in mind is to keep them away from any walls at least 3 feet, otherwise the base will be overpowering.
There is no need to keep you equalizer flat, but those settings are best found thru experimentation.

Good Luck,

Rick D.

[sooty8]

Thank you for your comments Rick, I wish I good afford  two setups.

Steve

[Rick D.]

They aren't cheap Sooty8!

Rick D.