DJ

This is guide for people who use their Bose Portable PA in Mobile DJ, KJ, VJ applications. In addition to the notes below that apply to Mobile DJ, KJ, VJ shows, check out: Downloads Is your equipment up to date? L1® Unofficial Users' Guide Feedback / Microphone Troubleshooting Different Models — Identifying your L1® Terminology & Concepts — This is a comprehensive list of terms that you will encounter as you read about Bose Portable PA.

More than two B1 Bass Modules to an L1^®

You can have up to two B1 Bass Modules connected to an L1^® Power Stand.

• You can add two more B1 Bass Modules powered by the PackLite® power amplifier Model A1
  
• If you have an L1 Classic you can use that to drive up to six B1 Bass Modules. For details see: Classic Extended Bass Package

B1s: How do I place them, single double, quad

Classic

L1 Model I

L1 Model II

B1 Bass Module

B2 Bass Module

Although originally written about the Bose B1, this article is applicable to all Bose bass modules and subwoofers (B1, B2, Sub1, Sub2).

It Depends

Where and how is the best way to place the B1; single, double, and quad?

The short but annoying answer is of course, "it depends" and the slightly longer, but still unsatisfying answer is, "results will vary from case to case in ways that even the best acousticians can't anticipate." But you'll often find recommendations on the web or even in technical journals by folks who have only considered a subset of the factors that contribute. The authors may not know about the other factors or, more likely, they may be hoping that those other factors can be ignored. The temptation to extrapolate beyond the part that one grasps is almost irresistible. Hope springs eternal. One wants to give a satisfying answer, even when it is out of reach.

This is not as hopeless as it sounds, because there is an important distinction between "what is best?", which we cannot answer, and "what do you recommend that I do?" which we should and can answer. We can also say some things about "what should I NOT do?" Here I will give you a random smattering of such recommendations and hope that they will suffice until I can give a fully organized wiki entry. It's a pretty long post, but I hope it will address most of the questions that have arisen. (It takes more time to make a shorter post. Smile ) If not, ask more questions and that will help me make the wiki entry more complete. Chris

Orientation, aiming and obstruction

Sound comes through the Bass Module grille only and then spreads out the same amount in all directions from that surface. So box orientation doesn't matter to the Bass Module sound. Sonically the Bass Module can rest on any one of its four sides and nothing will change. (Of course, for stacking, you want the "wide side down" in order to engage the nubs on the next Bass Module.) Once you pick a side to rest it on, you can aim the Bass Module in any direction you want, forward, sideways, even firing backward toward a rear wall. If you hear a change, it is because you've moved the grille relative to other Bass Modules or relative to boundaries. Don't shove the grille into a wall or into a big obstacle, because then the sound can't get out; leave at least 6 inches (15 cm) of space in front of the grille. The side of the box itself can be right against a wall, so long as the grille is not obstructed. We often start out placing our Bass Modules on the floor, sideways against the rear wall, so that the first reflections from the floor and rear wall will not change the tonal balance in the bass. (Room modes will change the tonal balance anyway, but at least we eliminate one source of variability this way.)

Arranging groups of Bass Modules that play the same signal

When multiple sources playing the same signal are spaced apart, they make an "array" which means that the tonal balance they radiate can be different in different directions. If you understand array theory, you can make this work for you, but in our case, it is safest to keep the spacings as small as we can, so that the array radiates the same in all directions. When we keep the spacing tight, multiple B1s will behave just like single B1s, only louder. What matters here are the spacings of the grilles, not the cabinets, because the grilles are where the sound comes from. The more specific suggestions that follow below rely partly on my own understanding of the theory and partly on consultation with Hilmar, who has both theory and a lot of experience to guide him.

Two Bass Modules

For two B1s (or B2s), we prefer to stack them on their wide sides, mostly because this takes the minimum floor space. But you can place them side by side or even face to face, leaving 12 inches (30 cm) between grilles (because this is 6 inches (15 cm) in front of each B1). Sonically, it doesn't matter which wide side is up and the two don't have to have the same side up. Sonically you can even have one B1 on its wide side and one on its handle side, although that looks funny. In fact, for two B1s, "looking good" places more restrictions on what you do than "sounding good." I've seen two B1s placed either side of an L1 on the PS1, and that should work fine acoustically. In any arrangement where the grilles fit completely within a 30 inch (75 cm) diameter sphere, your two bass modules will act like a single one, only louder. Note that spacing two B1s on the floor with the L1 Classic or L1 Model I Power Stand between them does not meet this criterion. That arrangement would reduce the mid-bass that radiates to the left and right sides.

Four B1s

For 4 B1s, we are most likely to stack all 4 on their wide sides, but sometimes we make two stacks of two, side by side. The stack of four takes up the least floor space, but it radiates a little less mid-bass upwards, which has not been a problem and might be beneficial. We don't lay all four in a line on the floor on their wide sides, since we expect this to weaken the midbass that travels left and right toward other band members or audience at the sides. You could probably lay all four in a line if you rest them on their handle sides, so that they make a short line. If you use the 2x2, keep the two stacks adjacent to avoid possibly weakening the mid-bass to the sides.

Locating the Group of Bass Modules

Where to locate the group: If the group of B1s is far from its L1, the lows will come from one place and the highs from another and this is harder for everyone to hear clearly. More than about 5 feet (1.3 m) of separation is probably beginning to compromise your spatial quality. It's best if you can keep the B1s adjacent to or within a foot (30 cm) of the PS1. Since our preferred arrangements are stacks of 2 or 4 B1s, we also like to aim those stacks sideways and place them against the rear wall if we can, because this minimizes unwanted array effects with the first reflections. But we don't hesitate to aim the stacks forward when the best appearance is more important. In this case, we keep the B1s as close to the back wall as the connectors allow, but being careful not to stress the cables by bending them too sharply against the wall. Although we prefer to keep the B1s as close to the rear wall as we can, there are times when this is just not an option. In such cases, we try to get 7 feet (2.1 m) or more from a rear wall as a second choice because, in the 2-7 foot (0.6-2.1 m) range, the reflection from the rear wall tends to reduce some of the bass frequency range in the audience (an interference effect). Sometimes we have no choice but to place B1s in that 2-7 foot (0.6-2.1 m) range and we just live with the minor reduction in bass, perhaps compensating with a bass tone control boost.

Other variations: It's okay to raise the B1s on short risers if you like, but I don't know of any reason why this would always sound better or worse, just different. Floors and walls are not perfect reflectors of bass, but I have no different recommendations to make due to this source of variation.

It Depends

Although the above suggestions describe our default arrangements, they don't always yield good-sounding results. The factor that we can't really control or understand easily is the room. Rooms often cause very uneven distribution of bass and there is no universal method of cure. Sometimes a different speaker placement seems to help, but what helps for one listener usually makes it worse elsewhere. It's easy to fool yourself and it's easy to fuss endlessly without finding a good solution. We try not to fall into that trap. If one or two alternatives don't cure the problem, we give up and move on.

There are only a few techniques that we think are likely to help. First, if there is too much bass, we might try to fix that with a tone control reduction before moving anything, since, if it works, we will have higher maximum bass output available to us (because the bass amp is working less hard to give the right amount of bass). If a bass control adjustment doesn't straighten out the problem we hear, we might move the stack closer to or farther from the nearest corner. Closer sometimes increases bass while farther sometimes reduces it. (That's the simplified theory, anyway.) But proceed with care: the change the musicians hear will probably be different from the change in the audience. Make sure you know who you are trying to improve the sound for. The last thing we might try is a different arrangement, say switching from a stack of 4 to 2x2. If these few alternatives don't give a clear improvement (and they usually don't), we think it's time to shrug our shoulders and get on with the show.

Who Wins?

Ultimately, we have to be willing to accept that often the room will "win" and we won't get the ideal bass response. This will be true for any bass system, not just specifically for the B1. There is no point in worrying about this--we do what little we can to avoid the worst and then concentrate on giving a good performance. If we do that, the L1 will make sure people enjoy the sound, even when the bass isn't all that we'd like it to be.

More Information

File:The-Subwoofer-Power-Alley-1.pdf

 

External Subs

Passive (unpowered) Loudspeakers

Using loudspeakers other than the B1 Bass Module with any of the L1 systems is not supported.

L1^® Classic and L1^® Model I

PS1 Power Stand / Bass Line Out / Bass Line Out

Active (powered) Loudspeakers

Using powered loudspeakers with any of the L1 systems is not supported. Bose^® does have the PackLite® power amplifier Model A1 which can be used to power up to two B1 Bass Modules. This is connected through the Power Stand Bass Line Out (applies to L1^® Classic, L1^® Model I, L1^® Model II.

If you want to use a powered loudspeaker system, you can use the Power Stand Bass Line Out. Here are the relevant notes depending on which model of L1^® you are using.

• Model I or Classic Bass Line Out
• Model II

You will probably use an external powered loudspeaker in the same way as you would connect and PackLite® amp.

Please see PackLite® power amplifier Model A1 for extensive notes that include ideas that can be applied to other systems.

Protecting the L1^® components - Cases

Hardshell Cases — this page is about protecting the L1^® components while in transit.

Connect an Analog Stereo Source to an L1^®

Backing Tracks — This article covers connecting devices like CD, DVD, mp3, iPods to your L1®

Connect a DJ or VJ Console to a Model I

Connections / DJ VJ Computer to Model I— This article covers connecting devices like a DJ or VJ console to your L1®

Connect a single T1 ToneMatch^® Audio Engine to two L1^®s

We have a comprehensive article on how to do this that covers analog and USB connections.

T1 ToneMatch® Audio Engine / Stereo Output to Two L1®s

{{#Click:T1 ToneMatch® Audio Engine / Stereo Output to Two L1®s|Image:USBtoStereoL1Model I.png|250px|run a single T1® to two L1®s}}

L1^® Model II: Can I run a Stereo Source to the Power Stand

A ¼ inch Tip-Ring-Sleeve connector carrying a stereo signal should not be used with the analog input on the Model II.

Even though a ¼ inch Tip-Ring-Sleeve connector can carry a stereo signal this is not how this physical connection is used on the DJ Power Stand.

The analog input on the Model II is balanced, and will therefore subtract the Left and Right signals on a stereo cable and you will hear an L-R (Left minus Right) signal in the Model II.

You cannot 'get through the gig' this way if you are a DJ or if you need to run prerecorded music or have stereo inputs.

Using a Mixer

If you are using a mixer instead of a T1 ToneMatch Audio Engine use the mixer to create a mono output and send that to the Model II Power Stand Analog input.

• If there is a stereo/mono switch then use it and send the mono output to the Model II Power Stand Analog input.
• If there is a Left/mono output then use that and send it to the Model II Power Stand Analog input.
• If there is no way to create a mono output then pan all your mixer inputs all the way to one side (e.g. Left) and then take the mixer for that side (e.g. Left) output and send it to the Model II Power Stand Analog input.

Stereo setups

Live or PreRecorded / Stereo and *-Mono — The engineers at Bose conducted listening tests with four L1^®s and eight B1s. Read about the results in this article.

Can I run two L1®s in Mono

Minimum Distance Running Two L1®s in Dual Mono

Phase cancellation can be an issue if you are running Dual Mono (two L1®s from the same mono source). This can be an issue when two or more L1®s are fed the same signal.

The minimum recommended distance for two L1^®s running the same signal is 20-50 feet.

Only when fed the same signal, "Interference between line arrays would be more severe [than for non-line-array speakers]. In fact, the current Bose design rules for installing MA12 line arrays recommend ... a spacing between line arrays of between 6 and 15 meters! (20-50 feet)" The same applies to the L1. - Chris-at-Bose (Clarifications added by the author of the quote.)

Note: During a conversation with Chris-at-Bose, he confirmed that the recommendations above are the same for the L1 Model II. ST 15:13, 30 August 2007 (GMT-7)

Connect two L1^® Model Is to play the same source

Please see: PS1 Powerstand / Daisy Chain.

What is a Pad and when would I use one

"pad" is short for attenuation pad. This is a device used to lower the signal level between two other devices.  You are most likely to need a pad when using a L1 Classic or L1 Model I  and your source uses an XLR connection at line-level. For more details please see: Pad.

Mixer to Model 1S, Model II, Compact

L1 Model II

L1 Model 1S

L1 Compact

Using a stereo mixer with an L1

General principles for connecting a stereo mixer to the mono input on your L1 .

The inputs on the L1 Pro Input 3, L1 Model 1S, L1 Model II, and the Compact Channel 2 ¼ inch jack are MONO. Check to see if your mixer has a MONO output. If it does, then use that.

If your mixer does not have a mono output pan all your inputs to one side (e.g. LEFT) and take the LEFT output and connect that to your L1 .

For best results do NOT use any kind of Y-adapter to connect stereo outputs from a mixer to a mono input on an L1 . See Why Not Wye for details.

If you have questions or comments about this article please post a note in the Bose Forum - Technical Questions.

L1® Inputs

L1® Model 1S Analog Input

L1® Model II Analog Input

Setting the Trim Control

1. Set the Trim control on the power stand to the 0 (zero) position.
2. Connect the audio source to the Analog Input
3. Adjust the volume of the Mixer output to the reference or nominal output level.
   • On analog consoles this may be marked as unity or 0 dB.
   • On digital consoles this may be marked as -18 dBFS. The exact value (-18 dBFS to -20 dBFS) may vary depending your location.
   • Refer to the manual for the Mixer for details.
   • If the Mixer does not have metering or indicators, set the output as high as you can without hearing distortion or seeing red indicator lights.
4. While playing/singing as loud as you will during your performance, increase the Trim level so that the Signal/Clip indicator glows green or yellow. Occasional flickers of red are okay.
5. If the Signal/Clip indicator glows solid red or you hear distortion, decrease the Trim level so that it glows only green or yellow.

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L1® Compact Channel 2

The Compact is different from the Model 1S and Model II because it can accept stereo inputs on the Channel 2 1/8" and RCA inputs.

Stereo Inputs on Compact Channel 2

If have RCA outputs from your mixer you can connect to the Compact Channel 2 RCA inputs. It's likely that the RCA outputs on the mixer are recording outputs and you may have control the output level separate from the mixer master faders. Please see your manual for details.

If you have a way to convert the mixer stereo output to 1/8" stereo jack then you can connect to Compact Channel 2 1/8" stereo input.

Use a cable like this from your backing track source (iPod, Computer, CD / DVD player)

Click picture for details

or if your cable has RCA (phono) jacks you can use a cable like this.

Click picture for details

Mono Input on Compact Channel 2

Start with the Volume set straight up and adjust so that you get a solid green signal. If you see red, turn the trim down.

The ¼ inch jack input accepts a balanced or unbalanced connection.

Can a stereo signal be used with the ¼ inch jack input?

A ¼ inch Tip-Ring-Sleeve connector carrying a stereo signal should not be used with the analog input on the L1 Compact.

Even though a ¼ inch Tip-Ring-Sleeve connector can carry a stereo signal this is not how this physical connection is used on the L1 Compact.

The ¼ inch jack input on the L1 Compact is balanced, and will therefore subtract the Left and Right signals on a stereo cable and you will hear almost no signal in the L1 Compact.

The 1/8 inch jack is STEREO not Balanced

The L1 Compact Channel 2: 1/8-inch jack is STEREO not BALANCED.

The written documentation is incorrect. It says:

1/8-inch stereo input - Balanced analog input for connecting audio sources such as portable mp3 players, satellite radio, laptop computers, video projectors, and smart boards.

Correction

1/8-inch stereo input - Balanced Stereo analog input for connecting audio sources such as portable mp3 players, satellite radio, laptop computers, video projectors, and smart boards.

Source Neil-at-Bose

General Principles

It's easy to make this work. You can pan all your inputs hard LEFT and take the LEFT output and connect that to your L1 . If you have a stereo source and two stereo channels, then you can

1. Run the left side of the stereo source to the left input on one stereo channel,
2. Run and the right side of the stereo source to the left side of another stereo channel.
3. Pan any other inputs hard left
4. Use the left output of mixer and connect that to the L1 Analog input.

Question: Is there a loss of quality when using only one output (e.g. Left only)?
No loss of quality. See Mixer Left Output Only

Connections

Where possible use a balanced connection between the mixer output and the L1® input.

XLR Mixer to 1/4 Tip-Ring-Sleeve L1®

The output side is XLR so you will also need a converter or cable that is XLR female to Balanced ¼ inch jack Tip-Ring-Sleeve.

Female XLR to 1/4" Male TRS Balanced Adaptor Cable (audiopile.net)

1/4 Tip-Ring-Sleeve Mixer to 1/4 Tip-Ring-Sleeve L1®

The output side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack and the input on the Bose side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack. Use a cable like this.

.

1/4" TRS Balanced Patch Cable (audiopile.net)

Here are a some examples of how you can get a mono output out of your stereo mixer.

Specific Mixers

Allen & Heath ZED 10-FX

Allen Heath ZED-FX10 web page

Use a cable like this:

The output side is XLR so you will also need a converter or cable that is XLR female to Balanced ¼ inch jack Tip-Ring-Sleeve.

Female XLR to 1/4" Male TRS Balanced Adaptor Cable (audiopile.net)

Allen & Heath ZED Sixty-14FX

Allen Heath ZED Sixty-14FX web page

Use a cable like this:

The output side is XLR so you will also need a converter or cable that is XLR female to Balanced ¼ inch jack Tip-Ring-Sleeve.

Female XLR to 1/4" Male TRS Balanced Adaptor Cable (audiopile.net)

Alto Live 802

Alto Live 802 web page

Use a cable like this:

The output side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack and the input on the Bose side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack. Use a cable like this.

.

1/4" TRS Balanced Patch Cable (audiopile.net)

Behringer Eurorack UB1222FX

Use a cable like this:

The output side is XLR so you will also need a converter or cable that is XLR female to Balanced ¼ inch jack Tip-Ring-Sleeve.

Female XLR to 1/4" Male TRS Balanced Adaptor Cable (audiopile.net)

Behringer Eurorack X1222USB

Use a cable like this:

The output side is XLR so you will also need a converter or cable that is XLR female to Balanced ¼ inch jack Tip-Ring-Sleeve.

Female XLR to 1/4" Male TRS Balanced Adaptor Cable (audiopile.net)

Behringer Xenix 1202FX

The 1/4 inch (6.3mm) outputs on this mixer are unbalanced mono.

Use a cable like this:

1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Sleeve

Mackie 1402 VLZ4

Mackie 1402VLZ4 web page

Mackie CFX-12

link to Mackie CFX-12 Manual

Mackie ProFX8

Mackie ProFX8 web page

Mackie ProFX12

Mackie ProFX12 manual

Mackie ProFX12V2

Mackie ProFX12 manual

Presonus Studio Live 16.0.2

There is a Mono output.

Use a cable like this:

The output side is XLR so you will also need a converter or cable that is XLR female to Balanced ¼ inch jack Tip-Ring-Sleeve.

Female XLR to 1/4" Male TRS Balanced Adaptor Cable (audiopile.net)

If you don't have access to cable like the one above, you can use one of the ¼ inch jack Tip-Ring-Sleeve balanced outputs. You can pan all the inputs to the LEFT side and use the LEFT output.

Presonus Studio Live 16.0.2 Owners Manual

Yamaha MG10

The output side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack and the input on the Bose side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack. Use a cable like this.

.

1/4" TRS Balanced Patch Cable (audiopile.net)

Yamaha MG10 web page

Yamaha MG10/2

The output side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack and the input on the Bose side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack. Use a cable like this.

.

1/4" TRS Balanced Patch Cable (audiopile.net)

Yamaha MG12XU

The output side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack and the input on the Bose side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack. Use a cable like this.

.

1/4" TRS Balanced Patch Cable (audiopile.net)

Yamaha MGXU web page

Yamaha MG82CX

The output side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack and the input on the Bose side is 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) Tip-Ring-Sleeve jack. Use a cable like this.

.

1/4" TRS Balanced Patch Cable (audiopile.net)

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Mixer to L1 Model I and L1 Classic

L1 Model I

Classic

¼ inch jack inch to ¼ inch

If your mixer has ¼ inch jack outputs, these are almost certainly at line-level and should work well with any of the ¼ inch jack inputs (Channels 1, 2, 3, 4) on a L1 Model I or L1 Classic. Any of the cables show at the right should work.

¼ Inch Tip-Sleeve (unbalanced) to ¼ Inch Tip-Sleeve (unbalanced) ¼ Inch Tip-Ring-Sleeve (balanced) to ¼ Inch Tip-Sleeve (unbalanced) ¼ Inch Tip-Ring-Sleeve (balanced) to ¼ Inch Tip-Ring-Sleeve (balanced) This should also work, but likely no better than a simple ¼ Inch Tip-Sleeve to Tip-Sleeve cable. This is because the ¼ Inch input on the Bose System is Tip-Sleeve (unbalanced) anyway.

XLR to XLR

XLR to XLR, male to female

This is the same kind of cable you would use to connect a microphone.

The XLR inputs for Channels 1 and 2 are intended for microphone level inputs.

XLR (balanced) to XLR (balanced)

• If your source (mixer or CD/DVD player) has XLR outputs, check to see if you have the option to set it to a microphone level output. If so, use that setting.
  
• If your source has XLR outputs at line-level (most likely) then you will probably need a Pad between the source and the L1 Model I (or L1 Classic) Power Stand.
  
• You may be able to make things work without the Pad by turning down the output from the source and turning down the trim at the Power Stand. If it sounds okay then you are probably fine. If you cannot get enough a good sounding signal without an excess of noise then try a Pad.

L1 Model II

L1 Model II

A ¼ inch Tip-Ring-Sleeve connector carrying a stereo signal should not be used with the analog input on the Model II.

Even though a ¼ inch Tip-Ring-Sleeve connector can carry a stereo signal this is not how this physical connection is used on the DJ Power Stand.

The analog input on the Model II is balanced, and will therefore subtract the Left and Right signals on a stereo cable and you will hear an L-R (Left minus Right) signal in the Model II.

You cannot 'get through the gig' this way if you are a DJ or if you need to run prerecorded music or have stereo inputs.

Using a Mixer

If you are using a mixer instead of a T1 ToneMatch Audio Engine use the mixer to create a mono output and send that to the Model II Power Stand Analog input.

• If there is a stereo/mono switch then use it and send the mono output to the Model II Power Stand Analog input.
• If there is a Left/mono output then use that and send it to the Model II Power Stand Analog input.
• If there is no way to create a mono output then pan all your mixer inputs all the way to one side (e.g. Left) and then take the mixer for that side (e.g. Left) output and send it to the Model II Power Stand Analog input.

T1 ToneMatch Audio Engine

T1 

• You can run ¼ inch jack line level inputs to T1® Channels 1,2,3.
• You can probably run XLR line level inputs to the T1® Channels 1,2,3. No Pad required.

T1 ToneMatch^® Audio Engine inputs will accept a wide range of signals. We have not encountered a normal use where someone needed a pad - even using +4dbU console outputs

• If you have the option to run ¼ inch to ¼ inch, you could use T1® Channels 4/5. This would leave more channels available for use with microphones and instruments with lower output levels.

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DJ Mixer vs General Purpose Mixer

The discussion is live: DJ Mixers vs "Band" mixers and at least for now, open to some controversy.

Related Reading

• Read about specific mixers in Mixers
• Mixer to Share Presets

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Specific Mixers

There are several articles related to using specific mixers with the L1 Model I and L1 Classic.  Here is a list of what is available: Mixers and connection recommendations

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