nexo speakers and speaker systems

[kissingonstilts]

Has anyone had any experience with Nexo speakers? I want to get a studio quality sound in a live setting. I've tried Yamahas, Mackies, JBLs, EAWs, Bose, and none have really worked as I'd hoped (acoustic guitar, voice, acoustic piano). I tried some Meyers and some Questeds, but wasn't quite sure - a little 'hard' perhaps? For a time I used Tannoy LGM 12s - very lovely, just fine, but the cabinets were too fragile and did not enjoy being moved. I'd heard the Nexos were very musical, but have had no experience. Do they need proprietary amplifers? controllers? Thanks.

[aussie_techie]

Originally Posted by kissingonstilts

Has anyone had any experience with Nexo speakers? I want to get a studio quality sound in a live setting.

PS 15 with the digital controllers will get you what you want. add some meyer subs and power it with camcos or lab groupins and you are in live sound heaven. i work with people who can spend hours tuning GEQs with JBLs, Meyers etc to get the final iota out of them but with nexos there isnt the need for it anymore, the GEQs are so close to flat at first you think they have been tuned at all.

on top of the sound the are so small and light and give a huge amount of power. they even get sent out on cheeper jobs just because they are lighter and easier to move. some of the other systems around need to be quad amped to get the power out of them, Nexos only need to be single amped and subs, you save size and weight on less amps aswell. however keep in mind you will often need a riser due to the small size they often arnt high enough on their own.

as for other nexos. PS 8s are to small for anything, PS 10s are ok but it depends how much power you need, they arnt powerfull enough for most things or at least not usualy worth while for the number you would need.
2 GEO T arrays have just come to perth so hopefully ill be able to tell you how they come soon. im sure they will jsut as good only on a much larger scale.
i havnt realy used the alphas.

[Jim vanBergen]

I've used several of the Nexo line arrays, but really prefer the JBL VerTecs over these. The Nexo's use proprietary controllers with your amplifier.

Personally, I'm a HUGE fan of VerTec or Meyer for live sound, I'm not sure what model you're using, how large a box you need, how many people you are trying to cover, and the type of material- it all makes a big difference, if you listen to a CQ-1 & 650P, or a UPA-1P and a USW. The self-powered Meyers make it VERY easy to sound good quickly.

I have heard them sound harsh; there is a small dip in the low mids (Mud-removal?) that makes a human voice sound really good, as compared to the low-mid 'warmth' you get from the old Apogee AE5 mid-high, or a tri-amplified EAW KF695 or KF300 get from their tri-amped mid driver.

If you say you tried Meyers and Questeds, I hope you did not try HD-1s outdoors. They have a dome tweeter and to get the proper level outdoors, it will sound horrid. For outdoor use, you really want a compression horn.

If you don't like Meyer, perhaps look at D&B? Highly reccomended. If you're doing small PA-type gigs, the L'Acoustic dv-dosc is a wonderful rig for several hundred people.

Hope these thoughts help!

Jim

[TinderArts]

I rather like the Nexo S for acoustic music. The imaging is nothing short of spectacular for a live system. Use the S in combination with their directional sub.

[bit mangler]

I remember that dbbubba has these speakers.Wait for him to chime on their performance.I recall that he spoke highly of them.

Personally I just love the JBL vertecs.Almost all of the good audio quality live performances I've seen/heard were PM5D/vertec combinations

Hope this helps

[squeegybug]

Originally Posted by kissingonstilts

I want to get a studio quality sound in a live setting. I've tried Yamahas, Mackies, JBLs, EAWs, Bose, and none have really worked as I'd hoped (acoustic guitar, voice, acoustic piano).

I've used most of those, and seen the Nexo systems but never tried with my setups.

Try to hear these if you can, spectacular sound with ribbon tweeters, home theater to studio monitors to stadium line arrays:

www.slsloudspeakers.com

8190 is what I use for live acoustic instruments and vocal sound, could not be happier. Easily double as studio monitors if desired.

Steve

[kissingonstilts]

Thank you Steve - what is it you've enjoyed about the speakers, and have you tried any of their other lines? Do they make powered speakers? How much do they cost? Do you know where they're made? I like the idea of the ribbon tweeter, as long as fragility isn't an issue. Thanks.

[Roland]

I've got D&B Audioteknik rig, so I'm biased, but generally speaking other rigs I like are Meyer, Vdosc, JBL Vertec.

Regards


Roland

[squeegybug]

Originally Posted by kissingonstilts

Thank you Steve - what is it you've enjoyed about the speakers, and have you tried any of their other lines? Do they make powered speakers? How much do they cost? Do you know where they're made? I like the idea of the ribbon tweeter, as long as fragility isn't an issue. Thanks.

SLS are just very pleasant to hear. A very natural, "organic" type of sound, without all the screaming distortion inherent in compression horns. Fragility is certainly not an issue, they are quite powerful. And the sound is so clean that high volume levels can be fun.

I have heard and fooled around with a few SLS systems, they used to be located right across the street from my office. Although I did not know that for many years! They recently bought a much bigger facility a few miles away, here in SW Missouri. The cost was very competitive when I bought mine, in line with similar sized JBL, EAW, etc. Certainly less expensive than Nexo or Meyer.

They make at least three different sizes of ribbons. Their large 3-way systems are absolutely breathtaking. Without a doubt the finest concert sound I've ever heard, in almost 50 years of listening. Was over there a while back with Mark Knopfler recordings playing at concert level. Effortless.

Their line arrays are the real focus of the company right now. That technology is perfectly suited to the ribbon drivers, since they naturally have broader horizontal dispersion than vertical. All scalable, of course.

SLS purchased a respected digital amplifier company a while back, and does now have a powered line of studio monitors. I've not heard them, Tom Jung has reviewed them in Pro Audio Review. I believe they are applying that same technology to their SR systems, may be released already.

No affiliation, just a very satisfied owner and user.

Steve

[Jim vanBergen]

I installed, calibrated, aligned, and mixed a dozen shows on a medium sized SLS line array, eight boxes per side plus subs, with identical mid-highs for front fills. Even with ribbons, like other line arrays, it can get harsh in the high end, and has some good and bad points. Their specified crossover points got thrown away when we SIM'd the system, and we used crossover frequencies that suited the box better than the ones they had chosen, almost an octave away!

I found their rigging to be the absolute worst of any I'd seen in the line array world, their literature to be lacking, but they had good customer support and tried to work with us in fixing unsafe problems (like bent rigging frames, missing pins, stressed speaker points, etc). The rig sounds OK, but is a nightmare to focus without two motors, unlike VerTec, L'Acoustics, Meyer, or D&B. The SLS boxes are best suited IMHO, for gentle reinforcement of acoustic material, not rock.

[squeegybug]

I can't dispute your experience, Jim, can only relay my own. I do not doubt that their rigging might have trouble, I've spoken with the SLS engineers about some of that in the past and was a little concerned about it myself. But I do not do shows on that scale, nor use line arrays.

The sound? I've heard spectacular live Moody Blues on SLS, probably the best concert I've ever heard, but that was in a permanent installation in a theater, not a touring setup.

The OP was of course asking about "studio quality in a live setting" with acoustic instruments, and I still recommend SLS for this. Especially compared to some of the overdriven screamers being used for FOH in concert venues. His descriptions of some of those competitive systems as "hard" or fragile matches my experiences with some of them. We've had to start wearing earplugs at about every concert or festival we attend, and it's not our ears at fault.

Steve

[Jim vanBergen]

Well Steve, given the criteria, perhaps SLS would suit this application, I'm not sure. I would be interested to hear of the original poster could A/B a Nexo and SLS arrays. Just wanted to give as much hard data as I can pass off reliably and accurately to others- hope I did not offend, certainly not my intent.

Cheers-

JvB

[squeegybug]

Certainly no offense taken here Jim. I appreciate your experience and report, I like to learn all I can about what works and doesn't. "Facts are friendly".

When I was evaluating, I set up this small SLS pair beside several other commonly available systems and it was an easy choice for me, with acoustic sources.

I have had some opportunities to compare it to a similar size Nexo, but not yet taken them. The cost is a lot higher for the Nexo, with the required electronics. Maybe Mr. stilts can do this sometime too, the only way to know what ultimately suits is of course to try it.

Steve

[Roland]

Originally Posted by squeegybug

I can't dispute your experience, Jim, can only relay my own. I do not doubt that their rigging might have trouble, I've spoken with the SLS engineers about some of that in the past and was a little concerned about it myself. But I do not do shows on that scale, nor use line arrays.

The sound? I've heard spectacular live Moody Blues on SLS, probably the best concert I've ever heard, but that was in a permanent installation in a theater, not a touring setup.

The OP was of course asking about "studio quality in a live setting" with acoustic instruments, and I still recommend SLS for this. Especially compared to some of the overdriven screamers being used for FOH in concert venues. His descriptions of some of those competitive systems as "hard" or fragile matches my experiences with some of them. We've had to start wearing earplugs at about every concert or festival we attend, and it's not our ears at fault.

Steve

It can be very dangerous to judge systems on a particular hearing. I've heards systems that I know aren't very good acheive suprising results in particular circumstances, with a good engineer, I've done it myself. This doesn't blanket endorse these products. Where as technology has helped to make an improvement to the standard of almost all systems available there are still some that are generally viewed as being "top of the tree", probably fair to say the names that Jim mentioned. In this particularly competitive market I would be very careful about what I would buy. Rig's need to be friendly enough to possible visiting engineers, and it can be a good idea to check out what others in your area are using as you might want to be able to cross hire, these are some of the real issues that should be influencing your decision, along with deal price etc. I personally would want to stick with L' Acoustic, JBL, Meyer or D&B.

Regards


Roland

[squeegybug]

Originally Posted by Roland

It can be very dangerous to judge systems on a particular hearing.

I've heard and used a few different systems. I believe this is a more relevant quote:

Originally Posted by squeegybug

When I was evaluating, I set up this small SLS pair beside several other commonly available systems and it was an easy choice for me, with acoustic sources.

I've used them almost five years, in many situations. Still like 'em.

Respectfully, and with awareness of rider requirements, when does "we've never used that, therefore we won't" become a rule? I wonder what the first users of L' Acoustic, JBL, Meyer or D&B thought?

From the OP's list (Yamahas, Mackies, JBLs, EAWs, Bose, Meyers, Questeds, Tannoy) I'm experienced with products from all but two of those mfgrs. I did not get the impression he was looking for stadium line array systems, perhaps I am wrong.

Steve

[kissingonstilts]

Actually, I don't need the line array - I need two speakers (system/rig) that can work in a small venue; "work" meaning very beautiful tone (power is ancillary). Thanks

[Matt Syson]

Hi
If you are still looking maybe audition a Fohhn setup along with the others.
With a digital amp in the bass bin and a pair of tops it is an easy setup and you get digital effects/ delays etc 'thrown in'.
Matt S

[Andrew B.]

Originally Posted by kissingonstilts

Actually, I don't need the line array - I need two speakers (system/rig) that can work in a small venue; "work" meaning very beautiful tone (power is ancillary). Thanks

I find that the HK Audio gear has a good hi-fi quality considering its price range. Certainly a level above Mackie. It's like the Nexo but cheaper and available active. Having said that, I also regularly mix (live FOH sound) on a Nexo PS10 system and really like its fidelity. If I had the money, I would buy a Nexo for a travelling rig. As it is, my active HKs do fine. The Nexos need the proprietary controllers (or amps with the controllers built into them) which bumps up the cost.

Here is a link to some HK Audio stuff (Actor):
http://www.hkaudio.com/products.php?...s&pk_id=2&id=8

You could do 150 to 250 people indoors (at 95dBA average half way back) with the two tops plus two subs. Add extra subs for outdoors or bigger venues. No amps or speaker cables to lug - but you will probably need some long XLRs!

Andrew

[Andrew B.]

PS. One of the keys to good quality live sound is getting the system gain structure absolutely right. It's more complicated than it sounds and is *so* often done wrong.

http://www.community.chester.pa.us/f...20structure%22

Andrew