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I have a tendency to include references, appositions, and other errata in my text as I write. As I realize that not everyone cares for such digressions, however, I generally "hide" them in scripts. To access this "additional information," just click on the boldfaced text. To expand all errata at once (brave soul!), click here.
Gear Review: The Fishman SoloAmp SA220 (1/2)
27 November 2009
I suspect we can all agree: the flamenco guitar, all on its own, is not a "projection" instrument. Sure, practicing at home, or playing for an intimate gathering (and I mean very intimate), and you can probably get away with guitar alone. But as soon as you have to play through a couple dozen bodies, or over kitchen noise (or a busy espresso machine), or over dancers, well either you need some kind of amplification or you're just not going to be heard.
Of course, a full PA (preferably with a sound engineer included) is ideal. For a lot of "working musician" gigs, however, we're not often that lucky (think weddings, dinners, cafés, private parties--you get the idea). So what to do? Two of the most common options I've seen taken up are a.) going out and buying a PA, and b.) using a guitar or keyboard amplifier. Option "a" is great--if you've got the funds and don't mind lugging around the gear. Option "b" works in a pinch, but unless you can get your amp up above a crowd, you'll spend more time playing to your audience's knees than to their ears--and even then there are some issues that a well placed bar stool won't solve.
It was actually this "knee vs. ear" issue that first drew my attention to the SoloAmp. Sound dispersion isn't a big deal if all you need to project is bass, but when you end up filtering your sound through a room full of Dockers and Hush Puppies, you lose a lot of the overtones of what you're playing (which, in my humble opinion, is where a lot of the fun of the guitar is). Guitar amplifiers also tend to be fairly directional; they tend to shoot a column of sound out into a room instead of a cone of sound. Unless you're in the path of that column, you're a bit out of luck (and again, it's the high frequencies that are the most directional).
What Fishman Says
Given the projection issue, the reason the SoloAmp caught my eye should be evident: its design alone solves the problems of the guitar amp and its neither as bulky (nor as costly) as most PAs. It retails at $1000, so it's not the kind of thing most of us will be picking up on a whim, but for a working musician, it does offer some tempting solutions to commons problems.
So what is this thing? Well, here's what Fishman has to say:
"It’s a PA . . . and an Amp: With the SA220, the performer and audience hear exactly the same sound, meaning there’s no need for separate wedge monitors or a combo amp backline. And because the SA220 is voiced for the singer/songwriter, acoustic instruments and vocals are projected with superb depth and clarity.
- Drivers: 6x4" cone midrange (200W), 1" neodymium soft-dome tweeter (20W) with tweeter level control
- Compact line-array design for ultra-wide horizontal dispersion and deeper sound penetration than traditional acoustic combo amplifiers
- Two mic/instrument input channels with 3-band EQ, phantom power, and high-quality preamps accept a wide range of input sources—from acoustic instruments to microphones to line level sources
- Mic/instrument channels offer independent reverb level, effect loops, plus feedback-fighting phase and notch filters
This, of course, is only the tip of the features iceberg: you can find a full rundown of features at Fishman. There is also a good video review at PremierGuitar.com.
Okay . . . And?
I've had my SoloAmp for a few months now and have done a number of different kinds of shows with it. Overall (as is probably evident by now), I'm quite happy with it. That said, there are some situations where it is ideal, and some others where it might be a bit disappointing.
The "Pros": When Fishman brags about this thing's portability, they're not exaggerating. It comes with everything--including the stand and carrying case--and all packed up it weighs 35 lbs. The case is sturdy and, though it doesn't have a lot of extra space for cords or other gadgets, it does have velcro straps on the outside for mic stands (or whatever). It's also got wheels on one end of the case for longer hauls. It takes about a minute to set up (unless you find standard issue zippers and velcro especially challenging, that is).
"Great," you say, "it's easy to move around--but how does it sound?" This is a more difficult question--mostly because it's a more subjective one. To my ear it sounds great--or at least playing through it sounds to me as good as I've ever sounded. Each person's sound will depend on the individual player, his or her guitar, and his or her mic setup. The good news is that the sound shaping features of the SA220 afford a lot of flexibility for fine tuning your sound.
Three band EQ, of course, is standard; the EQ on the SA220 (again, to my ear) is fine--no better and no worse than mid-price-range amps and boards. The notch filter (which is basically a sweepable EQ that attenuates a very specific narrow-band frequency range) allows you to selectively cut a single undesirable resonance. The notch filter is designed (according the the SA220 documentation) to fight feedback; the feedback that has bothered me so far (more on that later) has been out of its range, but this is a useful shaping feature all the same. Finally, the "tweeter trim" knob (located, a bit inconveniently, in back of the unit) is great--this actually allows you to turn down the independent amp that powers the dome tweeter. I've found this to be an extremely useful feature both in shaping sound and in cutting feedback.
The other place that Fishman has built a lot of versatility into the SoloAmp is with the "in and out" options. You can plug either XLR or 1/4" into the front and it has switchable phantom power available to both channels. When you turn this thing around, though, you have just about all you could ask for in terms of connectability and expansion. There is an aux in (with a volume control on the front) and independent effects loops and DI outs for each channel. There's a monitor send for connecting two SA220s and a "full mix" XLR DI out. Basically the SoloAmp gives you a ton of options for connecting to or from other line level devices (like sound boards or house PAs). There's also a footswitch jack for the mute function; this works in conjunction with the mute button on the front of the unit--another handy feature for before and between sets.
There is, of course, also the fact that since the SA220 has two channels, a singer/guitarist or a singer and guitarist can both operate on the same piece of equipment. I've been ordered by the UN not to sing any more (some trumped up charges about "crimes against humanity"--whatever!), but I do often play with singers and have been pleased with the result.
On a final note, I don't mind pointing out that the SoloAmp also looks good: it has clean lines, is unobtrusive, and fits well into tight spaces. It is a bit unconventional looking (for the moment), but faced with the prospect of asking to stack my guitar amp on a few phone books on top of a table, I would rather be unconventional any day of the week. (Note: I've seen some other reviewers begin to refer to the SoloAmp as "The Fish Stick." I'm not sure if this moniker will stick, but be warned!)
>>> go on to page 2: "The Cons,"
"Customer Support," "Finally" >>>
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