Opinions of the Centerpoint Spacestation V.3

Second day update.

I tried the space station in a scenario closer to its intended use, using the Axe FX. I played in a small, dampened room.
In this room I had to place the speaker unconventionally, back to front and into a corner to make it sound really wide.
It really does deliver a wide dispersion and a very pleasing omni-directionality, but it takes some thought to set it up for optimal results.
I need to adapt my patches somewhat, so I can't really tell how well it delivers different kind of tones yet. Initial impressions are promising!
Cleans with a good dose of stereo reverb sound great.

In this room, which is a more silent setting, the self-noise of the speaker is more of a nuisance though.
The hiss is no big deal, because it is uniform and but there is also a high pitched whine which does take away from the experience when working with pauses in the music.
This is present regardless if anything is connected and regardless if all dials are set to zero. This could be somewhat of an issue for me, in the music I play I often work with low volumes in intimate settings, I like to use silence as a contrast in the music so the more quiet the silence is the greater the effect. I don't know what causes the whine and if there is something that can be done to dampen it. Somekind of shielding perhaps? Any ideas?
 
mrMagenta said:
Second day update.

I tried the space station in a scenario closer to its intended use, using the Axe FX. I played in a small, dampened room.
In this room I had to place the speaker unconventionally, back to front and into a corner to make it sound really wide.
It really does deliver a wide dispersion and a very pleasing omni-directionality, but it takes some thought to set it up for optimal results.
I need to adapt my patches somewhat, so I can't really tell how well it delivers different kind of tones yet. Initial impressions are promising!
Cleans with a good dose of stereo reverb sound great.

In this room, which is a more silent setting, the self-noise of the speaker is more of a nuisance though.
The hiss is no big deal, because it is uniform and but there is also a high pitched whine which does take away from the experience when working with pauses in the music.
This is present regardless if anything is connected and regardless if all dials are set to zero. This could be somewhat of an issue for me, in the music I play I often work with low volumes in intimate settings, I like to use silence as a contrast in the music so the more quiet the silence is the greater the effect. I don't know what causes the whine and if there is something that can be done to dampen it. Somekind of shielding perhaps? Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Ebtech Hum X
 
Thanks, I'm checking it out.. I wonder if there is a 230V 50Hz version for EU type F plugs.

Update:
Looked for it.. sadly not available for 230V. :-(
There has to be something similar, but I can't find anything.
 
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mrMagenta said:
Thanks, I'm checking it out.. I wonder if there is a 230V 50Hz version for EU type F plugs.

Update:
Looked for it.. sadly not available for 230V. :-(
There has to be something similar, but I can't find anything.
Click to expand...

Ouch....sorry. You're right about something similar....maybe Thomann? I did have some humming issues, but the Hum X device solved it, so I believe it was a power issue in my house circuit.
 
Also, pay close attention to your gain structure. Aspen explains how to set your outputs high along the chain, then you can keep the output reasonably low at the SS AND have a good signal to noise ratio. I was doing the opposite and was getting hiss etc. I altered the gain structure and it cleaned up a lot. Finally, the whine does not sound right. If you eliminate the house circuit( try other outlet plugs or a complete other location) and the problem persists you should contact Aspen and he could walk you through some possible scenarios for solutions. He's really reasonable and loves these units (his baby)((me too!!))and you shouldn't be having that amount of noise. He'd be the first to tell you!!Even single coil pickups going through the axe can cause some issues I've noticed.
 
I'll keep looking for something similar but made for 230V, it looks like a useful device to have, perhaps even multiple.

The problem I have is only with the noise that the unit has in itself, this is present even with nothing connected and all dials on zero.
So it's not hum from pickups or other gear in my case. I'll try it in different sockets / rooms tonight.

Perhaps something has gone loose during shipping or so. I've contacted Aspen, I'm sure this is solvable somehow.

The first time I started it there was a tone that slowly increased in pitch until it became inaudible, the second day it did the same but didn't rise above hearing pitch but kept ringing like a high pitch tone.
 
I don't know about the availability of this around the world but the Furman Power Factor units are really nice. A lot of places we were playing had some questionable power situations. Weird noise, drop outs, etc. I picked up a Power Factor rack unit and my rig was dead quiet everywhere - it was even quieter in places that I didn't perceive a problem before. They make a floor unit and a rack unit. They are expensive - I got a nice discount when I bought mine but it was still around $350. But we were running gear through it that cost a LOT more so I didn't mind.
 
I'm still trying to figure out Furman's Power Factor stuff. There's not much in their official literature to clarify what it's doing or how it works, and most of the online "reviews" read like infomercials.

From the product name, it seems to imply that it corrects the power factor. But that's only an issue if you're a heavy industrial user paying a surcharge based on power factor.

If you're hearing lower noise, that's either noise filtration or the elimination of a ground loop.

The biggest puzzler is the claim that there's a 45-amp "current reservoir." Nothing has any business dumping 45 amps of current through wiring that was only designed for 15 amps or equipment like your amplifier that was only designed for a couple of amps. That's a recipe for blown fuses and fried equipment. That's especially weird when Furman's own specs say that the maximum output current is 15 amps.

The manufacturer has gone to some trouble to obscure what this gear is actually doing. That's always a cause for concern.
 
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It seems very difficult to know what you're getting for the money when buying power conditioners...

A quick update regarding the noise on my SSv3.
Aspen is helping me out and I'm getting this fixed. I love dealing with businesses that are this fast and responsive. :)
 
MesaGuitarGuy said:
Aspen,
have you thought of creating a matching powered sub woofer to go with the SS v.3?
Click to expand...

Oh yes, and I sat down until the thought went away...

There are so many companies out there competing for "Sub" shelf space, and I am really just so small and completely focused on CPS only right now...I could not hope to offer you more than they do already. One of my favorite lines from any movie was that line Curly (Jack Palance) used on Billy Crystal in City Slickers, when asked what the "Secret of Life" was. Curly just said, "well, it one thing". But Billy keeps asking Curly...OK, but what is the "One Thing"? to which he answers...well, that what you have to figure out!

Well, Center Point Stereo is my "One Thing", and I'm sticking to it!

And, all due respect, the sub 100Hz area is just not that important in the "Big Picture", especially if you are in a band where the Bass player occupies that space. One of my good pals Leland Sklar and I were discussing the SS3 + sub when he first heard it at the Bob Moog Foundation benefit, he said "I hate Subs"...and I have found many band mates feel that way (especially bass players!)

Of course, I LIKE subs if your a KB player and you provide that LH bass in the band. But for guitar, and I am a guitar player first, I just do not miss a sub at all...the SS3 is plenty big without it. (now, maybe a 7 string....)
 
One thing that is definitely a negative with the Spacestation is if you aren't playing with much stereo information, the sound is a lot smaller. So switching back and forth between patches/effects with more or less stereo information results in a perceived volume boost/cut. I haven't pulled out my dB meter to validate this - it is definitely there though. With the Axe-FX, using the enhancer actually makes a big difference. Other modelers like the Amplifire and Tech 21 Character pedals do not have such an effect.

I think the Spacestation is slightly more sensitive to actually dialing in your tones at a good volume than using typical FRFR. Since it's not actually producing a stereo signal the use of stereo effects can give you quite different results vs. a typical FRFR setup. So if you're running direct for FOH and using the Spacestation for monitoring then you're going to definitely want a rehearsal with your full signal chain so you can find the right balance of effects. Also, It doesn't feel like a linear change in "3d" volume when you change the volume on the Spacestation. To mitigate this, use your device to control the volume vs. the volume control on the Spacestation.
 
At rehearsal yesterday a digital noise, similar to when a mobile phone is receiving a call close to a speaker, came through amplified.
No phones in the vicinity of either the Axe FX or SSv3 and we were in a basement studio, without WIFI etc.
I wonder if anyone has an idea as to what could have caused it. Some digital high energy transmission being picked up by the guitar pickups?
If this would have happened while performing it would have been really bad.
The noise blips and ticks were similar in sound to a mobile call, but not the same pattern and went on for some 8 seconds.

Signal path:

Guitar straight to front input of Axe FX II
Neumann vocal mike through Art MP pre-amp to rear input of Axe FX II
Axe FX II Output 1 L & R straight to SSv3.

Besides this incident I had great fun using the SSv3.
 
mrMagenta said:
At rehearsal yesterday a digital noise, similar to when a mobile phone is receiving a call close to a speaker, came through amplified.
No phones in the vicinity of either the Axe FX or SSv3 and we were in a basement studio, without WIFI etc.
I wonder if anyone has an idea as to what could have caused it. Some digital high energy transmission being picked up by the guitar pickups?
If this would have happened while performing it would have been really bad.
The noise blips and ticks were similar in sound to a mobile call, but not the same pattern and went on for some 8 seconds.

Signal path:

Guitar straight to front input of Axe FX II
Neumann vocal mike through Art MP pre-amp to rear input of Axe FX II
Axe FX II Output 1 L & R straight to SSv3.

Besides this incident I had great fun using the SSv3.
Click to expand...

Great setup as an aside!!
 
I went to see some friends of mine who are in an amazing local band last night. They're a three piece band - guitar/vocals, keys, and drums. The keyboard player handles the bass lines and he is incredible at it.

Anyhow, I noticed the keyboard player was using the Space Station V3. That amp had no problem filling the room and the drummer can hit hard when he wants to. The PA just had vocals so it really was just his stage amp filling the room. He did run with a small bass amp as a sub - he said he wouldn't need it if he wasn't also the bass player The keys sounded awesome. We talked about settings and he agreed with my assessment that a little of the highs and mids went a long way and he never turns the width up past midway (usually less). He always feeds it a signal with at least some stereo material.

I have some more experimenting I want to do with the Space Station - I still think there is great potential there.
 
Does it fill the room with mono signal? What happens if you give it 1x12" IR on left and 4x12" IR on right channel from Axe?
 
aziz said:
Does it fill the room with mono signal? What happens if you give it 1x12" IR on left and 4x12" IR on right channel from Axe?
Click to expand...

The room fills about the same as any other single speaker would.

I haven't even tried stereo IRs. Someone asked about that on TGP as well. Here's what I posted there:

It's certainly worth a shot. One thing though, it may not have the desired result though. Think about how this thing works - your front sound will only have what is common between L and R and the side will have the combination of what is effectively the remainder. If the cabs vary wildly then your front sound will be non-existent and the side will be the main sound. If they are quite similar then you have the original problem. If they're kind of similar then the front and side will be some weird contortion of the two cabinets.

I think it's very important to think about this thing in terms of common/front (or main) sound and the uncommon (or ambient) sound. Thinking about this in terms of L/R is not really effective. My experience thus far leads me towards thinking a mono amp/cab with stereo post processing is the way to go. This ensures that the common fundamental tone is a well defined amp/cab pathway and all the wetness gets relegated to ambience and dispersion. I suspect that dual amps/cabs that are panned will produce a sound that is quite different than the stereo tonality. I would definitely check my tones in true stereo and/or mono if you intend to run through FOH as well.
 
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