Post by Wild Violet on May 30, 2018 14:32:23 GMT
I have been selling equip to buy an AER Compact 60, but most of the money went on an unexpected bill. I'm not sure how long it will take now but in the meantime hauling the PA around for every single gig is impractical and just a PITA. I've been thinking about buying something smaller to use for the moment, though I was hesitating as spending money that could go towards the AER seemed a very backwards step. After a particularly awkward gig in a beer garden on Monday where I had to carry the whole PA up and down a long flight of stairs, my back was aching and my patience wore thin.
I decided to go ahead and buy something as a stop-gap, though whether this was a wise move is yet to be seen. I was dithering between the £199 Alto Trouper and the £219 Bugera (Behringer) AC60 which both get excellent reviews - the Alto being more of a SoloAmp SA220 copy and the Bugera being the most AER-like of the AER copies. I had looked into the excellent Tanglewood T6 (which can be had for £164 from Thomann re-branded as Harley Benton) but when I tried to pick one up at the Music Room in Lincoln, it was so heavy that I would struggle to get it on a speaker stand if needed. The Fishman Loudbox Mini was another contender but my max budget was £225. I was leaning towards the Alto Trouper when my husband talked me into the Bugera, as he thought it would give me the best idea as to just how practical using an AER for 75% or more of my gigs would be.
It arrived today and my first impression is that I really like it. The build quality seems outstanding. Next to my beloved 30 watt Roland AC-33 at 100% volume (and I don't know enough about watts or db to explain this) the Bugera is at least twice as loud with the volume only at 50%. The sound is clear, hi-fi, and AER-ish, with some nice reverb and other eq-y bits. It sounds expensive. There is a recess for a speaker stand, a tilt-up bar on the bottom, and it's approx. the same size/weight as the AER. These thoughts are based solely on trying it out in my dining room but this seems ideal for someone on a tight budget. I'm planning on using it at a cafe gig next Sunday, so will report back afterwards. I have 30 days to return it if I decide it's not for me after all. If that happens, I'll try an Alto Trouper and if that doesn't work out, I'll just keep hauling around the PA until I have enough for the AER.
Once I have the AER (and if the Bugera has been working fine) I'll keep the Bugera and run a line between the two for noisier gigs, leaving the big speaker at home for all but the largest venues. I miss the SA220 and hope Iain is enjoying it as much as I did.
There is more info here, it's a US site but it had the best photos and description:
Bugera AC60
I decided to go ahead and buy something as a stop-gap, though whether this was a wise move is yet to be seen. I was dithering between the £199 Alto Trouper and the £219 Bugera (Behringer) AC60 which both get excellent reviews - the Alto being more of a SoloAmp SA220 copy and the Bugera being the most AER-like of the AER copies. I had looked into the excellent Tanglewood T6 (which can be had for £164 from Thomann re-branded as Harley Benton) but when I tried to pick one up at the Music Room in Lincoln, it was so heavy that I would struggle to get it on a speaker stand if needed. The Fishman Loudbox Mini was another contender but my max budget was £225. I was leaning towards the Alto Trouper when my husband talked me into the Bugera, as he thought it would give me the best idea as to just how practical using an AER for 75% or more of my gigs would be.
It arrived today and my first impression is that I really like it. The build quality seems outstanding. Next to my beloved 30 watt Roland AC-33 at 100% volume (and I don't know enough about watts or db to explain this) the Bugera is at least twice as loud with the volume only at 50%. The sound is clear, hi-fi, and AER-ish, with some nice reverb and other eq-y bits. It sounds expensive. There is a recess for a speaker stand, a tilt-up bar on the bottom, and it's approx. the same size/weight as the AER. These thoughts are based solely on trying it out in my dining room but this seems ideal for someone on a tight budget. I'm planning on using it at a cafe gig next Sunday, so will report back afterwards. I have 30 days to return it if I decide it's not for me after all. If that happens, I'll try an Alto Trouper and if that doesn't work out, I'll just keep hauling around the PA until I have enough for the AER.
Once I have the AER (and if the Bugera has been working fine) I'll keep the Bugera and run a line between the two for noisier gigs, leaving the big speaker at home for all but the largest venues. I miss the SA220 and hope Iain is enjoying it as much as I did.
There is more info here, it's a US site but it had the best photos and description:
Bugera AC60