Vol 1. Number 1, Spring 2005 Durham, NC

A Note From Rick

Welcome to the first edition of Words and Music which you will be receiving three or four times a year (depending on how much is going on with us at Acoustic Image).

Reponse to the idea of an e-letter was very positive in our recent owner survey. And we�re going to do our best to make the publication interesting and valuable to you. But if it�s not working for you, unsubscribing  is just a keystroke or two away. Please remember that we will NEVER share your name with anyone else.

We�re going to use Words and Music to keep you informed about our products � and to answer questions from users. So if you have any information requirements, or comments or suggestions on our products or the publication, we�d love to hear them at info@acousticimg.com

Thanks for being a friend of Acoustic Image.

Sincerely,


Rick Jones
President and Chief Designer

You spoke and we�re listening.

Thanks again to all who participated in our recent Acoustic Image owner survey. Your comments were very complimentary. But there were also many thoughtful comments and suggestions and lots of questions.

We read every response closely and are already using the feedback to help shape future generations of AI products. To answer the most common inquiries you had (one example: why don�t you offer a dedicated tuner/headphone jack?), we finally got the FAQ section  of our website up and running. It�s there if you need it. If you still have questions, please let us know.

In each edition of Words and Music we will also be dealing with basic issues that were raised. For example, this quarter, we talk about how to get more volume from your AI amp for gigs that demand it�and how to hear yourself clearly on the �stand even  when playing quietly. If there�s a subject you�d most like to see us tackle in the next edition, please let us know.

We introduce the Focus SA.

We recently began shipping dealer orders for our new Focus SA (for satellite amplifier) standalone power amps, which deliver 600 high-fidelity watts of switchmode power from a 3.5-lb package even smaller than Clarus or Focus. The SA incorporates the same power amp topology as the Focus and, of course, offers the same transparent sound. It can be paired with any high-quality pre-amp or with your Clarus or Focus. It also makes a wonderfully powerful and portable PA when matched with one of the mini-mixers from Mackie, Behringer and others. List price for the SA is $1099, with dealers typically selling for about 10 percent less.

Focus SA is a great example of responding to requests from you, the player. It is designed to meet the expressed needs of musicians who need exceptional volume and headroom for large venues (see story on volume), without compromising sound quality. In short, it provides Power Without Corruption which, when you think about it, is as about as uncommon in amp design as it is in politics. Specs for this little beast are on our website at www.acoustimg.com

On being heard� without being part of the herd.

The results of the AI survey confirmed what we already knew in our hearts: musicians who buy our products do so primarily for transparency of sound, not for their ability to shake the seats in the back rows of Shea Stadium. AI users don�t follow the herd mentality that says the value of an amplifier is in direct proportion to is ability to put you in the care of a chiropractor. Which is good because our philosophy has always been that clear, natural, flat sound comes first�closely followed by portability and practicality�and our designs reflect this reality. In our Contra and Coda combo amps, for example, there is a clear tradeoff between sensitivity and absolute volume levels. And it�s one we willingly accept�as do the owners of these products. That said, our combos will play surprisingly loud and the vast majority of AI users state that they happy with the amount of volume they get from their amps�and the omnidirectionality (if that�s a word) of sound from the downfiring woofer. However, you can always improve even a good situation and there were questions about how to do just that. So here is our point form advice to anyone looking to hear or be heard�better:

  • The tilt-back feature is on our combos for a purpose, see if it works for you. If you are having trouble hearing yourself, try tilting your cabinet back with the tilt-peg. This aims the mid-range speaker up at your ear which works wonders in rooms with bad acoustics or where you are parked next to a loud drummer or someone else�s amp. (It will also help clear up a muddy bottom end on springy stages, low-ceilinged rooms, etc.). In extreme cases (once you�ve unsuccessfully asked the drummer to switch to pencil sticks or brushes), it can even help to put your combo on a chair or table, although this will, naturally, reduce the prominence of the bass spectrum in your sound. Note on pegs: on our earlier combos the peg was made of aluminum and would break if overstressed. Our new pegs are steel and far more durable. If you have broken a peg, call us and we�ll send you another.
  • Try to stand a few feet from your amp. Our combos are actually better heard when you are 3 to 5 feet away.
  • The easiest route to more volume with your existing amp is an extension cab. If you�ve mated your Contra or Coda with a Contra EX cabinet, you already know: this combination really pumps it out. Which only makes sense. Two 4-ohm cabinets means the amp sees a 2-ohm load which maximizes wattage�and the speaker �coverage� is doubled so you pump a lot more air. Yes, its one more thing to carry, but the Contra EX is a very portable package that you only bring when you need. Of course, adding more speakers to your Clarus has the same effect of generating more power through lower resistance. The amp will drive 2-ohms with ease, so why not take advantage of it when you need the volume?
  • Need still more volume? Consider going the Focus route. Doubling the wattage doesn�t double the volume, but it does make the sound significantly louder as well as providing considerably more headroom. Which is why we introduced the Focus series. New buyers with high volume requirements should consider the Focus integrated. Or, to supercharge your Clarus (or double the output of your Focus to 1200W), plug either into a Focus SA. The effect, in both cases, is rather dramatic. Keep in mind that when using the SA to enhance the output of a Clarus or Focus, you will need a second speaker cabinet which the SA will be powering.
  • If all this isn�t enough, go through the PA (and get some good earplugs).  All AI products have an XLR direct out so that you can avail yourself of sound reinforcement through the PA system where required. Unless you want to lug around massive speaker cabinets (and we sure don�t), it�s the only way to deal efficiently with extreme volume requirements in large rooms.

A succinct quote from Jimmy Bruno

Jazz guitar virtuoso Jimmy Bruno recently took delivery of his new Clarus SL-R. The following is verbatim transcript  of the telephone message he excitedly left for Rick Jones:

�Rick, this is Jimmy Bruno. I got the amp the other day and used it at two gigs. All I can say is, �Holy Sh*t! Wow! This F****ing thing is unbelievable! Absolutely the finest jazz amp in the universe�.� (Asterisks ours). High praise, indeed. You can visit Jimmy�s website at www.jimmybruno.com

Final Notes

  • Look for a lengthier (and un-asterisked) review of the Clarus SL-R in the Feb 2005 issue of Just Jazz Guitar (www.justjazzguitar.com).
  • A review of the Coda R by jazz violinist Diane Delin will be in the next issue of Jazz Improv magazine (www.jazzimprov.com).

P.S. If you DON�T want to receive the quarterly e-newsletter we plan to publish starting in 2005, please reply to this message with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Please note that we respect your privacy and will NEVER share your name with anyone else.