Vol 3. Number 1, Spring 2008, Raleigh, NC

We Celebrate 10 Years of Acoustic Imaging

It was just over 10 years ago that Rick Jones formed Acoustic Image as a company and began making amps to meet the needs of discerning musicians.

Since then, there have been a lot of changes in surroundings (manufacturing is now done in a 5000-foot space, not Rick’s garage) and products (just look at the difference between the original power-amp-only product at the right and today’s AI combo on the left).

But much hasn’t changed. Like our transparent high fidelity sound…our personal involvement in painstakingly assembling and thoroughly testing every amp before it leaves our shop…and our commitment to stand behind what we make (one of the original model D10’s was is just a few months ago for free repairs under warranty).

Thanks to our customers and distributors for a great decade.

The evolution continues.

A decade of evolution in combos: from right to left: the D10 (a powered speaker made in 1997), CD10 (a combo with a one channel preamp made in 1998), Series I Contra (made from 1999 to 2002), Series II Contra R (made from 2002 to 2004), Series IIa Contra R (made from 2004 to 2005), and the SIII Coda R (made since 2005).

The Lowdown on our High Testing Standards

Burning in power amps

A number of AI owners have recently asked what kind of testing we do to assure that we meet our demanding levels of quality control for AI products.

The process starts with regular electronic screening of componentry from suppliers to assure that raw materials are up to snuff. When the manufactured power amp and preamp boards arrive, we test each one and then put the power amp boards through what is called a ”burn in.” They are placed in a test station and run with high duty cycle signal at high power for several hours. This burn in is the equivalent of 75 hours of gig time.

Once we have hand assembled the parts into an head or combo, each amp is burned in again and then taken to a sound room where a pair of real human ears (attached to Rick Jones or Paul Ingbretsen) listens obsessively to test signals and real instruments for trace levels of mechanical noise or distortion — and to be certain the sound meets the AI standard for transparency and musicality.

If the product misses, even by an angstrom unit, on the bench or in the sound room, it goes back for tweaking or repairs. No exceptions.

Small wonder we have a big reputation for making products that outperform and outlast.

Focus SA Becomes Collector’s Item.

The Focus SA, our 800W power amp, has been discontinued, effective immediately.

Revered by the select few who own it, the Focus SA was a power amp with no preamp. At 3 lbs, it was the smallest and lightest high-powered amp on the market. But, given the only slightly larger size and weight of our full-featured Focus and Clarus heads, demand for the SA was just too low to warrant further production.

We will, of course, continue to provide our unsurpassed warranty coverage for this sweet little amp with the AI sound.

A Note From Rick

A few years ago, I went to my first International Society of Bassists’ convention. It was a week long event with concerts every night featuring the world’s best bass players.

The first night’s event featured two bassists. plus drums, piano and guitar. When I arrived, I saw a large backline of amps and many monitors on the stage. Yet, when the band started playing, one of the bassists kept signaling to the sound tech that he could not hear himself. Interesting.

A few nights later, the great Lynn Seaton was the featured player. This time, when I got to the hall, I noticed no monitors and only an amp for Lynn (guess which brand?). The group was a piano, bass and drums trio, with the musicians set up close to each other. The playing and house sound were superb and it was obvious that the musicians had no trouble hearing each other as the group was interacting well — quite a contrast from the earlier concert. I later asked Lynn about it and he explained the importance of the group playing to the level of the piano, not to the level of the monitors. The bass amp (an Acoustic Image, for the record) was used only as a stage monitor so that the other musicians could hear the bass. I have since come across a post from Lynn on TalkBass  that explains his approach even better:

”Unfortunately, the volume on the bandstand has gotten out of control in recent years. I like to play with a balanced group sound based on the volume of the acoustic piano on the bandstand without monitors. Engineer the balance of the band on the stand. Play like a well mixed recording. If everyone sets up close, then it should sound like a good mix to everyone. If everyone on the stand plays their volume level appropriately, it will be well balanced like a great recording. During a shout chorus or the peak of a hard hitting solo, the bass may be "felt but not heard". In other words, you will not hear every note you play as distinctly as if you were playing alone by yourself. That is normal.

With the ability to listen to recordings at any volume we choose, we can lose touch with what is a real volume level in performances. The compression on many recordings makes for a limited dynamic range as well. In live performances, dynamics should range from a whisper to a roar. Too many people play at one monotone volume the whole tune and the whole night- loud! The inclination to turn up everything to be heard is a losing battle with no winners. Talk to your bandmates about going the other direction and playing softer to start. Sometimes, it is GOOD to play so soft you can hear yourself breathe. Yes, it is fine to get louder, but people get tired of "being screamed at" from the bandstand all the time.”

As a bassist, I have often experienced the situation Lynn describes: the drummer, keyboards, or guitar are too loud and, as a result, the bass has to be turned up to excessive levels. In other words, ”volume escalation” occurs… the instruments keep getting turned up as the night wears on so that by the end of the gig, there is no dynamic range in the music.

I think it is time to better understand the role of the amp, especially for the bass, in an acoustic group setting. With an amp set at the proper volume, the bass becomes more a part of the group. Solos can be heard and everyone in the band can better hear the pulse. That optimal volume is actually pretty low by electric bass standards. As Lynn says, you may not hear every note distinctly, but if the volume of the bass is too high, the group dynamics suffer. So, my advice is to do as Lynn says: ditch the monitors and set the volume of the band to the level of the quietest instruments. To put it another way, the drums and bass should be played at a volume commensurate with the level of the piano or guitar. The bass amp should not be used to give the drummer an excuse to play loud.

Let me also expand a little on the point that Lynn makes about the bass not having to be heard on every note. My experience has been that the more natural the sound of the amplified bass, the harder it is to hear. This is because the sound of the double bass is naturally round without a lot of higher harmonics that would make the sound cut through. This is in contrast to what became known as the ”sound of the 80’s.” When amps for the double bassist started to be widely used, models designed for electric bass were paired with bridge-mounted piezo pickups. The result was a pointed, midrangey sound with lots of energy in the higher harmonics that was easily heard but sounded awful, not at all like the unamplified sound of the bass.

Unfortunately, that sound set a standard that was accepted for many years. But eventually there was a backlash and many players decided that in order to be true to the sound of jazz as played by the masters of the 50’s and 60’s, bassists had to play without an amp, like the players of that era did. With the advent of amps designed to produce uncolored sound (e.g.  AI) and improved pickup/preamp technology, a more natural sound was possible and so bassists could sound like the masters but be at a volume that allowed them to be more a part of the group.

Still  even with an amp like ours which projects 360 degrees, some players  couldn’t hear themselves as well as they thought they should be able to. My view is  the modern bass player has to get used to the idea that, like the masters, their ”natural” sound won’t cut through as well; but that this is very worthwhile tradeoff.

For what its worth, here is my advice to string bassists: Train your ears to hear the natural sound of the bass…play without an amp every chance you get…optimize your rig so that you get the most natural sound possible… train your bandmates (with a gentle hand) to play at a volume that allows the music to ”breathe” (don’t be the one who overuses the amp forcing the band to lose dynamics)…and get used to the fact that sometimes the bass is felt and not heard.

Because feeling the music is everything.

Sincerely,

Rick Jones
President and Chief Designer

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