include a Master Volume, a Monitor and an Aux
knob (mp3 or CD player), and a Mute switch.
The Anti-Feedback knob is “Ph.D.” simple
(push here, dummy)—you need no knowledge
of notch filters or parametric EQs to put it to
use. You can reduce low-end rumble or remove
a bothersome frequency by playing around
with the knob until the feedback is gone or the
tone is more pleasing.
Sound Check
I set the SoloAmp up at one end of a good-sized room, about 40’ long by 16’ wide
and plugged in a Taylor 810ce. Test mics
included an Audix OM5, a Shure SM58 and a
Neumann KMS- 105.
Using the Audix for vocals, I brought my mic
stand out about 15’ and faced the SoloAmp.
I set the gain on each channel per the instructions and slowly brought the Master Volume
up. I didn’t need much at all—just a touch past
9 o’clock. I cut some mids from my guitar and
used the Anti-Feedback knob to notch out
some boomy low end, and in seconds I had
nice guitar tone. I did a bit of EQ’ing on the
vocals and I was ready to go.
standing to sitting on a stool, I’m probably
incongruent with image of the typical performing singer/songwriter. I also have extremely
sensitive ears. When I stand directly in front of
the SoloAmp my ear is pretty much in line with
the single 20-Watt, 1” tweeter at the top of the
array, rather than any of the six 200-Watt, 4”
midrange drivers. Crouching just the littlest bit
helped, though—something to keep in mind if
you are also tall and prefer to stand.
The back panel is loaded with output options.
Each channel has an effects send and return.
There are pre-EQ outputs for each individual
channel, allowing you to send clean signals
from each channel to separate channels on
a front of house mixer or a recording device.
There is also a Main Mix DI out, which sends
a post-EQ mix of channels 1, 2 and the Aux
input. The Mute button does not affect this
input, so you can play music on your break. The
Aux knob on the front panel controls the level
of the Aux Input. The Monitor In/Out allows
you to connect two SoloAmps together and
hear as much or as little of the other SoloAmp
as desired with the Monitor knob on the front
panel. There also is a Tuner Out, a jack for a
Mute Foot Switch and a Tweeter Level knob.
The sound of the SoloAmp is a bit more amp-like than I expected. It sounds a lot like the
Loudbox 100, but with much better coverage.
My guitar and vocals sounded very natural and
open and seemed to fill the room nicely, but
with a very direct quality. The sound was clearly
coming from one single source, with the coverage and dispersion being achieved more from
power and volume than speaker configuration.
At volume levels appropriate for small to midsize gigs, the SoloAmp’s overall sound is best
appreciated against a consideration of the
compact package it arrives in. The full range is
there. The servo power amp’s ability to engage
the drivers produces surprising bass response.
It isn’t the same as having a full sub, obviously,
but the low end of the spectrum is definitely
there and carries well.
Once I had everything sounding the
way I wanted, I got into gig position to test the SoloAmp’s ability
to act as both my monitor and my
mains. Experimenting with different
distances and angles, I found the
SoloAmp was louder when standing
four feet in front and four feet to
the right of it than when standing
15’ in front it. Solo performers are
often crammed into small corners
and forced to stand pretty close to
their equipment but being able to
rotate the amp on the stand will
help you adjust for any room configurations that prove challenging.
Bottom Line
The Fishman SoloAmp can be a valuable performing tool—a cool-looking, great-sounding
amp, loaded with features and options. Its ability
to be both your amp and your monitor might
take some spatial adjusting to nail down, and
the amp shouldn’t be expected to carry over
into situations it wasn’t designed for, like large
rooms with extremely high volume. But it is a
ringer for coffeehouses and small clubs. It has
the ins and outs, control panel ease-of-use, back-panel options and portability that will help you
survive the ins and outs of performing solo.
Buy If...
This amp was designed
for your gig.
Skip If...
You need big club volume.
The 58’s frequency response and
cardioid polar pattern seemed to be
a better fit for the amp in that particular room than the Audix, mellowing out the sound a little. Using the
Neumann to test a condenser with
phantom power yielded great sound
that was much easier to work with at
the 4’ by 4’ angle.
Rating...
4.0
I discovered something while trying
different mics—Fishman has marks
on the speaker stand so that the
SoloAmp can be set at an optimal
height. An optimal height takes a
number of variables into account,
including the height of the performer
in front of it. Being a taller than average performer ( 6’ 4”) who prefers
ONTHEWeb
Click the play button to see a
video demo & review of the
SoloAmp.
Fishman SoloAmp
Street $999
fishman.com
