It was January 2012 at NAMM when Line 6 first showed its new line of live sound speakers and a whole new approach to mixing. I was immediately intrigued by the StageScape M20d mixer, and we'll hopefully review that soon. This time around though, we're looking at the new StageSource L3t loudspeakers and the L3s subwoofer. Although I've seen them at three different shows, it wasn't until they arrived on my loading dock that I realized these are big, serious speakers.
THE BASICS
The L3t is a 1,400-watt, three-way, tri-amplified speaker system with dual 10-inch low/mid drivers and a 1-inch exit high-frequency driver. Rated for 132 dB max SPL at 100 degrees horizontal by 50 degrees vertical, they have plenty of get up and go. Initial listing tests showed they had no shortage of output, and if that were the end of the story, they would be a solid choice worth considering. But the story goes well beyond the basic specs, as we shall see. The L3s subs also came along for the ride. Packing dual 12-inch drivers powered by a 1,200 W amp, they provided a prodigious amount of clean low end from a very cleverly designed package. The L3t and L3s list for $1,680 each.
Line 6 is clearly targeting this entire system toward musicians who are out mixing their own gigs. While I think it will be successful in that arena, many of the features they've included will be useful for the house of worship market as well. Line 6 has a long history of developing DSP models for its guitar pods, and is clearly flexing those muscles with this system. Each StageSource speaker has an impressive amount of DSP built in, making the speakers far more versatile than many of their competitors.
FLEXIBLE DSPThere are six Smart Speaker modes to chose from: FOH (front-of-house) or Reference PA, floor monitor, personal PA, keyboard backline, acoustic guitar backline, and electric guitar (designed to be used with a pedal board, or other guitar effects). With an accelerometer built in, each speaker can detect its orientation and choose from FOH or monitor modes automatically. With two different tilt angles available, the L3t is a versatile floor monitor (you’ll hear versatile a lot; there is a ton of flexibility here).
In addition, there is a built-in multi-channel mixer (with two mic/instrument combo inputs, an XLR aux input and stereo RCA ins), -20 dB pads and gain control on the mic/line inputs, three-band EQ, acoustic guitar modeling, what's called Smart Reverb and Smart Mod effects, and a 12-band feedback suppressor. When multiple L3ts are connected using the proprietary L6 Link, the mixer channels combine to make even more inputs available on the “network.”
The speakers are very solidly built and weigh in at 57 pounds each. Thankfully, they are well-equipped with easy-carry handles and have built-in fly points. To keep the hefty amp cool, each speaker has a digitally controlled variable speed 50mm cooling fan.
SOLID SUBS
The L3s subs are also hefty boxes. Like the top boxes, they are built from dual-braced plywood and seem ready for years of abuse on the road. Although heavy, weighing in at 82 pounds, they have a very clever handle and wheel system that makes it easy to roll them around like a suitcase. Should you want to use a single sub with two top boxes, simply lay the subs on their sides and use the dual pole mounts. Arrows on the subs indicate the splay of the top boxes for proper coverage. Like the L3t full-range or mid/high boxes, the L3s includes built-in DSP. There are two “live music” modes: Regular and High Punch, and two playback modes: Extended Bass and Ultra Bass. You can also select from multiple crossover frequencies—and use the aforementioned L6 Link to add these to the speaker network.
A NEW NETWORKThe L6 Link is one of the most interesting features of these speakers. While I’m not crazy about yet another proprietary digital network on the market, what they are doing with it is clever. When using their M20d mixer, you can run a single L6 Link cable (or any AES cable) from the mixer to a speaker, then daisy chain all the other speakers—mains, subs and wedges—together. The system auto-discovers them and you are able to quickly configure the entire PA.
Since we didn't have a M20d on hand, we simply ran two analog lines to the subs and connected the mains to the subs with L6 Link. Once the subs saw the mains and visa versa, they auto-configured themselves and we started playing some music. When it came time to test the mixer, we made one speaker the “master,” daisy-chained from there, and the mics and guitar just showed up on the system. Very cool.
HOW DO THEY SOUND?One of the first things we noticed while in FOH Reference PA mode was the detail of the main boxes. We set them up in a room with another self-powered speaker system installed so we could compare; the difference was significant. Initially, the L3t’s sounded a bit harsh and bright, but later testing indicated that they are just really, really flat.
Swept-sine wave measurements showed they are only about +4/-2 dB from about 1 kHz to nearly 20 kHz. Below 1 kHz it's still pretty flat and there is plenty of output down to 40 Hz. Once we re-set our source EQ, the system became very listenable and plenty loud. The low end was particularly good—very tight and punchy but never overpowering the mains.
As you change the speakers' modes, the output response changes. Tipping them on their side—activating monitor mode—rolls off some of the low end to compensate for natural coupling that occurs between a speaker and the floor. Various monitor modes highlight different frequencies applicable to keyboard and acoustic guitar players. In monitor mode, the 100-degree wide by 50-degree high coverage pattern provides lots of room to move around yet remain within the pattern.
We also tried out the built-in mixer to see how a simple mic/guitar setup would fare. The gain and EQ settings worked as expected, producing very acceptable sound. The guitar modeling definitely added warmth to a guitar that we had lying around (one that's not know for warmth); whether that's good or bad will depend on the guitar and player's style, but it's good to have the option. The reverb and modulation effects were OK; not quite up to some of my favorite dedicated effects processors, but they would be usable.
When we tried the feedback suppressor, we were initially unimpressed. But then we opened the manual (gasp!) and learned there are three levels of feedback suppression (as indicated by a tricolor LED). The mild mode would probably work fine in a normal stage setting, and when we went to the medium and aggressive modes, we found it almost impossible to induce feedback, even when pointing the mic at a hot monitor. The feedback suppressor didn't destroy the sound, either—the speaker still sounded good in monitor mode.
We also tried the various speaker and sub modes. Each introduced a different sound character that I wouldn't classify as good or bad, just different. Many users will leave the speakers in the standard mode and be quite happy. But, for a different sound, there are some options. The extended bass mode really added thump to Michael Jackson's Billy Jean as well as Hans Zimmer's Dark Knight soundtrack. You could do this easily with a system processor; then again, these might obviate the need for one in certain settings.
When I spoke to Line 6 at InfoComm, I questioned the need for the full mixer panel in many FOH PA settings. They informed me that another version, the L3m is available without the mixer (but still includes the other cool DSP functions) for $1,400 list.
Overall, I came away impressed with the StageSource speakers, especially the subs. I can't really fault the mains for being too flat, I would just tone them down in the mix to suit my preferences. The subs sounded great right out of the box and I wouldn't touch them. The powered, portable speaker market is becoming a crowded one, and I wondered how these would do when compared to other options. The answer is, ‘pretty darn well.' I've heard most of the other options available and can say these are definitely worth a listen.
