Diki and Fran,
I did not buy the Bose Tone Match unit with my 2 Compact L1s. I wondered just how much of a difference an inline mixer would make if any with the amps. I will play with it this weekend and see. Today i bought a Mackie 402 mixer. It has only High and Low EQ though - was hoping for a mid in there but the price more than doubles for that.

I guess in a nutshell I am looking for a quick and easy way to EQ the output on the fly - not something easily done on the Tyros 3 live.

Hammer

This is the one I got.
http://www.mackie.com/products/402vlz3/

hammer

What about the Master EQ on the T3? Surely that's EXACTLY what you need?

Diki,
The Master EQ on the Tyros 3 is outstanding and does a great job at getting the sound you want. Once set, I have never had to mess with it. The only problem is that it is not real easy to make adjustments on the fly if needed at a gig.

With my Bose Classic L1 I have a module that controls Highs, Mids, and Lows. It is part of the L1 Classic package and is really handy on gigs. I guess that is what I am after - the ease of making quick changes if needed. Every so often at a gig I will need to ajust the EQ values and I have gotten accustom to having the little box sitting next to me.
Hammer

I have a feeling that, if you are 'setting and forgetting' the T3 EQ, but then doing a fair bit of on the fly tweaking, your styles or SMF's
may simply need a bit of corrective EQ or Part balances. Once done, your whole act should be 'set and forget'.

Can you control the Master EQ with the new sliders? If not, this would be a great idea to suggest to Yamaha...

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 05-20-2009).]

Diki,
One of the gripes Tyros 3 owners have is the problem with unbalanced voicing in many of the preset styles. The sounds are downright awesome - but the mix in some cases really sucks. Most of us tweak the styles as we come across them but sometimes one slips in on us. I understand Yamaha has had this problem with previous TOTL keyboards and it seems strange it still exists.

To be honest, I don't know all I should about my keyboard yet and that is my fault. Time is an issue with playing almost daily. But, you are right about getting everything set and ready to go.

Hammer

Been there, done that, hammer!

My take is basically ALL arrangers have things that are a bit odd at times. My G70 was a particular culprit
in this regard. OOTB, it puts you off a bit, but once you get under the hood and tweak, it stands up
against most newer arrangers.

One thing that Roland's Makeup Tools is exceptional for is tweaking 'on the fly'. Basically, I can play a gig,
hear a tubby bass part, or too quiet snare, get to the parameters for the problem in a minimum of button
pushes WHILE THE SONG PLAYS, fix the problem then hit 'save' at the end, and that is IT. Problem
permanently solved, otn to the next one. After a month or two of doing this incrementally while you
play, you end up with consistent EQ's, volumes, sounds, effects, you name it. And all without
interrupting the act!

Learning to get around this fast on ANY arranger saves a boatload of messing with stuff, essentially FOREVER
if you have to do it with external gear. Only something that stores your tweaks will fix the problems

Hammer, I have no comment about using a mixer with a Bose unit I do not own one.
I find that a mixer makes things sound better, gives you the control at your fingertips --
My mic always goes into my mixer so that I have the control of my voice separate from the keyboard.
I can put my Laptop through it – this allows for compensating out puts and balance of sound.
My I-pod or whatever can balanced easily with a mixer.

I feel an EQ is a must, bass and treble controls run short of the mark.

Having given an A/B test with a cheaper or smaller mixer, namely a $125 Yamaha, I found there was a noticeable difference. With today’s discounts being offered I just saw a Mackie DFX6 mixer for $199, mine cost me $295 a year ago. The extra money is worth it.

John C.