Saxguy's Full Review: Fender 1270p Powered Monitor
A big thank you to the category lead, Sparkospunky, for adding this product to the database.
When my performing business started to take off, I was faced with a dilemma: what to do about a sound system. I was usually able to use provided sound systems for festivals or no sound system for smaller crowds. However, the big name bands I’d like to compete with have their own sound systems. With park districts and festival organizers having less people and hiring fewer and less costly bands, I felt like I needed my own sound system in order to compete.
That created another dilemma. A full-blown sound system, able to handle a crowd of 300-500, with speakers, mikes and stands, mixer, cords, etc. was going to cost well over $2,000. The amount of performing I was doing wouldn't justify or fund that. So, I prioritized my needs and decided to buy a little at a time, in stages, allocating a portion from each gig to devote to the cost of the sound system.
My plan was to start with a mixer, mikes and the monitors and then leave the big speakers until the end. Monitor speakers are speakers used to reflect the main sound back to the musicians so that they can hear what is going on while playing.
The first question was whether to go with an unpowered mixer and powered speakers or buy a powered mixer and passive (non-amplified) speakers. While powered speakers are heavier and more expensive, I chose an unpowered mixer because I got better sound features for the money. Next, I got some mikes, including a wireless model and the monitors.
I looked around for powered monitor speakers at modest prices, hoping to find one that would be versatile enough to use as a speaker/amp on it’s own for smaller audiences. This unit caught my eye. Powerful (100 watts in a small package) yet fairly light at 20 pounds, this seemed a good choice. I checked online reviews and pricing and got a couple of them on Ebay new for around $225. The list price is now $379.99 with the best online store prices then and now around $250.
I’ve used the speakers a number of times, generally as stand-along speakers for audiences of 100 or more. I’ve used them as amplifications for myself with a band, generally using one speaker for this. I use the pair for myself without a band, through my mixer, but with pre-recorded backgrounds. The sound quality is reasonable given what I spent and they are remarkably powerful.
As a player with a band, I can attach my mike cord to the speaker through the microphone input and get as much amplification as I need. The volume control is responsive and easy to use.
When I play with backgrounds, I use the CD player as an imput to the mixer and run cords to the speakers. I tried using a CD player and mike with a single speaker and the line in function, but I couldn’t get the speaker to work well with 2 inputs. Either I was getting a hum indicating a grounding problem line or the CD was coming in mono instead of stereo, shorting me a channel.
Sound quality is great. I’ve noticed that I can get the crowd's attention and I get good comments. On the breaks, I run my CD through the speakers and set up my display. The sound fidelity is quite good for what I paid for these and they’re pretty powerful for the money.
How powerful are they?
Well, powerful enough to get the president of a local chamber of commerce into a heated discussion with a local police officer, when one weasel called the police on me for volume. The weasel’s CD store was next to a park that I was contracted to play in and the chamber of commerce had a parade permit. You’d think that music would attract people to his store right? Well, he’s out of business and I’m still playing. Maybe I had the volume cranked up a little bit. Still, I don’t think it was all that loud for a festival. These are quite powerful for the size.
The one time I was contracted to provide sound for a large audience, I used these as stage monitors – one for me and one for my son the sound guy, and they worked fine. The bass player and the guitarist used their own amps as monitors and the drummer shared mine.
So, I consider these as an excellent buy. They are versatile, cost effective and provide solid sound for the price.
One nice feature is that the speakers can be set up at three different angles, depending on the need. When they are stage monitors, I use the 45 degree position. When I am playing solo, I set them up on the table in nearly a vertical position. They are also small enough so I can get both of them plus mixer and cords into a large suitcase for transport to gigs.
As for the sound system, I discovered that I can rent a powered mixer and speakers sufficient for 400-500 people from a local guitar store for well under $100. I’m set for mikes (see below) and monitors with these, so there’s really no need to lay out more than $1200 for a solid set of large powered speakers. While buying the unpowered mixer limited me somewhat, on balance it wasn’t a bad decision. Most of my mike money was spent on my own wireless mikes anyway, so that was appropriate. These monitors have done a super job and I’m very glad I got them.
Here are the specs on the units, provided by the Fender web site.
• XLR Microphone Input with Full Time 15vDC Phantom Power.
* Balanced Line Input 1/4" TRS.
* Level Control.
* Tone Control.
* 1 Powerful 10" Woofer.
* 1 Piezo High Frequency Driver.
* 200 Watts Program Power Handling.
* Durable Molded ABS Plastic Construction.
* Wedge Cabinet Shape.
* Built in Carrying Handle.
* Black Metal Grille.
* Parallel Input Jacks.
* Molded Rubber Feet.
* Features Three Position Angles (30, 45 and 80 Degrees) for Increased Flexibility.
The Fender 1270P Powered Monitor is perfect for anyone who needs big sound on a small stage. Despite its compact design, this biamped monitor produces...More at Musician's Friend
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