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I
first heard this system in the B52 warehouse and
thought it sounded great...the low-end really
filled up that cavernous space! I begged and pleaded
and they finally let me take one home to write
this review! First of all, it’s a fairly
compact unit with built-in casters for easy moving...and
with the cover on it looks more like a rack rather
than a speaker system.
Let’s
talk about the physical properties first; The
subwoofer is the largest piece of this set, measuring
28”x19”x23” standing on the
wheels and weighing in at 115 pounds...while this
is a substantial amount of weight, it’s
on wheels and you can roll it and lay-it-over
fairly easily...I haven’t actually had to
lift it yet. The satellites are nice, compact
units, 10” woofers with a horn measuring
19”x12”x11” standing upright
for use. They are meant to be pole mounted. Let’s
start by putting your pre-conceived notions aside
because 150 watts to each top and 400 watts for
the sub is more than enough power to cover many,
many gigs. The strap that holds everything together
for transport needs some refinement...it’s
weak and doesn’t hold as securely as it
should, the tops will shift a little in transport...but
I was assured that this would be addressed soon.
Inputs are via XLR and signal can be sent back
out to other units for multiple sets from the
same feed...the tops are fed through Nuetrik Speakons.
All levels are adjustable on the rear of the subwoofer,
(which lays down flat for use, exposing the controls).
The satellites are trapezoidal sort of shape and
can also been used as stage monitors. The whole
thing fits inside a padded cover. There are no
pockets for the power cable, (*standard EIC type),
or speaker cables, but you can roll them up under
the strap before securing it.
The
first outing for these was a company party on
the Queen Mary in Long Beach, if you’ve
ever played there you know what the load-in is
like...bumps, gangways, freight elevators, ramps,
small passageways...it’s a Ship! We were
in the Capstan Room, which is at the rear of the
vessel and was originally the room where the anchor
chains and ropes were brought through to their
respective storage areas below decks, large capstans
are still installed through-out but now have tabletops
on them. The ceiling is very low and the room
is very obstructed due to it’s industrial
design...I suppose they never imagined it’d
be used for parties! By placing the satellites
strategically so one pointed across the ship to
the other side, I was able to cover the entire
seating area well enough for all announcements
and interactivity to be heard and experienced,
while keeping most of the sound localized for
dancing later. Excellent performance for 200 party
guests and compliments on the sound!
Next
they went to a large ballroom at the Sheraton
Resort for another company party. We set up on
the long wall of a rectangular room with a fairly
large dance floor in front of us, (about 32x21),
with tables going out on either side and the buffet
directly ahead of us...standard high ceilings.
Cocktail music was full-sounding and coverage
at low volume was fantastic...when we pumped it
up for dancing, we had the whole place rocking
and the folks in the corners could still chat!
Great party, great crowd...300 happy people!
After
a couple receptions, a coming-out party (with
350 in attendance) and several other productions,
(you’ll see them in Scott Faver’s
new interactive DVD), I never had cause to wish
I’d brought more...there was plenty of deep,
low bass; the mids and highs were clear and crisp.
I can honestly and unreservedly recommend the
Matrix 1000 as a valuable tool for the mobile
DJ looking for the most bang for the buck in a
versatile and powerful system either as a main
system for most of your gigs or as backup to a
larger operation. B52 has definitely scored a
home-run with this one!
Ken
Heath
ProDJ.com Review Staff
D.J. Ken’s Mobile Music |
