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1850 Views 9 Replies Latest reply: Aug 25, 2012 5:54 PM by flatpickerd28 RSS
BigBob369 Just Startin'
BigBob369
58 posts since
Nov 9, 2007
Currently Being Moderated

Apr 27, 2012 6:49 PM

Has anyone tried the Alto Professional  line of active speakers with their POD?

I'm looking for home amplification for my Bean HD besides headphones and I'll consider spending up to $300 for the right solution.

 

I was looking at a newish maker called Alto Professional but there arent many reviews out there yet. Specifically I was considering their TS112A powered speaker/monitor.  It has a 12" woofer which I thought would be a good idea for replicating a guitar amp.  This is what I'm talking about:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Alto-Professional-TS112A-Continuous-Neodymium/dp/B005FUWTJU/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

 

Ideas/opinions welcome.

  • samuelito2011 Just Startin'
    samuelito2011
    105 posts since
    Nov 14, 2011
    Currently Being Moderated
    Apr 27, 2012 8:34 PM (in response to BigBob369)
    Re: Has anyone tried the Alto Professional  line of active speakers with their POD?

    I have a roland Kc300 and it sound fantastic!!!

  • bshaw92 Just Startin'
    bshaw92
    23 posts since
    Jan 1, 2011
    Currently Being Moderated
    May 2, 2012 1:24 PM (in response to BigBob369)
    Re: Has anyone tried the Alto Professional  line of active speakers with their POD?

    Yes. I have the TS112A and it works great. I run it with my HD500 and A/B/Y with my amps to compare patches/settings. I chose it over the TS115A do to response and a more standard size speaker so it was not overly bass driven. Tried a few out at Guitar Center and went with the Alto for sound quality and price.

    • BigBob369 Just Startin'
      BigBob369
      58 posts since
      Nov 9, 2007
      Currently Being Moderated
      May 2, 2012 10:05 PM (in response to bshaw92)
      Re: Has anyone tried the Alto Professional  line of active speakers with their POD?

      That's encouraging,  Thanks.

       

      So you think it sounds pretty natural/flat then?

       

      Did you happen to try out any of the Rolands when you were down at GC, like Jasonbogen mentioned?

       

      I'm pretty close to buying at this point. I'm thinking of ordering the Alto and one other (Behringer, Mackie, Yamaha or Roland) and keeping the winner of the two. I was leaning towards the Yamaha HS 50 as the second choice based on reviews, even though it's much smaller.

      • bshaw92 Just Startin'
        bshaw92
        23 posts since
        Jan 1, 2011
        Currently Being Moderated
        May 3, 2012 7:57 AM (in response to BigBob369)
        Re: Has anyone tried the Alto Professional  line of active speakers with their POD?

        I tried the Mackie, and the QSC. I have the speaker settings flat with no eq. (tone adjust on the back). I find it allows me to adjust as close as possible to going through the PA (I play through the HD at Church this way) and it sounds very clean and defined. It allows the best representation of the models versus an amp cabinet. I have also played through my JetCity JCA50h power amp portion to compare as well as straight through the HD/Alto ABYing in the Jet City and 2 x 12 (V30 & 12H30). Both sound very good, but you get what you output when using an FRFR. I will say that the HD is not exact (a little sizzle on the end is lacking) but if you are looking for useability and good tone that you can reproduce almost anywhere then HD/Alto. The reason most people go through a tube power amp is to get the remainig "sizzle", but you would be hard pressed to find a majority of people that can tell the difference. Even many people with tube amps would not know much of a difference unless they had both in front of them to switch back and forth for comparison. I find myself playing my HD more now then my amps (Orange and JetCity). I got very close to a near perfect match with my X3 Live/FRFR and the AD30 model when compared to my AD30HTC head/2x12 Cab. If money were not an issue I'd buy the Alto again. The 12" is the way to go as the 15" produces a little to much bass overtones. Hope it helps and is not too much verbiage. Keep in mind if you buy the Alto at GC you have 30 days to take it back if you are not in love. I'd take your HD in and plug it in to the speakers in their room so you can turn them up a little louder as the room will handle the louder volumes and you can compare the speakers you are interested in.

        • BigBob369 Just Startin'
          BigBob369
          58 posts since
          Nov 9, 2007
          Currently Being Moderated
          May 6, 2012 9:58 PM (in response to bshaw92)
          Re: Has anyone tried the Alto Professional  line of active speakers with their POD?

          bshaw92 wrote:

           

          I tried the Mackie, and the QSC. I have the speaker settings flat with no eq. (tone adjust on the back). I find it allows me to adjust as close as possible to going through the PA (I play through the HD at Church this way) and it sounds very clean and defined. It allows the best representation of the models versus an amp cabinet. I have also played through my JetCity JCA50h power amp portion to compare as well as straight through the HD/Alto ABYing in the Jet City and 2 x 12 (V30 & 12H30). Both sound very good, but you get what you output when using an FRFR. I will say that the HD is not exact (a little sizzle on the end is lacking) but if you are looking for useability and good tone that you can reproduce almost anywhere then HD/Alto. The reason most people go through a tube power amp is to get the remainig "sizzle", but you would be hard pressed to find a majority of people that can tell the difference. Even many people with tube amps would not know much of a difference unless they had both in front of them to switch back and forth for comparison. I find myself playing my HD more now then my amps (Orange and JetCity). I got very close to a near perfect match with my X3 Live/FRFR and the AD30 model when compared to my AD30HTC head/2x12 Cab. If money were not an issue I'd buy the Alto again. The 12" is the way to go as the 15" produces a little to much bass overtones. Hope it helps and is not too much verbiage. Keep in mind if you buy the Alto at GC you have 30 days to take it back if you are not in love. I'd take your HD in and plug it in to the speakers in their room so you can turn them up a little louder as the room will handle the louder volumes and you can compare the speakers you are interested in.

           

           

           

           

           

          I tried going through tube amps in the effect return but the combo out mode on the HD sounds thin and nasally, and the direct out to a tube amp is way too boomy.  I couldn't make either work which is why I went looking for something else which so far has turned out to be the Alto 112A.  Unless I find something better in the next 30 days. 

          The Alto while not perfect is really pretty damn good.  For clean tones it's excellent, but for heavy OD it's a bit rougher.

           

           

           

           

           

           

           

          .

  • jasonbogen Just Startin'
    jasonbogen
    357 posts since
    Sep 24, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    May 2, 2012 1:31 PM (in response to BigBob369)
    Re: Has anyone tried the Alto Professional  line of active speakers with their POD?

    Having used several PA speaker and keyboard amp solutions, I would recommend trying out the Roland KC series keyboard amps before deciding.  I have a KC-550 which is overkill for what you are talking about, but I would imagine the KC-300 or used 350 would be perfect. 

  • BigBob369 Just Startin'
    BigBob369
    58 posts since
    Nov 9, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    May 3, 2012 8:39 PM (in response to BigBob369)
    Re: Has anyone tried the Alto Professional  line of active speakers with their POD?

    I want this to be quick and easy so hunting down used gear (KC300/350) may not work.  Though I may go audition a new 350 anyway.

     

    Thanks for all your help guys.

     

     

     

    Question for the whole board: How does all this compare to using a studio monitor speaker, like a Yamaha HS80?

    For some reason I can see sonic trouble with a small rubber surround woofer outputting an overdriven guitar amp tone, but then again the guitar amp cab is in the HD so I don't know.  I'm just so  new at this modeling stuff.

     

    The HS80 is supposed to be very flat and has a similar frequency response to the Alto (I can't find any freq. stats on the Roland)

    • samuelito2011 Just Startin'
      samuelito2011
      105 posts since
      Nov 14, 2011
      Currently Being Moderated
      May 6, 2012 7:14 PM (in response to BigBob369)
      Re: Has anyone tried the Alto Professional  line of active speakers with their POD?

      If you are from US BigBob get on guitarcenter.com and look for used gear!

       

      thats how i got it this roland kc300 and for the frequency it respond really flat and honestly in my opinion it almost sound like my headphone so i dont take it home and i always live at church... Another good thind is you can hook a stand, at the bottom of the amp is has a hole which is a standard hole for regular stands too..

       

      I got mine for $150 plus shipping and insurance almost like $200 but honestly everyone at church is happy about it and specially mi ears.... It is a big bless at my playing! I love it

  • flatpickerd28 Just Startin'
    flatpickerd28
    2 posts since
    Oct 7, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Aug 25, 2012 5:54 PM (in response to BigBob369)
    Re: Has anyone tried the Alto Professional  line of active speakers with their POD?

    I use the Alto TS112a, and it works well.  Very flat frequency response (as long as you don't engage the contour button, which hypes the bass and treble), and plenty of volume.  I don't play high gain stuff, Guns n Roses covers are about as heavy as it gets with me, but for the clean and medium gain stuff I play, it works great. I also use it as a bass amp (using the flip top model on the HD500) and a vdrum amp, and it works great for those applications.

     

    Not to sound like a fanboy, but I spent a significant amount of time comparing it with the Mackie SRM450 and the QSC K12, and found it to be slightly better-sounding than both, though not as loud as the K12.  Very good, tight bass response.  I actually preferred the Alto 12 to the Alto 15 due to the tighter bass response. The Alto 15 pushes more air and has a louder bass, but it sounds boomier.

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