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Audio note cobra review10/13/2023 ![]() This year, thanks to Jim Pfitzinger at Telex and their local NE rep, AudioPros we used a Cobra rig (and a Midas AND a Light Viper snake system, thanks guys!). Most of the gear is Martin Audio with a smattering of compact JBL. Attendance for the talent show runs around 2,500 to 3,000 people In previous years we have used 2 over 2 at house L & R, lipfills, delays (L & R) at 50' or so from the stage front, plus another 3 zones on the running track. Once a year this space is pressed into use as the alternate site in the event of rain on Graduation day, and the night before plays host to the High School senior talent show. You need an hourglass to measure the RT60. We just used the curent Cobra system in the worst room we ever work in, a fieldhose, 140' x 140'with a running track around the perimeter at 10' above floor and 1t 25' a pyramid roof structure begins. I also took a recording from the gig - to Minidisc - which I was very pleased with. The reason I wasnt using my gear was because I was just engineering for another company. ![]() Just my 0.02, YMMV, Simon PS Mixer for the show was a Yamaha 01v96 and the FOH graphic was a Sabine PowerQ. Would I turn down a gig mixing on it again? Not for that kind of show, it worked well. Am I about to sell my Nexo Alpha-e and PS15/LS1200 cabs to buy some? Nope. I dont think it would be so good for rock and roll type gigs, but for critical listening it works well. I went to the gig not liking the rig hoping they would have a system in the theatre, but came away liking it for that purpose. It is a very detailed system and very suited to that kind of program material - all the instruments had their place and instruments such as clarinets were very articulate and very well reproduced. I found the rig to be very unforgiving, something I like as you have ultimate control over the mix. It was a good job we`d packed in the acoustic adjuster things they supply with the rig, otherwise it plain wouldnt have worked at all the cabs would have fired above the audince`s heads. I found that once eq`d to my taste (which took a lot more than I though considering it was DSP controlled, and you would think it would have been set up fairly flat - I own Nexo Alpha-e and like the standard preset, and also like the standard preset of a KF850E rig with the EAW preset through a BSS soundweb) I grew to really like the system during the performance. I had to eq to my taste, which involved hacking out a fair bit of 400/500 ish and adding in some 10k/12k, there were also some 120Hz issues with the room. The third time, was a chance to get behind the driving seat in a theatre for a swing show - live band comprising drums, double bass, grand piano, 3 horns and 3 male vocalists. This was playing some cd`s - again I wasnt impressed - seemed to be too much mid and a lack of 'air'. The second time was in a unit 2 subs and 2 tops - no eq, just processor preset. The first time was in a theatre, where I since realise that the system wasnt really deployed correctly, and the HF was eseentially going above peoples heads. Hi, After hearing the Cobra 2 rig a couple of times, I wasnt impressed. I think you get more for your money with the TX system. I think the Cobra has gotten a little more of the respect it deserves. When I first got the Cobra system most of the chatter on the lab wasn't very positive. All that to say, the Cobra sounds great, and I say that having owned two of them. This system sounded just as good as the single Cobra 2 system for less than HALF the price! Well, now we're dumping all the EV stuff and going back to a TX8 and TX9 rig. The components in the EV speakers were identical to those in the cobra (less the 4 midrange "line array" speakers). That was followed by 2 EV T252+ boxes over 2 MTL-1x cabs. I went back to a 2 TX4 over 2 TX9s system. I ended up selling the second system and then the first. This show sounded just as good as any other system I've heard. The fourth Cobra Top was stacked on top of the subs. We flew three Cobra Tops (couldn't hang the fourth one due to weight concerns) and stacked 2 over 2 Cobra subs per side. I had the opportunity to add a second Corbra 2 system to the rig. Others have posted that it sounds like a hi-fi stereo system. The Cobra received a lot of compliments for its size, incredible SPL, and clarity. My first experience was an outside rock/blues show. I bought a Cobra 2 when they first came out. I started out with a 2 TX8 over 2 TX9s per side system.
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