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BARBETTA SONA 41C AND 31C PROS: Flexible input options. Lightweight and portable. CONS: No balanced line out. No individual channel EQ. BOTTOM LINE: Great sound, and lots of it. Poor keyboard players. It's bad enough that we have to lug around
88-note weighted controllers and racks of modules. But having to suffer under the strain of bulky cabinets or combo amps is, for lack of a better metaphor, a pain in the back. And we do it all for the sake of getting
out elegant, sophisticated sound projected over the screaming distortion of the very guitarists who help us carry the things into the venue in the first place. The indignity. Barbetta has provided
a way to ease the transportation strain while maintaining high-quality sound. With the Sona 41 and 31, though, they've outdone themselves. Either amp provides enough oomph to fill a medium-sized (200 patron) room, yet
can be easily carried with one hand. The input section has some new features that make these units fit the bill for a range of tasks, from solo acts to multi-keyboard rigs. And did I mention that they're really small?
Okay, How Small?
Really small. I've got a tiny car by any standard, and into it I stuff an 88-note and a 61-note keyboard (each in a case), a rack, mic stands, bags of cords, and my partner. Oh yeah, and an amp. It's not always clear that I'm going to make it all fit.
When I saw these new Barbettas, especially the Sona 31, I heaved a sigh of relief. They're small enough to tuck in front of the front seat, and the edges of the cabinets project to protect both
knobs and speakers. Smooth and square, you can slide or stack them any way you need to, and they'll come out unscathed. And they weigh so little that they caused no undue strain on my delicate lower back as I shifted
them about in the trunk. They're small, but substantial. Onstage, I was able to balance my rack and Motion Sound Pro-3 rotating speaker on top of each, and noted no instability. The corner protectors are as thick
as the top-mounted handle, and therefore provide a pretty solid base for a reasonable stack. I'm no weight lifter, but I had no trouble carrying these things in one hand while I hefted some treasured item in the
other. No banged knees or calves, either. How About the sound? These amps put out enough sound to fill medium-sized clubs and compete successfully with an aggressive ensemble of two guitars, harmonica, congas, bass, drums, and vocals. I
never felt a lack of headroom in any of the venues I played during the course of this review. Even on a very large outdoor stage, the 41 cranked out more juice than the trusty old Fender Twin of one of my sixstringed
colleagues. I put my three sound sources into the amps two ways: each plugged into an individual channel, and all three submixed and put through a single channel. Either way, the piano, electric piano, synth, organ, and horn
sounds were all clear and distinct, even when I had several going simultaneously. I also plugged a mic into the XLR input and sang while I accompanied myself; the audience may or may not have considered themselves lucky
to hear it, but that's no fault of the amp. Both units put out plenty of clean vocal and piano sound silmultaneously, although I wish I could've added reverb to the vocal without washing out the piano. It'd be nice if
there were separate effects levels for each channel. The line/pickup-level input adjusted nicely between electric guitar and keyboard instruments; the guitar sounded really clean. It may be a drag for some that the
threeband EQ is global and not separate for each channel. I consider it no inconvenience at all, though, as my synths happen to be fairly modern and pre-processed, if you know what I mean. In any event, even with the EQ
flat, these amps sound mighty fat (phat, too, for that matter). Even the diminutive 31 pumps out outrageous amounts of bass at flat EQ setting. If you feel like boosting or cutting, though, there is plenty of room to
dial in nearly any imaginable practical balace. According to Tony Barbetta, there is approximately 16dB of cut/boost per band, though he emphasizes that he designed it to please the ears of keyboardists rather than to meet a
specification. The effects loop has two modes. With standard 1/4"cords, the entire direct signal is sent to the effects unit, the controls of which you have manipulate to adjust your wet/dry balance. A TRS
(stereo) cord (with the ring unwired) inserted into the return jack will split the signal and allow the direct signal to pass through unprocessed so you can adjust the balance with the amp's channel controls. If you want to
use this feature, you'll have to wire up your own cord, as unwired ring TRS cords aren't commercially available. The signal from the direct out is as clean as can be, and is not affected by the master
volume, only the individual channel volumes. I wish there was a balanced XLR cord just to send a signal to a monitor system. A keyboardist whom I respect and admire tried the Sona 41
out and felt that his sound was breaking up. I found that to be the case only when my input levels were too hot relative to the master volume; with the proper ratio, I did not experience this. The Sonas are designed so
that unity gain is achieved when the keyboard volume levels are set to 50%, and the channnel input levels are set to 50% as well. This gives you headroom, and insures a clean signal. I played test
tones from the Mix Reference Disc (Mix Bookshelf, 6400 Hollis St., Ste. 12, Emeryville, CA 94608. 800-233-9604) through the amps and found the frequency response on both to be solid from 40kHz up to 16kHz. I
detected no audible dips anywhere in the range. The 41 seems to have more power than the 31 from 650Hz up to 2kHz, but at either extreme their levels are comparable. Conclusions. There's nothing on the market at the moment that rivals either of these amps in
performance and size, except for Barbetta's own Sona 22c and 32c, which are identical in size to the 31 and 41, respectively. The 22 and 32 have single woofers, (12" and 15"), and a little less power than the 31 and 41. Gallien-Krueger has recently discontinued their 200MK, which, though smaller, had comparable output ratings to the 31. JBL is about to add a lightweight combo to their Eon line, but the
prototypes I've played with were a bit larger than the 41, though not much heavier, and not as powerful. At $1,099, the 41 may not appear to be a bargain, and at $849, the 31 is no beginner's amp.
But these are pro units that pack a remarkable punch and are built like tanks. Consider how much you'll save on chiropractor sessions. From rock bands to subtle finesse gigs, singer/songwriter acts
to synth/guitar/vocal coffeehouse gigs, you can't beat these amps for power, sound quality, and portability. Highly recommended. -------------------------------------------------- Barbetta's Sona
amps pump out great sound with dual speakers and a tweeter. Though small and lightweight, these combos have enough oomph to fill a mid-size venue. The control panel is on the back, which is inconvenient in some cases,
especially cramped, dark clubs. But I'd rather avoid the hassle of a larger amp that puts the controls on the front .
As seen in the July 1999 issue
Barbetta Model 41 Keyboard Combo Amp By Bill Cunliffe Although I normally play
acoustic piano and B3 organ, I occasionally have need for a high quality sampled piano (for me, it's the Kurweil PC88) or organ (Roland VK-7). My amp of choice for the last two years has been a 200-watt Polytone Plus Two, combined
with an old 60-watt Roland Cube when I need a little more oomph. Having had occasional back trouble, I sold my mega PA years ago, and have had to live with the compromise of lighter weight and only satisfactory sound. I
just have never found the bass response and warmth that I would like in a truly portable system. The Barbetta Model 41 is a biamplified active speaker system that, according to manufacturer Tony Barbetta, was
"designed for accurate sound, high sound levels, and ease of portability." The carpeted wood cabinet is 20" high, 17" and 14", which gets it into my Miata with about an inch to spare. It weighs in at a trim 44 pounds, which
is lighter than most amps with its capabilities, although the construction seems quite solid. It has two 10" woofers that are powered by a 175-watt RMS amp. The tweeter is a 5" driver with its own 75-watt amp.
The design is a little idiosyncratic, which has a drawback and a real asset. The controls for the amp are all located on the back, so adjusting during performance is a bit of a hassle. But the cabinet is smaller because the
front is totally occupied with the mounting of the speakers, and so the amp is a few inches smaller than most of its ilk, and I really appreciate that. There are five (count 'em) inputs on the back: three for keyboards, one
for "line or pickup" and an XLR for a low-Z mic – a very nice touch. And there are gain controls for each input and a three-band EQ. There also are in and out effect loop jacks, and a line out. I played
the amp on two separate occasions. The first was an outdoor gig where I played the VK7. I was totally thrilled. This amp is really a hybrid keyboard and bass amp, which means it's just ideal for keyboard players
cranking bass. The added bass response also makes your generic patches very warm, and frees them from that digital screeching. On the organ, I actually had to run the bass at about 10 o'clock. It was pretty
overwhelming, but not a problem – I'd rather have plenty of bass than not enough. At high volume, the overload circuitry kicked in and turned off the amp, but at a later gig I was able to blow as loud as I wanted without it
turning off. (I think the problem on the first gig was the cheesy outdoor AC.) I was unable to distort the amp at any humanly listenable volume, even when accompanying a bashing drummer with a double-digit quantity of
tom-toms. Later, I plugged my PC88 into it, and it sounded really great, especially cranked. I have never gotten such smooth and warm bass response from an amp this small and light. Just about any tinny acoustic piano
sample can be transformed by this amp into something warm and usable. My Rhodes patches sounded pretty great as well. Barbetta also has a model 31, which is much smaller and only 34 pounds, which you should
check out if you need something really small and light. But the 41 is a killer. I want one |
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Sona,
Matrix, Diva, and Channel One are Trademarks of Barbetta Manufacturing
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