Acoustic Image
Rick Jones with the ultra-light Clarus amp
When I heard that Rick Jones, one of my customers when I still had my "normal" violin shop, was making small and accurate acoustic amplifiers, I was excited to reconnect with him. I knew him as a gigging jazz bass player. And now I discovered he was an electronics wizard too! His amps were small, powerful, clean-sounding, made in NC, and fairly priced. Pointing the woofer down for omnidirectional dispersion allowed a compact cabinet with the midrange and tweeter firing forward. Controls on top of the cabinet unleashed over 250 honest watts of remarkable fidelity (made possible with cutting edge switching amplifier technology). At last even a bass player could make one trip into a gig - amp in one hand, instrument in the other! The sound was awe-inspiring! How could a small amp rattle the windows with deep bass, and then effortlessly reproduce the nuances of violin, cello or archtop guitar with such a silky tone?
The Acoustic Image amplifier shop was so close to my store that I drove over there to pick them up personally! And as his closest dealer, I have been privileged to be among the first to hear his dreams and see the prototypes.
So, let's welcome the latest generation - the Acoustic Image Series III. The Contra and Coda combo amps are even smaller and lighter, and more convenient to carry. The Clarus power amps are almost impossibly light, while retaining all that great audiophile sound quality. I am honored to represent their company, and would love to talk with you about the best choice for your playing!
Acoustic Image Amplification Products Overview
There are two combo amplifiers, both compact and lightweight, with 300 watts of clean accurate power driving a small speaker cabinet. Features include XLR direct out with ground lift, 4-band EQ, effects loop, selectable high pass or notch filter.
The new Contra has one channel (accepts mic or instrument input), and does not have reverb.
The new Coda has two channels (both accept mic or instrument input), and has reverb with adjustable settings.
- 10 inch woofer, 5 inch midrange, 1 inch tweeter
- High and low impedance inputs
- Switchable phantom power
- 4-band EQ in each channel
- Switchable notch/high pass filter
- Each channel has effects loop with return level control(s)
- Balanced XLR direct out with ground lift
- Easily switchable AC power 115 or 230 volts
- Cabinet size 12 inches high, 16 inch diameter (estimate)
- Molded in carry handles, with shoulder strap and dust cover
- Weight 20 pounds
The power amplifiers are called Clarus, and all give you 400 of the cleanest watts you can run your instrument through. You have your choice of one channel without reverb (Clarus 1), or two channels with reverb (Clarus 2R). Inputs accept mic or instrument cable.
- High and low impedance inputs
- Switchable phantom power
- 4-band EQ for each channel
- Switchable notch/high pass filter
- Each channel has effects loop with return level control(s)
- Balanced XLR direct out with ground lift
- Easily switchable AC power 115 or 230 volts
- Cabinet size 9 x 8 x 2 inches (estimate)
- Weighs about 4 pounds
For those who want more presence on stage, and for higher sound pressure levels, you can add the 510EX Extension Cabinet, which is designed to be easily driven by either the Clarus, Coda or Contra.
A travel case is also available, usually in stock. Call us to help you pick the right one for your instrument and application. You can have great sound and easy portability!