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Fender
I became interested in the Passport 250 after hearing a popular local jazz trio use it. The Passport sounded clear and punchy and plenty loud. As a regular gigger myself, I would love to not have to schlep my band's P.A. gear if I could get by with a package as sleek and compact as the Passport. For transport, the speakers latch onto a powered mixer, resulting in a 53-pound, suitcase-sized package. There's even a compartment to store cords and mics. And with 250 watts pointing toward the audience, the Passport should suffice for a bar/coffeeshop-level band which runs only vocals and maybe some keys through the P.A. The problem? Monitors. With only 250 watts to work with, you want all wattage facing forward. The Passport does feature an Auxiliary Out with Auxiliary Out level controls for each of the four channels. This could serve to feed a pair of powered monitors . . . which Fender doesn't presently make. But Fender officials did reveal that powered mixers are on their way by June or July. They didn't know the price or exact features of the monitors, but they should sport volume control plus minimal EQ to handle feedback. Whether the Passport system is right for you depends on your band, the size of the clubs you play, and the power of your drummer. But with powered monitors, the Passport could work for the working acoustic group, jazz trio, or blues. And at 53 pounds, it's only bad news for chiropractors. www.fender.com, 480-596-9690 |
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Okay, the Fender Passport line of compact, portable P.A. systems is not new. It wasn't even new at Winter NAMM. But I did learn some interesting news at MusikMesse.