July 10, 1998 -- Fender Musical Instruments - home to such
legendary amplifiers as the Bassman®, Twin Reverb® Princeton®
Chorus and Hot Rod Deluxe and DeVille - announces a sonic
breakthrough in amplifier technology so original and
revolutionary that it will change the way you hear and play
live music - forever.
In a traditional guitar or keyboard amplifier, the sound
waves project forward, focusing their energy in one linear
direction. Even when played in stereo, conventional
amplifiers lose their "spread" if the listener is more than a
few feet away from the sound source. Now, Fender's new Stereo
Field eXpansion (SFX)® technology (patent pending) smashes
the sound barrier to immerse performers and listeners in a
true surround, psychoacoustic stereo event. Fender's SFX®
effect comes alive at any volume, from a near-whisper to
wall-shaking levels.
"Besides all the usual issues associated with producing a
new amplifier, there were two unique challenges involved in
creating SFX," says Ritchie Fliegler, Fender vice president
of marketing. "First, our engineers had to develop our own
onboard stereo Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology.
Second, the Stereo Field eXpansion matrix - the heart of SFX
- needed to be researched and designed. The SFX matrix
processes the signal from the player's instrument through one
of the 32 stereo digital effect presets onboard the amp. The
signals are then sent to the speakers to radiate throughout
the performance space with up to 300 degrees of stereo sound
imaging. It simply has to be experienced to be believed. I'm
sure most of the players who will read this are as skeptical
as I was when SFX was first described to me. All I can say
is, 'plug in - you won't believe it."
"We've fine tuned our DSP effects to work with the SFX
through intense technical developments and research combined
with hours of critical listening," says Dale Curtis, Fender
vice president of research and development. "Our exclusive
blend of stereo and digital signals opens up the sound stage
omnidirectionally and provides a world of sound possibilities
for performers and listeners alike."
Fender's SFX is now available in three new Fender
amplifier models - designed with the performer in mind.
Acoustasonic(TM) SFX® - Amp
For the guitarist / vocalist who wants to intensify the
amplified acoustic experience with wide-field sonic
dispersion and versatile stereo digital effects, Fender's
Acoustasonic(TM) SFX® - Amp brings these features together in
a powerful, two channel performance oriented combo that joins
the ranks of the acclaimed Acoustasonic Junior. Channel one,
voiced specifically for acoustic instruments, features
Fender's exclusive String Dynamics control (patent pending)
effectively suppressing unwanted high frequency harshness
present in many Piezo instrument pickups. Channel two, with
its separate tone controls and feedback eliminating notch
filters, faithfully reproduces vocal or line level sources
completing this performance package.
If the combo's 32 onboard stereo digital presets are not
enough, the Acoustasonic(TM) SFX® - Amp also features insert
patch points for the addition of external signal processing
devices or other outboard gear. Dual 80 watt power amps (160W
RMS), SFX Matrix and an innovative 3-way SFX speaker array
complete the system. Like all Fender amplifiers, the
Acoustasonic SFX is backed by Fender's 5-year transferable
warranty.
SFX® Keyboard 200
Designed to free keyboardists from rack mounted mixers,
power amps, studio reference monitors and re-hashed guitar
amps, Fender's SFX® Keyboard 200 lays claim as the definitive
amp for modern keyboard playing. Whether utilizing their
keyboard's onboard effects, Fender's 32 specially programmed
stereo digital presets, or both, performers will welcome the
sonic benefits of Fender's unique Stereo Field eXpansion
technology.
The amp's three channel design features two stereo
channels, each with left and right inputs for multiple stereo
instrument patching, and a separate lo-Z mono channel for
vocal or line level sources. Dual power amplifiers generate
80 Watts per channel (160W RMS) and drive the innovative
3-way SFX® speaker array. Delta Comp(TM) protection, sub
woofer line out, line inserts and separate three band channel
EQs round out the package, all backed by Fender's 5-year
transferable warranty.
SFX® Satellite
With the spatial magic of SFX® players can expand their
zone and keep their tone by adding Fender's SFX® Satellite
amplifier. The SFX® Satellite will turn any amp with an EFX
loop into a complete SFX® stereo system. Get the total range
of specially programmed Fender Digital Signal Processing
including reverb, chorus, delay, flange and more... plus an
additional 80 Watts of power! Features 80 Watts, SFX® matrix
and a 12" Fender Special Design speaker. Backed by Fender's
5-year transferable warranty.
Road Tests: Fender
SFX Keyboard 200
By Bob
Emmett
Keyboard
players these days are power-hungry. Let's face it,
amplifying keyboard instruments is a challenge. They can
produce frequencies to the extremes of the audio spectrum,
vast dynamic ranges and massive polyphony. Although
improvements in electronics continue to greatly benefit
synths and other keyboards, amplification technology simply
hasn't kept pace. Laws of physics tend to keep speaker
magnets heavy and cabinets bulky. Today's performing
keyboardist, seeking the best sound and most practical setup
for his instruments, faces a daunting array of compromising
choices, from small amp/speaker combos to entire full-range
stereo PA systems.
Enter the Fender SFX Keyboard 200. Utilizing a new
stereo-field generation circuit from third-party manufacturer
SFX (Stereo Field eXpansion) Technology, the Keyboard 200
uses a one-piece amplifier/cabinet design in an unusual way
to yield stereo sound (more on this later). The stereo effect
can be enhanced by (or, if using a mono input, created by) an
array of standard DSP effects including reverbs, delays,
chorus and vibrato.
The front panel sports two stereo inputs and one mono input
(the latter has an additional, optional low-impedance mic
jack) with four-band EQ for each channel and individual
effect sends. Insert jacks are provided on the mono channel
and one stereo channel. There is a master section with
controls for overall volume, effect return and SFX amount, as
well as stereo line-level outputs for PA or recording sends.
The amplifier section is true stereo, delivering 80 watts per
channel into the specialized speaker array.
Inside the cabinet are a 12" speaker, a small piezo horn and
a 10" speaker mounted below the 12" and at a right angle to
the front of the cabinet. The top half of the enclosure is
sealed, but the lower portion containing the side-facing 10"
speaker is vented at the rear with black metal screening, and
thus can radiate sound out around the cabinet. The whole
assembly is covered in black synthetic carpet with black
metal grille areas, and weighs 82 pounds. A hotel banquet
room with challenging acoustics provided a good testing
ground for this amplifier. The unit felt heavier than a
typical small keyboard amp but not impossible to carry, and
the four detachable casters (included) made most movement a
breeze. Unfortunately, Fender chose as "handles" plastic
indented inserts on the side which are very difficult to
grab; standard metal speaker hand grips would have been a
better choice. Also, there's no power-cord-stash area so the
AC cable tends to drag on the ground during transport, a
minor inconvenience.
Using the amp is as simple as connecting 1/4" instrument
cables, turning it on and adjusting volume and tone. I was
pleased to note that the cabinet had a pleasant, bright tone
devoid of noticeable resonance, and nominal EQ settings
produced very musical results. The tone controls were
effective and useful. Overall power felt adequate but not
extreme; a louder gig might stretch this amp to its limits,
although no evidence of clipping was noted with channel and
master volume each pushed to around the "8" mark (when will
we see a keyboard amp that goes to "11"?). Bass response was
a little shy as compared to a 15" woofer cabinet, but there
is a line-level subwoofer output for those needing heightened
low-end reproduction. The small piezo horn delivered crisp
highs without harshness, although frequency response seemed
just slightly suppressed in the very top or "air" register.
Turning up the amp's SFX control, however, made it come alive
in a truly remarkable way. Sound seemed to be coming from the
ceiling, behind the stage--the effect was immediate and
dramatic. (It is also dependent on the degree of stereo
separation present in the patches being played and has no
effect on mono content.) Although it didn't present the image
accuracy of true stereo, the SFX circuit allowed patches
containing stereo content to sound much more spacious, wide
and enhanced compared to a typical single-cabinet amplifier.
The built-in DSP effects are another winner for this unit,
and when used with the SFX control can stereo-ize a mono
input or enhance existing stereo signal. The chorusing
sounded natural, clean and huge without too much pitch bend;
the delays and reverbs added space and dimension without the
digital "grunge" associated with cheap DSP processing. Only
the vibrato disappointed somewhat in that the two fixed
speeds are both pretty fast (more like rotating speaker than
tremolo). Also, the DSP selection dial uses a round knob with
individual detents spaced so closely that it's very difficult
to tell where it's set or to redial the setting in a hurry.
Undoubtedly, the Fender SFX Keyboard 200 is a fine
amplification choice--especially for the keyboardist who
works with pads, orchestral or complex sounds that can really
benefit from stereo reproduction. A powered subwoofer would
likely be a necessary add-on for gigs requiring key bass or
other very low-frequency content, but for most all-purpose
live performing, this amp delivers solid sound quality and a
clever stereo separation scheme in a reasonably powerful,
portable package.
