Road Test: QSC CP Series Loudspeakers

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The Dance EXT Sub setting rolls off the low end to mate with a sub while retaining the remainder of the Dance EQ parameters. The Floor Monitor setting tailors the output for monitoring duties, compensating the response for the LF coupling that occurs when placing a monitor against the stage floor.

Finally, the Speech setting emphasizes the upper midrange where vocal frequencies reside in addition to rolling off a little of the lows to avoid making voices too boomy. I found this setting to work well with my voice, but the Default setting also handled my vocal just fine as well, so I’d probably defer to it the majority of the time to support full-range playback.

Also note that when the Speech contour is selected, it only applies to input B. Inputs A/C remain in the Default contour so that playback music is unaffected by the Speech contour.

QSC was also gracious enough to provide a pair of CP12s as part of the evaluation. I found them to meet the same high sonic performance standard as their smaller brethren, with a bit more low-end presence due to the 12-inch woofer, as expected.

Small Yet Powerful

Satisfied that everything was working correctly and nothing was damaged in shipping, we took the pair of CP8s out to a few gigs. The first stop was a corporate event in a meeting room measuring approximately 70 by 30 feet.

The loudspeakers were placed on tripod stands to the left and right of the stage, with the coverage pattern of 90 degrees (again, axisymmetric) proving just right for the space. Set on Default, there was more than enough low end for the music tracks while both male and female presenter voices were very intelligible.

Next up were a few concerts with Lizzie Sider, a singer-songwriter performing at local schools. At one show, the mix position was located backstage behind a heavy velour stage curtain and I couldn’t hear the PA very well at all.

We set up a larger CP12 as a cue loudspeaker adjacent to the console and balanced the cue volume with the low end that was coming off the back of the subs, and it provided clear and detailed output, helping me to better mix the show.

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Accessories include a pole and a yoke.

On another date, we set up a pair of CP12s as stage monitors, using the Floor Monitor setting. I stood next to Lizzie during sound check to make sure that she could clearly hear her guitar, vocal and tracks, as well as an accompanying keyboard. Once I dialed in the levels (I actually had to turn the boxes down as compared to the previous wedges that we’d used for her), she was very happy with the result.

These boxes are an excellent option for monitors for an act that plays small stages – they’re very compact, particularly the CP8s – but they still get plenty loud. They also don’t take up much space in a truck/van/bus.

Further Dates

Following this, we deployed the CP8s for a corporate presentation in a casino ballroom. Again placing them left-right on tripod stands, they easily covered the seated audience of more than 100. The voices of the female hosts were full and present, and for one part of their program, they rolled some video and asked me to turn up the audio – the little CP8s thumped a Michael Jackson tune like we were at a club. I’m sure we were hitting the limiter but it sure wasn’t audible.

The final date was a “Get Out The Vote” rally, a larger application where a CP8 once again served as a cue loudspeaker at our side-of-stage mix position. It performed just as well this time out, with my A2 noting that he was impressed by the output and clarity of such a compact loudspeaker.

The CP Series is a winner in my view, based upon this variety of field uses. The loudspeakers handled everything we threw at them with ease. I also really like the fact that they can be yoke-mounted for installs or used with a yoke on portable gigs, flown from a truss or atop a tall stand.

For corporate and rental companies, they’re more than capable of filling a lot of roles, including mains and fills, and as noted, they’re also excellent as stage and cue wedges. I also see them as a winning choice for performing artists and DJs.

U.S. MAP: CP8 – $399; CP12 – $499. Go here for more information on the QSC CP8 and here for more on the CP12.