...The vision
SBS Designs and SBS Slammer NYC targets are retail, pro studios, sound reinforcement, home end users, nightclub installations and rentals. The SBS Slammer Audiophile sound system sales and installations are powered and Processed by SBS Designs.
Craig SBS Shorty Bernabeu, President and Ceo of SBS Designs, SBS Slammer and CMB Productions Inc. says: "I see the pro market actually striving for greater quality components again, and the talk of Class AB Amplifiers by many live guys and installers with more and more starting to want to get away from Class D amplifiers. This is because they want the warmth and sweet sound again with true fidelity paired up with quality processing to be offered to end users. In night clubs I also hear talk of analog again and people wanting analog warmth and fidelity in clubs. They want to get away from the fatiguing sound of digital systems. So I see a major shift happening in both industries I run in, Studio and Sound reinforcement."
Up to now
In 2002 Craig started his first pro high end line offering 2 solid state processors called Cutter and Bender as well as 1 vacuum tube processor called Isolator and also including a full line of amplifiers. He hired Summit Audio to represent the line which was called Thrive Audio. He stayed designing, selling globally and engineering products with Thrive until 2009, and then left Summit / Thrive to create SBS Designs in 2009. At SBS Designs he designed an entirely new line on an even higher level from this former counterpart which brought the ultimate valve and solid state processing to the market with an even higher quality Class AB and variable supply stereo amplifier line. SBS Designs are made in the USA and Offer a 10 year warranty.
Using FaitalPRO components
The first incarnation of the SBS Slammer in NYC at SystemNY won (2011 Best of NYC by Time out NY). It was the first full install with FaitalPRO professional loudspeakers. Craig had been selling FaitalPRO to clients but this was his first large format club with this great line. It really blew him away how well they worked in the SBS Slammer Series I CD horn loaded full-range and the SBS Slammer FLH 218-F dual 18 long horns. The room got best in NYC within three months and its in Queens lol, by Magazine Time Out NY. This kind of impact usually takes years to develop a reply for your sound, but this system got this reply right away, something hard to achieve in such a big city with such a legacy of sound over the years.
The 2nd full install is in a 26,000 sq foot theater renovation from 1904, which is a night club and event space in Times Square called the Liberty Theater. The Liberty has 4 SBS Slammer FLH 218-F sub bass long horns and 4 SBS Liberty Slammer DBL 15 horn loaded 3 way full range loud speakers on the Dance floor. In the second floor 4 Series II CD Slammer Dual 15 Horn loaded full rage with the FaitalPRO WG 141 wave guide which blew Craig away, with 2 SBS Slammer FLH 218-F all FaitalPRO loaded at the Liberty Theater as well.
6 Ground Stack SBS Designs Showroom Rental system
In 2016 SBS Slammer is about to premiere the Award winning 6 Ground Stack SBS Slammer as a fully loaded high end rental system and was where SBS re-aquired the award winning Best system in NYC from SystemNY (www.sbsSLAMMER.com). The system is totally being updated and enlarged from a 6 zone single 15 Series I CD horn loaded hung system to a 6 Ground Stack Hifi audiophile rental system that will be rented nation wide in the USA.
Craig SBS Shorty Bernabeu, continues: "I am excited to premiere a few items in this New showroom for SBS Slammer, I will introduce FaitalPRO 18 FD 371 High Freq devices as super Tweeters, the Mid Highs will have 6 FaitalPRO HF20AT. The Mid-bass I will offer for the 1st time the 4 FaitalPRO 15 PR 400 in my center stacks loaded in SBS Slammer Series I Horn loaded modules and the corner Mid-Bass stacks will have 8 FaitalPRO 15FH500 series.
The corner SBS Slammer FLH 218-F I will use for the 1st time 16 FaitalPRO Ferrite 18FH510, the Center SBS Slammer SBH 218-BL AKA Bertha Levans Sub-Bass horns I will offer 4 FaitalPRO 18 HP1040. For both rooms in NYC System and Liberty Theater I had been using the 18 HP1040 NEO drivers only and I love them They have the sound! This should be very interesting, combining this amazing technology at once Powered and Processed by SBS Designs Solid state and Valve processing with Class AB Amplifiers (www.sbsdesigns.com).
The sole purpose of building a major SBS Slammer rental system is to offer the finest rental system to clients looking for the ultimate sound system powering their event. It's also to have the ultimate moving showroom for both my companies, SBS Designs for the Processing and Power amps, and the SBS Slammer Hifi Pro sound systems to show clients how a HIFI Analog SBS Slammer sounds on a grand level loaded exclusively with FaitalPRO. It's right there in real time on there own floor and they can decide if its the right choice for their application."
For 2016 try before you buy programs
In 2016 SBS Slammer is offering a new program: "try before you buy", where Craig will come in and set up the SBS Slammer so customers hear on their dance floor exactly what the room will sound like using this amazing technology. It will allow the buyer to audition a top shelf product by the SBS Slammer and really see this is the only choice and not to just buy off an ad. In some cases club owners are not really happy with their purchase, because they did not get to listen in their own room with a technology before it was purchased.
The SBS Slammer Rental system will be available to warehouse events, open air and nightclub one offs, cruise ships and also available for long or short term leases.
A final comment on FaitalPRO
Craig says: "I switched to FaitalPRO because of the build quality. They simply do not fail, and have great product choice. They also have that 2nd harmonic distortion I find pleasing which most companies engineer out plus there is a break up mode and eq in the voicing that is right which just sounds natural to the ear. Years ago you used an Altec 821-LF or 515 in your horn because of the efficiency and the rising response because they were a true mid that sounded right. The industry then got away from that and went to high power woofers, but FaitalPRO brought that back and not only figured out to NAIL the voicing BUT also the power handling too. This is something very hard to do and usually the trade offs effect sound quality for power handling, but NOT with FaitalPRO, they nailed it."
