We recently announced Reggae Roast's new partnership with VAS Audio as the official UK distributor of their revolutionary Soundsystems... Only available in the UK through www.reggaeroast.co.uk

We linked up with Kibir La Amlak, one of the first people to own a FAYA rig, to break down some of the incredible features of this awesome Soundsystem.

Powerful yet compact, these rigs are a revolution in Soundsystem design... Hand-built in Cologne, Germany, using the highest-quality components & ethically sourced materials, these soundsystems are specifically created to be portable, durable and pack a big punch in the low frequencies. Designed by soundmen for bass music enthusiasts.

He spent the Summer experimenting with the FAYA rig and giving it a full road test both in small intimate settings and hosting a four day takeover on the rig at one of Europes top dub festivals. In this article KLA gives us his honest feedback on the sound...

For those that don't know, Kibir La Amlak is a producer, soundsystem, live dub show & record label founded in London in 2008. Worldwide festival performances and club events, coupled with an ever-expanding list of titles in his discography, have positioned KLA as a household name in the world of roots reggae and dub...

"I’ve been using the Faya Rig for a while now and I have to say, it’s amazing! Nothing can pack as much of a punch in such a small footprint. 

The transient detail, the definition, the lack of phase problems, the overall punchiness, the dispersion, and the fact that I can offer people what I consider a very high-quality sonic experience with a rig that I can fit in my car is unprecedented. And not just high quality, it's high pressure as well. I have it set up in my studio and it's actually dangerous for my yard. Not considering my neighbours. This thing is mighty! 

The 12-inch cones used in the bass and the kick cabinets have a four-inch voice coil and a magnet comparable to many 18-inch drivers. The strong motor force from this magnet / coil combo coupled with lower surface area of the 12” cone means they are one of the fastest drivers I've ever heard.

It's more than a hobby rig, I use it professionally to do high-quality, small, intimate events. I'm a lover of percussion and percussive music so I very much value being able to have a really well-defined attack on bass notes; well-defined kick drums, any low-end transient detail in my snare or my tom drums or the lower register of the piano or organ shuffle.

It has a level of transient detail, separation, speed and responsiveness that is leaps and bounds ahead of most ‘reggae-friendly’ sound system units. The driver and cab combinations are meticulously paired and engineered to get the most out of their relationship. It has enough accuracy to work as a stereo pair left and right of a stage and have a band engineered through it. It has a studio-like quality to its sound. Although very weighty bass, it does lack slightly in the lowest notes, so would not work so well for extremely low digi basslines or for other genres like dubstep that rely on the 30hz range.

That said, it would still work well, it’s just better on basslines in higher octaves. It could play lower frequencies the more scoops that are coupled together. Its portability is insane (although I only carried the neo version) even ferrite would still be ok if people were on a lower budget. Setup and pack down are a breeze, the system stacks amazingly due to the locking stacking system, keeps the stack secure and ensures that the boxes are positioned correctly according to the alignment presets that are provided with the rig or pre-loaded in the DSP (if you buy with amp). The finishing is very good and the custom grills are a beautiful touch.

In the test run, we had noise complaints almost immediately, which proved the bass was weighty, but more importantly, I told the team that with a low volume, I might cut my set short because it would be hard to hold the energy for the 3 hours I was scheduled to do the live mix, but as soon as I started, the level of detail and clarity was so much fun to play on I played all the way through and was able to be unusually creative in my mixes because I could actually hear myself in the full context of the space for once.

Overall I think this product will fundamentally change the game!"

- Kibir La Amlak

Check out the FAYA Soundsystem Product page here for more info.

Find out more about Kibir La Amlak here:

Bandcamp: https://kibir-la-amlak.bandcamp.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kibir.la.amlak/