Nomad setup: Neotone + Bose S1 Pro+, the self-sufficient musician's combo

Playing on a beach at sunset, in a forest, on a terrace or in a venue — without hunting for a power socket, without a sound engineer, without a car boot full of gear. That’s exactly what the Neotone + Bose S1 Pro+ duo makes possible: two battery-powered devices, one cable between them, and you’re self-sufficient. Here’s the setup I actually use, with links for every item.

Why this duo works so well

An acoustic handpan is already nomadic — but it only plays one scale, and it gets drowned out as soon as there are people around. A classic electronic setup, on the other hand, needs mains power. The Neotone + S1 Pro+ combo solves both at once:

• Everything runs on battery. The Neotone lasts about 8 h of playing, the S1 Pro+ up to 11 h according to Bose (expect closer to 8 h at a good volume). You can play a whole day with no socket.
• One single cable. A jack output from the Neotone into an input on the speaker, and you’re done. No mixer, no power strip.
• Set up in one minute. You place the speaker, plug in, play. That’s what makes you actually take the instrument out… instead of giving up.
• Every scale in one instrument. Where you’d need 10 acoustic handpans, the Neotone follows you everywhere with all your scales.
• No feedback. Unlike an acoustic handpan miked up, you can push the volume with no howl.

The core of the setup

1. The Neotone

This is the instrument. The Neotone¹ (10 notes) or the Mutant (19 notes), your choice — both battery-powered, with a headphone output and line outputs. I’m an official ambassador: going through me gets you −5% online (or −7% at the showroom), the 6-year warranty and support from the first try-out to unboxing.

2. The Bose S1 Pro+

This is what makes you audible. Compact, sturdy, battery-powered, with a small built-in mixer — expect ≈ €599 at retailers (official Bose page, and also check second-hand listings on Leboncoin). Make sure you get the Pro+ model: it has more bass than the older S1 Pro. It works both as a front-of-house speaker and as your personal monitor — which is crucial: place it behind you, at head height to be truly inside the sound. I explain that placement precisely in my advice for being fully in the sound.

Want zero cables? An optional Bose wireless instrument transmitter (≈ €168) links the Neotone to the speaker wirelessly — sometimes sold as a speaker + transmitter combo at ≈ €759.

3. The jack cable — angled, and that matters

A simple 6.35 mm mono jack cable (or two for stereo). It’s the only link between the two devices. But one detail matters a lot: choose a cable with an angled connector on the instrument side, like this Ernie Ball cable. Why? Because with a straight jack sticking out under the instrument, you can’t rest the Neotone on the floor: it’s a daily annoyance, and it can damage the connector. The angled plug runs along the body of the instrument — you put your Neotone down wherever you like, without thinking about it.

Options, depending on your use

• Headphones — to play silently at night, in a van or at a hotel. The Neotone has a dedicated headphone output: see playing with headphones.
• The Bose Sub1 subwoofer — if you want real deep bass for small concerts. Careful: it weighs 16 kg, so it leaves the “light nomad” category. Keep it for dates you drive to.
• A microphone — if you sing, or want to capture an acoustic handpan too, the Hisong AirStudio S1 plugs into the S1 Pro+ and turns the setup into a mobile mini-studio.

The budget, with no bad surprise

Item	Indicative price
Neotone¹ (10 notes)	from €1,990
Neotone¹ Mutant (19 notes)	from €3,150
Bose S1 Pro+	≈ €599
Angled 6.35 mm jack cable	€15 to €30
Option — Bose wireless transmitter	≈ €168 (or speaker + transmitter combo ≈ €759)
Option — Bose Sub1 subwoofer	€990
Option — Hisong AirStudio S1 mic	€319 to €426 incl. VAT

A complete Neotone¹ + S1 Pro+ + cable setup therefore comes to around €2,600 — the equivalent of a single good acoustic handpan, but with every scale, total autonomy and amplification included.

Where to buy each item

• Neotone¹ / Neotone¹ Mutant → my Neotone page (−5% discount code, 6-year warranty, personal support). You can also come and try it in Paris and leave with it the same day.
• Bose S1 Pro+ → official Bose page (≈ €599 at retailers) — also worth checking Leboncoin second-hand listings.
• Bose wireless transmitter (zero-cable option) → Woodbrass, ≈ €168 · speaker + transmitter combo ≈ €759 at SonoVente
• Bose Sub1 subwoofer (option) → official Bose page
• Hisong AirStudio S1 mic (option) → via my partner link — careful, prices there are shown excluding tax: the details are in my shop.
• Angled jack cable → for example this Ernie Ball cable at Thomann (angled connector on the instrument side, essential to rest the handpan on the floor).
• Headphones, MIDI-USB cable → from any serious audio retailer, for example Thomann.

And what about the method?

Gear doesn’t make the music. This setup makes full sense with a way of learning that gets you playing fast: colours and shapes. Handpan Studio supports you on your Neotone just as on an acoustic handpan — and if you’d like guidance, my lessons are there for that.

The real luxury of the nomad musician isn’t owning a lot of gear. It’s being able to drop your bag anywhere and be playing within two minutes.