Bass cab around a Faital Pro 12FH500

[allexcosta]

I've been wanting to build a bass cab around this speaker:

FaitalPRO - Professional Loudspeakers Made in Italy

Specs look good, it's waterproof, well made, etc...

I want it to have a driver/bullet tweeter and the crossover should have a tweeter attenuator down to nothing...

I want a small cab with great sound. Something in the lines of an HT112ER. Got some nice baltic plywood for free and a friend who owns a furniture factory will cut it for me.

I'm looking for advice from those who have experience with cabinet building regarding porting, tuning and bracing. Also I'm not sure what kind of driver would keep up with this 12" speaker. Front port or rear port?

I do understand that I could just buy a Berg or Schroeder and have a better cab for less money, but still want to do it.

Any comments or advice will be appreciated.

[dhomer]

I'll take a stab at it. Got a preliminary alignment w/a 2 cu.ft. box, but I'll need to know a little bit more before I can nail it down.. How much power you have, and are you using a 5-string and/or extended range tunings? Can tell you right now if you're looking for a big bottom, this ain't gonna deliver, but I'm willing to see what we can do..

[Jeff Scott]

I used to have a 2-12 cabinet with those drivers in it, along with a Faital 6½" mid/high driver, that the evil Dr. bASS made for me. The cab sounded great but with all the ulcers I got from dealing with MArC to get it I sold the cab to have nothing to do with him.

Lots of deep, clean, bottom end from those 12" drivers.

[Arjank]

It's a pretty potent speaker if you don't seek extended low-end response. It would make a punchy cab for a 4-string.
I simulated the Faital pro 12fh500 against the Eminence 3012lf. The faital is placed in a 47liter cab and the emi in a 60 liter cab since it needs more volume to perform good.
The faital is the red curve and the emi the black one.
The emi has slightly more low end, the faital has more low/mids.
So, if you want a tiny punchy cab, go for the faital. If you want a bit more lowend and don't mind a slightly bigger cab try the 3012lf.

btw. for those who think that the highs seem to roll off, this is a simulation which also take the impedance rise into account, just don't look at it

[allexcosta]

Thanks for the replies so far... Very helpful...

Originally Posted by dhomer

I'll take a stab at it. Got a preliminary alignment w/a 2 cu.ft. box, but I'll need to know a little bit more before I can nail it down.. How much power you have, and are you using a 5-string and/or extended range tunings? Can tell you right now if you're looking for a big bottom, this ain't gonna deliver, but I'm willing to see what we can do..

My amp delivers 700W@4ohm solid state. I want to build a stack similar to Berg's HT112/EX112.

I play standard tuned 5 string bass and don't need lots of lows. Punchy and growly is more important to me. Size is important as well... Smaller is better...

Feel free to recommend other speakers you think may suit this project, just as "cabinet ready" crossovers and drivers/tweeters...

Thanks again.

[allexcosta]

Originally Posted by Arjank

I simulated the Faital pro 12fh500 against the Eminence 3012lf. The faital is placed in a 47liter cab and the emi in a 60 liter cab since it needs more volume to perform good.
The faital is the red curve and the emi the black one.
The emi has slightly more low end, the faital has more low/mids.

Thanks for that...

It seems that there isn't much difference in the low end. Don't think anything below 40hz really matters since we hear low B's harmonics, not the fundamental. Also, the Eminence gets a little mid scooped, which I don't like.

The difference in cabinet volume also counts.

The 12FH500 looks like a winner, even for 5 string basses.

[Arjank]

Originally Posted by allexcosta

The 12FH500 looks like a winner, even for 5 string basses.

Since you're after a punchy sound I think it will be a very good choice.
Keep the cab volume between 40 and 50 liters and the tuning frequency of the port around 45hz.

[dhomer]

With your amp, I would seriously consider going 2-12. Two of these in a 4 cu.ft. box tuned to 44 Hz shows a response curve flat between 50-80Hz. Which in itself is what you want w/a fiver.. The problem is that response is a full 4dB down! Using two drivers will regain some of that in the SPL graph, and as a bonus will handle 600 watts w/out farting... Midrange will be a bit more prominent, but I think u could live w/the first harmonics over 120dB SPL.. Box size will compromise the needed vent.. will have to design very carefully.. Will grok on it some more overnight..

[Arjank]

Originally Posted by dhomer

With your amp, I would seriously consider going 2-12. Two of these in a 4 cu.ft. box tuned to 44 Hz shows a response curve flat between 50-80Hz. Which in itself is what you want w/a fiver.. The problem is that response is a full 4dB down! Using two drivers will regain some of that in the SPL graph, and as a bonus will handle 600 watts w/out farting... Midrange will be a bit more prominent, but I think u could live w/the first harmonics over 120dB SPL.. Box size will compromise the needed vent.. will have to design very carefully.. Will grok on it some more overnight..

4 cu. ft. is to big for these drivers. You can extent the response a bit below 50hz but it's not ideal and you'll also get a powerdip. The simulation I did was in a 1.65 cu ft enclosure (that's per woofer) and the response in nearly flat from 47hz -3dB and up. The response allready has a small hump around 50hz so the cab is actually a tiny bit to big. So, two of these in a 3 - 3.3 cu. ft cab(cab separated in two parts of 1.5 - 1.65cu ft) will be the ticket. I will check later on what the vent lenght and diameter is.

[allexcosta]

Originally Posted by dhomer

With your amp, I would seriously consider going 2-12. Two of these in a 4 cu.ft. box tuned to 44 Hz shows a response curve flat between 50-80Hz. Which in itself is what you want w/a fiver.. The problem is that response is a full 4dB down! Using two drivers will regain some of that in the SPL graph, and as a bonus will handle 600 watts w/out farting... Midrange will be a bit more prominent, but I think u could live w/the first harmonics over 120dB SPL.. Box size will compromise the needed vent.. will have to design very carefully.. Will grok on it some more overnight..

I appreciate the info but hauling a big enclosure around is exactly what I don't want to do.

As I mentioned above, I'm looking for a modular stack, somewhat similar to a HT112/EX112. I want to be able to bring just one cab to rehearsals/small gigs and both to larger gigs...

[Arjank]

Originally Posted by allexcosta

As I mentioned above, I'm looking for a modular stack, somewhat similar to a HT112/EX112. I want to be able to bring just one cab to rehearsals/small gigs and both to larger gigs...

Like I said in my last post. A cab of 1.5 - 1.65cu ft will be perfect for that driver. Build two of those and you'll be happy.
1.5 cu ft and tuned to 48hz will give you the punch you want.
When the width of the cab is 15" the slotted port(on the front) should have the following dimensions: 15" x 1.5" and 10" deep. The cab hight and depth is up to you as long as the driver and the port will fit .
I think you want a slotted port, right?

[allexcosta]

Originally Posted by Arjank

Like I said in my last post. A cab of 1.5 - 1.65cu ft will be perfect for that driver. Build two of those and you'll be happy.
1.5 cu ft and tuned to 48hz will give you the punch you want.
When the width of the cab is 15" the slotted port(on the front) should have the following dimensions: 15" x 1.5" and 10" deep. The cab hight and depth is up to you as long as the driver and the port will fit .
I think you want a slotted port, right?

Interesting...

That's tiny, huh? Is 15"W gonna fit woofer and horn? BTW, horn or tweeter? Which one? Which crossover? What's dimensions and placement if I wanted to go with a round port?

[lbwdog]

Have you considered a fEarful cube (3012LF with Alphalite 6.5)?

[dhomer]

My only concern is the fact that box is so small, you're not able to design a port large enough to prevent "port noise complaint".. Even though you are supposed to increase box volume to account for the port, you are still limited by the depth of the box... Rear porting w/tubes might be a possibility, I don't have the ol'ISD up right now to check it. Generally a shelf port works better than the round ones..

[Arjank]

Originally Posted by dhomer

My only concern is the fact that box is so small, you're not able to design a port large enough to prevent "port noise complaint".. Even though you are supposed to increase box volume to account for the port, you are still limited by the depth of the box... Rear porting w/tubes might be a possibility, I don't have the ol'ISD up right now to check it. Generally a shelf port works better than the round ones..

The shelved port in my last post is more then large enough to not have any port noise.

[allexcosta]

Originally Posted by lbwdog

Have you considered a fEarful cube (3012LF with Alphalite 6.5)?

I think it's a bit too large for what I want, but I'll check those again.

Originally Posted by dhomer

My only concern is the fact that box is so small, you're not able to design a port large enough to prevent "port noise complaint".. Even though you are supposed to increase box volume to account for the port, you are still limited by the depth of the box... Rear porting w/tubes might be a possibility, I don't have the ol'ISD up right now to check it. Generally a shelf port works better than the round ones..

I don't know what port noise complaint is but google is my friend... Will take a look...

[Arjank]

Originally Posted by allexcosta

Interesting...

That's tiny, huh? Is 15"W gonna fit woofer and horn? BTW, horn or tweeter? Which one? Which crossover? What's dimensions and placement if I wanted to go with a round port?

The 15" width will be wide enough to fit the woofer, you just have to make the cab higher (like e.g. 20") to add the horn(depends on the horn size).
You could use e.g. this compression driver FaitalPRO - Professional Loudspeakers Made in Italy combined with this horn FaitalPRO - Professional Loudspeakers Made in Italy
The crossover is a tricky one, but I can simulate something workable. The good thing is that the 12" woofer seems to behave well in the midrange which makes the crossover design a little easier.

[allexcosta]

Originally Posted by Arjank

The crossover is a tricky one, but I can simulate something workable.

Well, if you got the time and don't mind doing it...

What about these?

DESIGNED TO WORK IN HIGH

http://www.usspeaker.com/px-ii3k5-1.htm

[mothra2]

Lovin this thread....