New rig suggestions.....dual cabs situation.

[JoshuaTSP]

Thanks for all of the help choosing another cab.

Current rig:
2x15
Ashdown ABM500EVOII
pedalboard-tuner>EBS comp.> Boss Line Selector>amp
*within the line selector's loop are various fuzz and dirt pedals*

I use the line selector for a little bit of clean blending......not sure if it works that great, but I prefer it to pedals straight into the amp.

So I now have a SWR 2x15 and SWR 6x10.
I play in a fairly heavy stoner rock/metal band.
I've never had too much issues with volume, with just the 2x15 and the Ashdown. I attribute that to having a fairly mid-focused tone.....really punchy and growly....powerful.
Yet, I'm lacking a little of the low end "feel it" portion of the tone. If I dial in more low end, things start to get really muddy and blurred.....which totally destroys the power in the low end.
I don't need or want earth shattering booming lows, but a solid thick foundation.

The ashdown is only good to 4ohms, so running them both off the Ashdown is not possible.

So I ask....

-which do you think is the best way to run these cabs in my situation?
-one amp, two cabs, full range
-one amp, two cabs, biamped
-one preamp/power amp rig, two cabs, full range
-two preamp, one power amp rig, two cabs, full range
-two amps, two cabs, full range
-two amps, two cabs, full range.....clean/dirty setup
or the various other combinations of this nature...

[scottfeldstein]

I'd choose one of these two.

-one amp, two cabs, full range
-one preamp/power amp rig, two cabs, full range

I think it might be weird to biamp those two cabs since they're not going to be stacked. You might get boom in your right ear and snap in your left ear. Weird. If you know what I mean.

[RickenBoogie]

Both cabs are already full range bass cabs. Biamping only makes sense if you're using specially designed cabs for whatever frequencies you're crossing at. AND, a 4 ohm min head cannot run those 2 cabs together. Either replace your amp with one capable of running @ 2 ohms, OR just use the 610 alone, which should cover your needs. I can't imagine needing that many spkrs anyway.

[scottfeldstein]

I can imagine it. I hate playing that loud, but I'm hooked up with guys right now who do. I'm resolving it by plugging my head into the resident 8x10 cab instead of using my own more modest and sensible cabinetry.

[waltwpowell]

Your 610 is never going to be as boomy as your 215 but if you are running cabs that big you must be playing good sized venues. Venues that big should have you in the PA. The PA subs should handle the "feel it" low end and your cab should be a monitor for you. You just need to monitor to taste and to not blow up the sound guy with stage volume. If you need "feel it" bass on stage 215 is your guy. I imagine the 610 will cut those the mix better and give you clearer "monitoring". IME "feel it" bass is generally bad for stage volume and will annoy the sound man and your band mates.

That is just for live show settings. In practice where you probably don't have PA support you may want something different and niether of those cabs seem very studio friendly for micing or recording. So, I guess you have to decide what your using this cab for live shows, practice or studio?

Hope that helps, good luck.

[scottfeldstein]

Man, that's a hard pill to swallow. I myself really do like some 'feel it' on stage. I used to play through an 18/2x10 cab and I got real used to having some bump on stage. Now I'm trying to adjust to playing smaller cabs. I have GK Neo 212 coming fed ex. Hoping I like it well enough to get a second one. Either that or I may have to spring for a 15.

[JoshuaTSP]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

Both cabs are already full range bass cabs. Biamping only makes sense if you're using specially designed cabs for whatever frequencies you're crossing at. AND, a 4 ohm min head cannot run those 2 cabs together. Either replace your amp with one capable of running @ 2 ohms, OR just use the 610 alone, which should cover your needs. I can't imagine needing that many spkrs anyway.

Yep, I know I can't use my Ashdown with both cabs.

That's why I'm here, asking this question.

I suppose that makes sense on the biamp thing. thanks. That's out.

We're pretty loud, as are most stoner doom bands. The guitar player runs two amp heads and two 4x12 cabs....but we aren't as crazy loud as some of the bands I've heard.

While I have been getting away with just the 2x15, I'd like to tweak my tone even more. I should also gain some volume just by adding more speakers, thus not having to push my single 2x15 as hard.

Plus I was thinking about running things a little cleaner, or at least one of the cabs cleaner to maintain that awesome clean low end.

[Electricblue]

Plug your head into a decent power amp that can do 4 ohms a side. Preferably about 800w total. A decent power amp can unlock so many possibilities.

[JoshuaTSP]

Originally Posted by waltwpowell

Your 610 is never going to be as boomy as your 215 but if you are running cabs that big you must be playing good sized venues. Venues that big should have you in the PA. The PA subs should handle the "feel it" low end and your cab should be a monitor for you. You just need to monitor to taste and to not blow up the sound guy with stage volume. If you need "feel it" bass on stage 215 is your guy. I imagine the 610 will cut those the mix better and give you clearer "monitoring". IME "feel it" bass is generally bad for stage volume and will annoy the sound man and your band mates.

That is just for live show settings. In practice where you probably don't have PA support you may want something different and niether of those cabs seem very studio friendly for micing or recording. So, I guess you have to decide what your using this cab for live shows, practice or studio?

Hope that helps, good luck.

We pretty much play the same volume with or without a PA.....regardless of venue size. There are exceptions, of course. If you ever come see us, bring your ear plugs.

I think my tone is so mid focused, and dirty that adding low end makes it sound disgusting. blurry, indistinct, and flubby.
That's probably why I'm looking to add a normal amount of low end to my sound. I doubt it's too much more than most people use....

[JoshuaTSP]

I'm not into the crushingly low, sustaining, honky round, muted and rumbling doomy tone.....our style is a bit too tight for that.

I'm pretty much after some killer rock bass tone, with some fat low end. I want to be heard, and felt.
A lot of people have pretty scooped bass tones to my ears....I couldn't do that.

I don't want to be the 2nd guitar player in the band, know what I mean?
Sometimes I have to fill the void during a solo or something though.

[rpsands]

Originally Posted by JoshuaTSP

We pretty much play the same volume with or without a PA.....regardless of venue size. There are exceptions, of course. If you ever come see us, bring your ear plugs.

I think my tone is so mid focused, and dirty that adding low end makes it sound disgusting. blurry, indistinct, and flubby.
That's probably why I'm looking to add a normal amount of low end to my sound. I doubt it's too much more than most people use....

I would try doing this with an octave up distortion pedal like an FEA dual band distortion or proton fuzz, or something like that. Mix in a good amount of clean bottom.

Another good option would be to just stick a nice guitar combo on top of your 2x15. Pipe >150hz distorted signal to the guitar combo, full range clean to the 2x15.

* Also, don't you have kappalites in your SWR 2x15?

[JoshuaTSP]

Originally Posted by rpsands

I would try doing this with an octave up distortion pedal like an FEA dual band distortion or proton fuzz, or something like that. Mix in a good amount of clean bottom.

Another good option would be to just stick a nice guitar combo on top of your 2x15. Pipe >150hz distorted signal to the guitar combo, full range clean to the 2x15.

* Also, don't you have kappalites in your SWR 2x15?

Hmmm...I'll do some research on that. thanks.

I considered that too.....since I have plenty of guitar stuff sitting around. Do you think that would stomp on the guitar player's range at all?

* yep.....well, one.....since one blew a while back.

[rpsands]

heh, get the other one reconed! better investment than adding a 6x10 imho.

No, using a guitar combo on top won't stomp on the guitar's range any more than you would be doing by using a 6x10. Pretend you have two guitar players, since you basically do from the way you describe your sound you're playing bass and filling out the guitar area.

You may have to dial your tones to match but that's not any different than usual. Bass and guitar are only an octave apart and your chief overtone is his fundamental

[zachoff]

I tried two cabs and it was just plain too loud. I tried turning down but lost the SVT grit that I like. Maybe it would have worked w/ two 410s but with an 810 and a 215, it didn't. YMMV