A PA cab for a bass rig??

DuShauh · #1 10-12-2011, 09:13 AM

My curiosity is getting the better of me. Although I have (at least) a few bass cabs that suit me just fine for different applications' recently I was given the option of using a PA cabinet at our rehearsal spot that sits unused 99.9% of the time. In fact if I wanted to gig with it, no one has a problem with it. It is a REALLY nice cabinet and sounds oh-so-good. It's a JBL SRX715, 8 ohm, 800watt rated cab. If it were about buying a cab for bass, I know that there are more practical, and much less expensive ways to go. However, it is being offered at my disposal for whenever and wherever. My question is, Is there any reason that I shouldn't use a PA cab like this for bass? None of the amp heads that I use would ever exceed 400 watts RMS, and it would never be pushed hard in anyway...Am I missing something here ??

bertbass666 · #2 10-12-2011, 09:22 AM

No problem in using it at all. It's no different to DIing into the main P.A. That's how Trace Elliot started, P.A. cabs for bass and that's all a Fearful cab is.

modulusman · #3 10-12-2011, 09:25 AM

THe JBL SRX series is nice gear. It should work fine.

gregbackstrom · #4 10-12-2011, 09:30 AM

I don't see a down-side, as long as you aren't "over-driving" the cabinet. I have recently been using a pair of QSC K10s and a KW181 as a powered modular bass system. My Aggie DH680 pre mates well with these, and I'm getting gorgeous tone!

This experience has prompted me to have a fEARful cab made. Many users have told me that I'll have a similar sonic experience (and MUCH less complicated setup/teardown).

Mister_argentum · #5 10-12-2011, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuShauh

My curiosity is getting the better of me. Although I have (at least) a few bass cabs that suit me just fine for different applications' recently I was given the option of using a PA cabinet at our rehearsal spot that sits unused 99.9% of the time. In fact if I wanted to gig with it, no one has a problem with it. It is a REALLY nice cabinet and sounds oh-so-good. It's a JBL SRX715, 8 ohm, 800watt rated cab. If it were about buying a cab for bass, I know that there are more practical, and much less expensive ways to go. However, it is being offered at my disposal for whenever and wherever. My question is, Is there any reason that I shouldn't use a PA cab like this for bass? None of the amp heads that I use would ever exceed 400 watts RMS, and it would never be pushed hard in anyway...Am I missing something here ??

No problem.

DuShauh · #6 10-12-2011, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by modulusman

THe JBL SRX series is nice gear. It should work fine.

I know that it sounds great. I plugged into at least a few times already

I just wondered if "technically" I would be missing something that a traditional bass cab offers. The fact that it is less than 50 pounds and offers so much sound compared to my single 15's is making me rethink things: Even if only on rare occasions. Thanks guys.

s_mcsleazy · #7 10-12-2011, 09:37 AM

serch function?

will33 · #8 10-12-2011, 09:45 AM

As long as the woofer can handle some lows/excursion they often make better bass cabs than bass cabs do.

jnewmark · #9 10-12-2011, 10:41 AM

The Carvin LS 1503 is a very popular, 3 way PA cab that many TB'ers use for bass. They can also be retrofitted with the same woofer and mid that are used in the fEARful.

**Chef** · #10 10-12-2011, 10:51 AM

does carvin still make the powered 1503?

DuShauh · #11 10-12-2011, 10:54 AM

This is all music to my ears. Options: I have lots of options.

TalkBass is AWESOME ! If I had the wealth of knowledge that this site offers years ago, who knows how much better I could have been by now?

will33 · #12 10-12-2011, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chef

does carvin still make the powered 1503?

Odd, I don't see the powered versions listed on their site anymore. The little plastic 2way PA speakers are powered but even in those, the one 3way version is listed as passive.

stingray69 · #13 10-12-2011, 11:21 AM

I've done this in the past using a JBL JRX125 cabinet. Sounded great IME, but it was a bit much to move without a dolly. I'm sure other PA cabs mentioned & many others out there do a fine job as well as long as they are of good quality. One thing in general with going the PA cab route is that typically you have a much flatter (hi-fi) sound response since they are geared for more general sound reproduction rather than having any bass-specific bump in the low mids or anywhere else across the frequency spectrum. This is neither good nor bad, IMO - just a different starting place than *most* bass cabinets. There are bass cabs on the market that are designed in a similar flat-response fashion (AccuGroove stuff comes to mind off the bat, among others). I guess where I'm going with this is that you may find yourself wanting to EQ in some low mids, etc. to suit your taste, to the rooms you play in, etc. As always & if possible, try the cab with your gear and see if the tone is to your liking & to ensure that your bass head's tone shaping capabilities can sculpt the cabinet's tone to where you need it to be if you find the flat response to need a little EQ flavor in certain areas. Best of luck!

Floridabwoy · #14 10-12-2011, 11:24 AM

I have popped the tweeters on my PA cab's w. a bass amp. I was pushing them pretty hard though.

stingray69 · #15 10-12-2011, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floridabwoy

I have popped the tweeters on my PA cab's w. a bass amp. I was pushing them pretty hard though.

+1

Same here with the JBL I used - like you, pushing the cab pretty hard at times. I replaced the stock tweeter afterwards with a more robust wattage Selenium tweeter.

Floridabwoy · #16 10-12-2011, 11:38 AM

Eminence PSD-2002 here. Huge improvement in clarity over EOM's. I was using a Peavey , I think SP4's.

gmarcus · #17 10-12-2011, 01:05 PM

Try it with a cabinet simulator pedal like a VT Bass or Bass POD and it should sound great. These will make it sound more like a typical bass cabinet (warmer, more mid bass & a little bit of overdrive). What kind of head will you be driving it with?

That is a really nice and expensive PA cabinet. You should definitely take advantage of it! Just make sure you bring it up to gig volume at practice and play every note on your bass. I tried a JBL EON powered cabinet (Much cheaper) a few months ago and it had a hard time handling the low notes. The ports would make chuffing sounds on the low notes and it had a rattle on the open E. Your cabinet is probably much better but you should check it out just to be sure. PA cabinets are generally designed to work with a sub-woofer if you are really cranking it up.

mowburger · #18 10-12-2011, 04:42 PM

I've been using a Carvin LS1503 with great success, I use an Aguilar Tone Hammer into a Crown XLS2000 power amp and it's super clear and loud enough for most simple gigs, for larger gigs I hook a 1:18" cab up to the second channel. I'm thinking two LS1503s might be better (the 18"s response isn't close to the 3-way) Or I could hook up two PA cabs and an 18" "sub"

TheAngryPocket · #19 10-24-2011, 01:07 PM

A Carvin LS1503 is the same as a fEARful? If so, I know where I'm going then for my next rig.

**Chef** · #20 10-24-2011, 02:08 PM

They're the same only in that they're both 3 way cabs.

The components in a Fearful are all completely different and much better/stouter.
This doesn't mean the 1503 isn't a good cab, but they're just not at all the "same thing"