PRX635 for bass?

kringle77 · #1 11-02-2010, 07:13 AM

I have been playing an LDS 4x10/6.5/tweet for quite awhile now. Recently I started using a pair of yamaha c112 pa cabs which to me, sounds just awsome. The dispersion is so good, the mids are aggresive but in a good way, and they sound like sealed cabs because of the small size, porting and low x-max drivers. So, like many on here, I've been looking at the thunderchild cab. Since I like the yamaha's, the thunderchild should be a no brainer. But, Im also looking at the new JBL PRX 635 3-way pa tops. The specs look like they would be good for bass. Plenty of power, good dispersion and only 60lbs. The price is right, especially through some dealers. Has anyone played through one? My only worry is that they may sound to tame in the mids and not growly. The slight growl in the 2-way yamaha's may be why I like them so much.

kringle77 · #2 11-03-2010, 07:40 AM

anyone

kringle77 · #3 11-05-2010, 05:49 AM

I placed an order for one of these and it will be here in 3 weeks or so.

modulusman · #4 11-05-2010, 06:56 AM

I own a pair of the JBL PRX535s that my band uses for PA. I have plugged my bass directly into them and played with them in my livingroom. It sounded fine IMO.

fokof · #5 11-05-2010, 03:37 PM

Please give us a report.

I've used the PRX615M in a casino and they were VERY loud and surprinsingly light. I haven't had a chance to listen to them on their own , but with the PA'S sub , it sounded really good.

kringle77 · #6 11-23-2010, 10:48 AM

This speaker has been backordered. I'll be lucky to see it before christmas. What pain in the arse.

kringle77 · #7 12-02-2010, 05:55 AM

Speaker was re-backordered until 12/10/10. If it actual is in stock then, I'll be lucky to see it before christmas.

kringle77 · #8 12-16-2010, 07:39 PM

I just got the prx635. Im going to bring it to band practise tomorow so all I can say for right now is its

-Lite, loud, even, deep and looks like a serious speaker. It definitely sounds like a pa speaker, which, many of you will love. I'll give an actual report once I've used it as a pa at practise and have run a few bass preamp through it.

rpsands · #9 12-16-2010, 09:11 PM

The woofer in those things has so little xmax as to be useless for serious bass use. And it's a dual voice coil 2 ohm thing so you can't replace it with a drop in.

kringle77 · #10 12-17-2010, 04:14 AM

I found the specs for the drivers after I actually put my order in. They look like a miss-print. I got to turn the cab up loud for a brief moment and say that it will put out as much as the 3015 driver in my lds 3-way. Probably more. Not sure about comparing it to the 3015lf in my subs. Probably not. Also, I think that it's a dual 8ohm driver, so as to run 5oo watts at four ohms. The cab has three 500 watts amps built in. A report will come soon.

**bass dan** · #11 12-17-2010, 10:46 AM

Subscribed. I am considering the prx615m to use with my upright bass and a fishman pro plat. preamp. I love the sound of my bass thru the mrx series and am hoping the prx sound just as good. I dont need or want huge lows.

It would make my life much easier to just use one of these with a preamp.

rpsands · #12 12-17-2010, 11:12 AM

It could be that the driver specs I found are old.

I'll note there is a big box and lots of dsp correction so it probably will sound super loud down low until it gets cranked up. So be wary of that.

You might want to email JBL for specs if you're curious.

kringle77 · #13 12-17-2010, 12:02 PM

Actually, when a few folks have compared the qsc speakers to the jbl prx's, the qsc sounded ragged near there peak output and the jbl's held up. Tonight at practise I'll be running 3 vocals, my bass(di out) and guitar (from a pod) to my mixer, into this speaker. It will have to keep up with acoustic drums. If it holds up loud and clear, then a pair with one or two subs would crush.

kringle77 · #14 12-17-2010, 09:25 PM

Ok, I had the jam. First and foremost, is this a good cab for bass? The answer is yes. But, only if you like the sound of a 3-way pa speaker. If you like the distortions of 2-way designs, you may not like this one. It has a very clean, true low end, mids and highs are even, nothing really dominates anything else. Well, thats not true, the lows can be pretty big in full range.

I ran it as listed above and rolled off the low-lows with my dbx drive rack. It was so loud. The clip light never came on once. Two would be thunderous. Probably would only need to add one of the xlf subs for most small-medium clubs as long as you can wall load it.

Let me say this. As a bass cab, it's not really my cup of tea. I have learned that I like some of the distortions and "burrs? of my traditional designs. ie rolled of low end, low mid boost, upper mid grit.

I've got a second one coming for my pa and probably an xlf subwoofer. The power section got really warm but, apparently that is normal.

rpsands · #15 12-17-2010, 09:43 PM

It's my opinion that it's fairly easy to get that snarly midrange sound with eq, even in these flattish type designs. People disagree, but it's a matter of opinion I think. In a mix, a big boost in a couple places above 800hz would probably get you the right tone you're looking for, or fairly close.

I'd start with playing with boosts at 800, 1200, 1600, or 2500.

I'm following up with JBL on the woofer specs so I can see whether we can give a firm recommendation in terms of the bottom end.

greenboy · #16 12-17-2010, 10:25 PM

Half the problem with that design for bass cab use is that it's horrible to be close in on a cab with the HF and LF that spread out vertically. The tweeter source is so far above the woofer, and then there's those 90 x 50 patterns for not only the treble but the midrange. You can tilt upwards but that can be clumsy too. Getting it up off the floor makes a little sense though you lose bass coupling, and really, you need to be further way than a lot of typical smaller-club backline use may allow.

Accepting some other things about it as a bass cab could be a matter of taste, but that big spread alone would dissuade me. I've never even bothered to read about what black box stuff might also be going on that makes it good PA but maybe not such nice backline.