Quesion about Neo Cabs

DeiseBassman · #1 11-30-2010, 10:50 PM

I guess this is more of a wondering than a question. But, I owned GK Neo cabs up until recently but they just never got along with my ear for various reasons. I could never quite pinpoint the term of what it was that put me off them until a friend tried them out and he said they're very "nasal" sounding. This clicked with me straight away as I found the cabs do give quite a honk on the treble end of things even with the tweeter all the way off. So I've been shopping around for new cabs for a couple of months now and I'm still pondering Neo cabs from other brands due to the lighter weight. Now I know that one brand of cabs won't sound like another brand, but is that "nasal" sound as it was put, common in most Neo speakers? Cheers.

rpsands · #2 11-30-2010, 10:55 PM

You know how they put those knobs on your amp? Use those. Sometimes they are labeled things like 'bass' or 'treble' or '150hz' or whatever.

DeiseBassman · #3 11-30-2010, 11:18 PM

With all due respect, I wouldn't be posting here asking about this if I hadn't tried everything to eliminate the sound I didn't like from them. I just didn't like the cabs. Thanks.

audiomitch · #4 11-30-2010, 11:35 PM

I have GK Neo cabs and Ampeg non-Neo cab. I'm not hearing the "nasal" thing with the Neos.

rpsands · #5 11-30-2010, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeiseBassman

With all due respect, I wouldn't be posting here asking about this if I hadn't tried everything to eliminate the sound I didn't like from them. I just didn't like the cabs. Thanks.

If you can't make a cabinet lose a "nasal" sound you don't know enough about what frequencies are operating on the sound to have "tried everything."

Please list what you've tried and what results you've had, and some examples of what kind of tones you are after.

I've heard a lot of people say things like this, but typically they wind up having similar problems with whatever they try (something about the sound they don't like and can't fix with knob tweaking). It's usually caused by a lack of understanding of how to achieve desired tones.

Changing out gear is sometimes the right way to get your tone, but just as (if not more) often learning how to maximize your use of your existing gear through knowledge and playing style is a better solution -- once one gets to a certain level of quality gear.

FretlessMainly · #6 11-30-2010, 11:48 PM

I would consider "nasal" to be upper mid-range, not treble. I don't like my bass to sound like Tony Randall, but I do like me some mids. Cuts through all the other stuff going on as well. I'm using a GK 700RB-II and a 212 Neo and I don't hear anything like that (and I love it; have you tried boosting the contour knob on your GK head, or are you using a GK Neo without a GK head?). But, we've all got our own sense of what we want to hear, so, either try adjusting it or get something else.

rpsands · #7 11-30-2010, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FretlessMainly

I would consider "nasal" to be upper mid-range, not treble.

And this is why the OP needs to borrow a parametric or graphic eq and learn what frequencies affect what -- one man's treble is another man's high mid is another man's mid, is another man's cut or bite or grind or nasal.

billfitzmaurice · #8 12-01-2010, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeiseBassman

is that "nasal" sound as it was put, common in most Neo speakers? Cheers.

No. The magnet material doesn't define tone.

PDGood · #9 12-01-2010, 07:02 AM

I thought this was a perfectly reasonable question and I'm viewing the thread because I've heard similar comments - not necessarily using the word nasal, but that tonally neo speakers have some undesirable sound qualities.
The OP has stated that he has tried EQing it out and was unsuccessful. We have to take him at his word for that. Not every sound can be eq'd away. I can't EQ my Precision to sound like a StingRay or vice versa. There are inherent sound qualities in all things that produce sound.
The OP is asking for others to speak up who own or have owned neos or have tried them out - to get their opinions to see if some might be the same as his. I'd be interested to hear that as well - sort of a poll of how many people think neos sound as good, better, or not as good as non-neo speakers.

billfitzmaurice · #10 12-01-2010, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PDGood

The OP is asking for others to speak up who own or have owned neos or have tried them out - to get their opinions to see if some might be the same as his. I'd be interested to hear that as well - sort of a poll of how many people think neos sound as good, better, or not as good as non-neo speakers.

A search will reveal that this subject has been beaten to death ever since the first neo drivers came out.

rpsands · #11 12-01-2010, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PDGood

The OP has stated that he has tried EQing it out and was unsuccessful. We have to take him at his word for that. Not every sound can be eq'd away. I can't EQ my Precision to sound like a StingRay or vice versa. There are inherent sound qualities in all things that produce sound.

I think you would be surprised how a little knowledge of what eq points make what sounds goes a long way.

I don't think we have to take the OP at his word that he tried eq'ing it out and was unsuccessful to mean anything other than that he tried a few things and failed. It doesn't tell us what he tried, so it's pretty much a meaningless statement.

You can't eq your precision to sound like a Stingray or vice versa, but someone who knows more might be able to - or at least get a close approximation.

Also, bass tones - quite a bit more complicated harmonically than a "nasal" tone which is almost surely just a peak around a particular frequency. Not an apples to apples comparison for sure.

mntngrown · #12 12-01-2010, 11:46 AM

Sounds like RP is willing to help if OP goes over what he has tried. Pretty nice even if the first response made me go ouch!

. Maybe describe your tone goals based on popular recordings, and explain your amp and bass/strings current set up. BFM is an expert in the field and if he says neodymium does not change tone, you can take it to Vegas and bet on it.

Vakmere · #13 12-01-2010, 11:58 AM

I found out why my gear had nasal sounds and after looking in here I removed the problem.....yep, polyps. Sounds fine now.

m.oreilly · #14 12-01-2010, 12:22 PM

if anything, the neos may have more 'fidelity', and are just allowing you to hear what has always been there. mine are very un-nasally

audiomitch · #15 12-01-2010, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vakmere

I found out why my gear had nasal sounds and after looking in here I removed the problem.....yep, polyps. Sounds fine now.

That might fall under the category of "TMI"

greenboy · #16 12-01-2010, 01:12 PM

Quote:

"Pick versus fingers?"

craig.p · #17 12-01-2010, 01:35 PM

Something tells me what the OP's hearing might be the cab itself. I don't know dog doo about those GK cabs but the first thing I'd check would be for proper internal lining, only because many cabs I've ever heard that sounded nasal (or blatty or however else you want to term it) either didn't have any in there or it was the wrong stuff or it wasn't enough. Not saying this IS the reason for the OP's opinion, just one of many items to look at on the Nasal Checklist. The other cabs I heard that sounded that way had Just Any Old Driver stuffed in there, and no amount of proper damping could rescue things, but I think we can safely assume that's n/a here.

rpsands · #18 12-01-2010, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by craig.p

Something tells me what the OP's hearing might be the cab itself. I don't know dog doo about those GK cabs but the first thing I'd check would be for proper internal lining, only because many cabs I've ever heard that sounded nasal (or blatty or however else you want to term it) either didn't have any in there or it was the wrong stuff or it wasn't enough. Not saying this IS the reason for the OP's opinion, just one of many items to look at on the Nasal Checklist. The other cabs I heard that sounded that way had Just Any Old Driver stuffed in there, and no amount of proper damping could rescue things, but I think we can safely assume that's n/a here.

This is a good point. Many variations of GK cabs have popped up with no internal damping at all in them - sometimes good bracing, sometimes not.

Pop that sucker open (pull off a handle or a back plate) and see if there's any lining in there. Should be a wooly type substance or insulation or similar.

Honk'n_down-low · #19 12-01-2010, 01:50 PM

Everyone knows that the N in NEO is for Nasal, stop yanking his chain

.

My GK Neo Series II sounds great!! My Mesa slays the Nasalness : )

BurningSkies · #20 12-01-2010, 02:22 PM

For real. The upper mid nasal thing comes up fairly regularly. I've had both regular and neo cabs and what this comes down to is having neo speakers (or any speakers for that matter) put into a cab that wasn't designed for them. A cabinet that has been correctly tailored for a certain speaker or set of speakers shouldn't have that honky tone. I'm guessing a combination of too small, poorly ported and not enough damping material inside.