Will an Eden D115T cut it on a small stage with a loud band?

[OrangeSun]

Hey all.

I play in a loud piano trio, we're talking distorted overdriven electric piano via PA and a very loud drummer.

Right now I use backline stuff but if I cant I run an EdenWT800B into a Ampeg410HLF. The cab is massive overkill and I never really use it in the capacity it is designed for. Essentially, it is not worth lugging it around, so I'm trying to downsize.

Right now, I only run one half of the Eden wt800b into my cab. So I'm running about 440 Watts RMS @ 4ohms (according to the manual) into a 4Ohm cab designed for 500RMS. I'm underpowering this cab and it is still more than loud enough when I turn it up.

So, I have a chance to get a used Eden D115T, 250RMS 8ohm cab, with a replaced EV speaker in it, for 225 in excellent condition. It is a perfect match with one side of my amp (Manual says each side is 300watts RMS @ 8ohms), and if needed I can use the balance knob to give it a more power. Will this cab take more power than that and not fry quickly?

My question is, is this going to be too severe of a cut back? I understand you can't really know unless you heard my band live but, I know I've used backline rigs of 150-200 watts and been told I was hard to hear. Usually these are combos but, I just wanted to get some opinions, maybe there is a better cab to cut down to? I like the sound of a 15 and want to try one, but maybe this one is a little too small in terms of watts, also cutting back from 4 speakers and front porting to 1 speaker and rear porting has me a bit worried.

Any opinions appreciated, thanks.

[username1]

I dont think volume will be as much of a problem as low end projection will be. If you have PA support i would think you would be ok. Dont expect to get the bottom end your getting from your ampeg though.

[RickenBoogie]

Couple of things- 1, port position don't matter at all, as that low end is omni-directional. 2, no such thing as "underpowering" a cab. Complete and utter myth. And 3, going from a 4 ohm 4x10 to an 8 ohm 1x15 will cut your available volume to less than half what you have. Only you know if that's too little, but my guess, you'd be much better off going to a 2x12 cab.

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

Couple of things- 1, port position don't matter at all, as that low end is omni-directional. 2, no such thing as "underpowering" a cab. Complete and utter myth. And 3, going from a 4 ohm 4x10 to an 8 ohm 1x15 will cut your available volume to less than half what you have. Only you know if that's too little, but my guess, you'd be much better off going to a 2x12 cab.

+1

A 1x15 gives you about the same volume as a 2x10 so do the math. Add to that the fact that your amp will not give as much power into an 8Ω load as a 4Ω. Plus the fact that you will be tempted to try the dreadful combination of the 1x15 with the 4x10. You will try to equalize the volumes of each cab and the 1x15 will become extra crispy.

[TripleDouble]

I used this cab for many years with a loud-ish rock band and it was pretty good, but occasionally got bullied by a fender twin where the guitarist had a pretty bottom-heavy tone and we tuned down to Eb. Since you're from Boston, I've played the mid-east up and down, lizard, great scotts and many other clubs in NE with this cab and a GK 800rb, and always dug it's sound. The EV would probably eliminate the bit of flab I found with it when things got stoopid loud.

One thing about this cab - for something compact it aint no featherweight...

[OrangeSun]

So, from what I can gather this cab seems a bit too small for the task. It would sound perfect in a lot of situations, but sometimes it would definitely get beat out for volume on stage. However, in those situations I would likely have PA support. My worry is that sometimes this cab will be all I've got for the whole room for a gig. There is also the possibility that I could buy a second one to chain together into 4 ohms for bigger gigs after I sell the 410.

[Z-Bass]

Originally Posted by OrangeSun

Hey all.
My question is, is this going to be too severe of a cut back? I understand you can't really know unless you heard my band live but, I know I've used backline rigs of 150-200 watts and been told I was hard to hear. Usually these are combos but, I just wanted to get some opinions, maybe there is a better cab to cut down to? I like the sound of a 15 and want to try one, but maybe this one is a little too small in terms of watts, also cutting back from 4 speakers and front porting to 1 speaker and rear porting has me a bit worried.

Any opinions appreciated, thanks.

I can relate to your situation. A while back my rig consisted of my Eden WT-400 and a 4ohm Eden 410xlt (not the cab you have but similar configuration - 4x10 with substantial porting). I had the same problem, the cab was too much for most of the clubs I played, it just "through" too much. By the time I achieved satifying stage volume for me and the band, I would be crushing the soundman in the back of the room. Yes there were situations/rooms where this worked perfectly but not enough to justify. Tried elevating the cab as well and had mixed results plus it wasn't always convenient to do so. As such, I replaced with an Aguilar 1x15 (back in 1999 or 2000??); again not the cabinet you're looking at but similar (8 ohm, single 1x15). End result, I'm still using this setup to this day. I was very pleased with the tone, and it seems to cover my needs volume-wise. Shaved off about 40lbs as well. Can't explain exactly, but the 1x15 has a nice focused sound and spreads nicely without being too overbearing. Never thought I'd go back to a 1x15 cabinet but it works for me.

My recommendation is to find a higher rated 1x15, something around 400 watts for a little more headroom. There is certainly enough to choose from nowadays and you may be able to find a nice light weight alternative. Others have mentioned a 2x12 cabinet which seems to be another good option but I can't comment as I have no experience with 2x12s.

[WormtownBass]

Originally Posted by Z-Bass

My recommendation is to find a higher rated 1x15, something around 400 watts for a little more headroom.

Agreed. I used Eden 1x15 and a 2x10 for years and always found them to be a bit quiet. Something about Eden. There are some high output 15's out now that are powerful and have a more balanced sound. I recently switched over to fEARful 15/6 and love it. Others have mentioned barefaced, but I've never played through one.