What does everyone think about molded speaker cabs?

Bard2dbone · #1 02-18-2011, 05:17 AM

About a million years ago when the terrible thunder lizards roamed the plains and I could still grow hair...I had a band that did okay for a while.

One of the things I remember from that stage was that I liked our keyboardists speaker cabs. We used them as our mains for practices and small gigs. They were our monitors for bigger gigs. They were ElectroVoice molded cabs, much like the current SX100+ version. He actually had only wanted to buy the Tapco 16 channel mixer and Crown power amp that they came with. He thought the speaker cabs looked way to small to do what he needed. He was wrong. We had great results and no problems from them for several years until the band faded away.

Fast forward many years. I have a bit more money than back then and was putting together a fairly serious music room in hopes of hosting jams and occasionally recording at home. I remembered those little plastic speaker cabs that did so well back in the day and went looking for some like them. There were few, if any to be had. Apparently they'd gone out of fashion.

Then today, I get an email from Carvin, inviting me to buy their PM15 cab at a reduced price. I go and look. Darned if it doesn't really remind me of Eric's old EV cabs. I look around online. Lots of people have molded plastice enclosures for small to mid-sized cabs now.

When did they come back?

And what do you think of them? Are they as good as our EV's were, way back when?

Vinny D · #2 02-18-2011, 07:11 AM

If you buy a quality cab like the EV SX or the RCF ART series cabs you will love them, plus they hold there resale value well.
Never heard the Carvin PM15, but I have owned plenty of Carvin PA gear over the years and have always felt there PA enclosures come up short for live vocal reproduction (great if you want them for DJ useage, just my opinion).

Could there be a magical performing low budget cab.......I guess there could be, but as the time tested saying goes "you get what you pay for".

Just my opinion

(also check out the offerings from Yorkville, there NX series offers a great bang for the buck)

MuzikMan · #3 02-18-2011, 08:25 AM

Molded boxes have apparently come into fashion lately. There are some very well engineered offerings on the table but it is worth mentioning that there is nothing inherently beneficial tonewise about molded enclosures.

With that said I am impressed with the QSC K series and the EV ZXA series. They achieve a good balance of sound quality and portability.

Bard2dbone · #4 02-19-2011, 02:17 AM

I wasn't asuming an inherently awesome sound from all molded cabs. I have only had any experience with the one set. Now admittedly that was a whole bunch of positive experience. But I've had enough experience being me to know that just because you played one awesome Jazz Bass doesn't mean every Jazz Bass will be awesome as well.

What I was assuming was that they would be much smaller and lighter than a comparable traditionally designed wooden cab. I liked the tone on the EV cabs we had back in the day. But what I loved most about them was the indestructibility and portability.

It'd just be cool that if somebody else makes them that well now, I could actually have the option of buying them. For several years that option didn't exist.

Munjibunga · #5 02-19-2011, 02:30 AM

Everyone? I'll ask 'em and get back to you.

As for me, I prefer wood for no known reason. I'm using JBL PRX cabs.

Bard2dbone · #6 02-19-2011, 03:18 AM

Wow. I appreciate that, Munji. So, ya wanna just check back in every hundred thousand people or so?

steveksux · #7 02-19-2011, 09:32 AM

I've sure they vary widely, like wood cabs. Either they're tuned properly for the woofer, or not. Resonances may very.

You can probably get the same rigidity with lower weight, so I'd think that was an advantage for moving weight.

I doubt there's any sonic advantage though. I wouldn't be scared of them.

Randy

Stinsok · #8 02-19-2011, 09:36 AM

There is no carpeting for your dumbass bandmates to tear.

KeithAlanK · #9 02-19-2011, 12:25 PM

Their main advantage is that any ducting for the woofer (to increase output and flatten or tune response) can be built into the mold rather than created with lots of pieces of wood at odd angles.
Much like the Bose system home stereo units.
I used some powered Mackies last year that were great for mains at small shows and monitors for large. Same with some Behringers a few years before that, until they blew.

georgestrings · #10 02-19-2011, 02:22 PM

One of my guitarists has a pair of peavey 15+horn molded plastic tops, and they aren't too bad - nothing fantastic, but definitely better than I expected of them at 1st...

- georgestrings

Bard2dbone · #11 02-19-2011, 04:35 PM

I vaguely remember seeing the Mackie powered ones when they were a new product. But for the most part, I'm just surprised that they are so plentiful now without me noticing they'd come back.

Passinwind · #12 02-19-2011, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveksux

I doubt there's any sonic advantage though.

In theory it's a lot easier to do an asymmetric build, which is good sonically. It's also easier to do a baffle with fewer diffraction issues. That is, assuming you're selling large enough numbers to amortize the mold.

bassnat · #13 02-19-2011, 05:01 PM

Much better outside in the event of bad weather, easier to carry, lighter, the right stuff.

Bard2dbone · #14 02-19-2011, 06:06 PM

I remember that I really liked them from a roadie point of view. Eric's load was his three synths in an enormous A-frame,the cases for all of those, a separate fold up stand for the Tapco mixer and Crown power amp, the EV speakers, home-made speaker stands built out of PVS pipe of all things, a 12-string Ovation with it's case and two backpacks full of mics and cables and what-have-you.

All of that had to fit in a Honda Civic.

There was exactly room in his car for that much equipment, Eric and a Pepsi.

I had a Chevy Astro van that had to carry me, the other two members of the band, my fretted and fretless Jazz basses, Acoustic B4 head, Acoustic TC 210p cab, and Randall 2x15 cab, Johns' Tele,Yamaha, and Ovation guitars, his rack case and speaker cabs, two amp-stands for his speakers, Rons' drumset, and any merch we had that night. Somehow my huge vehicle was always more tightly filled.

Looking back that way, smaller, lighter, sturdier cabs that don't have a fuzzy outer layer to tear up sound pretty awesome.

Bard2dbone · #15 02-19-2011, 06:11 PM

For a while there we had almost that exact same load, except my rig was a GK 800rb into a pair of Hartke Transporter 4x10's. The only reason I tell you this is that during that phase the way we set up our stage rig was to put the band in between two identical looking set-ups. On each side of the band we'd have my Hartke cab with John's 1x12 cab either sitting on it (most commonly) or on its ampstand behind and above it, and then the EV cab on it's stand behind and above that. It looked strangely cool to have the same set up on each side, no matter how odd it was.

**nutdog** · #16 02-19-2011, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bard2dbone

I remember that I really liked them from a roadie point of view...Looking back that way, smaller, lighter, sturdier cabs that don't have a fuzzy outer layer to tear up sound pretty awesome.

My little group has gone to powered speakers. Versatile, easy and light. And molded cabs don't absorb smells. Me likey.

MrLenny1 · #17 02-19-2011, 06:28 PM

I worked in a band that used EV molded cabs & also JBL. Sounded great & kicked @#$.
Good point to bring up. Maybe wood is cheaper? From a roadies point molded cabs sure make sense. All my wood/carpet cabs got beat up quick from gigs.
Another idea on molded enclosures that is lacking IMHO. The new mini bass heads come with a bag or some can be mounted in a 19" rack. Why aren't they building mini racks to accomodate the size and weight for these amps?

TheSuzie · #18 02-19-2011, 11:17 PM

I know several folks using the JBL EON 15s for live performance and also DJ gigs. I like them a lot. I did rent a pair of Mackies when I did sound for an outdoor event some years back. They sounded good and were seriously loud for their size but I can't compare because I never heard them indoors in a familiar room.

Peace,
S

fokof · #19 02-20-2011, 10:17 AM

They are not created equal , like wooden boxes , some are really bad. Never heard the Carvin , I'm curious , at that price , I wouldn't expect much.

There is no really "top notch" plastic boxes.

The ones I like better are RCF , I use those exclusively now as a bass amp and I must admit that I also use an active sub wich is made of wood , I wonder if we'll see a good sounding plastic sub someday ......