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Matching cabs

Brattbugg

Brattbugg

Jun 28, 2009
765
166
Motor City
www.atomicradioband.com
#1
In all my years of playing, I had never given any thought about mixing different speaker cabs. I always seemed to have a mixture. In fact, one of my favorites was a 80's Randall stack that was 2x15 and a 2x12. That being said, is the issue matching the speaker configuration or the actual brand of speakers? I have an Lds 4x10 and would like to get a 2nd 4x10. Lds picked up and moved to the Seattle area I'm told. What was once in my backyard is now far away and shipping seems ridiculous. How would I know what to look for? Or is any quality 4x10 the answer?
 
#2
brattbugg@sbcgl said:
In all my years of playing, I had never given any thought about mixing different speaker cabs. I always seemed to have a mixture. In fact, one of my favorites was a 80's Randall stack that was 2x15 and a 2x12. That being said, is the issue matching the speaker configuration or the actual brand of speakers? I have an Lds 4x10 and would like to get a 2nd 4x10. Lds picked up and moved to the Seattle area I'm told. What was once in my backyard is now far away and shipping seems ridiculous. How would I know what to look for? Or is any quality 4x10 the answer?
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Its not that mis matched cabs cant work, its that they will not perform as well or as predictably as matched. Its not just brand/size/builder, its about the whole design of the full range cab. Don is a great custom cab builder, but each cab is custom. Even if you ordered a cab and paid to ship it, there is no guarantee that it will exactly the same as what you have now or that it will be a better option than something local to you.

What are your reasons for wanting a second cab? more volume? or something else?

The best recommendation anyone can give you is to take your whole rig down to a store and try it out with several 410's and see what turns up.
 
#3
There are many many threads on this. Do a search on it and you may find some great answers there. But, Do you have to match cabs, the answer is no. Any equal quality cab (Ohms need to be considered) will work just fine. Since I am a freak, mine match. I have Schroeders (before the L and R stuff) and before that, I had a SWR Big Ben and Golliath, before that, I used Peavey 3620's or 1820's in several combo's. Mine have always matched, but again, I am pretty much a freak about that
 
#8
brattbugg@sbcgl said:
Thanks. Yeah I understand that I can mix em. I play about 10 outdoor shows a year where I like to have a little extra oomph. We always run our own sound and our PA is what it is. It can only handle so much.
Plus a stack just looks cool to me!
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brattbugg@sbcgl said:
Me too. I wish I could find another Lds. Don's lead time and what I expect shipping to cost just turn me off, thinking I should look elsewhere.
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For the few shows you need the big cab for renting/borrowing a bigger cab might be a possibility. Quicker and cheaper for the time you actually need it.
 
#9
With regards to all of the stuff that is super technical and all that, most people would never notice the difference between a Kustom cab mixed with a EA cab or a pair of Bag End cabs at most shows. We as players will generally hear the difference and for a lot of us, it will bug the daylights out of us. I know it would drive me nuts not having matching cabinets. However, IMHO, most audiences would never know the difference.
 
#10
iriegnome said:
With regards to all of the stuff that is super technical and all that, most people would never notice the difference between a Kustom cab mixed with a EA cab or a pair of Bag End cabs at most shows. We as players will generally hear the difference and for a lot of us, it will bug the daylights out of us. I know it would drive me nuts not having matching cabinets. However, IMHO, most audiences would never know the difference.
Click to expand...

If you combine two 410s with drastically different frequency responses you will end up with some weird phasing. I have been to shows where the bass drops out or I hear "beats."
 

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