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12 inch powered subs for "small room" PA

drpepper

drpepper

Supporting Member
Jul 20, 2009
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Columbia, Maryland
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#1
Any experiences with the current crop of 12" powered subs in a band application...comparison between a single 15" vs a pair of 12"s...experience moving to 12"s from something else?

I'm currently using a single Mackie HD1501 in my setup for smaller gigs/when we do our own sound. I have SRM550 tops. I absolutely love the SRMs. One thing I'm not happy with is handling the HD1501...at 80lbs, it really tends to be a PITA to get around as a single piece.

My thoughts have been to possibly change up to a pair of 12"s.

I try to avoid brand/label snobbery, but I find that I'm at least mildly afflicted with it. From looking at reviews/youtube videos (which all seem to be aimed at DJs), the Behringer B1200D looks interesting. Others I'm seeing offings from are Mackie, Turbosound, EV, Alto (never heard of them before), Yamaha, and Seismic Audio.
 
#4
I have one of these wich I use for bass only and for small PA:
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Very light and efficient for a 12''

There is no magic with subs : bigger speaker generally means more low end.

It all comes down to what's your priority . Mine was small size and low weight , that's why I got that one.
If my priority changes to bigger sound , I'll buy an 18''.
 
#5
drpepper said:
Thanks for your input. I'm curious if you've tried or heard any of the latest 12" subs and found that they weren't even suitable for sound thickening in a small room, or is that based on your instinct that 15" is the minimum size that a sub should be?
Click to expand...
I have a 12" sub in my home theater system.. plenty of bass for the room, but not sure I'd want to do anything rock venue related with it..
Doesn't mean you should ignore that size tho'.. depending on what your music style is..
As @fokof said.. "bigger speaker generally means more low end."...
 
#6

Since you’re talking about a small room, I don’t see why a pair of 12-inchers won’t perform as well as a single 15”. Just compare the specs. The main thing of concern is maximum dB output and extension (i.e. how low it plays). For instance, your Mackie rolls out hard below ~45 Hz and has a maximum output of 126 dB. If you can find a 12-incher that goes that low and hits 120 dB or better, two of them should be a match for the Mackie. You’ll probably get the best performance co-locating them. Naturally, matching performance from two 12” subs is probably going to cost more than the single 15”.

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Wayne A. Pflughaupt

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#9
modulusman said:
I have a Yamaha DXS12 that I use with a pair of either dxr12s or 10s. I haven't used it out at a lot of gigs but when I did it did the job as long as you don't expect EDM levels.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. I saw a comparison video of that and the EV. Definitely the direction I'm heading in, but I think I saw that the weight is over 70lbs and bigger than some of the other "compact" 12s. Even from the audio in a youtube video, you could tell that the sound was more stout from the Yamaha, no doubt at least partially due to the somewhat larger size.

Anyway, the info on what you're doing helps out.
 
#10
musicman7722 said:
Electro-Voice ZXA1-Sub 12" Powered Subwoofer
I have a pair of these. Very lightweight and they add a nice low end to my system which uses QSC k10's for tops. No they will not hammer your chest but they do add a nice lo end to the over all sound. They are so light i can carry one in each arm.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Exactly the kind of experience I was hoping to hear about.

This is my "personal" system, and for the kinds of gig I'm talking about, by definition, a sub isn't a necessity. The music is mostly rock, so not a lot of sub-bass content. But we do still prefer to run everything through the PA for control and a balanced front. Extending the range is just a nicety. I'm not looking for or expecting night club/concert sub-bass, nor have I been asking that of the current setup.

The one HD1501 is capable of more than is usually needed from it, and it puts me in situations where I need to take my wife's SUV/have someone else transport it and generally want to have help carrying it, so I don't injure myself. It won't fit in my trunk and I've got a rip in my seat and a dent in the door thanks to cramming it in the back seat of my car. It has been and can be dealt with, but it's a hassle.
 
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#11
I strongly suggest you to check the RCF 902as before you buy anything.

More expensive than the EV but worth it , believe me.
Not the same league.
 
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#16
I have an EV ZX1a sub. I use it exclusively at home for now but it handles the B string without a fart and is complementing my EV ZLX12p very well. Weight and size were my primary requirements since it needed to fit in my car trunk. If you have the money I think the RCF is better (based on others opinions).
We have a Yorkville 2x10" sub and a Yorkville 15" sub at practice room. We all prefer the 2x10" because it is punchier than the 15" sub (for live sound)
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#17
I used to use a pair of fEarful 12 subs for small rooms. Powered them with a 500 watt per side power amp and they kicked pretty hard. Very small and extremely light, but not powered. I've had k-subs. Thought they were kinda meh... Have 4 KW-181's now that I like a lot...
 
#19
I really like my K-Subs - I run them with K12 tops as well. I also use a Driverack PA2 which manages the crossover very nicely, especially if you can measure the room beforehand. Soundwise I find them to be fairly transparent - they don't color the sound as much as handle everything below 100 hz. If you want a hip hop bass heavy FOH, go for the K18 or some big JBLs (subbed with a heavy classic rock band a few weeks ago and they had a pair - unknown model but large and new-ish- that really dropped bombs but that didn't reflect the stage sound).
 

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