acme bashers

hey...i owned an Low B2 (4 ohm).

my opinion/comments:

- you're right, power hungry
- 2x10 not enough for most applications
- acme is great tone, volume-challenged
- i've heard good reports for 4x10
- i would guess you won't come close to
the volume of most 4x10's, but you'll have
great (if you dig it) tone.
- they are light and easy to carry
- construction is quite good
- 1000W for the B4 is a -minimum-...you won't
have alot of headroom i bet. if you haven't
bought a power amp yet, i'd go bigger yet.
- you can always ship the product back
if it's not your cup of tea (will cost you some
dough though).

good luck!

 

beachgeddy, I think I might be takin' the plunge with you. These Low B4 cabs look very incredible, and the reviews, oh boy, the reviews. All of them are positive. Lots of the people on TB recommend them, yet I think not many have them because of the direct-order deal. Well, my friend, nothing is gained in life if nothing is risked. Take my hand, hold your breathe, and lets jump into the abyss!!

 

I checked my TB contract... I can only bash one brand per month.

I've tried B4's and owned a Low B2. They do what they do very well. Lots of low end extension. I didn't care for it. I did get good volume pushing it with a 400w head. I also tried it with a much larger amp, with similar results.

I found I prefer my EA's for what people are calling "flat" sound.

 

I've owned 2 Acme 2x10 Low B-2s for about 2 years now. They replaced a Mesa 2x10 and 1x15. The only negative I have is that 1 2x10 will probably not be enough for an outside gig or a larger hall. I ended up getting the second 2x10 about 2 months after buying the first. I love having the flexibility of the 2 cabs. And 2 cabs have been more than enough for any place I've played.

If you like the studio-like sound of the cabinets and are willing to make the power investment, I can't imagine you would be disappointed.

Jeff

 

I bought one and loved the sound so much I bought another. Driving each with one side of a QSC PLX3002 and Alembic F1x, I was easily buried by a moderately-loud band... more than once.

I was impressed by build quality, sound, and the amount of power these things will take. I didn't think much of the handles, I thought dragging two small cabinets around was just as much a pain in the butt as one big cabinet, so I sold them both and went the Ampeg SVT410HLF route. I'm much happier, and I can hear myself without straining my amp.

I'm wondering if the Alembic pre I was using was part of my problem? I would love to hear the same setup with the Demeter pre I'm using now, I think I'd be much happier...

 

Ahh beachgeddy, don't worry, you me are alike at heart, we're both lesbians.

 

I think that might be part of your problem, as the Alembic isn't fond of the middle frequency range, which is what gets heard in a band situation.

 

hehe, you are funny person. it is too early in the morning for me to make an appropriate reply, so I will just write this. anyways, have you gotten any second opinions that this Acme B4 isn't loud enough in a band situation?

 

Here's another one. I owned a B-2 and a B-4 at different times. Powered the B-4 with a Mackie 1400 and still got buried, but I don't think it was a volume problem, since the same thing happens to me when I use a neck-through bass. It's a function of tone.

All this stuff about "flat response", "accurate this and that", "studio quality" is only useable when a player is playing alone. All those qualities become negatives when you're trying to be heard in a thick mix. I did a A/B with my B-4 and an SWR Goliath II, each using one side of my Mackie/Alembic rig. Watt for watt, the SWR blew the Acme away, both in terms of apparent volume and presence in the mix. Sure, the Acme sounded better alone, but what good is that?

 

Wow, that hasn't been my experience. With the Acme's flat response, I've found I can shape the EQ anyway I need it much easier than using woofer/horn setups with their traditional scooped response. I play in a band with 2 keyboardists, 2-3 guitarists (electric and acoustic), horns, drummer, percussion and vocals. According to the band's leader and other members of the group, my tone has never been more solid, articulate and readily distinguishable in the mix.

Before buying the Acmes, I demo'd Eden XLT, SWR and Mesa in 2x10/1x15 setups and an Ampeg 4x10 and choose the Acme. (It helps to have a good relationship with the local music stores!). I've never been happier with my tone.

Of course, you can get a great sound from any other these cabinets. I just prefer to start from a system that is flat and accurate and then adjust accordingly. It's all about choice.

YMMV...

Jeff

 

mchildree and Jeff Rader, interesting observations.

But Jeff, do you think the Acme B4, not B2, can compete in a heavy metal, heavy rock band, with a Kern as a preamp? I need volume, and oodles of it. If not, do you think that having 2 Acme B4s would handle it? Forget about poweramps, I got that covered.

 

Two B4's? Maybe.

I concur with Mike. I agree with Jeff that adjustments can be made but that's exactly what I didn't want. I wanted something that could cut through without the need for tweaking... and I have it. I realized that for me cutting through was much more useful than having a "flat" response.

If you like 'em, use 'em.

 

In my experience, you will not get oodles of volume from a single B4--at least, not hard rock/heavy metal band levels of volume. 1200 watts and a B4 did fine for my loud modern rock band, where the two gutarists were using a tube Fender Twin and a Marshal combo.

But now that I'm playing in a "progressive" band (more Iron Maiden than Yes/Rush, actually) with two 100-watt Marshall half-stacks, I've started using the Aguilar 4x10 instead. I prefer the way the Acme sounds--next to it, the lows on the Ag (or any other 4x10 I've played) sound kinda "buzzy"--but I just wasn't getting as much volume as I needed.

I could add more power (and probably will at some point), but even doubling the wattage doesn't gain you _that_ much more in terms of overall volume. And I'm too old and lazy to haul two 4x10s! I'd definately plan on a pair of B4s if you're going the Acme route for metal, though--it'd sound pretty friggin' awsome!

Mike

 

Even the EA's have gone more away from their completely hi-fi, three types of speakers/three way cabinets, but NOT LOUD, to a two way speaker that's more efficient and audibly louder!!

If you're looking for sheer stage volume, you may not like the way Acme's or EA's sound. I do but that's my taste. I agree with a prior post that I'd rather have a flat cabinet that I can tweak tone on the amp, bass, pre-amp, attenuators/ whatever, than have a cab that can't reproduce frequencies across the board.

Try 'em out. Do what's best for you. With the return policy they have, your worst case is a double shipping payment. Still cheaper than a rental of a good system for a gig.

LKaye