Advice please: Home playing = lower volume = different size cab/speaker?

[Polk Salad]

Hey everyone,
I'm just wondering - what size cab do you like playing / practicing with at home. I love the sound of a 15" but pondered trying something else, maybe a 2x10, 4x10 or a 2x12?

Considering that home playing for me = lower volume playing, would you change the speaker cab you use to recapture some tone you may lose playing at a lower volume?

I hope this makes sense, LOL!

 

[chris_b]

When I play at home, which isn't that often, I use my Berg AE112 and an Aguilar TH500. This is all part of my gigging rig.

These guys sound much better than any small combo I've heard.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Hey everyone,
I'm just wondering - what size cab do you like playing / practicing with at home. I love the sound of a 15" but pondered trying something else, maybe a 2x10, 4x10 or a 2x12?

Considering that home playing for me = lower volume playing, would you change the speaker cab you use to recapture some tone you may lose playing at a lower volume?

I hope this makes sense, LOL!

Speaker size has nothing to do with tonal characteristics.

My current home cabinet is my stage cabinet, a fEARful 1212/6, I run it with a Markbass SD800. I could vibrate the pictures off my neighbours walls if I wanted to... I just turn it down to an acceptable volume. My main practice rig when I am in a band is an Epifani 310 with a 2000w power amp driving it. If your rig has a volume knob then you can use it wherever (assuming you are not going to tube OD at home.)

 

[Crater]

I have no problem dialing back the volume on my bass stack (Ampeg PF-500 and a 4x10 cab) to a suitable practice volume, but I'd just as soon use my little 20 watt, 1x12 cheapo Acoustic amp that I bought used. I'm not picky about my tone, though, so "your mileage may vary." As long as the neighbors aren't complaining, use what you like.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

I just use a Fender Rumble 25 1x8. Any more would seem excessive.

 

[Passinwind]

Hey everyone,
I'm just wondering - what size cab do you like playing / practicing with at home. I love the sound of a 15" but pondered trying something else, maybe a 2x10, 4x10 or a 2x12?

Considering that home playing for me = lower volume playing, would you change the speaker cab you use to recapture some tone you may lose playing at a lower volume?

I play at the same volume or louder at home as on most gigs. I tend to use one of my 15/6/1 cabs most of the time so as not to wear out my 112 gigging cab. They sound quite close to the same anyway. If I want a deluxe experience at home I go stereo. The smallest power amp I ever use anywhere is good for 250 watts @ 8 ohms.

 

[FunkHead]

Here's my practice rig. I play at home for enjoyment and to try to get better. I smile from ear to ear when I jam at home.

 

[dinoadventures]

If your rig has a volume knob then you can use it wherever (assuming you are not going to tube OD at home.)

My thoughts exactly. I play at home on the same rig I use to play out, just at a very different volume.

 

[Polk Salad]

Sage advise and insight guys, I appreciate it!

 

[Downunderwonder]

I just use a Fender Rumble 25 1x8. Any more would seem excessive.

I'll see your 8'' and raise you a 6'' practice amp.

 

[basscooker]

I'll see your 6" amp and raise you 5" active monitor

 

[ZenG]

Playing at home:-

I have a Marshall 25 watt x 8 inch speaker........not bad...but not all of my basses sound great through it.

I had an Ampeg BA115....100wattsx 15 inch speaker......bigger speaker , better tone at low volumes....but again not every bass sounded great.

Went to a GK 200 watt x 12 inch speaker........better tone than the Ampeg and every bass sounds good on it.....

"Low volume " sound/tone can be manipulated/controlled a lot by EQ settings on the bass and amp.....strings make a difference too....

 

[el murdoque]

I tried out a few small practice amps over the time. I found that the small ones are either too weak for a 5 string or so overpriced that
you could buy a serious amp for the same money (and they were labeled suitcase amp, travelling amp etc.).
The smallest i can go is 1x12". I have a SWR LA 12 for home practice. Nice amp to my ears. Very uncomplicated and very dry.
If i did not have that one and found myself in the market for a practice solution, i'd buy myself a Gallien Krueger MBX112 cab and use one of my class D heads.

 

[Nev375]

For low volume practice in an apartment, nothing less than a wall of 8 SVTs and 8x10's will do!

The neighbors pounding on the doors/walls, the police yelling through their bullhorn, the sound of a battering ram beating down the door, the sound of a running generator cause they cut the power, the helicoptors over head...

You need a lot of power to drown all that out and get a good quality uninterrupted practice session.

 

[ThePresident777]

Direct into the mixing board through an Empress Parametric EQ pedal. Beringer Xenyx 802 mixer, Pyle PTA 1000, a pair of Gemini ES-10s. Head phones when needed. Sounds great.

Now that I think of it, the way I have my EQ pedal set up, I can probably eliminate that and just use the mixer's EQ.

 

[Clivus58]

I use my gigging rig at home, but at low volume I turn up the lows a bit to compensate for the perceived loss of gain in that frequency range. Good ol' Fletcher-Munson curves at work.....

 

[lomo]

When playing at low volume at home I still use a pretty large rig because I haven't found a tiny practice combo that sounds good. I keep the volume low, boost the lows (which the human ear has trouble perceiving at lower volumes) and have a stack that gets a driver at ear level.

 

[popgadget]

First- the size of the speaker tells you only the size of the speaker,nothing about its tonal characteristics.

Second- a gig sized rig sounds just fine at low volumes, the only reason for a "home" rig is size constraints. If your gig rig is at home with you, that's what you ought to practice with. If not,almost anything that fits will work for practicing. There are some very good compact cabs,amps and combos available, but are probably overkill if you're happy with your gig rig.

 

[CL400Peavey]

This is the rig I use at home (and on the majority of my gigs)

Dingwalls AB1, JGR 12AX7 Rock Pre, Crest ProLite 3.0, greenboy fEARless F212.

Knobs turn down.

 

[bebass]

Here's my practice rig. I play at home for enjoyment and to try to get better. I smile from ear to ear when I jam at home.

NICE looking home practice rig with a 300 watt tube amp! Now that's being all you can be for a home practice rig.