• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Aguilar DB212 Midrange

P

pert-urb

Apr 18, 2008
19
0
DC
#1
I read alot on TB about the DB series having a noticeable "bump" in the mid range. Can anyone identify the center frequency of this midrange?

Afterall, midrange encompasses a wide frequencies, and is a key component for defining one's "sound". Compare Stanley and Jaco midrange, for instance.

I realize that "tone" is a personal preference, and that room size, environment, and volume have a significant impact on sound.

Can anyone provide frequency characteristics for this midrange? (I'm interested in comparison with Aguilar GS212.)

Thanks
 
#2
I can't put a number on it, but my ears tell me it is very present in the mid mids..... 400-600hz. It isn't 'grindy' up top (like the AE410 with that bump way up in the upper mids), and it isn't super low mid present (200hz) like some of the Schroeder cabs.

The 212 (like is often the case with 212's versus the 112 x 2 stack of the same product line) is a bit more low end extended and not quite as mid present as the 112's.

Very nice voicing for a warm, punchy, organic tone. A bit heavy, but not too bad. The cloth grill and tolex takes a bit of loving care, but as long as you have a padded cover and aren't throwing it around, there shouldn't be any problems.

Using your 'player' example of midrange, where the AE410 is a bit 'Flea' and the Schroeders do the Jaco thing (whether you want to do that or not, in some cases), the DB Aguilar line is more Bob Glaub, or even Duck Dunn to my ear... round, fat but not boomy, punchy and smooth/organic. My favorite Aguilar cab line by far!


Edit: Didn't see your comparison request Less scooped than the GS212 to my ears (and the GS212 is more even than 2 x GS112), not quite the deep bass response, a bit more lower mid meat, a lot more mid mids, and a smoother transition to the tweeter, making the top end sound 'less modern', even though I believe it is the same tweeter model.
 
#3
PS As one more bit of info, some of the guys who really love the GS112 describe the DB's as 'nasal'. That term is mostly associated with the frequencies around 500hz or so IME.

I don't find the DB's nasally at all, but they are present in that mid mid area.
 
#4
I would agree - I hear a lot in the 400Hz range which is an area I do not care for (though I like a lot of midrange overall). To me, the voicing makes these cabs sound muffled/congested - I had a DB212 (along with a 115) for about 20 minutes before I boxed them up and sent em back. To me, it sounds like the drivers aren't well-matched to the cabs.
 
#5
JGR said:
I would agree - I hear a lot in the 400Hz range which is an area I do not care for (though I like a lot of midrange overall). To me, the voicing makes these cabs sound muffled/congested - I had a DB212 (along with a 115) for about 20 minutes before I boxed them up and sent em back. To me, it sounds like the drivers aren't well-matched to the cabs.
Click to expand...

Definitely a love/hate relationship with the DB's, and interestingly, for the most part, those who love them and those who hate them hear pretty much the same thing. One man's 'congested and nasal' is another man's 'warm and fat and punchy':D
 
#8
Sure, it's all part of finding components that work well together as a system; my basses are passive, and already have a lot of mids from the pickups I use, so it isn't surprising that the mids on top of mids didn't work out. That said, I still don't think they are very well voiced, or perhaps voiced a bit too extreme, which limits their appeal. I can usually get a pretty usable tone out of a most gear, but these just did not work. But if they work for ya, cool, because they are beautiful and very well-made.
 
#9
JGR said:
Sure, it's all part of finding components that work well together as a system; my basses are passive, and already have a lot of mids from the pickups I use, so it isn't surprising that the mids on top of mids didn't work out. That said, I still don't think they are very well voiced, or perhaps voiced a bit too extreme, which limits their appeal. I can usually get a pretty usable tone out of a most gear, but these just did not work. But if they work for ya, cool, because they are beautiful and very well-made.
Click to expand...

Any time a cab has a somewhat unusual voicing (e.g., that big low mid bump in some of the Schroeder's, the super wide, deep voicing of the Acme's, those big lower and upper mid bumps of the old Eden 410XLT, and to some extent, the mid mid presence of the DB's) IMO there will be a lot of love/hate. I totally understand each side of that dichotomy with all those cabs.
 
#10
Yup, I would agree. It's kind of odd Aguilar went from one extreme to the other with the GS and DB cabs. Somewhere in the middle would have been nice!
 
#11
I don't think the DB mid thing is nearly as prominent as I've read from some posters. I recently had a long A/B session (3 weeks - both stacks side by side) comparing a pair of DB112's and a Berg HS410 which is known as having very flat response and really there was not a whole lot in it. The Berg sounded more detailed, the DB's more bassy. There was a textural difference but not a massive EQ difference. IMO some of the descriptions of DB mids I've read are highly exaggerated.
 
#12
vin*tone said:
I don't think the DB mid thing is nearly as prominent as I've read from some posters. I recently had a long A/B session (3 weeks - both stacks side by side) comparing a pair of DB112's and a Berg HS410 which is known as having very flat response and really there was not a whole lot in it. The Berg sounded more detailed, the DB's more bassy. There was a textural difference but not a massive EQ difference. IMO some of the descriptions of DB mids I've read are highly exaggerated.
Click to expand...

+1 The Berg HS's are quite mid present also, although over a wider frequency range, with a bit more going on in the low mids versus the DB's mid mid presence.

I think the 'extreme' mid voicing comments are mostly coming from Aguilar GS fans, and compared to the GS112, the mid punch of the DB is pretty significant. I list the GS112 as one of my all time least favorite cabs, so it would make sense that I would dig the DB line.

I again like the DB's a lot!
 
#13
Big DB 212 fan here. I went from 2 GS112s to a DB 212 and couldn't be happier with the sound. Big, round and warm are a few adjectives I'd throw around. They are definitely more mid-present in what sounds like that 400Hz - 500Hz range, and that sort of changes the overall character of what "big, round and warm" mean to me.

I liked the 212 with my AG500 head, but I love the DB212 with my Tonehammer 500 which gives me a better sweep over the mids and lets me dial in with an ensemble more quickly than the 2 band mids on the AG500.

The GS112 stack felt lower and smoother, but I like where the DB sits in the mix.
 
#14
Hey,

I never had a 212 but comparing the GS410 to the DB410 there is a considerable difference. I would say the boost is around 500Hz.
Probably due to the midrange difference, when you solo the DB410, compared the to GS410 it doesn't have a lot of treble and has a strong mid boost. IMO not really for the fans of the very hifi or modern tones. This also depends on the amp you use. I mostly play it through a DB750 but I also have a TH500. To me they both sound great but with a different midrange (also, with the TH500 you can set where you want to EQ the midrange).
When you play the DB in a band, you get a much more defined sound. Even our drummer noticed! :D Being an endorser, I could try some different combinations and I chose the DB - it sits much better in the mix. And for me this is enough - if a rig kicks butt in a band setup, I'm all for it.

If you're a fan of 12's, also check out the SL112! I just got mine and I love it. Ideal choice for not-so-loud gigs and practices, at something like 25 pounds.

Cheers!
MH
 
#16
mad_hungarian said:
Hey,

I never had a 212 but comparing the GS410 to the DB410 there is a considerable difference. I would say the boost is around 500Hz.
Probably due to the midrange difference, when you solo the DB410, compared the to GS410 it doesn't have a lot of treble and has a strong mid boost. IMO not really for the fans of the very hifi or modern tones. This also depends on the amp you use. I mostly play it through a DB750 but I also have a TH500. To me they both sound great but with a different midrange (also, with the TH500 you can set where you want to EQ the midrange).
When you play the DB in a band, you get a much more defined sound. Even our drummer noticed! :D Being an endorser, I could try some different combinations and I chose the DB - it sits much better in the mix. And for me this is enough - if a rig kicks butt in a band setup, I'm all for it.

If you're a fan of 12's, also check out the SL112! I just got mine and I love it. Ideal choice for not-so-loud gigs and practices, at something like 25 pounds.

Cheers!
MH
Click to expand...

How do the SLs compare to the rest of the Aggy line?
 
#17
This has been helpful. I am coming from a recent history of in-ear-monitor with enough stage-monitor (lows) to vibrate my pants leg to make it "feel" real. I've played through an Ampeg 810/SVT3Pro combination and gotten a big smiley-eq tone, which seems to go well for smooth-jazz/slap funk but...

...for a standards jazz/R&B/blues "round sound" I'm shooting for something a little closer to dsanders' tones on his band link (yeah, I know it's produced-:cool:-but that's closer to the sound I'm hoping for.) I want to avoid giving the G-string enough honking mids to stray into the guitar freqs. It needs enough lows to stay in the big fat round Bass family. (It's just the skinny kid in the Bass family. ..and a bright one at that!)

As the stage volume increases, I have heard the midrange (400-600Hz) start to take over the deep lows (on 410's) and I find myself adjusting more than I like.

It sounds like the DB's may bring the low-end up while keeping enough midrange throat to balance with the rest of the band. Does this rate with your (collective) experience?
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back