I have a cerwin vega 18'' and i know they are loud when in a cab, but mine is loose, I'm waiting on the wood to build a cab. I hooked it up to my new head (my first bass head) it's a Marshall MB series B450H and it wasn't that loud on full blast. Is my speaker crap or my head, OR are speakers louder once they are installed in a cab?
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Are speakers louder once they are in cabs
- Thread starter manchildjr
- Start date
Louder in the cab. Based on your question, it doesn't sound like you have enough knowledge to be ready to build your own cab. I'd do some research first.
Stop! Don't drive a speaker that's not in a cab. You could seriously damage it. A properly designed cab limits the amount that the cone can move in and out.
Now, the speaker might be louder in a cab. When it's out in the open, you've got sound waves coming from both the front and back of the cone, that are competing with one another. Putting the speaker in a box kills the back wave, plus the box helps control the motion of the cone in a way that lets you tailor the frequency response of your system.
Now, the speaker might be louder in a cab. When it's out in the open, you've got sound waves coming from both the front and back of the cone, that are competing with one another. Putting the speaker in a box kills the back wave, plus the box helps control the motion of the cone in a way that lets you tailor the frequency response of your system.
+1. There a lot more to buildng a cab than putting a driver in a box, unless you want a lousy cab.
I hope you didn't really give it full power. It was probably making horrible clanking sounds of speaker death. Google bass reflex design.
Huge +1
The OP should do a Google search on Thiele-Small parameters and read up on cab design.
Yeah, i did put it up to full blast, it didn't make any crackling or any bad noises otherwise i would have stop, I do feel like an idiot for it but i bought the speaker untested and was not sure till now if it even worked. I'm new to amps, up till now i've had to barrow a half stack to do shows and only had a lil 12'' with like a 100w amp
Woofers you can test easy with a 9 volt battery. Just so happens the battery terminals are spaced out just enough to meet the speaker terminals on most woofers. Touch the battery + to + and - to - and most will jump outward. Flip the battery over so it's reversed and most will jump inward. JBL and maybe a couple others wired their speakers opposite of that, but either way, you know if it works or not.
Don't test tweeters with a 9 volt, it's enough to fry some of them. Rig up wires and use a 1.5 volt AAA, you'll hear a click if it works. In any case, don't hold the battery on there on any speaker. That will put DC through the coil and risk damaging it. Just touch to see if the cone jumps, then let go.
i would try the The Thiele-Small Loudspeaker Database but the have no data on my speaker, i have only seen a hand full of them.
If it's a "vintage" speaker, and intact, I would sell it to a collector and start fresh with a modern driver. My rationale is that the newer "super" woofers are a lot more DIY friendly, and would be more likely to reward you with success on your first project.
Ric5
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Running a speaker without a cabinet will have a cancellation of the bass and low mid frequencies. In other words it will sound quite bad.
Hmmm......not having the TS parameters for a driver makes it difficult to know how to design a cab to go with the driver (cab volume, number of ports, port diameter, port length, etc). It's important to have those cab parameters done correctly, otherwise the driver can experience over-excursion when playing the lower notes on a bass. I suppose one could guess at cab specs, but the odds of guessing correctly would be like putting Stevie Wonder in the driver's seat of a car in New York and telling him to just start driving, hoping he arrives safely in Los Angeles.
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If there's a label or any information on the speaker, you may be able to look up TS parameters for it.
it's cerwin-vega 187, i wanted an L187 like the one in my grandpa's peavey folded horn, i was going to build that, i had all the plans out but i down not own a truck and those things are huge. I still want to use the 187 in it, i was wanted to do a front mount (i actually want to do a front mount but inside out but i wouldn't be able to move that) another thing, what wood should i use
Do you think it would be ok if i used the thiele small for a peavey 18 thats also a 4ohm
Do you think it would be ok if i used the thiele small for a peavey 18 thats also a 4ohm
No, the Peavey will most likely have very different parameters.
I agree with Francis, sell it and get a modern speaker. 18" aren't all that great. A modern 15" will do the same an 18" does and more (better highs, better dispersion).
In short.
A (general)cab does the following when a driver is installed into it:
-making sure the front and back radiated soundwaves don't cancel eachother out
-change the "Q" of the driver
-change the 4pi --> 2pi radiation behavior (bafflestep)
Some cabs do some extra's, like using part of the back radiated sound to extend lowend response (ported) or increase the efficiency (horn).
A (general)cab does the following when a driver is installed into it:
-making sure the front and back radiated soundwaves don't cancel eachother out
-change the "Q" of the driver
-change the 4pi --> 2pi radiation behavior (bafflestep)
Some cabs do some extra's, like using part of the back radiated sound to extend lowend response (ported) or increase the efficiency (horn).
yeah, i found out what dimensions modern day Cerwin vegas uses 25 " x 21 " x 23.5 " so i'm going to go with that, i think thats pretty much what most 18'' cabs use so i'm going to hope for the best
