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Double Bass Arnopol 8 Cabinet - A Winner!

#201
VegasGutPlucker said:
That's what I'm also interested in, the Crazy Stack. Would you consider it ok for electric but overkill for DB? Or can you not have too much of a good thing?
Click to expand...

My goal when ordering these cabs was to have two lightweight, high quality, cabs that I could mix and match to handle any gig I'm likely to play; their light weight and compact size assures that I'll be able to keep gigging as I grow older and trade my Suburban for a much smaller car; for a city dweller taking public transportation, these cabs would be ideal.

The tweeterless 8 provides huge bass and abundant, effortless, clean, volume - more than enough for practice, and duo gigs. I roll off the bottom end using FDeck's HPF/Pre to suit the venue. I love walking into a club with a 15-pound cajon bag containing the Crazy8, cables, and a micro head, ready to play; the second cajon bag containing the 88 only weighs about 20-pounds. :D

I asked Mike Arnopol to install cup sockets in the top of the Crazy88 and the bottom of the Crazy8, so I can elevate the Crazy 8 closer to ear level while leaving the 88 on the ground to maximize coupling and bass response. An 18" pole elevates the Crazy 8 a foot above the 88, positioning the top of the Crazy8 4' above the floor, where I can clearly see the controls on my amp in a dimly lit club. When I use one cab by itself, I install a short length of 35mm pole into the cup socket as a tip-back device.

Having the pair pole-mounted enables me to hear myself clearly (great for DB intonation), with abundant bass at low volume, making playing very enjoyable, even when I'm only using a fraction of the potential volume. The dispersion is excellent, vertically and horizontally, so it sounds good directly in front, off at an angle, with the cabs off to the side, etc.!

There are a few limitations with this pair. The combined load is 2.67 Ohms, and the footprint is so small that pole-mounting can be unstable on a carpeted floor with compliant padding. It seems silly to power these diminutive wonders with a 20-pound iAmp800 that's several inches wider than the cabs, so I'm looking into either an EA Doubler or an AI Clarus that I can tuck into the cajon bag with the Crazy8.
 
#202
Just got my Crazy 8 and I am really surprised by the sound despite the rave reviews.
I haven't gotten it on a gig yet but coupled with my wood floor, the thing sounds great.
It doesn't bring the bottom of a ten2ex but the lowest notes are pretty even with the rest of the range.
It can be pushed too hard but as long as it's not, this tiny paperweight cab hangs with any I've heard. These will be classics!
 
#203
thanks, Dave and happy birthday! Again I want to mention that when using the Fdeck HPF---especially the upcoming series 3---you can get a LOT more volume and add a lot of bass without bottoming out. It most certainly does have its limitations, but there is a dramatic difference in those limitations with the HPF. I don't leave home without it!
 
#204
VegasGutPlucker said:
That's what I'm also interested in, the Crazy Stack. Would you consider it ok for electric but overkill for DB? Or can you not have too much of a good thing?
Click to expand...

I have a trio (where I'm playing double bass---gotta love that Full Circle for feedback resistance) that plays LOUD. Kindof fusionish with a screamin' electric guitar player. It's really loud electric bass volume. For that the 8/88 combo yields a bit more effortless sound. Again, while using the HPF the combo handles any electric bass gig I play.
 
#208
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#210
Jiffoune said:
Hi, and sorry for my (poor) english !

I bought 3 years ago a Volante bass after reading some commentaries written by Mike. Do you still use the VB and is the Crazy a good match for this bass ?

Thank you in advance

Jiffoune
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Hi--on vacation for a few days. The Crazy 8 sounds great with the Volante, but I think that the 88 might be better. The single 8 is fine, but for quieter gigs--duos trios, some quartets. I usualy play gigs with the Volante that are a bit louder, so for me the 88 is better.. If your gigs are at the level of an acoustic quartet or less the single 8 would be fine.
 
#211
I received my Crazy 8 without tweeter but with tilt back legs last week and used it on a gig last night for the first time. I drove it with an AI Clarus SL with an FDeck pre-amp plugged into the front end. The combination is stupid light. My bass is a hybrid LaScala with a Rev Solo II pickup.

As many previously happy customers have reported, this little speaker is incredibly light, and puts out a big rich sound and a lot of volume. I played with a quartet of drums, electric piano, a second electric piano whose player also played tenor and flute, and a male vocalist who sang on about 1/3 of the tunes. We were playing a special jazz night in a hotel function room decorated to look like a supper club to about 150 people in a small town called Largs on the west coast of Scotland. I didn't miss the tweeter at all, and turned down the bright and treble controls to about 9:00 because the speaker sounded almost too bright to my ears.

I if I had it to do over again, I would not buy the tilt up legs--I didn't use them--because the speaker has incredible dispersion and they weren't necessary. If you do get them, I would recommend that you have Mike put them on the longer side opposite the handle so that you can use the handle as a ledge to support the amp head from sliding off. One of the other posters showed a picture of his Crazy 8 set up that way, and I assumed mine would come that way, but mine came with the legs on the smaller "bottom" of the speaker.

I also brought along my AI Ten2EX last night just in case I needed more volume, but after setting up both, the leader and I agreed that the Crazy 8 would be more than enough--which it was. I ended up packing up the Ten2 and putting it back in my van so that I could get packed up faster when the gig finished. Loading out had me with the amp, speaker and extension cord reel in a Cajon bag over one shoulder, my bass over my shoulder and carried by my right hand, and large and heavy music stand in a case in my left hand--a one trip solution.

Everyone in the band was blown away that such a small and light package could put out so much rich, clean sound. I'm going to be selling my two Wizzy 10s's, an older Contra Ex and a Schroeder Mini 10+R and hope to use the proceeds to purchase a Crazy 88 as well. I do plan on retaining my Ten2EX because it has a wonderful sound that is special in its own way. It also sounds great combined with with the Crazy 8, and I can see this combination working great for loud big bands.

Thanks Mike for designing such a wonderful little speaker, and for accommodating my difficult travel schedule so that I got the speaker on time to take it on the road with me.

Erik Hansen
Scotland
 
#212
Hey Eric--glad you like it!

Oh shite---I thought I was making an improvement by putting the tilt on the bottom---it's harder to do. It gives you a little more tilt on the tweet since it's now a few inches higher. I've had complaints about it not being on bottom! I guess I'll give people the option.
 
#213
Wondering if anyone is powering the Crazy 8 with something other than a small bass amp. I just ordered a Headway pre, and it seems kinda crazy to have a pre like that AND run it into a Clarus or EA Doubler amp. You don't really need the front end that the Clarus or Doubler provide.

I am wondering if there's a very small, lightweight, class-D digital amp that puts out 200 to 300 watts of power, single xlr input, 1/4" output, runs on 12v, that you could plug the Fdeck pre or the Headway pre into, and then on to the Crazy 8.

I'm starting to look at car stereo amps. They're 12v...you could use an adaptor. Tiny, light.
 
#214
wilsonn said:
Wondering if anyone is powering the Crazy 8 with something other than a small bass amp. I just ordered a Headway pre, and it seems kinda crazy to have a pre like that AND run it into a Clarus or EA Doubler amp. You don't really need the front end that the Clarus or Doubler provide.

I am wondering if there's a very small, lightweight, class-D digital amp that puts out 200 to 300 watts of power, single xlr input, 1/4" output, runs on 12v, that you could plug the Fdeck pre or the Headway pre into, and then on to the Crazy 8.

I'm starting to look at car stereo amps. They're 12v...you could use an adaptor. Tiny, light.
Click to expand...


Lately I've been using a Genz Benz Streamliner 900, which puts out 500 watts @ 8 ohms. Obviously, one has to be careful to not blow the driver. But this particular amp has 3 tubes in the preamp and sounds very close to a traditional clean tube amp - and it's just 6.5 pounds instead of 90. I prefer this tone when using the Crazy8 with my Fender Aerodyne Jazz bass. No problems at all! The Crazy8 is still a winner in my book!
 
#215
Yeah, there are lots of light bass amps. I was hoping not to buy another. I have a quite a few. None very light, all GK.

No, what I am seeking is something that just is the amp part. The Genz Benz you describe has a front end. If we already have a Headway or some other bass-specific preamp, we don't need another front end....just the power section.
 
#216
wilsonn said:
Wondering if anyone is powering the Crazy 8 with something other than a small bass amp. I just ordered a Headway pre, and it seems kinda crazy to have a pre like that AND run it into a Clarus or EA Doubler amp. You don't really need the front end that the Clarus or Doubler provide.

I am wondering if there's a very small, lightweight, class-D digital amp that puts out 200 to 300 watts of power, single xlr input, 1/4" output, runs on 12v, that you could plug the Fdeck pre or the Headway pre into, and then on to the Crazy 8.

I'm starting to look at car stereo amps. They're 12v...you could use an adaptor. Tiny, light.
Click to expand...

Invalid Link Removed. Almost exactly what you describe, except it runs on regular AC. There's one available at Grandma's Music for a very good price here in Albuquerque. PM me if you're interested and I can put you in touch.

For DC-only applications, car audio is probably the way to go.
 
#218
wilsonn said:
Yeah, there are lots of light bass amps. I was hoping not to buy another. I have a quite a few. ... we don't need another front end....just the power section.
Click to expand...

Don't buy anything, just plug the Headway into the effects return of your most portable head. Its preamp will be bypassed.
 
#219
I used an Amplite with the Headway for several months. The SWR has lots of clean power and the Headway is an amazing preamp so there is a lot to recommend that combination. However, I sold both and have been using a Clarus because it's a simpler setup and still sounds great.
 

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