This is going to be a tough one for me...
Our own Duke LeJeune, who designs high end home audio speakers under the Audio Kinesis line, recently asked me to try out a new bass cab design he's testing, utilizing high xmax woofers and a mid driver. I'm a bigtime vintage Ampeg dude, but I've been curious about these new high efficiency designs like the Barefaced and the fEarful and the not-quite-as-new but innovative Bill Fitzmaurice designs. I love the 810's sound in front of the cab but I'll be the first to admit that even though I still like the sound off axis, it does sound way better if you stand in front of it or mic it into a good PA. But I use it because it's got the sound, and I've always thought most 2 or 3-way PA cabs sounded cheap, and most good PA cabs you could use were really expensive or too big.
But it turns out that if you do it right with high xmax neos and a mid driver with tone, a small 2-way cab sounds amazing. I can't say too much about the design per Duke's request, but it's a mind-blowing experience. It's not a real big cab but it felt like it moved almost as much air as the 810. And no matter where you stood, the sound was there. It sounds great when you play it at home, but you really can't appreciate it until you're on a gig.
BTW, it sounded excellent with an SVT. It's a different sound from the 810, kind of like if you use a REDDI DI or a speaker DI'd SVT into a really good big studio monitor. But I like it. Even sounded great with distortion...very warm and not the least bit brittle or cold. Goes quite a bit lower than I'm used to, but it's not at all muddy or boomy.
Will it replace my beloved 810, what I just spent a fortune on restoring to its original sonic glory, or my B-15 cabs? It just might. Everyone in my band and on the sound crew loved it. And I think it would not only make a great bass cab but it would also make a great cab for other instruments, and it would be ideal for small PA's, too. But dang, those Ampeg cabs are the coolest, and Duke can't do blue checker Duratex finishes
I sent back his prototype today so he can try a couple small tweaks, and I told him that when he's ready to go to market, I'm buying a couple. At first I wanted a pair to use as a small-medium PA, but after trying it out with a band, I'm hard pressed to think of a reason not to switch to them for bass. I think Duke is going to blow minds with his cabs. They're unique, very forward thinking, and IMHO they do everything he was trying to accomplish and then some. Audio Kinesis cabs are highly regarded in high end home audio, and I honestly believe that his instrument cabs are going to be just as well-received, if not more so. Wish I could say more about them, but Duke will tell you in good time.
And now for the whiny "Shill!" screamers:
DISCLAIMER: I am beta-testing a cab for Audio Kinesis. I have no other connection with Audio Kinesis other than finding Duke a friendly and very knowledgeable guy on Talkbass. I have not been compensated monetarily, but I am getting a discount on a future purchase.
Our own Duke LeJeune, who designs high end home audio speakers under the Audio Kinesis line, recently asked me to try out a new bass cab design he's testing, utilizing high xmax woofers and a mid driver. I'm a bigtime vintage Ampeg dude, but I've been curious about these new high efficiency designs like the Barefaced and the fEarful and the not-quite-as-new but innovative Bill Fitzmaurice designs. I love the 810's sound in front of the cab but I'll be the first to admit that even though I still like the sound off axis, it does sound way better if you stand in front of it or mic it into a good PA. But I use it because it's got the sound, and I've always thought most 2 or 3-way PA cabs sounded cheap, and most good PA cabs you could use were really expensive or too big.
But it turns out that if you do it right with high xmax neos and a mid driver with tone, a small 2-way cab sounds amazing. I can't say too much about the design per Duke's request, but it's a mind-blowing experience. It's not a real big cab but it felt like it moved almost as much air as the 810. And no matter where you stood, the sound was there. It sounds great when you play it at home, but you really can't appreciate it until you're on a gig.
BTW, it sounded excellent with an SVT. It's a different sound from the 810, kind of like if you use a REDDI DI or a speaker DI'd SVT into a really good big studio monitor. But I like it. Even sounded great with distortion...very warm and not the least bit brittle or cold. Goes quite a bit lower than I'm used to, but it's not at all muddy or boomy.
Will it replace my beloved 810, what I just spent a fortune on restoring to its original sonic glory, or my B-15 cabs? It just might. Everyone in my band and on the sound crew loved it. And I think it would not only make a great bass cab but it would also make a great cab for other instruments, and it would be ideal for small PA's, too. But dang, those Ampeg cabs are the coolest, and Duke can't do blue checker Duratex finishes
I sent back his prototype today so he can try a couple small tweaks, and I told him that when he's ready to go to market, I'm buying a couple. At first I wanted a pair to use as a small-medium PA, but after trying it out with a band, I'm hard pressed to think of a reason not to switch to them for bass. I think Duke is going to blow minds with his cabs. They're unique, very forward thinking, and IMHO they do everything he was trying to accomplish and then some. Audio Kinesis cabs are highly regarded in high end home audio, and I honestly believe that his instrument cabs are going to be just as well-received, if not more so. Wish I could say more about them, but Duke will tell you in good time.
And now for the whiny "Shill!" screamers:
DISCLAIMER: I am beta-testing a cab for Audio Kinesis. I have no other connection with Audio Kinesis other than finding Duke a friendly and very knowledgeable guy on Talkbass. I have not been compensated monetarily, but I am getting a discount on a future purchase.
