AudioKinesis 1x12 Cab Part Two

[KJung]

I forgot I had even done this clip until someone commented on it today! It's been up for a while, but just in case some new to considering a Thunderchild haven't heard it, it is a pretty nice representation of what the cab sounds like with a 'warm bass' (in this case, an Alleva-Coppolo 60's style J with nickel roundwounds), a 'warm' head (the wonderful LMII set completely neutral, which results in an actual relatively flat signal into the cab), and the top end of the Thunderchild rolled off with the very nice attenuator switch.

Just FYI, since I forgot about this one myself. As always, the playing is uninteresting, but the tone is (IMO) to die for

AudioKinesis with LMII and Alleva-Coppolo LG5 - YouTube

 

[Chef]

barefootin'.
awesome

 

[KJung]

barefootin'.
awesome

I'm getting ready for a ton of gigs in the Midwest. I believe I'll be swinging through Lake of the Ozarks in late September. Don't know if I'll be in a van or driving myself at this point, but I'll let you know. We are due for a hang. I think Beeson is doing a few of the nights.

 

[Passinwind]

If you're a doubler, I'd be eager to hear about your experiences; the closest I've come to a do-it-all cab is the Euphonic Audio VL208. I'm hoping the TCAF will be all that and a bag of chips.

I think you will find it to be more like a case of chips, at least judging from my limited time playing through a VL208.

 

[KJung]

I think you will find it to be more like a case of chips, at least judging from my limited time playing through a VL208.

+1 I was able to A/B my standard TC112 with a VL208 with a number of heads and DB and electric. It was like taking a blanket off of the 208 (which also sounded good in its own way). So much more open and even and 'non compressed' sounding. Much lighter also!

 

[Jazzdogg]

Jazzdog - I haven't played double bass through it (I'd look for Charlie's comments in that direction) but I have used it for cello, electric guitar, electric bass and recorded music, and it's done extremely well with all the different content.



I'd like to again note the majority of the reverb isn't from the production, but mainly from the amp's reverb and the room. We set up the studio with reflective panels behind the speaker directed to get the sense of space that came through really nicely with the stereo mics.

I'm really content that I only needed to roll off the highs to the degree I accentuated them for the performance (to get a bit more in the upper mids). In the future, I'll probably use a cap on the tone pot for the upper mid coloration and have the live sound closer, but otherwise, this turned out pretty much as well for what we were doing as it could.

Thanks!

 

[Jazzdogg]

I think you will find it to be more like a case of chips, at least judging from my limited time playing through a VL208.

+1 I was able to A/B my standard TC112 with a VL208 with a number of heads and DB and electric. It was like taking a blanket off of the 208 (which also sounded good in its own way). So much more open and even and 'non compressed' sounding. Much lighter also!

Darn it, Charlie and Ken, now I'm droolin' again! Where'd I put that bib?

 

[Chef]

pre-info:
I play a 1961 King Moretone, that was built by Bob Branstetter in KC MO. He bought the un0finished bass at a trade show with no top and no fingerboard-perhaps leftover from the factory.
He carved a spruce top for it, made a shim for the fingerboard, carved a pakkawood fingerboard (alternating layers of thin ebony and thermophenolic resins) and bridge for it. Strings currently are Thomastic Dominant for G, D, A, and Thomastic Mittle for the E.

K&K BassMax pickup and two band pre.

I typically use a Mesa Walkabout head, and Low Down Sound 2x8+5 cab. This, of all the stuff I've tried, seems to work best for me. I run the the K&K with bass and treble trimmed a bit from flat, Walkabout flat except to trim bass at ~50hz some to keep the low end from being overly bloomy, and treble trimmed a bit at ~4khz to smooth the piezo-ness.
This works and sounds reasonably well, the bands like it, sound guys like it.
I've always wrestled a bit with the piezo pickup treble being a bit overbright and being not so acoustic sounding. This is part of why I like the Doms; they're a perlon core with a steel outer than provides gut-ish warmth combined with steel sustain and are much tamer on top than the Weich or Mittle.

So, the TC112AF:
I've only used it at home for practice so far, playing along with the stereo. I have a very nice, older Luxman head unit, and some B&W Matix speakers.
The TC112AF is really quite a nice step up from my trusty standard.
The LDS is quite a deep cab, with a little bit of midscoop where the long throw 8's cross to the 5" mid, which is actually quite bright.

By comparison, the TC112AF is very, very even. The bass is tighter, but still delivers the back-fat I like with double bass. Very very smooth and even through the mids, and the fabulous crossover work to the horn is very evident. The transition to highs is spot on, and the smoooooth top end really does a great job of making the piezo pickup somewhat overbright treble response very much more natural.

I left the bass trimmed at 50hz, and set treble back to flat.
String and finger noise are nicely represented, but not at all overly so as is the case in many cabs.
Bass is fat without being boomy, yet still delivers nice bloom of the lower notes. Vibrato and slides are dreamy

Leaving the rear tweet on seems to add to "the 3D nature of things," and makes the bass "sound more acoustic." If you're a fretless or double bass player looking at a TC112, I'd surely recommend coining up for the AF version; it adds nicely to things.

I'll try to get the TC to swing band rehearsal this next week, and add some more at that time.

 

[KJung]

Cool! I bet that is quite an eye opener coming from those 8's and mid configuration.

 

[Chef]

Maybe I'm "honeymooning" over the cab's response to double bass, but, right now:
"it's awesome."

While I liked the TC112 a little less for electric, I was really pushing it right to it's limits for the job I took it to. Typical double bass use requires much fewer Db's and has the cab much more in it's comfort zone and likely realm of intended use.

I can see one of these in my future...I've emailed Duke to get his opinion of whether the TC115AF would sound the same, as it's ability for higher output might likely cover my electric needs more readily. That might make it the best doubling cab yet, for me. Wouldn't that be grand!!

 

[KJung]

Maybe I'm "honeymooning" over the cab's response to double bass, but, right now:
"it's awesome."

While I liked the TC112 a little less for electric, I was really pushing it right to it's limits for the job I took it to. Typical double bass use requires much fewer Db's and has the cab much more in it's comfort zone and likely realm of intended use.

I can see one of these in my future...I've emailed Duke to get his opinion of whether the TC115AF would sound the same, as it's ability for higher output might likely cover my electric needs more readily. That might make it the best doubling cab yet, for me. Wouldn't that be grand!!

It is a very loud 112, and very full, but still a 112. I'm able to do gigs with mine that were previously covered by my old Epi 310UL. That is about the volume level you can expect, which is pretty amazing when you think about it. However, in no way will it replace a 410.

From everything Duke has posted, the TC115 will be a 'louder TC112', and the voicing will be very similar. That will probably do a '410' type gig if you can apply 400 or 500 watts to it.

 

[Chef]

Oh, I can apply the watts.
Yessir.
I'm checked out on all the gear to do that

 

[Ric Vice]

Maybe I'm "honeymooning" over the cab's response to double bass, but, right now:
"it's awesome."

Chief,
Well, I've had mine for about 5 month's and it's not disappointed me yet. I used it outside last Sunday sitting on the asphalt of a church parking lot. I could hear all the notes their articulation.

While I liked the TC112 a little less for electric, I was really pushing it right to it's limits for the job I took it to. Typical double bass use requires much fewer Db's and has the cab much more in it's comfort zone and likely realm of intended use.

My experience is a little different here as I'm coming from Don's LDS 2x8 three way, a great cab in it's own right since when it was built you could get 8" B&C neo drivers for a reasonable price. The Thunderchild 112 is in a whole different category though, with both my DB and Lakland 55-94. Lighter, better definition, incredible mids and easier to hear standing to the side of the cabinet.

I can see one of these in my future...I've emailed Duke to get his opinion of whether the TC115AF would sound the same, as it's ability for higher output might likely cover my electric needs more readily. That might make it the best doubling cab yet, for me. Wouldn't that be grand!!

I'm certainly going to have Duke put the rear firing tweeter in eventually, but right now I'm just enjoying the cabinet.

Ric

 

[Chef]

Howdy neighbor!

 

[KJung]

Howdy neighbor!

Ric is one of the cats in St. Louis! We go back so far it hurts

You need to make friends with Ric so he will let you play his 1959 P Bass. That is an experience IMO and IME!

 

[rpsands]

Maybe I'm "honeymooning" over the cab's response to double bass, but, right now:
"it's awesome."

While I liked the TC112 a little less for electric, I was really pushing it right to it's limits for the job I took it to. Typical double bass use requires much fewer Db's and has the cab much more in it's comfort zone and likely realm of intended use.

I can see one of these in my future...I've emailed Duke to get his opinion of whether the TC115AF would sound the same, as it's ability for higher output might likely cover my electric needs more readily. That might make it the best doubling cab yet, for me. Wouldn't that be grand!!

Hey Chef, I'm a fEarful 15/6 user of course, but I've got a TC115AF on order, and will once I get it let you know for sure whether I think it'd do the electric bass job (since that's my main instrument).

From what I know about the stats of the woofer, the answer is almost surely.

 

[greenboy]

Of course it will.

 

[DukeLeJeune]

I've emailed Duke to get his opinion of whether the TC115AF would sound the same, as it's ability for higher output might likely cover my electric needs more readily.

The 112 is the theoretical "ideal" format from a sound quality standpoint. As of this writing, a pair of my home audio speakers that use the same configuration (in this case a stock Kappalite 3012LF + a more expensive compression driver on the same horn as the Thunderchild) is competing against several high-end midfield monitors in the studio of a grammy-winning record producer. The winner gets to join his arsenal, but even making his shortlist was a victory of sorts. So the 112 + bighorn is a configuration I really believe in.

Back to bass cabs. The challenge for the 115 is this: A big part of why the 112 sounds good is the radiation pattern matchup in the crossover region, where the 112 transitions to the horn. Unfortunately there will be more of a radiation pattern discrepancy when we go from the 15" woofer to the horn. And there are no larger alternative horns on the market that sound as good.

So I will do my best on the 115, but it will probably come in just a wee bit behind the 112 in the crossover region.

 

[Chef]

I'm thinkin "a wee bit behind," when set to your level of standards, will probably be just fine for a hack like me.

 

[greenboy]

And there are no larger alternative horns on the market that sound as good.

Not to mention that when you get a larger horn it introduces further pattern matching gotchas due to the woofer's beaming (which is based on wavelength), and the spacing of the sources, unless you use a larger heavier more expensive compression driver and move the crossover point down.

There's a practical aspect too: how many bass players want to carry a box whose horn requires that the box be a lot larger than the designer's woofer alignment (internal space, tuning) requires? You'd end up with something much like a properly designed large-format 2-way PA bin, rather than a compact box with good SPL/per cubic measure for bassists.