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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...

#4,402
shrigg said:
Thank you! I got it about 6 months ago. It's by far the very best fretless I've ever played! Here's the NBD thread: NBD: Who loves a beautiful fretless jazz?
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I'm not sure how I missed that NBD thread last spring. Yikes, that was quite a "radio face rabbit hole". Did you ever end up doing anything with the fingerboard? Mine has been fretless bare rosewood with roundwounds on it for close to 30 years now and is in fine shape yet.
 
#4,403
shrigg said:
I haven't heard the 1533 but I imagine it would be closest since it's the same 3". Duke says the 1533 goes higher, but that 5" fills a void and definitely speaks with very authoritative mids if that's what you are after. As I mentioned, Duke and I spent some time refining the 1505 so that with the switch down it is the same voicing as the 1203 just not quite as much high end sparkle. I've not missed it and went from the 1203 to the 1505 with no regrets
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Excellent description shrigg, thanks!
 
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#4,404
Hi All,

I currently have a Markbass LM3 and an Eden 410XLT that I got off local classifieds for cheap. I'm looking to drop the Eden for a Super 12 type cab. I play a 6, so want something that will put out a decent B. The band I'm in includes a Moog/etc, so nice deep lows would be nice in some cases.

The 3 I'm looking closest at are the F112, TC112, and MAS112. I've recently been reading more on these AK Cabs, and the size/weight/price is particularly appealing.

The twist is that I'm currently finishing up a basement studio/jam room, and will also need some sort of main PA type speakers as my studio monitors (Equator D5s) aren't big enough to fill the space. I've read that these cabs are quite flat, and can possibly be used as full-range speakers.

Wondering if anyone has any input on which of these 3 cabs (or other) cab may be able to serve both purposes well? Is there the possibility of adding some sort of additional crossover switch to go from "PA" to "Bass Cab" mode? Is this even required?

Thanks in advance
 
#4,405
MIMike said:
I'm not sure how I missed that NBD thread last spring. Yikes, that was quite a "radio face rabbit hole". Did you ever end up doing anything with the fingerboard? Mine has been fretless bare rosewood with roundwounds on it for close to 30 years now and is in fine shape yet.
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Yes it got a bit out of hand for an NBD thread. :cool: I left the Brazilian Rosewood board unfinished, it's still wearing that same set of Cobalt Flats and it's still fantastic!
 
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#4,406
mngnt said:
Hi All,

I currently have a Markbass LM3 and an Eden 410XLT that I got off local classifieds for cheap. I'm looking to drop the Eden for a Super 12 type cab. I play a 6, so want something that will put out a decent B. The band I'm in includes a Moog/etc, so nice deep lows would be nice in some cases.

The 3 I'm looking closest at are the F112, TC112, and MAS112. I've recently been reading more on these AK Cabs, and the size/weight/price is particularly appealing.

The twist is that I'm currently finishing up a basement studio/jam room, and will also need some sort of main PA type speakers as my studio monitors (Equator D5s) aren't big enough to fill the space. I've read that these cabs are quite flat, and can possibly be used as full-range speakers.

Wondering if anyone has any input on which of these 3 cabs (or other) cab may be able to serve both purposes well? Is there the possibility of adding some sort of additional crossover switch to go from "PA" to "Bass Cab" mode? Is this even required?

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

I can tell you from experience that the TC Gen 1 make great PA speakers - they have very flat response and a sweet high end. I can't compare them with other AK models as I have no experience. Others on this thread may be able to comment.
 
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#4,407
shrigg said:
Yes it got a bit out of hand for an NBD thread. :cool: I left the Brazilian Rosewood board unfinished, it's still wearing that same set of Cobalt Flats and it's still fantastic!
Click to expand...

Cobalt Flats are now my favorite strings. They play like Thomastik Jazz Flats and sound like roundwounds. The perfect balance between playability and tone.
Hearing them through my Audiokinesis TC 112 v1 is a joy.

Ric Vice
 
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#4,411
To answer one of Duke's questions; dispersion can be a very big deal.

The places where great dispersion makes a big impact are small stages and if pitch matters. In small stage applications, great dispersion helps a bass cut through the clutter on stage. Used to it fullest, that lets the bass player lay the foundation in both chordal and timing depth. Once pitch gets involved, a band that can hear the overtones of a bassist can better control their own pitch. That's a big deal in things other than guitar rock, in those other situations, the players have control over pitch, and harmonizing to a solid bass player makes a band gel.

I play Jazz and Gospel these days. In both genres, a dominant bassist lights things up and is challenged to lay down an ultra solid chordal foundation.
 
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#4,414
Ric Vice said:
Cobalt Flats are now my favorite strings. They play like Thomastik Jazz Flats and sound like roundwounds. The perfect balance between playability and tone.
Hearing them through my Audiokinesis TC 112 v1 is a joy.

Ric Vice
Click to expand...

shrigg said:
Agree 100%!! Love TI Flats too but Cobalts won!
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Do the Cobalts have higher tension than the TI's?
 
#4,417
mngnt said:
I'm looking to drop the Eden for a Super 12 type cab. I play a 6, so want something that will put out a decent B. The band I'm in includes a Moog/etc, so nice deep lows would be nice in some cases.

The 3 I'm looking closest at are the F112, TC112, and MAS112. I've recently been reading more on these AK Cabs, and the size/weight/price is particularly appealing.
Click to expand...

The Fearless F112 has a larger cabinet and goes deeper than the Thunderchild. I think Greenboy's target is usually the first overtone of low F#, while mine is the first overtone of low B. The MAS 112 is a monster - imo its competition would be my Thunderchild 212. If you only need 112-level output, look at Mike's smaller cabs - he can advise you better than I can.

As for size/weight/price, thank you for your comment - I have tried to make my cabs relatively affordable for "ubercabs".

mngnt said:
The twist is that I'm currently finishing up a basement studio/jam room, and will also need some sort of main PA type speakers as my studio monitors (Equator D5s) aren't big enough to fill the space. I've read that these cabs are quite flat, and can possibly be used as full-range speakers.
Click to expand...

I'm fairly confident that my Thunderchild cabs would make decent full-range speakers. They are being used as such by several people, including an award-winning studio designer.

Now as far as PA speakers, I'd say that my Thunderchild cabs might not be ideal as they now stand. The power handling of the compression driver is quite adequate for electric bass, but PA is much more demanding in the region that the compression driver covers, so I'd probably want to go up a notch or two in power handling if PA was on the menu.

This is starting to sound like a project I have worked on some but never really brought to completion - something I call the Multi-Role Loudspeaker, or MRL. Basically it's a Thunderchild in a bigger box, with a significantly more beefy compression driver, and probably a different horn. The MRL would make a decent light PA or keyboards or studio cab, in addition to bass guitar.

mngnt said:
Wondering if anyone has any input on which of these 3 cabs (or other) cab may be able to serve both purposes well? Is there the possibility of adding some sort of additional crossover switch to go from "PA" to "Bass Cab" mode? Is this even required?
Click to expand...

My current generation Thunderchild cabinets have a switch that goes from "smooth" in the upper mids to "a bit of growly", but it's still not a really aggressive tone in growly mode. The MRL would also have this switch. I'd have to go to a three-way cab to get significantly more aggressive in the upper mids while preserving the hi-fi-ness when the switches are set accordingly, with the weight and price also going up unfortunately.

I hope some of this helps.
 
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#4,419
Mark Sacchetti said:
Duke! Did you get a chance to pair the birdhaus with the 1203? Any thoughts?
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I haven't yet.

I have three Birdhaus cabs (46, 48, and the something big that 4StringTheorist and dinoadventures alluded to a few pages back) in various stages of completion, but had to take a break from product development to fill some orders. With a little luck, product development will resume in a couple of days, and I should be able to try the Birdhaus 46 with the Hathor 1203 about a week from today.
 
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