I haven't had a lot of time with my TC112s yet, but I do like that switch as well (the high freq rolloff). I've been playing with it when I roll my tone knob down, and I like what it does.
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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...
- Thread starter Thor
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I haven't had a lot of time with my TC112s yet, but I do like that switch as well (the high freq rolloff). I've been playing with it when I roll my tone knob down, and I like what it does.
I can get fairly close with the switches down and a lot of knob turning on my amp but it just still sounds kind of growly - not in a bad way of course, just not what you want for that thick and smooth thing. It's hard to describe but I think it's that bite at the edge of each note. The kind of sound I'm looking for has no edge - just round and fat and smooth. Think of the bass tones in stuff like Raphael Saadiq (Instant Vintage), Erykah Badu (Mama's Gun), D'Angelo, etc. I realize of course that those are studio albums so there are a whole lot of things going on there but that's the general sound I'm talking about.
I would describe the Hathor baseline as very clear with an articulate edge, even with the switches down. I have no idea if the TC115 would get me any closer but I figured it's more of a blank slate to start with. I find most bass cabs out there to be voiced firmly with a "rock" tone in mind but if you're looking for the opposite sort of tone, it can be hard to un-bake it from the cab. Don't get me wrong, I'm not getting rid of my 1533 any time soon but just wondering if there's something that leans in the other direction.
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Great references on sound. I'm not sure that I'd go looking for that aspect of my tone to happen at the cab part of the interface though.
I think Adam just described a p bass with flats through a b-15. 
to me that's changing *what* you put into the amp/cab. i don't recall the amp you're using.
and, as you say, some studio crafting there.
lotta treble cut on the bass side?
i like those sounds too, btw.
and, as you say, some studio crafting there.
lotta treble cut on the bass side?
i like those sounds too, btw.
addendum: if you think about it, that bass sound is like that through a car stereo or through earbuds. i think a hathor could replicate it pretty closely if you created it.
Yeah, I agree that you obviously need to tailor the rest of your gear to whatever sound you're going for. On the other hand though, with a cab that has a strong baked-in voicing, it can be very hard to un-bake it if you're looking for something different. I'm using a Walkabout head by the way which works great for some sounds but not for others. I've owned lots of other amps though and I haven't yet found anything I like better.
Yeah, I play passive P and J basses with flats into my Walkabout. I'm really not interested in a B-15 though. To be honest, I've played through them and didn't really like them.I think Adam just described a p bass with flats through a b-15.
Just to reiterate, I really really like my Hathor and have no intentions of selling it but I was more or less just wondering how a Thunderchild might compare tone-wise and if it might get closer to those styles without a ton of EQ. I always play my Hathor with the mid switch down so I'm just thinking that maybe a cab with a smoother starting point might work better for the styles mentioned.
If anyone has compared them directly, I'm curious if the TC115 is less growly than the 1533 when they're both in smooth mode.
If anyone has compared them directly, I'm curious if the TC115 is less growly than the 1533 when they're both in smooth mode.
fwiw, i've tried (with some success) to get dub sounds, etc., by either using a envelope filter with sensitivity way down (both lovetone and iron ether) or an old boss 10-band eq with massive treble cut and low boost.
I'm also very curious about the Birdhaus cabs. Duke told me the voicing is somewhere between the TC and Hathor IIRC. Are there any players that can expand on that at all? I know they're really new so I'm sure there aren't too many out there yet but maybe someone has compared them to the other AK cabs.
I think the H1203's are fine. What probably needs to change for that sound is the amp and bass. The sound you've described sounds just like an Ampeg PF500 with a P bass with flats. Start with completely neutral tone controls and modify from there, but I think you'll find what you're looking for.
And to repeat myself, a pair of H1203's would suit your needs for nearly any venue, without FOH. I'm one of those who like matching cab stacks.
Duke, am I right in recalling that the TCv1 & v2 cabs allow you to switch off the horn entirely? Please set me straight on that. If I'm right, that might be helpful to this line of inquiry - no chastising, pls
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Thanks, I haven't tried the PF series heads because I read about lots of reliability issues but maybe it would be worth a shot just to have something on the opposite end of the tonal spectrum.
I haven't tried a Hathor 1203 unfortunately. Would you say they are more or less growly than my 1533, or about the same?
My apologies. I meant another H1533. But the H1203's are gems-- very light, very versatile, and very loud in pairs. My point being staying with the style of speaker you have already, I find it's less trouble matching your speakers in a stack. Others on this thread however have mixed with great success. Before I get in too deep I hope Duke drops by! LOL.
EDIT: The Ampeg PF500 issue has been resolved a few years back. There also is the option of going higher powered with an Ampeg PF800. One of those and a pair of H1533's-- whew, there's a monster stack!
Gotcha. And I actually wasn't planning on pairing them up, just looking for a second flavor for certain music. Even though the Hathor has the switches, I don't use it with the mid switch up because it's just too much of a good thing with my Walkabout which has plenty of high mids already. So I'm basically just wondering how the "smooth" modes compare between TC and Hathor cabs.
Huh... Having played both, I wouldn't put a Walkabout and a PF at opposite ends of the tonal spectrum. The Walkabout seems capable of some pretty dubby tones if you EQ out some of its native tendencies - very powerful EQ options. I'd be curious what Duke suggests for attenuating the high end on any of his cabs. I seem to recall that the Hathor was designed specifically to emphasize high mids.
Yeah, I have no idea about the PF500 but my Walkabout is pretty versatile and I can definitely get some of what I'm after with a lot of knob turning. And it's not really the highs that I'm curious about - it's the mids. I think Duke said that the smooth mode of the Hathor is still not as smooth as a TC. So that made me think I might want a TC for certain styles.
Living on the edge of civilization here in Alaska (ha ha) I haven't had the pleasure of trying a Mesa, but everyone raves of their tone shaping abilities. I've used Ampeg on and off for years and Ampeg's tone seems to be an easy reach for 'dub' style music. Maybe some here could recommend some tone settings on the Mesa. And if nothing else, changing to a pair of flatwounds on his bass.
If you look through this thread there might be other AK users that have exactly the setup you're thinking about. One TC with a Hathor.
If you look through this thread there might be other AK users that have exactly the setup you're thinking about. One TC with a Hathor.
Just to clarify again, I'm not looking to combine cabs and I'm already using flatwounds.
