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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...

#6,281
MarkA said:
Excellent news on all fronts. I really enjoyed your write-up, too.

You know, Duke, with the proper speakers (and the current ones might be just that for some), something like the Birdhaus could make a great guitar cab -- not to mention that, if guitarists can hear themselves better, they might not turn up so much -- the cab would have to be of the right efficiency to operate their amps in the "sweet spot" though -- that and we would be spared the "cone of piercing treble". Amp placement/overhang might be an issue for some.

Just a thought.
Click to expand...

Thanks, and one thing I didn't mention is that while I usually play pretty clean on guitar these days, since getting the Birdhaus and experimenting with the Zoom/Peavey/AK rig I have been revisiting my higher-gain youth a little bit, and to my ear the Faital 8PR drivers don't sound bad with guitar crunch. I've tweaked a Zoom model of a Boss ODB3 bass overdrive into a pretty decent Mashall JCM rock tone for guitar and if I set the Zoom's high-EQ "module" for shelving instead of parametric or three-band graphic, I can set a corner frequency (I think that's the right term) of 2.4, 3.6 or 4.8 kHz, and it seems like starting a gentle rolloff at 3.6 kHz, or a little steeper one at 4.8 kHz, gets me into recognizeable guitar-speaker-like top end. If I set the low-frequency module up for low shelving and start the HPF rolloff around 100 Hz I feel like I'm getting realistic-sounding guitar speaker lows too. In between those shelving points I can do broad tweaks with the tone knob function within the amp model. It seems pretty intuitive and effective to me.

One thing I did notice about these drivers in this box is that they are SO detailed and articulate--not always a go-to quality for guitar players--that I really notice now that my guitar and lap steel require different EQ settings. I never felt I needed that before, but it's apparent now that my steel is very midrangy and kind of dark, and needs a more scooped EQ and more presence (so far, that's been setting the high shelving to 4.8k and using a gentler rolloff slope) to sound its best and put across the various glassy steel artifacts. I like the lap steel to sound as much like a pedal steel as possible, and less like a distorted bluesy beer commercial soundtrack.

I have no complaints whatsoever about the Faital 8PR as a speaker choice for this unit.
 
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#6,282
Thank you VERY MUCH, mexicanyella!

PDGood, I replied to your message.

Sorry I've been so scarce the past few weeks, the run-up to that home audio show consumed pretty much all my waking hours, but it's behind me now. Now I can get back to my "normal", only slightly overwhelmed, self... will catch up a bit more later.
 
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#6,284
Since my Zoom preamp pedal started acting up today, and I was unable to isolate the problem before tonight's band practice, a backup amp was in order. Guitarist's gear fleet to the rescue; here's a great example of the aesthetic blight of visual overhang...lomo, eat your heart out.

Edit: The Line 6 Flextone head does have a Marshall 50W Plexi model ("Brit Classic") and it's similar in general character to the Marshall Superbass sound I like in my Zoom, but the head's EQ sucks for my purposes. PLENTY of low end--which the Birdhaus delivered with precise authority--and ample power, but the mid and high controls, and presence boost, all seemed to miss the area I want to hear up top.

I'm talking bass knob off, mids and highs in every combination I could think of including dimed. Where's my 1-3 kHz at?

Check out how the amp feet miss the top of the cab by, like, a mile, but still the amp sits flat and secure with the cab's recessed handle! Sli-iiiiiiiiick.

I bet Duke's never seen one of these on top of one of his cabs:
 

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#6,286
emjazz said:
I know that there is a 110 on the horizon, at least the last I messaged with Duke. If I only played 4 string I'd just use a 110. Having a low B makes that pretty improbable for me though.
Click to expand...

The forthcoming 110 cabs should have an okay low-B, but the 112s will still have a bit more low-B.
MarkA said:
You know, Duke, with the proper speakers (and the current ones might be just that for some), something like the Birdhaus could make a great guitar cab -- not to mention that, if guitarists can hear themselves better, they might not turn up so much -- the cab would have to be of the right efficiency to operate their amps in the "sweet spot" though -- that and we would be spared the "cone of piercing treble".
Click to expand...

It is indeed possible that the Birdhaus configuration, or something similar, could show up in a dedicated guitar cab a some point in the future, but it would call for custom drivers that I haven't the cash to pursue at this time.

mexicanyella said:
A major benefit of the Birdhaus configuration, and certainly its execution, for me is that I get a comforting, gentle hemisphere of all the frequencies I'm generating if I'm anywhere in the room. That upper content really helps my pitch recognition--especially important when I'm doing something low on the neck, especially if it's chromatic, stepwise stuff--and it's nice to have it anywhere my cord will reach. Including being right on top of the cabinet. I always have to work to not dig in too much; the minute I have trouble hearing myself I try to compensate by playing harder and tightening up and things get worse fast. Adequate, non-position-dependent ease of hearing myself reeeeeaaaaallly helps me.

It is freeing to no longer need a line-of-sight relationship with my cabinet's driver."
Click to expand...

Thank you very much, mexicanyella! That's what I was hoping, very glad the Birdhaus configuration works for you!!

mexicanyella said:
"say, that feral-looking guy in the mammoth-wool codpiece has only played five different notes tonight, but his tone is like immersing oneself in glistening, well-seasoned meat fat. My IQ has lowered as I've listened, but I daresay he's onto something with respect to band and mix support. Good God, man--a gifted primitive!"

That's what I aspire too, basically. And my bandmates don't even bother with the codpieces... The drummer is usually trying to form a relationship with a dead saber-toothed tiger at 90 degrees to my cabinet, so the side-firing speaker helps there.
Click to expand...

I think my IQ got lowered just reading this... you guys are having way too much fun!!
 
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#6,287
howdy.

so . . . i did a recording exercise of a 12-string fretless i got so some folks could hear it. i used the hathor 1203 (see notes below). not intended to be great art . . .

might be of interest here cause it shows tonal range as well as sensitivity to timbre and pitch.

warts, acne scars and other imperfections included at no extra charge.

12-string fretless bass

zoom recorder a couple feet from the speaker cab: high-tech! you can hear string attack in the room and me groaning when i screw up.

stuff so you can hear some notes (and where my technique needs to clean up), the effects of wide vibrato, some ill-fated attempts at double stops, a couple of pseudo funky things, a couple of pick things, a fuzz thing, a delay swell thing.

so . . . caveats in place. i hope this shows a little of the potential of where this thing can go.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
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#6,288
Thanks for posting those sound clips; very interesting. I think it was in the "Picky" one where it almost sounded like a snippet of "La Bamba" as it might have been re-imagined by one of the various Bill Frisell Quartet lineups. Cool! Easy to imagine the violin and tuba textures along with it...

So, is that instrument six double courses of strings, or four triple courses? My guess is six double courses; seemed like there might have been some octave-doubled low-B string type sounds in there...?
 
#6,292
IMG_0203.JPG
IMG_0203.JPG
steubig said:
howdy.

so . . . i did a recording exercise of a 12-string fretless i got so some folks could hear it. i used the hathor 1203 (see notes below). not intended to be great art . . .

might be of interest here cause it shows tonal range as well as sensitivity to timbre and pitch.

warts, acne scars and other imperfections included at no extra charge.

12-string fretless bass

zoom recorder a couple feet from the speaker cab: high-tech! you can hear string attack in the room and me groaning when i screw up.

stuff so you can hear some notes (and where my technique needs to clean up), the effects of wide vibrato, some ill-fated attempts at double stops, a couple of pseudo funky things, a couple of pick things, a fuzz thing, a delay swell thing.

so . . . caveats in place. i hope this shows a little of the potential of where this thing can go.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...
Is this the 12-string you're playing in the clips?
Bass of the Week: Fodera Zebrawood AJ Contrabass Shape 12 Elite
Nice.
 
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#6,296
This is an awesome thread. I've learned a lot but was hoping someone could weigh in on my exact situation.

I'm starting to explore high end cabs and just found these. I currently use a GK MB210 which is enough 90% of the times I play but want something that can cover everything (and that sounds, well, better).

I am in a big ol' bar band (mostly covers and blues rock) with 2 guitars, keys, drums, harmonica, and 3 vocals. But I also want to do heavier duo or trio work (think Royal Blood or DFA or Black keys). I mostly play a G&L JB in the band but also have a Stingray HH, a fretless P bass (for mellow), and a fretless G&L Kiloton (for really not mellow).

Do you guys think one Hathor 1203 or TC 112 would cover me (at least until I can buy 2!). I know "loud enough" are bad words here but would it be at least equal to my GK MB210 (with better sound)? I am hoping to get a Mesa Subway 800+ or possibly a Berg Forte.

Or should I just go for a 15?

Any advice on Hathor vs TC given my band/tastes?

I'm also considering Greenboy f112 or f115 and the Mesa Subway Cabs.

And if I could play them all to see what I like, I would, but that's not realistic.

Thanks!
 
#6,297
strost said:
This is an awesome thread. I've learned a lot but was hoping someone could weigh in on my exact situation.

I'm starting to explore high end cabs and just found these. I currently use a GK MB210 which is enough 90% of the times I play but want something that can cover everything (and that sounds, well, better).

I am in a big ol' bar band (mostly covers and blues rock) with 2 guitars, keys, drums, harmonica, and 3 vocals. But I also want to do heavier duo or trio work (think Royal Blood or DFA or Black keys). I mostly play a G&L JB in the band but also have a Stingray HH, a fretless P bass (for mellow), and a fretless G&L Kiloton (for really not mellow).

Do you guys think one Hathor 1203 or TC 112 would cover me (at least until I can buy 2!). I know "loud enough" are bad words here but would it be at least equal to my GK MB210 (with better sound)? I am hoping to get a Mesa Subway 800+ or possibly a Berg Forte.

Or should I just go for a 15?

Any advice on Hathor vs TC given my band/tastes?

I'm also considering Greenboy f112 or f115 and the Mesa Subway Cabs.

And if I could play them all to see what I like, I would, but that's not realistic.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

If you are a 4 string guy, don't forget the Hathor 1505 - killer cab.
 
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#6,298
strost said:
This is an awesome thread. I've learned a lot but was hoping someone could weigh in on my exact situation.

I'm starting to explore high end cabs and just found these. I currently use a GK MB210 which is enough 90% of the times I play but want something that can cover everything (and that sounds, well, better).

I am in a big ol' bar band (mostly covers and blues rock) with 2 guitars, keys, drums, harmonica, and 3 vocals. But I also want to do heavier duo or trio work (think Royal Blood or DFA or Black keys). I mostly play a G&L JB in the band but also have a Stingray HH, a fretless P bass (for mellow), and a fretless G&L Kiloton (for really not mellow).

Do you guys think one Hathor 1203 or TC 112 would cover me (at least until I can buy 2!). I know "loud enough" are bad words here but would it be at least equal to my GK MB210 (with better sound)? I am hoping to get a Mesa Subway 800+ or possibly a Berg Forte.

Or should I just go for a 15?

Any advice on Hathor vs TC given my band/tastes?

I'm also considering Greenboy f112 or f115 and the Mesa Subway Cabs.

And if I could play them all to see what I like, I would, but that's not realistic.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I had the 1st gen mb210. Good, lightweight, inexpensive, gigable combo but the weak points for me were midrange clarity/definition, a little boominess and the tweeter that sounded like a radioactive hissing cat. I'd say one hathor and subway can cover anything it did without those attributes. You could try the hathor as an extension speaker with the mb to get by on the 10%.
 
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