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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...

#7,381
yesterday, had a long test session with an audience consisting of ... my dog, in a completely empty 400,000 sf, brand new distribution center. Amps: GK 400, GK 800, GK Goldline 500, Peavey MiniMax, Ampeg PF800, Ampeg SVT 7PRO. Output boxes: AK TC112, AK 1544; AK TC115AF, all sealed, all amazingly light. I suck (!) - but I haven't stopped smiling. Actually, haven't stopped chuckling. Not a bad combination in the lot. Could leave me with any one of the amps and any one of the AK boxes and i would be happy.
 
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#7,382
Ken Lloyd said:
Here's an email segment from Duke last May, likely before he selected the Changeling name:

"I wanted to let you know about a cab I'm working on that might be of interest to you. It's sort of like a hotrodded version of the Hathor 1203. Same woofer, same mid, same box size, but an additional rear-firing midrange driver. There will be a switch to bring down the level of the rear-firing mid by about 10 dB for situations where stage volume is an issue."

And Duke will very likely add to the discussion.
Click to expand...
I can add that while I had never played any AK cab before I tried the Changeling 112T (tall version - with about 3 inches over the standard Hathor 112 I think), I was hard pressed to understand the hype about what appeared to just be an unusual looking line of cabs. Not only was the Changeling 112T an incredible performer sound-wise, the weight and size make it unbelievably easy to transport and use on tight stages.

Needless to say I simply ordered one. I guess I could have tried some of Duke's other products, but that cab, with all its built-in re-voicing features, was simply perfect in every application I tested it in from rock and country to acoustic coffee house venues.
 
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#7,384
nutdog said:
3 outings this week, one of those portable folding stages with a couple of hundred folks, a senior center rec room with all hard surfaces and a small wine bar with hardwood floors. One hathor with the port plugged and the subway. I'm really digging the port plug, PJ on full P, flats, adjust bass knob to taste.
Click to expand...
ditto here. one of my fave variations - P bass, labella flats, port plugged.
 
#7,385
Ken Lloyd said:
This probably marks me old hat, though I swear by the Acoustic Image heads. My only amp for 10 years or more (electric, upright and jazz guitar). Totally uncolored, paired with my Changeling 112 (serial #1) it totally kicks on every gig. Lots of "love your sound" comments. I have both AI Clarus and Focus heads and consider them interchangeable. Also use them with my Greenboy F112 (also great sound) though for most gigs these days I grab the one AK cab. AI has fabulous customer service. I play Lakland fivers mostly and my live sound can be as crunchy or deep or bright as the song needs.

You'll love your Changeling; and it's very responsive to just slight adjustments in EQ! Congrats.
Click to expand...

I will second the Acoustic Image heads. They are completely clear and transparent. My first experience was with a playing an Atelier Z through an Aguilar 500 into an EA VL210 ( the old one with the dual mids). Something just wasn't right and the cab just didn't seem that clear and the bass just wasn't that growly even though it had Aguilar jazz pickups and an OBP-3 preamp. It was just bloated and kind of muffled. I didn't realise any of this until I tried the AI amp on a whim. It was like someone took a wool blanket off the cab. Everything suddenly became super clear, the bass was growly, and you could hear every little subtle detail. Completely blew me away. The other cool thing about their amps is they are one of the only brands with an adjustable HP filter to tune the low end response. Just awesome amps.
 
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#7,386
My friend Charlie in NY has an early version TC115.. I went to his house at Christmas while we were visiting family.
I really loved the cab. I usually Love lots of deep 3d Bottom. But i founds i liked it with ALL the Ports sealed up.. GO figure
? This was in his house and I didn't play it on a gig so that is another thing altogether.

The weight of the cab was astoundingly lightweight too .
It is lighter than one of my old Genz Uber115 cabs by about 15 pounds and id have to say it is as loud.. It has a 3015 that is quite potent.

From USER live gig experience, Does the Hathor 115 go as deep and get as loud as the TC style?
And are theri TALLER Hators or TC cabs. I ask because i thought that i saw a 112 that appeared to be a few inches taller in one of the photos that i saw here
 
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#7,387
svtb15 said:
I usually Love lots of deep 3d Bottom. But i founds i liked it with ALL the Ports sealed up.. GO figure
Click to expand...
My experience was the same as yours. I'm not usually a sealed cab person, but for some reason I liked the tone as much with some or all ports plugged as I did with all ports open. This offered a lot of flexibility to voice the cab for a particular room and/or style of music.
 
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#7,388
svtb15 said:
My friend Charlie in NY has an early version TC115.. I went to his house at Christmas while we were visiting family.
I really loved the cab. I usually Love lots of deep 3d Bottom. But i founds i liked it with ALL the Ports sealed up.. GO figure
? This was in his house and I didn't play it on a gig so that is another thing altogether.

The weight of the cab was astoundingly lightweight too .
It is lighter than one of my old Genz Uber115 cabs by about 15 pounds and id have to say it is as loud.. It has a 3015 that is quite potent.

From USER live gig experience, Does the Hathor 115 go as deep and get as loud as the TC style?
And are theri TALLER Hators or TC cabs. I ask because i thought that i saw a 112 that appeared to be a few inches taller in one of the photos that i saw here
Click to expand...

Yes, both the Changeling and the 1203 come in a Taller version, hence the T. They are of course slightly larger, very slightly heavier, and they do extend deeper than the non-T variants.
 
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#7,390
And here is one of my C112T's next to a regular 1203:

IMG_8980_zpsecmjgovd.jpg
 
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#7,393
nutdog said:
The tall one is taller.
Click to expand...
...and while I can't offer a direct comparison, according to Duke that small additional cab volume helps tune the cab for a little more fullness in the low register. IIRC (and I might be wrong) it was reflected as the regular height version being 3 dB down at 62Hz, and the tall being only around 1 dB down at that same frequency.
 
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#7,397
svtb15 said:
I think the "T" version would be more to my liking..
Has anyone had any issues with the 1 x 3" better taxed a little too much or blowing out?
If any one has played Slap or used a Bright setting .. Its amazing one 3" can keep up with that one 12.. It is a 3012 LF type? Correct?
Click to expand...
When I was testing out a Changeling 112T Duke told me to feel free to put some power to it (with 500 Watts being a comfortable upper range). I played a rock gig that I usually use a Berg CN212 or Mesa SW112/115 set-up for with that one cab and my GK MB800 - to be clear I do have FOH support to the extent the sound tech feels it's required.

We were doing rock and modern country type stuff and I didn't hear any signs distress in anything with that cab. Additionally, we all heard better on stage (nicer mix with more articulate bass) and the FOH tech said he didn't feel he was providing anymore help to me than usual. The Changeling has two of those 3" mid drivers (one in back and one in front), and they seemed like well-selected components for the application.
 
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#7,398
Personally i don't think I would get a cab with the speaker on the back. The Changeling. But I'm sure i would enjoy a cab with the ability to extend a little LOWER down low.. So teh TALL cab would almost automatically get my attention.. .
I m sure i would go with TWO 1203T types if i wind up doing it.
I tried the greenboy.. It was great. but just not my thing.. Maybe it was the amp i tried it with.. But i did like the Deep low end.
YOu don't find the 1203T to be scooped do you?

I will most likely be using my Genzler MG800 most of the time. Unless i use another ashdown head for some gigs..
Im also guessing the 1203 sounds pretty good with slight OD from a tube amp? Like a Super bassman?



Al Kraft said:
When I was testing out a Changeling 112T Duke told me to feel free to put some power to it (with 500 Watts being a comfortable upper range). I played a rock gig that I usually use a Berg CN212 or Mesa SW112/115 set-up for with that one cab and my GK MB800 - to be clear I do have FOH support to the extent the sound tech feels it's required.

We were doing rock and modern country type stuff and I didn't hear any signs distress in anything with that cab. Additionally, we all heard better on stage (nicer mix with more articulate bass) and the FOH tech said he didn't feel he was providing anymore help to me than usual. The Changeling has two of those 3" mid drivers (one in back and one in front), and they seemed like well-selected components for the application.
Click to expand...
 
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#7,399
svtb15 said:
Personally i don't think I would get a cab with the speaker on the back. The Changeling. But I'm sure i would enjoy a cab with the ability to extend a little LOWER down low.. So teh TALL cab would almost automatically get my attention.. .
I m sure i would go with TWO 1203T types if i wind up doing it.
I tried the greenboy.. It was great. but just not my thing.. Maybe it was the amp i tried it with.. But i did like the Deep low end.
YOu don't find the 1203T to be scooped do you?

I will most likely be using my Genzler MG800 most of the time. Unless i use another ashdown head for some gigs..
Im also guessing the 1203 sounds pretty good with slight OD from a tube amp? Like a Super bassman?
Click to expand...

Kirk, as I mentioned in our PMs, I do think that two of the 1203T's would kill for what you are after. The Hathors are most certainly not scooped-sounding cabs. And even the regular 1203 seems "appropriate" in its low frequency delivery. A pair of 1203's and a 5-string is a beautiful thing! But the Tall version definitely drops the usable frequency response even lower, though it still feels natural.
 
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#7,400
Does the "T" version have one or two ports on the rear?

tombowlus said:
Kirk, as I mentioned in our PMs, I do think that two of the 1203T's would kill for what you are after. The Hathors are most certainly not scooped-sounding cabs. And even the regular 1203 seems "appropriate" in its low frequency delivery. A pair of 1203's and a 5-string is a beautiful thing! But the Tall version definitely drops the usable frequency response even lower, though it still feels natural.
Click to expand...
 

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