That's what I remember too. Installing a 4/8 ohm switch is not a simple ordeal, I wouldn't risk ruining the cab before talking to Duke about it
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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...
- Thread starter Thor
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That's what I remember too. Installing a 4/8 ohm switch is not a simple ordeal, I wouldn't risk ruining the cab before talking to Duke about it
I definitely won't go tinkering with the cab without Duke's help. I just thought I'd ask here first since Duke seems to have a lot of other (and more important) things going on right now. I realize a 4/8 ohm switch is usually a complicated matter (I've read the various TB threads discussing switchable voice coils and what not), but Duke's description makes it sound pretty simple in his case, due to the high DCR of his 4ohm woofers. After searching this thread further (sorry for not doing it sooner, but this thread is a monster), I found references to a resistor network, so I'll see if maybe Duke can build me something and I can install it myself. I don't want to ship the cab back and forth. It's not a big deal if the switch turns out to be not doable, but it would be pretty cool if I could add it.
I would love to hear from anyone who can compare any of the 12" AK cabs with some of the Masoundworks stuff, especially the 6" based MAS speakers. I have an MAS-26 that's been my go to cab, it handles 20 piece big band gigs no problem, even outdoors, but I hit it's limits with a loud rock drummer. It has more to do with the EQ settings then the master volume I think (EB with the bass boosted). I always use a HPF. I'm hoping the TC will have a bit more headroom. The specs are a mixed bag, but the reason I'm optimistic is that the TC moves 500 CCs of air vs 300 CCs for the MAS.
For the curious: the TC has lower sensitivity but more power handling and lower impedance, resulting in about the same calculated max SPL. The MAS has the MVW magic and probably less thermal compression going for it, which might give it an edge.
It'll be very interesting to compare the two.
For the curious: the TC has lower sensitivity but more power handling and lower impedance, resulting in about the same calculated max SPL. The MAS has the MVW magic and probably less thermal compression going for it, which might give it an edge.
It'll be very interesting to compare the two.
Pm @MarkA for his insights with AK cabs and MA cabs (E.g. MAS-46)
Hi need a little help here.
Push me off the cliff or hold me back.
Mesa wd800 owners please help.
Have h1203t and c112t.
Been using d800 for the last couple years.
Ran a boogie 400+ for 20 before that.
I pulled the 400+ out and man am i missing that tone.
Will the wd800 get me close ?
Push me off the cliff or hold me back.
Mesa wd800 owners please help.
Have h1203t and c112t.
Been using d800 for the last couple years.
Ran a boogie 400+ for 20 before that.
I pulled the 400+ out and man am i missing that tone.
Will the wd800 get me close ?
I'm sorry, I am having difficulty reading what comes after this.
Can't help you here. That being said, I bet it does get you close.
Edit: found this on the Mesa Subway thread: #20377
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I can't help you directly, as I've not played the WD800 or the 400+, but I did own a Walkabout for several years and have seen the 400 (don't recall if "plus" or "non-plus") on occasion described as tonally akin to a more aggressive Walkabout (moreso than the MPulse 600) and the WD-800 is supposed to capture a fair bit of that Walkabout vibe in a louder package, so... maybe?
You might find this thread to be of interest (and this post in it, which seems to contradict what I said about the 400/400+/Walkabout kinship). You might also ask after a 400+/WD-800 comparison in the Walkabout megathread.
In the demo clips I've heard of the D800 and WD-800, the WD comes across as being more open up top and harmonically interesting -- I suspect that you could get more/more pleasant grind from it, too, if that's what you're after (whether that gets you close to your 400+ or not, I can't say).
@Al Kraft might have some perspective.
@MarkA If you feel it appropriate to post your MAS vs. AK experiences here I'd love to hear them too
Long-running joke (around here, at least -- and @nostatic was the first I saw employ it) that used to confuse me, too: whenever something sounds like it could be a goofy bandname, you say something about them playing Coachella.
Ex.
Poster 1: Could you take a look at this circuit diagram? I am afraid that I'm getting parasitic oscillation in my tube amp.
Poster 2: I saw Parasitic Oscillation open for Dave Matthews at Coachella -- it was insane.
Poster 2: I saw Parasitic Oscillation open for Dave Matthews at Coachella -- it was insane.
Incidentally, I've never been to Coachella.
long-standing joke of nostatic making up new band names from idle comments.
so MAS vs AK would be a new and upcoming emo band (or the like) and they're gonna be at coachella.
Haha, nice. I feel out of touch for missing the OG reference. I admit I haven't been on the AK thread much the last few years since I'm 100% satisfied with my 1505 and have had zero cab GAS!
Lowendtech
Happily trending in my own peculiar direction.
I’ve been holding myself back, kinda, from posting on this.
I have a WD-800 (also am a previous owner of both D-800 and D-800+ as well) and I have a H1203 and a C112T. Awesome and as good as it gets. But I have not tried either of the 400/400+ amps so I only have half the story. Each time I have replaced the previous amp with the next newest one, I’ve been very happy. The WD is my favourite by far.
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Maybe I can kill two birds with one stone. Or get two people stoned with one bird. Or...wait, what was the question?
I haven't run a 400 for a long time (never owned one, had them on the occasional backline). The WD is a different beast than the D800/+ - has much more edge out of the box and a lot of ways to push both the sound and feel around. fwiw I cycled through most every good/lighter amp out there and the WD-800 has left me not really interested in trying anything new. It works with everything from my Foderas to Rob Allen to passive P-bass. The Hathors are the perfect cab for it, at least for what I'm trying to get sonically. Something magic about the 3" paper cone and Duke's crossover. As much as I like the C112-T, for the past two months all I've had in the house is my original and well-used H1203 and I'm reminded how great that cabinet is. The pair - well, I haven't changed my amp/cab setup around in I think 2 or 3 years which says something.
Regarding the MAS cabs - they are an interesting beast. I had a couple of them - 46 and 1-10. @steubig and I did a couple of shootouts at my place going back and forth between different cabs. The MAS don't sound like the Hathor - they present the mid range differently. I liked them, but at the end of the day the form factor of the H1203 won out. The size, weight, and ease of carry tipped the scale for me. I have flirted with the idea of trying a Bodai over the past year or two, but I come back to form factor, and the fact that my current setup was perfect for when there were actually gigs. The H1203 stayed in the back of the car and would cover most gigs, if I needed to push more air I'd toss the C112-T in the back seat. At 25 and 30 lbs respectively, it is the perfect blend of size, sound, and schlep. But ymmv.
I'd typed up something about this, but lost it when I copied-and-pasted that Coachella link. Probably just as well!
As far as appropriateness -- or maybe propriety -- goes, I want to keep in mind that this is an AK thread (not that comparisons to other cabs are in themselves inappropriate). Too, as you can see in my sig, my MAS 46 (one of the cabs being discussed) is currently for sale -- I'll try not to let that influence my answer, but now, if you're reading, you're aware and can factor that knowledge in as you see fit.
Briefly -- and looking at the cabs solely in terms of output potential -- I would expect a TC 112 to be roughly equivalent to a "MAS 36," if such a cab existed, or to your 26 plus a 16 (1x6"), @Elias86.
This correlates both with my subjective impressions, having played my Hathor 1203 (earlier, one-port version, which I take as a proxy for the TC 112, here) alongside my MAS 46 and alongside a couple of MAS 18 (1x8") cabs (singly and stacked) and having had the 1203 and 46 out in various settings, and with the displacement numbers (Vd) for the cabs:
- MAS 26, ~300 cc
- MAS 18, ~350 cc
- "MAS 36" (or 26 + 16 stack), ~450 cc
- Hathor 1203 (and TC 112), ~500 cc
- MAS 46, ~600 cc
- MAS 28 (or 2 x 18 stack), ~700 cc
There's more to volume, measured and perceived, than displacement -- and I'm not saying that perceived volume or the sonic "bigness" of the rigs increased in exact proportion to the displacement -- but, in this case, the numbers seem to line up pretty well with my subjective impressions.
The above assumes that the cabs are adequately powered to reach their volume potential. Voicing, EQ, and your HPF usage will all have some effect.
My experience with the AK cabs is primarily with the Hathor 1203. I did pick up a Changeling 112 not too long ago, but haven't been able to take it out, so I've only messed about with it at home. I played an early (I think v1) TC 112 some years ago at Mike Arnopol's place, back when he built some cabs for Duke, but have not played any of the more recent Thunderchildren. I would expect the output potential of the TC to be similar to that of the Hathor, but with more available bass (by virtue of the TC's larger cab).
I've owned and played several of the MAS cabs, including an earlier, two-way 66 and the later, three-way 46 I have now. I've not played Mike's most recent cabs based on the new drivers he's using, but plan to try a couple at some point.
As for the "MVW magic" (what the MAS/Big E cabs do with the rear wave of the speaker and the vortex-related stuff) it's a real thing and the effects are, in my experience, unique and most-always (but not always) advantageous, but Duke's cabs have their own positive attributes that have less to do with any specific, groundbreaking technology than with a thoughtful, well-implemented, and musical design.
That might sound like faint praise for either maker, but I don't intend it that way. Mike's cabs do things that I haven't been able to duplicate with any other cab (my MAS 112 made a massive difference in my ability to hear myself and enjoy playing in a particularly challenging club and is magic outdoors) and the little Hathor 1203 is literally my favorite conventional (i.e. "ported or sealed") bass cab among any I've played. I don't have as much experience with different rigs as some folks, but I've made at least passing acquaintance with all of the usually backlined stuff, the usual music-store stuff, and assorted cabs from most of the high-end manufacturers -- they all have things going for them, but none of them has caused me to change my mind.
People's situations and preferences might differ from mine (in some settings, I can see an old B-15 as being my "favorite amp/cab ever" -- and it'll do things that my modern cabs won't -- even though it would be unsuitable for much of what I play) and mine have and will likely continue to evolve, but, for the time being, there are situations in which I prefer the AK cab and situations in which I prefer the MAS -- and, if I had had to, between the Hathor 1203 and the MAS 112, I think I could cover pretty much any gig.
More could always be said, but I think I'll leave it there.
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As far as the 46 goes (I never played the MA -- or MAS? -- 110 model), that's certainly the case. It and the Hathor have pretty different personalities.
Interestingly, in terms of tonal profile, the 46 reminds me a bit of the early Thunderchild I heard -- similarly clean and hi-fi -- but with a little more upper-bass warmth.
They're still different cabs and I heard them years apart, so take that with more than a grain of salt.
Two people stoned were definitely at Coachella.
As I said, I've never been there, but I'm guessing that's a conservative estimate. Did you catch Two People Stoned, though? I listened to their set on Youtube. It was... mellow. "Pleasant," as Rolling Stone described it, "but oddly aimless."
