AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...

[gregbackstrom]

I played my TC-15 (ver 4, I think, with the up-firing tweeter) last night at an outdoor festival in Gig Harbor, WA. Paired with my Trickfish head and Sadowsky J5, the sound was clear, clean and really dominated the stage. I got lots of compliments on my sound, and (as usual) the FOH engineer asked me who made my cab. I have other cabs that I like a lot, but my Thunderchild is the one I go to for most of my gigs!

 

[steubig]

Still trying to get caught up. Had some health setbacks.

sorry to hear about your health issues.

please take care and heal . . .

 

[5StringPocket]

Still trying to get caught up. Had some health setbacks.

Good to see your post. I hope you're on the mend. Have you considered employing an authorized builder for your bass cabs who works under a confidentiality agreement like Greenboy did? Your designs are outstanding and there seems to be a strong demand. This might be a way to leverage your output and not have to bear the whole weight yourself.

 

[TrentB]

Hey Guys, I just posted my Hathor 2x12 for sale in the classifieds. Unfortunately some unforeseen circumstances have popped up and I have to let it go.
For Sale - Audiokinesis Hathor 2x12

 

[slagheap]

saw a clean looking TC12 on CL sfbay area this morning, saturday.

 

[coolhang]

I love my TC 112 ver2 !!!!

 

[slagheap]

Good to see your post. I hope you're on the mend. Have you considered employing an authorized builder for your bass cabs who works under a confidentiality agreement like Greenboy did? Your designs are outstanding and there seems to be a strong demand. This might be a way to leverage your output and not have to bear the whole weight yourself.

Not out of the question, I suppose, but would likely pose it's own problems for a perfectionist such as Duke. We can always hope - otherwise, as I've stated here previously ( to wide consternation, ) the old days are not coming back.

 

[DukeLeJeune]

Have you considered employing an authorized builder for your bass cabs who works under a confidentiality agreement like Greenboy did? Your designs are outstanding and there seems to be a strong demand. This might be a way to leverage your output and not have to bear the whole weight yourself.

That might be a possibility. If you have someone on particular in mind, shoot me an e-mail. It would of course have to make sense for them as well.

Not out of the question, I suppose, but would likely pose it's own problems for a perfectionist such as Duke. We can always hope - otherwise, as I've stated here previously ( to wide consternation, ) the old days are not coming back.

I'll probably never be able to build cabs at the rate I once did, but I do expect to partially get back to the old days.

 

[nutdog]

I do expect to partially get back to the old days.

 

[MarkA]

A few hours ago at an undisclosed location. Outdoor jam session/charity fundraiser:

Bass player at the edge of the photo is not me, nor is the bass on the stand mine. I brought my P-with-flats (which I got to play for somewhere in the neighborhood of three hours with a variety of folks) and my 8-string (octave course), downtuned J-bass (which I thought would be fun to break out at some point, but timing and tunes were not conducive to it).

Amp is a Handbox R-400. Cabs are a Hathor 1203 (on bottom, with mid-switch up and treble switch down) and a Changeling 112 (on top, with all switches up). Two ports plugged, one open on each cab. Rig is sitting on a Gramma pad, purchased partly with this event (flexy wooden stage) and partly my downstairs neighbors in mind. I'm also running an sFX micro-thumpinator (fixed, low HPF with a steep slope) in the effects loop (with the flexy stage and with headroom in mind).

I had another Hathor in the car -- I've played this event before where it's been super-loud and thought that, particularly with a not-super-powerful amp, it might be a good idea (mine has a factory 2-Ohm mod). Less loud tonight (though volume sure did creep up over the course of five hours).

Tonally, the Handbox works beautifully with the Hathor/Changeling cabs -- sounds and feels great -- but I've been reminded on my last couple of outings with it that it's not a super-powerful amp and that the cabs aren't super-efficient. The last one (before tonight), people were just playing way, way, way too loud. With two cabs, pushed the amp into clipping in a venue I've played with it and ONE cab before without issue.

Tonight was fine -- people got louder than ideal, before the end, but not stupid-loud. The HPF probably helped, tonight (didn't have it last time), and the amp felt fine -- never clipped or felt compressed. Nicely present on stage and folks on stage and in the audience said it sounded great. If I had to guess, I'd say I was running at 70-80% of the amp's "comfortable" capacity.

The person running sound asked me for a feed (which I gave him, pre-EQ) from the amp and said he put "just a little bit" in the modest sub out front to fill out the sound in the audience -- nothing in the tops. (I thought I might have to cover the whole thing with my rig -- which, three years ago, I did).

Backup amp was a Quilter Bass Block, but it never left the case. (On the stupid-loud outing before this one, I spent some time going back and forth between the Quilter and the Handbox -- Quilter will go louder (800 Watts @ 4 Ohms vs. 400 for the Handbox) and sounds and feels good. Handbox, to my ear, sounds and feels better -- more focused, more detailed, more articulate (within its limits), more harmonically interesting -- but 400 Watts is 400 Watts.

Oh, I turned the Changeling's rear-firing mid/high driver up (usually have it down) and asked the percussionist behind me to let me know if it was too much. When I asked him about it, later, he smiled and said, "It sounds great!"

 

[MarkA]

^^^ Addenda:
- No bass in the monitors -- stage was covered capably with the rig, which I prefer. Feedback from other musicians was that they could hear the bass clearly, that balance was good, and "sounds great." (How come no one ever asks me how things are sounding from my end?)
- Sharp-eyed folks might notice a SansAmp in the photo. Belonged to one of the other players. I asked him to give the rig a shot without before plugging it in and he decided he didn't need it.

 

[smeet]

Picked up a Hathor 212 today. Seems like a great sounding cabinet. The voice is very different from the Berg HDN 212. The switches and pluggable ports are a cool feature. With the switch up, there’s a LOT of thick midrange happening (I like that!). It’s very even sounding over the whole range of the (5 string) bass. I can’t wait to hear how it works with a band. I don’t think there’s much chance it will get lost in the mix.

 

[TrentB]

Picked up a Hathor 212 today. Seems like a great sounding cabinet. The voice is very different from the Berg HDN 212. The switches and pluggable ports are a cool feature. With the switch up, there’s a LOT of thick midrange happening (I like that!). It’s very even sounding over the whole range of the (5 string) bass. I can’t wait to hear how it works with a band. I don’t think there’s much chance it will get lost in the mix.

Enjoy the cab, I’m sure you will love it in a band mix. I’m going to miss it!

 

[slagheap]

minty 4th generation TC112 is still on CL sf bay area - $750.

 

[Low Key]

Looking for cab stacking suggestions.

I current stack a Hathor 1203 (on it's side) on top of a Hathor 1506. While the sound is brilliant, I have trouble with the H1203 sliding around when I'm setting it up. The front corner protectors can lock the cabs together if you get it "just so", but I've had a couple different stage techs almost dump my rig when they try to push a few feet.

Is there a better/different way to stack them or some type of "hack" to make them more solid?

 

[TomB]

Small squares of black gaff tape.
Not relevant, but I’m curious, what’s the combined resistance of the two and what do you power it with?

 

[wave rider]

Put a piece of nonskid shelve liner between the two, that should stop the sliding.

Must be a glorious sounding stack!

 

[Low Key]

Small squares of black gaff tape.
Not relevant, but I’m curious, what’s the combined resistance of the two and what do you power it with?

Sure, it's 4 ohms for the H1206 and 8 ohms for the H1203, which I believe is 2.67 ohms. I run it with a Mesa Subway D800+. Great pairing and experimenting with port plugs can really get it where you want it.

And if I were to be honest, I could probably use the H1206 for most gigs on it's own. I felt I needed a second cab for larger/outdoor venues, but I can't say I've ever come close to maximizing the volume/power of the H1206. I was even thinking of parting with the H1203 as I hate having unused gear, but it looks so damn cool together!

 

[shrigg]

Sure, it's 4 ohms for the H1206 and 8 ohms for the H1203, which I believe is 2.67 ohms. I run it with a Mesa Subway D800+. Great pairing and experimenting with port plugs can really get it where you want it.

And if I were to be honest, I could probably use the H1206 for most gigs on it's own. I felt I needed a second cab for larger/outdoor venues, but I can't say I've ever come close to maximizing the volume/power of the H1206. I was even thinking of parting with the H1203 as I hate having unused gear, but it looks so damn cool together!

That was my analysis using the 1505 with my 1203, the extra cab really didn’t add much. Ended up letting the 1203 go because the 1505 simply kills in every setting, indoors or outdoors.

 

[SemiDriven]

That was my analysis using the 1505 with my 1203, the extra cab really didn’t add much. Ended up letting the 1203 go because the 1505 simply kills in every setting, indoors or outdoors.

Really? You didn't notice a fuller sound with both cabs (especially at lower volume)?

I'm counting on a fuller sound once my ordered C112T arrives to pair with my H1203T.

In the mean time, I'm waiting for upcoming gigs to pair the H1203T with a SW115.

I'll put the 115 on the opposite end of the stage facing me and the H1203T I'll elevate on a milk crate(s) next to me.

I'm sure hoping to get a fuller sound with 2-cabs compared with 1-cab.