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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...
- Thread starter Thor
- Start date
Nope, it's in the ballpark. Dual woofer mojo as well, whatever that means. But dual woofer mojo was why the Fearless 212 was on the list, but may be off the list due to its cost.
Stupid question, may have already been answered, but here goes: Are cabs with rear firing ports at a disadvantage compared to cabs with front firing ports when used outdoors?
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The thing to keep in mind concerning the 1203 cabs are, the switches. With the switches engaged, they can get pretty aggressive, then you can flip the mid switch, and it smooths out. This is something I can really notice. The high switch will change the upper frequency limit.
I'm sure the difference is more noticeable with different heads (and even different basses). When using a P going through Monique, I can really tell a difference.
This is a nice option to have!
Oh and about the rear firing port: I did a lot of research on this before purchasing the 1203's, really it doesn't make a difference as far as I can tell. Of course, I am setting up in the same location on my regular gig. I would assume that if you set your cabs right up against a curtain or wall, you might notice a difference. But that could also be true with a front-firing port as well. Short answer: no.
Over the years, with all the reading about cabs, I believe the answer to the port question is that is doesn't matter where it's placed on the cab (so long as it's not blocked).
And this is generally the case because low frequencies are omnidirectional - not unidirectional.
MM
After all of this vacationing I finally got a chance to try out one Hathor 1203 at rehearsal. I actually used it with a gkmb200. We generally play loud at rehearsal and I was quite impressed how it performed. It was plenty loud, crystal clear and articulate, and cut through really well. I definitely had plenty more in the tank to push it even further but didn't need to. I can see how one Hathor 1203 can cover some gigs easily, and it has plenty of bottom for such a small enclosure.
Tomorrow night I will be using both of them with my Glock Blue Soul. Can't wait!!!
Tomorrow night I will be using both of them with my Glock Blue Soul. Can't wait!!!
I have to admit, I'm a little frustrated!
I have been super busy, since before I took possession of the 1203 cabs. I've been using them for rehearsals, our last gig, and the last after-party. I have been playing through them, and they sound great, but I am really wanting time to tinker with the various tones lurking in these cabs!
That being said, I haven't had as much time as I want to test out and try different things. Just a busy schedule for quite some time to come.
I did get a chance to sit down this afternoon and experiment with both 1203 cabs and Monique with a P bass. There is a LOT going on with this combination! You can really hear what you are actually playing. That can be a good thing (or bad if you have bad habits). These cabs are so clear, and take EQ so well. I guess I am surprised at the fact that, at least with these cabs, I can EQ some Lows with Monique and it sounds great. I could not really do that with any other cabs. The mids are very prominent, yet can be affected with EQ as well. This allow me to get a solid, yet cutting, clear without going crazy with EQ.
Then you have the Sensitivity control of Monique. It seems to be much more effective with the 1203's. It think the cabs react better to the Sensitivity control (without sounding too aggressive or harsh).
When you add to that, the two switches on the cabs, you've got a lot to work with. With each cab, you have 4 possible setting with the switches(both up, both down, top up/bottom down, top down/bottom up). So you can take a couple of pretty aggressive cabs (both switches up) and turn them down, and you get a very smooth cab. I even tried one cab with the switches up and the other with both switches down. These switch settings are very obvious with Monique!
I haven't even had a chance to play with the port plug yet.
It's a good thing these cabs sound great just plugging and playing, cause that's basically the way I've been playing them on my gigs. Winter will be here soon, so I'll have plenty of time to experiment.
It is too much fun getting new toys!
I have been super busy, since before I took possession of the 1203 cabs. I've been using them for rehearsals, our last gig, and the last after-party. I have been playing through them, and they sound great, but I am really wanting time to tinker with the various tones lurking in these cabs!
That being said, I haven't had as much time as I want to test out and try different things. Just a busy schedule for quite some time to come.
I did get a chance to sit down this afternoon and experiment with both 1203 cabs and Monique with a P bass. There is a LOT going on with this combination! You can really hear what you are actually playing. That can be a good thing (or bad if you have bad habits). These cabs are so clear, and take EQ so well. I guess I am surprised at the fact that, at least with these cabs, I can EQ some Lows with Monique and it sounds great. I could not really do that with any other cabs. The mids are very prominent, yet can be affected with EQ as well. This allow me to get a solid, yet cutting, clear without going crazy with EQ.
Then you have the Sensitivity control of Monique. It seems to be much more effective with the 1203's. It think the cabs react better to the Sensitivity control (without sounding too aggressive or harsh).
When you add to that, the two switches on the cabs, you've got a lot to work with. With each cab, you have 4 possible setting with the switches(both up, both down, top up/bottom down, top down/bottom up). So you can take a couple of pretty aggressive cabs (both switches up) and turn them down, and you get a very smooth cab. I even tried one cab with the switches up and the other with both switches down. These switch settings are very obvious with Monique!
I haven't even had a chance to play with the port plug yet.
It's a good thing these cabs sound great just plugging and playing, cause that's basically the way I've been playing them on my gigs. Winter will be here soon, so I'll have plenty of time to experiment.
It is too much fun getting new toys!
The only thing the H1203 doesn't do is the low extension down to the B fundamental. It handles a low B just fine, but it won't get that really big enveloping sound - it is more focused. That's where the H1203/TC112 combination comes in though, as the TC112 goes just a bit lower and fills that out. The "ultra spoiled" setup is what I have now - a pair of H1203s and a TC112-8. Most of my jazz gigs are covered with a single H1203 - and that is with either 4 or 5-string. If I want just more of that, the pair will tear the paint off the walls. If I want to get a bit wider sound, an H1203 on top of the TC112 does the trick. win-win-win
I will be rocking the H1203 stacked with Duke's brand-new H1533-B very soon. Now *that* should give a fully enveloping low B!! 
Also cool that I will have three different sized rigs: single 1203, single 1533-B, or both stacked together for those no-holds-barred situations
Also cool that I will have three different sized rigs: single 1203, single 1533-B, or both stacked together for those no-holds-barred situations
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After having played my MB500 and TC112 v1 with both ports unplugged ever since I took delivery of the thing, I recently plugged both ports to see how it would sound. I guess I wasn't expecting how much that would attenuate the low end and bring out the midrange. But it does.
A delightful surprise is to hear how nicely it now sings with my fretless basses. It sounds especially sweet with my Carvin Bromberg fretless five-string with Audere four-band preamp and Graphtech Ghost piezoelectric system. When I blend in about 35% piezo and 65% magnetic pickups, pluck the strings a little harder than usual, and use a little vibrato on the fingerboard, it just purrs through that Thunderchild. With the ports plugged, the frequency response is right in the ideal range to accentuate the almighty mwah. I'm lovin' it.
MM
A delightful surprise is to hear how nicely it now sings with my fretless basses. It sounds especially sweet with my Carvin Bromberg fretless five-string with Audere four-band preamp and Graphtech Ghost piezoelectric system. When I blend in about 35% piezo and 65% magnetic pickups, pluck the strings a little harder than usual, and use a little vibrato on the fingerboard, it just purrs through that Thunderchild. With the ports plugged, the frequency response is right in the ideal range to accentuate the almighty mwah. I'm lovin' it.
MM
One thing I really like about the 1203 is the way it does the lows. The lows are solid and full, but never fuzzy, muddy or undefined. I can crank the low on Monique (I can't say enough about Monique's great EQ) and it sounds great. Just a full, low sound but always clear. Since I only do 4 strings, it has no problem meeting my low-end requirements.
I will add, the combination of both switches up on one cab and both switches down on the other is an interesting combination.
Bass Cabinet Gas Free!
Yes, I really feel like I have the best I could ever want. We are all very lucky to have access to a genius like Duke!
And +1, the two switches are awesome! Switchable cab voicing changes are much more dramatic than amp tone controls. And the plug tuning adds a lot too.
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I like it with either two ports plugged/two open or all ports plugged. I really only tried all the ports plugged b/c I have it in front of another cab and the ports were causing the other cab to rattle. But, it sounds really good either way, just a little different.
Forgive my addled brain at this late hour, but when you state the B fundamental and low B, you are referring to the same note, and are assumming a standard EADG tuned bass with the B played on the A string at 61.7 Hz?
The first harmonic is same as the fundamental IIRC. I get confused as I also read about a notes first overtone, which in that case is 123.4 Hz, or the second harmonic.
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