Double Bass AudioKinesis Thunderchild 112 cab

[Marc Piane]

Marc Piane came by, so maybe he will comment. He liked the double bass sound more than the bass guitar from where he was sitting, but there was no tweaking before the gig, I just found sounds I thought were good on stage and went for it. I'd like to play with it some more, but from this one experience, I'd say this is a wonderful cabinet.

I was most impressed by how even the sound was. There were no frequencies that popped out more than others. The low end was nice and fat and higher stuff sang nicely. On ballads the notes got a nice juicy growl and sustain, walking had a nice punch too.

Like Eric said, my only caveat was the electric. The tone was great but I wanted a little more balls.
Again it was very even but I have yet to hear a 1x12 that can get the same umpf on electric that a 1x15 is 2x12 or bigger can.

I might have to sell some blood though. I was pretty impressed.

 

[Ric Vice]

Hey Ric
Bring one of the plugs with. At home I tried it with a plug. Not as full sounding but might be the ticket for a boomy room. This is one cab (in my experience) that doesn't like being on a chair.

I had sent a message to Duke, because there was a post in this thread where someone asked if they could pole mount it, and he said that it wouldn't work, ( he actually recommended some one else's cab, amazing) I hadn't heard back. I'm pretty sure that Duke's take on the plugs is that it's either both plugs in or both plugs out, but if you got it to work that way then I'm willing to give it a shot. I've listened, and watched the You Tube videos of you with Patricia Barber, great intonation, great musicality, and great chops. This particular hall is so bad that it will probably require both plugs anyway, it sucks.

Ric

 

[Ric Vice]

That kind of describes the Doubler, in my experience. So maybe that wasn't the TC's responsibility?

I'm doing a remarkably good job of not counting the days til I get my TC. I picked up an old Fishman Dual Parametric EQ/DI to run into a QSC K12, and I have to admit it's a pretty sweet combination. But when the TC gets here in November (I hope), it'll just be like an early x-mas...

Jeremy,
That should be a very compact and great sounding system. I think you're gonna love the Thunderchild 112. Duke takes a lot of price in that cabinet. So November isn't that far off. Actually, it will be a early X max.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

First I absolutely love my doubler with electric, I understand that is subjective

Me, too. I've also gotten really good comments on it. I like it on stage in all of the situations I've used it. I'll have to try and hear
one from the house at some point. Mike, let me know when you've got a gig I can check out.

 

[Mike Arnopol]

I think using one plug is fine, but I guess it would be wise to talk to Duke about it. The only concern is that at VERY loud volumes the asymetrically mounted single port could cause "cone rock" I haven't experienced it and even if it occured it is unlikely that you'll damage the driver. Both plugged doesn't sound so good. Marc--as far as cojones with electric, the TC doesn't have the mid peaks that MOST bass cabs have. While I've always sucked out some mids with DB and EB, I've found that with the TC sometimes I have to add a little wide mid boost. Before the TC I don't think that I've ever played through a relatively flat bass cab. For better or worse (better I think) with the TC we have to rethink our eq strategies a bit. I think electric sounds great with the Doubler and the TC. I've just experienced the limit (for me ) of the combination. Which means that the combo with EB works great on 95% of my gigs. Since I've had the TC I've had 3 gigs where I might have wanted a 15. But just barely. I've owned the NL210 and I think that the TC goes louder. The Nl210 is a lot more efficient, I think.
Well, we'll have to wait for the TC 15. 2.5 db more efficient. That would likely make the Doubler feel like it's got 40% more power.

 

[DukeLeJeune]

FWIW, I recall Duke posting a warning that using only one plug could potentially harm the driver; both or none were his recommendations.

Here is the issue: If there is an uneven airload on the back of the cone, the cone will tend to "rock" somewhat as it moves back and forth on long bass excursions. Because the Thunderchild 112's woofer has a very long voice coil, enough "rockage" can cause the voice coil to tap or click against the sides of the magnetic gap. The prototype cab had this issue; both of the ports were high on the back of the cab, behind the compression driver, so the airload on the back of the cone was quite asymmetrical. The relatively small internal volume of the cab plays a role as well, because the pressures exerted on the back of the cone (whether asymmetrical or not) go up as the ratio of woofer cone displacement to cabinet internal volume goes up. (For instance I've never heard of a fEarful having the cone rock issue despite its inherently asymmetrical port placement, but then it has more internal volume so the backpressure on the cone is lower).

Following the advice of the Eminence engineer who designed the woofer, on the production version I moved the ports down and positioned them symmetrically behind the cone. So with both ports open or both ports closed, we have a symmetrical airload on the back of the cone.

With only one port open, the airload becomes asymmetrical and the risk of tapping from cone rocking returns. So I caution people to be aware of this, though so far no one has reported having an issue with it.

I don't think any damage would arise from the voice coil tapping the sides of the magnetic gap as long as you back off once it occurs. For example, I think it would be fine to experiment with one port plugged before you try it at a gig, and see if it's really an issue or not. It is possible that having the one port not so far off-center as the two ports were in my prototype has eliminated the issue, but I don't know this for a fact.

And if anyone is able to replicate the clicking distortion with one port plugged, please post about it and/or let me know, because that would be valuable information.

The TC115 will have four ports on the back, in a rectangular pattern, so that two ports on a diagonal can be plugged and we'd still have a symmetrical airload. I don't know how useful half-the-ports-plugged will be in practice, but if anything the big 15" cone would be even more prone to rocking from an asymmetrical airload, hence the rectangular four-port geometry.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Thanks, Duke. I find this stuff intriguing.

 

[fesem]

I have used the TC112 at moderate volumes and one port plugged, with electric active bass, with no issues. Amp was a LMII.

 

[Mike Arnopol]

This is my favorite cab I've ever owned hands-down, but like anything else, it has it's limitations.
Well I was able to get past one perceived limitation last night. I've been honest about the TC and EA Doubler on loud electric gigs. (I'm a 50/50 doubler) I just found that when pushing the limits that this combo sounded a bit diffuse. Big and warm, but having trouble "thumping" and cutting through. Well---tried the one port plug last night. Didn't like the single plug at home or with upright. Seemed to lose that big warm low end. Well on loud electric gigs I NEED to lose some of that low end. Everyone in the band complimented me on my sound. Cut through perfectly and I was pretty loud. Now there is one caveat---it's theoretically possible to get "cone rock" from asymmetrically loading the ports (one closed) I was cranking it and had no problems. Now I would strongly recommend CAREFULLY trying this, but I was playing a tough room with a big loud band and the sound was fantastic. Three possible reasons. 1. the low end was down a few db's from 50 to maybe 100hz which was a good thing in this situation. 2.Plugging one port adds a little bit of compression 3. The tuning frequency went down from around 50hz to around 38hz (am I right on this, Duke?). Maybe it's just my perception, (but I think not from lot's of personal experience---not theoretical, but tons of ON THE GIG experience) I find that I get a tighter more defined low end when the port tuning is lower so that there is less musical information coming from the port, but from the speaker. Even when compensating for the inherent loss of low frequency response with eq. To me, the sound is more focused and tighter. I'm going to do a Rube Goldberg experiment and extend both ports (just by friction fitting additional port tubes) to a similar tuning as one plugged. This would eliminate the port compression of just one plugged.

 

[Ric Vice]

I just got of a four day tour with Mary Wilson (Supremes). I took the Thunderchild 112, since I was driving. We did two smaller auditoriums, in Rolla and St. Louis and a two day date at a club in Burlington IA. The Thunderchild sounded great in all those rooms. I was playing Double Bass on all the gigs. It sat on the floor for each show with both port plugs out. In each venue it filled the stage. This is my go to cabinet now. And yes, I was using the Ehrlund Pickup as well.

Ric

 

[Jazzdogg]

Nice to hear, Rick. Are you pushing your Thunderchild with a Walter Woods amp?

 

[Ric Vice]

Nice to hear, Rick. Are you pushing your Thunderchild with a Walter Woods amp?

Jazz Dog,
For these concerts I used my Walter Woods Ultra. At 4 ohms it's a 1,000 watt amp, at least theoretically.

Ric

 

[richhansen]

I finally got my Thunderchild "acoustic friendly" cabinet, and I got to hang out with Duke as well, who is a very cool and humble cat. I have about a dozen gigs under my belt with this cabinet, and I can't praise it enough. The sound is absolutely natural and fills a room like nothing I've ever tried. I use an AI Clarus II, with an Ehrlund EAP, and it's the amplified double bass tone I've always wanted, which is the sound of my bass louder.

I've used it with slab bass too, and it definitely has enough volume and punch for every gig I've used it for.

It's also very light and compact, and I couldn't be happier with it.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Hi There!

RH450 & Thunderchild?

Im thinking of downsizing from my RS210 and 212 to a Thunderchild 112 4oHm cab. This would be my only cab for rehearsals, recording and gigs. You have experience with both products and I was hoping you could give me some guidance and insight. I play rock and funk with my fingers. Mostly with a passive Jazz bass and some with a passive P-bass if any of that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance. You da man!

 

[GrowlerBox]

Hi There!

RH450 & Thunderchild?

Im thinking of downsizing from my RS210 and 212 to a Thunderchild 112 4oHm cab. This would be my only cab for rehearsals, recording and gigs. You have experience with both products and I was hoping you could give me some guidance and insight. I play rock and funk with my fingers. Mostly with a passive Jazz bass and some with a passive P-bass if any of that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance. You da man!

If you want to grab Ken's attention, better to post this on the BG side.

 

[Stranger Danger]

If you want to grab Ken's attention, better to post this on the BG side.

Hey thanks! Sorry about that.

 

[tombowlus]

Hi There!

RH450 & Thunderchild?

Im thinking of downsizing from my RS210 and 212 to a Thunderchild 112 4oHm cab. This would be my only cab for rehearsals, recording and gigs. You have experience with both products and I was hoping you could give me some guidance and insight. I play rock and funk with my fingers. Mostly with a passive Jazz bass and some with a passive P-bass if any of that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance. You da man!

I have both an RH450 and an RH750, and I have used them both with my TC112AF. I liked the results pretty well, but I expected to hear a fairly colored tone - from the TC's tube emulation, inherent grit, and compression - and that's what I got. It works great in a rock context, but this is not going to be a pristine sounding rig. For that, I like to drive my TC112AF with a GK MB Fusion.

Hope this helps, Tom.

 

[Alain Bass]

It would be great to hear the Thunderchild 112AF with a Double bass. The only thing I found on the web is a record with a bass guitare.
Does anyone has found a link or something ?

Alain

 

[Jeremy Allen]

It would be great to hear the Thunderchild 112AF with a Double bass. The only thing I found on the web is a record with a bass guitare.
Does anyone has found a link or something ?

Alain

I don't have anything to post at the moment, but I can tell you this: on the recordings of live shows I've made where the double bass is going through the 112AF, it is very difficult to isolate the sound of the cabinet from the sound of the bass. Where one ends and the other begins is hard to distinguish...
...
...
...
which is exactly what we're looking for!
Simply amazing cabinet.

 

[Alain Bass]

Thank's Jeremy for your input.

From what I've red in Talkbass, my feeling was that the Thunderchild, because of his horn, is one of the best cab … for doublers, and one of the loudest (level) cab in the market,
whitch is what I'm searching: Loud (level) and Light. I want to travel light, I have no car and use the bus.

I'm not doubling, and Soon I need to buy a cab for my large venue gigs. For the moment my setup is a Wizzy 10 … and I'm waiting for Mike Arnopol 'S Crazy 8 for my Coffe Gigs. It will replace my Wizzy 10.

For my "Loud" gigs, I was thinking of a Wizzy M Line, or the new double crazy 88 … or the Thunderchild. I want to stay at a 30,35 lbs cab (appprox). And from what I've red in Talkbass, I thought that the thunderchild feets more for doublers.

Does anyone compare the Wizzy M Line and the Thunderchild?