On my way to gig tb153 fir the first time. Using shuttle 6 and dingwall sklar sig 5. Will share my opinions tomorrow.
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Avatar 3 way 15/6/tweet
- Thread starter sleepytime
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I ordered one of the last cabinets they had available (8ohm) last week Friday. It arrived this past Wednesday, and I finally got to check it out today. And I'm finally getting around to testing out the Orange Terror Bass 500 that I bought here from a TB member almost 4 months ago. I had originally planned on building a BFM omni15, but lets face it, I barely have time to play, so building a DIY cabinet will only prolong the wait. So I figured at $449, I couldn't loose. And wow, it was a gamble, buying a cabinet unseen and unheard- factory direct, but it has far exceeded my expectations. I may never get around to building my BFM cab since this thing sounds soo fantastic. With eq set to zero, the Orange Terror sounds nice and warm and vintage through it, and lets my 69' Fender Jazz bass growl, with a nice natural/uncolored sound. Adding a hint of mid and bass, straight out of the box, it has my perfect tone. I really can't wait to see how this thing sounds once it's fully broken in. Second impression, man this thing has some serious volume! I've got the Orange Terror set to 8ohm, gain at about noon, and volume at a 2, yes only on 2, and this thing seriously blasts some major air. I don't think I'll be turning it up anywhere past 3 if I'm not wearing ear plugs. Next, I plugged in to my MOOGerFooger MF101 low pass filter with the drive almost all the way up, and man does it have some nice fuzz. Kicked on, it gives me all the funky noisy goodness that I love with some really rich, but not harsh sounding midrange or bass autowah sounding swirls. Again, the TB153 sounded really great on the low end.
And finally, the biggest test, and main reason whey I went with a 3way speaker; synth bass demands full range sound. I connected up my Moog Little Phatty, dialed in my favorite preset, and was absolutely blown away. Thankfully the Moog has it's own volume level on the control panel which I found myself turning down to safe levels between switching through my presets, but I just cannot believe how well this rig works for analog synth. I set the tweeter to about 12 o'clock, and it seemed to be the sweet spot for everything -full on bass, organ vibrato, leads, and bubbly analog goodness. I did find that I needed to turn down volume quite a bit on some of the high register preset leads, but that's only because I didn't want to go deaf from sitting too close to the cabinet. More specifically, on the higher register sounds, it never sounded brittle, or piercing, but rather it had clarity over the full range of sounds. I've played through bass cabinets before, and was put off by the lack of low end from 2x10's but the TB153 has the whole spectrum fully covered and then some. I could keep going on gushing about the sound, but again, you just need to hear/feel it. This is definitely not a bargain/cheap sounding cabinet. However, the only caveats are the looks. It's not exactly the slickest looking cabinet (quite generic looking actually).I do think this cabinet would actually look quite sharp with burgandy tolex and wheat colored grill, but unfortunately, they're not currently being offered with any custom finish options. And while I'm not too jazzed about the screwed in flimsy grill, or the hot glued on AVATAR logo, I'm willing to let these superficial details go, since elsewhere the cabinet seems of superb build quality.
Maybe I'll just change out the speaker grill for a fabric one later when they become available. However, overall, the TB153 is one stellar cabinet, for bass and especially for synth bass. And again, at this price, unless you've got time to build your own, you're simply not going to get anything else better new.
I know there's are many mixed opinions on here about how the TB153 theoretically sounds, but I just wanted to share my experience with it here for anyone who may be on the fence about it. And for those who might be curious about this cabinet for both bass and synths.
And finally, the biggest test, and main reason whey I went with a 3way speaker; synth bass demands full range sound. I connected up my Moog Little Phatty, dialed in my favorite preset, and was absolutely blown away. Thankfully the Moog has it's own volume level on the control panel which I found myself turning down to safe levels between switching through my presets, but I just cannot believe how well this rig works for analog synth. I set the tweeter to about 12 o'clock, and it seemed to be the sweet spot for everything -full on bass, organ vibrato, leads, and bubbly analog goodness. I did find that I needed to turn down volume quite a bit on some of the high register preset leads, but that's only because I didn't want to go deaf from sitting too close to the cabinet. More specifically, on the higher register sounds, it never sounded brittle, or piercing, but rather it had clarity over the full range of sounds. I've played through bass cabinets before, and was put off by the lack of low end from 2x10's but the TB153 has the whole spectrum fully covered and then some. I could keep going on gushing about the sound, but again, you just need to hear/feel it. This is definitely not a bargain/cheap sounding cabinet. However, the only caveats are the looks. It's not exactly the slickest looking cabinet (quite generic looking actually).I do think this cabinet would actually look quite sharp with burgandy tolex and wheat colored grill, but unfortunately, they're not currently being offered with any custom finish options. And while I'm not too jazzed about the screwed in flimsy grill, or the hot glued on AVATAR logo, I'm willing to let these superficial details go, since elsewhere the cabinet seems of superb build quality.
Maybe I'll just change out the speaker grill for a fabric one later when they become available. However, overall, the TB153 is one stellar cabinet, for bass and especially for synth bass. And again, at this price, unless you've got time to build your own, you're simply not going to get anything else better new.
I know there's are many mixed opinions on here about how the TB153 theoretically sounds, but I just wanted to share my experience with it here for anyone who may be on the fence about it. And for those who might be curious about this cabinet for both bass and synths.
YES!! Awesome awesome review. I AM one of those who are curious about bass and synth, as about half of my bass playing gets done on my Novation K-Station. The K-Station actually has the ability to smooth out even a crappy bass amp and make it sound good, but maybe this cab will help me get even a fuller nastier tone out of it. I am quite envious of your Moog Little Fatty.
So you got the 8ohm cabinet, and you switched your Orange Terror to 8ohm mode which means you were pumping 1000 watts into it?
So if I get the 4ohm mode when it becomes available, will there be any sacrifice to all the good qualities you've reported on the 8ohm version?
Thanks again for a great report.
Been a lot of discussion on that, especially from the fEarful threads and the concensus is that the 3015LF, when used to it's potential has so much excursion and can move so much air that grillcloth would be flapping in the breeze, so much so that it could actually hinder the sound, ie: like a blanket over it. That's no ordinary speaker in there and some sort of metal grill is pretty much required, the more open the pattern, the better. Some more open, "clothlike" material like petscreen or something could be used but ordinary grillcloth like you see on everything surpasses it's limits with this thing.
So last night gigged the TB153 4ohm using a GB 6 and a dingwall 5. FOH support in a bar with just a drum riser so cab was on a harwood floor. With all tone controls on amp at 12 o clock and the bass boost switch on, i could easily hear myself(note: i play rock covers with two loud gutarist). As mentioned by others the spectrum this thing puts out is so much more broad that what im used to hearing from previous single cabs. Also a previously posted, amp setttings are a new world. Thanks to all of you early purchasers and speaker engineers for your insights and valuable information. Im going to have to relearn how to get tone out of my amp because the clarity between freq and certain notes seems more tunable. I feel like b4 with other cabs i could tailor cool sonic mush (stage volume), with the tb153 its more refined-deep bass frequencies u need with tailored mids. I love this 3 way concept. My band said they could here me and i could have turned my amp up a little. I easily had more amp to spare, was only ay 12 on volume. My other rig is ampeg SVT8 through a hartke hydrive 410/115. The 153 is so much lighter and to my ears clearer in an articulate sense not to mention easier to move. This was an experiment that opened up new concepts to me on how much rig is needed for stage volume with Pa support. Now my big decision is streamliner 600 or 900 for my 4ohm 153????? Hope this review is helpfull to someone.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Some nice reviews, guys!
And they reinforce what those of us using 'similar' (ie other 15/6/x cabs) have been saying.
I'm very pleased that Dave has gotten himself a winner with this one, and I hope it helps him stake a claim on more than just the 'cheap direct cabs' king.
I have a good friend who's a keyboard player who uses a motley rig of both bass and guitar amps to amplify Moogs, traditional Rhodes, and a variety of other synths and keys (clav, piano, etc)...and he's been itching to try it out.
Part of what you're hearing is the fact that the 3015LF has great low end extension and a decent x-max meaning that you can keep the lows clean at loud volumes. You've also got a dedicated mid providing a lot of signal in a place where most bass players have a 'tonal hole' (the territory between woofer and crappy tweeter on regular cabs), which can give many the impression of the cab feeling too hot in the mids, even though its probably just closer to flat than we're used to hearing. The comments about the mids/highs being smooth are dead on, since you've got a direct radiating 6" speaker and not one of those compression tweeters that's trying to cover too much below where it should, then the tweeter can just handle the very top of the range comfortably.
I find that you can get great huge lows without your tone suffering from swampy mud and you can keep your note definition. Also, because that 6" speaker has great dispersion, all of a sudden, your bandmates can hear you better...That helps being a tighter, better band!
And they reinforce what those of us using 'similar' (ie other 15/6/x cabs) have been saying.
I'm very pleased that Dave has gotten himself a winner with this one, and I hope it helps him stake a claim on more than just the 'cheap direct cabs' king.
I have a good friend who's a keyboard player who uses a motley rig of both bass and guitar amps to amplify Moogs, traditional Rhodes, and a variety of other synths and keys (clav, piano, etc)...and he's been itching to try it out.
Part of what you're hearing is the fact that the 3015LF has great low end extension and a decent x-max meaning that you can keep the lows clean at loud volumes. You've also got a dedicated mid providing a lot of signal in a place where most bass players have a 'tonal hole' (the territory between woofer and crappy tweeter on regular cabs), which can give many the impression of the cab feeling too hot in the mids, even though its probably just closer to flat than we're used to hearing. The comments about the mids/highs being smooth are dead on, since you've got a direct radiating 6" speaker and not one of those compression tweeters that's trying to cover too much below where it should, then the tweeter can just handle the very top of the range comfortably.
I find that you can get great huge lows without your tone suffering from swampy mud and you can keep your note definition. Also, because that 6" speaker has great dispersion, all of a sudden, your bandmates can hear you better...That helps being a tighter, better band!
Hey burningskies, i know u briefly posted (pages ago) about wattage. Could u answer for me, would 900 watts @ 4 ohms into TB153 4 ohm cab be too much to operate the cab real wotld safely without fear of damaging or exceeding the thermal limits??
- Dec 18, 2000
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- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
I really prefer metal grills myself. But for those who'd like a customizable look that gets closer to cloth, I'd recommend the second grill down on [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].
Seen in person, it's a much finer hole pattern and all without losing the free air passage. From a few feet looks an awful lot like a good black fabric mesh grill. Definitely with larger hole patterns you do not get that sense of "classic". I'm thinking the right rattle can colors in flat or satin would really class up a cab's individuality without losing either acoustic or protective superiority.
Seen in person, it's a much finer hole pattern and all without losing the free air passage. From a few feet looks an awful lot like a good black fabric mesh grill. Definitely with larger hole patterns you do not get that sense of "classic". I'm thinking the right rattle can colors in flat or satin would really class up a cab's individuality without losing either acoustic or protective superiority.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Assuming that you pay attention to when your speakers start to complain (like if you hear breakup happening in the lows), you shouldn't have a problem.
AKA, use your ears to hear the limits of the speakers. Remember, a 900w amp isn't usually putting out its 900w.
Could you ruin your speakers? Yes, but then you could do that with a much smaller amp too.
I didn't get the cover at the time I placed the initial order. Anyone here bought the Avatar cover? Is it worth buying? Should I look at something else? Suggestions?
Well, it was this time last year I downsized from 2 b410 neo avatar cabs to a pair of bag end sd15's and now I may be looking to downsize agian. Has anyone had experience with the bags that could give a comparison? I normally can run my lmIII flat with the vol at noon for all my gigs, would 1 TB153 be able to keep up? I am sure thinking an orange tolex cab under my lmIII would look purty good.
Yes, the Moog sound is super nasty! I actually prefer the grittier sound of the Little Phatty over the more extensive Voyager. Especially for deep bass sounds and organ vibrato. For fun, I dialed up a seriously low frequency house bass sound, and the cabinet put out an articulate airy sub sound like I've never heard before. And everything glass nearby that wasn't locked down began to vibrate like it was going to explode. But the cabinet didn't make a single rattle, or sign of sound break up.
As far as I know, I believe the Orange Terror is only 500 watts, but switchable between 4 and 8 ohm impedance. I went with the 8ohm because, well that's all they had left, and because my amp could handle it without dropping watts, but for my needs, I seriously doubt that I will ever need more than one of these. My previous rig, back when I was gigging consisted of a 2 x 15" with a 2 x 10" on top. Total weight was somewhere around 175lbs. And most of the time I didn't didn't need to go through the PA, but as you can imagine, the only thing I was able to hear was the 2x10 while the 15's were pumping some seriously swampy bass sound. While this monster rig sounded great, it wasn't the most efficient setup, sonically or physically. I'm glad that after all these years, now that I've come back to bass playing, that hi-fi technology has finally made it's way over to bass gear. I'm just blown away that this single cabinet puts out almost the equivalent of my old monster rig, but only cleaner, punchier, and is much easier on my back to haul around. Now that I've gotten a taste of the 15/6 sound I'm never going back.
Couldn't have said it any better - I want to add myself to the list of very happy TB153 owners for the reasons above. Up until I got the TB cab I was playing a LMII and 2 Epi PS112s. From the first note I played at band rehearsal there were smiles all around. I feel like my basses have really come alive and the clarity is just amazing. The TB cab is surely harder to carry up and down my stairs but it's totally worth it.
Someone asked about the slip cover - I ordered one and it's very nice. Perfect fit with a soft inner lining and cutouts for the handles. Just right for protecting it from the elements when loading and unloading it. For the price it's a good deal IMO.
Spent some quality time with this cab and a GK 700RB and Shuttle 6.0 last night when I could work the higher SPL side of things. I am blown away by how the cab takes to EQ - specifically bass and low mid boosts. Normally I steer clear of boosting stuff because the sound gets boomy. This is not a problem at all with this cabinet. Running flat on treble and high mids, with a 2:00 setting on low mids and bass put out a great, powerful sound that seemed controlled all over the neck. The Shuttle 6.0 seemed to hold the sound together just a bit better, but there was no doubt the GK was way louder and with some EQ, I could get the two heads to sound very similar. Strangely, the GK's boost control seemed to tighten up the sound down low as it added its gritty stuff. Does anyone know if there is a high pass effect to the Boost as part of its valve simulation?
I've tried mind twice now at practice. I'm only running it with a 400RB-III. I too feel like I can EQ more now. Before I'd leave the settings at 12 with small tweaks. Now I'm boosting lows and cutting highs! And all I'm getting is thump and grunt and no fart or whine! I can't wait to play my gig next weekend. Ill stack my 210 on the TB153 as a fake stack, with 2 GK heads on top of that (only one cab and amp plugged in). I'm hoping there are some bassists in the audience who think I'm running the full stack!
HAHA I agree. It's because this will be my first gig with a new cab (and only 3 practices with it) and maybe the second time I'll be using my 700RB-II after getting it back from GK. It's mostly in case I need backup. And because I know it's not long walk for load in, and no stairs. Our next gig, later in Feb, will be a long walk and down a brick staircase--the only entrance. I won't bother with all this crap at that gig, especially since I'll have more time to check reliability.
Dang...
I'm not gigging so buying another cabinet is pretty pointless now, but I wish these had been around when I was doing the R'n'B/Funk/Rock gig. This would be just too much for the second floor 2-BR apartment.
I'm glad there are options out there, and that the Avatar execution is pretty good. I'd been intrigued by the fEarful stuff but I don't have access to tools nor space for DIY any more so that wasn't really an option. I'm thinking this is what I'm getting when I start gigging again.
John
I'm not gigging so buying another cabinet is pretty pointless now, but I wish these had been around when I was doing the R'n'B/Funk/Rock gig. This would be just too much for the second floor 2-BR apartment.
I'm glad there are options out there, and that the Avatar execution is pretty good. I'd been intrigued by the fEarful stuff but I don't have access to tools nor space for DIY any more so that wasn't really an option. I'm thinking this is what I'm getting when I start gigging again.
John
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Would you play gigs with a band that doesn't have a great PA?
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