Avatar 3 way 15/6/tweet

[billfitzmaurice]

Despite plenty of people, pro and amateur, having success with the 410 115 combo

Define 'success'. If it's two cabs together being louder than either alone that's the result with virtually any two cabs. The only way to know if a 410/115 combo is better than a 410/410 or 115/115 is to try those combinations, side by side. I doubt that 2% of 410/115 owners did so before buying them.

 

[mowburger]

how about 410/118?

 

[Tasteebass]

I would define success as the users' individual volume and tone goals being met. So, of course, a subjective post. The reason for said subjective post, is me not being able to get my hands on the Avatar stack before buying. I've been playing on a 220W Ampeg combo for the bulk of my existence, so I'm new to heads and cabs. A site like this, where I can pick the brains of those who have rocked before me, is invaluable.

As an update, Dave just emailed me. The TB153 is now marked down to an intro price of $399. Don't know about anyone else, but I'm in for that price. I'll wait to get out to Coeur d'Alene to try out a match for it.

 

[Mr. Pickles]

Special introductory pricing - $399.
'Nuf said.

 

[impactwrench]

Dang at that price...

Should I go with 8 ohm or 4 ohm? Why do I feel like I should do 8 ohms so I can always stack with my 2x10 if necessary?

I'll be using a backline 600, 400RB-III and hopefully soon a 700RB-II or MB500.

 

[billfitzmaurice]

how about 410/118?

Insufficient data. The idea behind mixing cabs is to have one that works better in the upper part of the spectrum and one that works better in the low. The fact of the matter is that driver size alone says nothing about either. The average 410 and 118 have similar response so there's little, if anything, to be gained by mixing them. An eighteen and an eight, with a real crossover, or a fifteen and a six, with a real crossover, are useful combinations. That pretty much sums up why the subject of this thread exists, and why mixing a 15/6 with something else makes even less sense than a 410/115 or 410/118.

 

[Tasteebass]

No exp with an 18 at all mow. Cabs constant, how does it compare to a 15?

 

[Tasteebass]

I just ordered a 4 Ohm!! Done and Done!! My amp goes to 2 Ohms though, so I can still stack if needed, but get full power @ 4 into one cab.

 

[natw42]

Bill, do you ever feel like you are repeatedly beating your head against a wall?

I lurk in these amp discussions because I find them interesting and time and time again you explain proven scientific fact and it's met with deaf ears.


Well, God bless ya for trying.

 

[mowburger]

No exp with an 18 at all mow. Cabs constant, how does it compare to a 15?

I want to say slower, but I'm using that term very loosly, It's like the 410 is way punchier, but the 18" is deeper sounding? I wouldn't want to play reggae without the 18". And playing punk songs with a pick arn't the same with just the 18" The best way I can describe it is like the 410 is like a nice comforter on your bed-soft, nice looking, fairly warm, then when winter comes around you stuff 10lbs of insulation into that comforter=adding the 18"

The 15" ers are prob better for most bass players, and to put that into a cab with a 6" and tweet, is IMO a really good way to go if you like detail, and presence. Prob the best design for most guys. I like to face two bass cabs in different directions tho- I guess I'm wierd

 

[impactwrench]

Here's a question that probably doesnt have a straight answer...

So if mixing cabs/drivers may not have a favorable effect when stacked, how about if aimed in slightly different directions? Not that it could be measured reliably, but sometimes I'd put both my cabs on the floor and aim them maybe 30-45* apart. Im curious what the experts have to say.

 

[mowburger]

lol ,, nice, I was just typing that, I find alot that in indoor rooms, I'll face the 410 toward my drummer and the 18" on top facing front, right at my chest. I like to feel it in my chest cavity I guess, and I can hear the detail from the 410 coming back across the stage after hitting the wall. wow that even sounds wierd, I guess I'm just different?

 

[craig.p]

Also, if anyone plans on mixing, expect a general increase in volume but at the expense of irregularities in output as you move across the frequency range (up and down the scale). This may or may not bother you. As I do more testing with mixing different cabs, my ears are becoming more sensitive to it. Even under the best circumstances, you will have nulls, yes you can definitely hear them, and yes it is repeatable. I think it was Greenboy who put up the phase-response graphs some time ago. I did a quick back-of-the-napkin sum of those graphs and I almost fell off my chair at the result. Jimmy M condensed it down to its simplest form: some notes will sound a lot louder than others. That pretty much nails it right there, including the "a lot" part. (Sorry if I got the players wrong, and sorry to have batted this out into deep left, but I'd just hate to see a good new cab get a bad rap because it was part of a misconfiguration.)

 

[Tasteebass]

Bill, do you ever feel like you are repeatedly beating your head against a wall?

I lurk in these amp discussions because I find them interesting and time and time again you explain proven scientific fact and it's met with deaf ears.


Well, God bless ya for trying.

Bill's tolerance is appreciated. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be infinitely wise when they first start out. Searching the threads, and having the experienced guys answer questions is how we learn.

 

[fivestringgecko]

I just ordered a 4 Ohm!! Done and Done!! My amp goes to 2 Ohms though, so I can still stack if needed, but get full power @ 4 into one cab.

Sweet! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it.

I agree, $399 is a pretty tasty price. I've been looking for a 1x15 to go with my "new" 1972 Ampeg V-4B and I've been debating between buying a cab or trying my hand at a build. If I could get one of these in black tolex with black/silver grille cloth, it might just be a done deal...

5sg.

 

[mikeddd]

WOW! $400 for this cab is a steal! I wish it was lighter...packed for shipping it breaks 70 pounds which means I can't have it shipped to me. Dave has said it weighs 65 pounds, correct? I know for a fact that the packing for a B212 weighs in at about 17 pounds. Avatar way overpacks their cabs with the thickest cardboard you've ever seen; you'd have to throw it off the roof to damage one in shipping. The box is stuffed to the gills; product inside does not move at all. Not kidding. I loved the packing when I bought my guitar cab and it was under the weight limit. Now, not so much. But that's my problem, not Avatar's.

*edit*
Weight is now listed on the product page - 63 pounds http://www.avatarspeakers.com/TB153.htm

 

[mowburger]

Also, if anyone plans on mixing, expect a general increase in volume but at the expense of irregularities in output as you move across the frequency range (up and down the scale).(Sorry if I got the players wrong, and sorry to have batted this out into deep left, but I'd just hate to see a good new cab get a bad rap because it was part of a misconfiguration.)

O yeah I wouldn't want to mix a 3way cab with anything else, the whole reason to have a 3way cab is to fix the phase issues inherant in a multi-cab multi size driver configuration, and I would guess also be more conveinant than dragging multi cabs in/out. I didn't mean to imply mixing a 15/6/1 with anything else. Having that kinda freq response in one single cab might do it for me.

Then again it might not, I'd have to experiment with it. I know from experience I don't want to play a 410 w/o a 1x15 OR 1x18.

but maybe a 15/6/1 would satisfy me, hmmmmmmm, good price/weight, and I don't know if I could build a fEarful myself, it's cool these Avatars are out there now.

 

[craig.p]

Mike, does that mean truck rather than FedEx or UPS? And if so, does that mean the unloading has to be done by the recipient, i.e. off a high deck that may not have a power lift attached to it, depending upon the carrier?

 

[MooneyDriver]

Mike, does that mean truck rather than FedEx or UPS? And if so, does that mean the unloading has to be done by the recipient, i.e. off a high deck that may not have a power lift attached to it, depending upon the carrier?

Both my cabs were sent via FedEx and dropped to my doorstep.

 

[mikeddd]

Mike, does that mean truck rather than FedEx or UPS? And if so, does that mean the unloading has to be done by the recipient, i.e. off a high deck that may not have a power lift attached to it, depending upon the carrier?

Nope. They ship their cabs via normal FEDEX. My situation is unique; I am currently living overseas and have a 70-pound weight limit on packages. I've tried to sneak a few heavy ones through. Believe me, they check. When I bought my B212 it came in at 73 pounds. I had to pay about $60 to have it repacked in a lighter box with much less packing material. It arrived with one plastic corner cracked. No damage to the wood of the cab, thankfully. I replaced the corner and all is well.