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Baer Amplification Megathread!

#6,021
Well, last week I took the plunge and ordered 2 ML112s. They arrived on Saturday, had their first gig on Sunday (cover band brunch gig outdoors in Fort Worth), and I couldn't help but plug them in this morning while the kids were getting ready for school.

These cabs are AMAZING. Insanely clear and they have that low-level "punch" that I was looking for. For the gig yesterday I pretty much plugged in my new TH500 with the eq flat, and my bass sat so well in the mix. They even made a huge difference in my soloing as I could actually hear myself cutting through without having to dig in (it also helps that this band has a drummer that knows what dynamics are, but that's another story). Best way I can describe my impressions so far: I feel like I'm hearing the sound of my fingers playing my bass.

And Roger's customer service rivals that of Sadowsky's - maybe it's a thing among people named "Roger"?
 
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#6,023
the_stone said:
Well, last week I took the plunge and ordered 2 ML112s. They arrived on Saturday, had their first gig on Sunday (cover band brunch gig outdoors in Fort Worth), and I couldn't help but plug them in this morning while the kids were getting ready for school.

These cabs are AMAZING. Insanely clear and they have that low-level "punch" that I was looking for. For the gig yesterday I pretty much plugged in my new TH500 with the eq flat, and my bass sat so well in the mix. They even made a huge difference in my soloing as I could actually hear myself cutting through without having to dig in (it also helps that this band has a drummer that knows what dynamics are, but that's another story). Best way I can describe my impressions so far: I feel like I'm hearing the sound of my fingers playing my bass.

And Roger's customer service rivals that of Sadowsky's - maybe it's a thing among people named "Roger"?
Click to expand...

Very cool the cabs made it to you fast enough that you were able to do a gig with them over the weekend. One of the best comments we get about the ML112's is that many players find that they don't need as much volume on stage to be heard clearly. And if you have band mates that are willing to play along and reduce their volumes as well, it's a win win for everyone, including the audience!

And I very much appreciate the comparison to Sadowsky's customer service. Starting out in the business, guys like Roger Sadowsky, Carey Nordstrand and Sheldon Dingwall were a big influence on me because I really admired their business model, customer loyalty and passion for excellence. Well, that and the fact that they are just awesome people. It's always an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as them!
 
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#6,024
R Baer said:
And I very much appreciate the comparison to Sadowsky's customer service. Starting out in the business, guys like Roger Sadowsky, Carey Nordstrand and Sheldon Dingwall were a big influence on me because I really admired their business model, customer loyalty and passion for excellence. Well, that and the fact that they are just awesome people. It's always an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as them!
Click to expand...

Gotta tell a quick story. My wife and I lived in NYC (Astoria, Queens) from 2007 to 2010. While we were up there I wound up buying a Sadowsky vintage 5 string straight from their shop, which at the time was in Brooklyn. While I was there checking out their basses Roger himself came out to spend some time chatting and making sure to answer any questions I had. I know it's his reputation and he's got a small shop but I was still super-impressed that he spent time with a relative "no name" like me.

And I still have that bass. I've got some anti-Valentine's Day shows this weekend with a cover band I just started playing with, and I'm really excited to bust out the Sadowsky-TH500-ML112 combo.
 
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#6,025
We shared a booth with Sadowsky at NAMM back in 2014 and it was a real pleasure to be able to spend some time with Roger and get to know him a bit better. Not only Roger just a great guy, but his customers were such a wonderful group of people as well. One of my favorites NAMM shows for sure.
 
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#6,026
So last night I had the "official" inaugural gig for my 2 ML112s (cover band, indoor event, PA support, loud volume). These cabs killed! With my amp EQ set flat, gain and volume both around 10:30 - 11, the bass boost control on my Sadowsky just barely turned up, and standing 3 to 4 feet in front of my rig I could not believe the amount of sound these things put out. I was actually worried there was too much sound coming out onstage, which wasn't the case, but I thought it was a nice problem to have for a change. What really impresses me is how much I'm able to hear the full range of my bass - I could play anywhere on the fretboard and still hear myself and the tone was very even and consistent.

One hesitation I had before buying was that these might have a natural "clangy-ness" or just be too bright, based on some of the initial user comments, plus the tone Roger's said he enjoyed hearing himself. But that hasn't been the case at all. They have a low-end punch that is exactly what I was looking for, and my B string sounded tight and clear. Best way I can describe the sound is that these cabs put out the entire spectrum of sound and tone and tonal information coming from my bass - which I am loving. They sound great solo, but they sound AMAZING in the mix of a band setting. I told my wife when I got home that it was the first time I can ever remember of my fingers and hands NOT being tired after a gig - I had enough presence and volume onstage to where I could play much lighter and still get all the volume I needed.

I bought these to replace the same 4x10 and full size head I had used for 20 years, and am so glad I did.

rig1.jpg
 
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#6,027
the_stone said:
So last night I had the "official" inaugural gig for my 2 ML112s (cover band, indoor event, PA support, loud volume). These cabs killed! With my amp EQ set flat, gain and volume both around 10:30 - 11, the bass boost control on my Sadowsky just barely turned up, and standing 3 to 4 feet in front of my rig I could not believe the amount of sound these things put out. I was actually worried there was too much sound coming out onstage, which wasn't the case, but I thought it was a nice problem to have for a change. What really impresses me is how much I'm able to hear the full range of my bass - I could play anywhere on the fretboard and still hear myself and the tone was very even and consistent.

One hesitation I had before buying was that these might have a natural "clangy-ness" or just be too bright, based on some of the initial user comments, plus the tone Roger's said he enjoyed hearing himself. But that hasn't been the case at all. They have a low-end punch that is exactly what I was looking for, and my B string sounded tight and clear. Best way I can describe the sound is that these cabs put out the entire spectrum of sound and tone and tonal information coming from my bass - which I am loving. They sound great solo, but they sound AMAZING in the mix of a band setting. I told my wife when I got home that it was the first time I can ever remember of my fingers and hands NOT being tired after a gig - I had enough presence and volume onstage to where I could play much lighter and still get all the volume I needed.

I bought these to replace the same 4x10 and full size head I had used for 20 years, and am so glad I did.

View attachment 4166350
Click to expand...
What killer rig! And that Sadowsky is sublime!!
 
#6,029
the_stone said:
So last night I had the "official" inaugural gig for my 2 ML112s (cover band, indoor event, PA support, loud volume). These cabs killed! With my amp EQ set flat, gain and volume both around 10:30 - 11, the bass boost control on my Sadowsky just barely turned up, and standing 3 to 4 feet in front of my rig I could not believe the amount of sound these things put out. I was actually worried there was too much sound coming out onstage, which wasn't the case, but I thought it was a nice problem to have for a change. What really impresses me is how much I'm able to hear the full range of my bass - I could play anywhere on the fretboard and still hear myself and the tone was very even and consistent.

One hesitation I had before buying was that these might have a natural "clangy-ness" or just be too bright, based on some of the initial user comments, plus the tone Roger's said he enjoyed hearing himself. But that hasn't been the case at all. They have a low-end punch that is exactly what I was looking for, and my B string sounded tight and clear. Best way I can describe the sound is that these cabs put out the entire spectrum of sound and tone and tonal information coming from my bass - which I am loving. They sound great solo, but they sound AMAZING in the mix of a band setting. I told my wife when I got home that it was the first time I can ever remember of my fingers and hands NOT being tired after a gig - I had enough presence and volume onstage to where I could play much lighter and still get all the volume I needed.

I bought these to replace the same 4x10 and full size head I had used for 20 years, and am so glad I did.

View attachment 4166350
Click to expand...

Glad to hear the cabs are working out for you! Regarding the hand pain, that's something I experience as well. I've always had a tendency to dig in hard when I play, as I've always felt that the extra mids and string noise I get from playing that way helps me cut through better on stage. With the ML cabs, the upper mids are so well defined that I can play with a lighter touch and still achieve the same level of definition I want to hear from my rig, which definitely helps reduce hand fatigue.

And yes, that Sadowsky is gorgeous!
 
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#6,034
Agreed. My entire gigging career, I never used anything more powerful than a 500w head. When more volume was require, I'd just added a second cab. Also, keep in mind that the ML112 is an 8ohm cab, so adding another cab is going to mean your amp is now running at 4ohms, which will dramatically increase your volume. Also, stacking 2 ML112 gives the deep lows a nice boost due to the coupling effects.
 
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#6,035
f8h said:
Is that TH500? I've always thought I may need to upgrade to a TH700 for more volume with my ML112 but seems like getting a second cab might be the ticket!
Click to expand...

If you were talking about my rig, yep, it's the 500. And like Roger said, I've never had a problem getting enough volume with that head and my 2 ML112s. The loudest I've ever gone was with the gain and master both up around 11, and that was more than enough.

For the coupling effect, I've actually used the cabs 3 different ways - stacked vertically (like in my picture), stacked horizontally (so the logos are "right side up"") and stacked vertically but side-by-side. The side-by-side configuration actually sounds pretty good for quieter gigs on raised stages - I get a lot of presence at lower volumes.
 
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#6,037
Hi Baer users. I'm currently a Bergantino guy, with a Forte D and two HD112s (a fan of ceramic mag speakers) so here's my situation. I've owned (and sold) a few Bergie NV115s and am looking for another 15" cabinet. Since the Bergie is long discontinued and used ones are difficult to find, I'm interested in the Baer ML115. I really like the idea of the mid driver as opposed to a tweeter.
Neo speakers aside, is anyone familiar with the Bergantino NV115 and can compare it to the ML115? Any links to audio or video clips would be helpful, not much on Youtube impressed me. Thanks in advance for any info.
 
#6,038
rmayer said:
Hi Baer users. I'm currently a Bergantino guy, with a Forte D and two HD112s (a fan of ceramic mag speakers) so here's my situation. I've owned (and sold) a few Bergie NV115s and am looking for another 15" cabinet. Since the Bergie is long discontinued and used ones are difficult to find, I'm interested in the Baer ML115. I really like the idea of the mid driver as opposed to a tweeter.
Neo speakers aside, is anyone familiar with the Bergantino NV115 and can compare it to the ML115? Any links to audio or video clips would be helpful, not much on Youtube impressed me. Thanks in advance for any info.
Click to expand...
This seems like a question for Tom as he probably has both sitting around. I owned both but not at the same time, but I preferred the ML115. I think it is a bit bigger sounding and can easily be a single cab solution. The NV115s are great cabs as well, but I preferred them as a pair and still think they were a bit more relaxed in the mids compared to the ML115. The ML 115 is such an underrated cab IMO. As for the bergs, I preferred other offerings in the from of the CN212, HDN 212, NXT 212 and the Ref Series compared to the NV series.
 
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#6,039
Saluki said:
This seems like a question for Tom as he probably has both sitting around. I owned both but not at the same time, but I preferred the ML115. I think it is a bit bigger sounding and can easily be a single cab solution. The NV115s are great cabs as well, but I preferred them as a pair and still think they were a bit more relaxed in the mids compared to the ML115. The ML 115 is such an underrated cab IMO. As for the bergs, I preferred other offerings in the from of the CN212, HDN 212, NXT 212 and the Ref Series compared to the NV series.
Click to expand...

Actually, other than hearing one at NAMM, I have not spent any meaningful time with the ML115. Roger claims it's his favorite cab, though, so I'd love to try one some day. :thumbsup:
 
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#6,040
Saluki said:
This seems like a question for Tom as he probably has both sitting around. I owned both but not at the same time, but I preferred the ML115. I think it is a bit bigger sounding and can easily be a single cab solution. The NV115s are great cabs as well, but I preferred them as a pair and still think they were a bit more relaxed in the mids compared to the ML115. The ML 115 is such an underrated cab IMO. As for the bergs, I preferred other offerings in the from of the CN212, HDN 212, NXT 212 and the Ref Series compared to the NV series.
Click to expand...
While I liked the NV115, the HD112 seemed more punchy, I'm sure due to the ported design over the sealed cab on the NVs. I like the idea that the ML115 is a ported cabinet. If I should decide to pair it with one or two of my HD112s, it should more than keep up with them. The NV always sounded less forward when mixed with those cabs.
 

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