• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Basic Cabinet Tuning Tutorial?

#41
bgavin said:
A single driver is -6dB compared to two wired in parallel.

RTA measurement of a single driver shows -6dB less output compared to the pair.
-3dB for the loss of the 2nd cone area, another -3dB for the loss of the 2nd power sink.
Click to expand...

In practice, from lowering impedance on the amp, yes. I was always under the impression that the driver doubling got you 3. Using 2.83v for example for an RTA, that translates to a bigger input on the lowered impedance. The same voltage input would means more current or "power draw" on the lower impedance, no? Hence "watt ratings".

As always, I stand to be corrected.
 
#42
CL400Peavey said:
That is only assuming the level of power changes with a different number of drivers.

My tube head is 400 watts into a 4 or 8 Ohm load. If I double my speakers I only gain a 3 dB increase.
Click to expand...

This is only true AFAIK if you are at or near the amp's max. If you're making 120 dB with a 100 dB sensitive cab you are using 100 watts and the amp has the reserve to double output into a second cab.
 
#44
beate_r said:
JohnK's box seems to have a size slightly larger than the optimum of the simulations but still pretty close to it.

In my own cabinet i recently went from a 40 Hz tuning over some 45 Hz toward roughly 51 Hz - not measured, but with ballbark corrections of the port at the side of the enclosure.

From this experience and the sound clips JohnK posted i would not go much below about 50 Hz - the sound will probably lose.

Please remember that the tone of an electric bass is usually dominated by its 2nd harmonic. Therefore, the value of the lower corner frequency is not as important as often believed.


Beate
Click to expand...

Huh, really? I guess "optimum" is subjective, but if I take that to mean at least no bass hump, then I'd thought it was "too small." IIRC, when I modeled it, it humped just a bit at the knee. Having WinISD run with any of the standard alignments, it typically gives numbers like 8, 9, 10 cf compared to John's 6 and some change cubic feet (again, IIRC).

I know some people like a bit smaller box and the bass hump that comes with it, so I understand this isn't right v wrong.

When you say "the sound will lose," are you saying the roll off will start higher and f3 higher? That makes sense, if so.
 
#45
A low tuning will roll the lowend off more, but it's a matter of taste, as long as you're within the region that gets the powerhandling you need and doesn't unload on the low notes, or with some bass boost.

Those default "optimal" alignments often mean lowest extension or flattest response, etc., but they can often mean rediculously large cabs or low power handling, etc. They may be ideal on paper, but we don't play gigs on paper.:p
 
#46
Actually You want to have something like a moderate bass bump on stage, to a lesser degree because of the bump itself but because of the fact that this means lesser dampening of the deep resonance of the speaker and a different transient behavior. A small amount of "boominess" is usually nice to the ears - even HiFi speakers are not always tuned as Butterworth or even Bessel filters. They sound "too dry" - overdamped.

Beate
 
#47
beate_r said:
Actually You want to have something like a moderate bass bump on stage, to a lesser degree because of the bump itself but because of the fact that this means lesser dampening of the deep resonance of the speaker and a different transient behavior. A small amount of "boominess" is usually nice to the ears - even HiFi speakers are not always tuned as Butterworth or even Bessel filters. They sound "too dry" - overdamped.

Beate
Click to expand...

I agree to an extent. I tune mine so the model shows about a 2db bump because I play outside quite a bit. Helps keep a full sound out there without bass boosting, pistoning speakers, losing amp headroom, etc. It's not enough to cause problems in a bad room, just keeps a full sound. Too much can cause problems in those rooms because most amps don't have a control to use around that 100-120 area. That area has a big effect on how fat or bassy you sound and a lot of amps have no control there for some reason. At least not one that doesn't take the low bass or low mids along with it. More amps need a "boom knob" that adjusts that while leaving the sound on either side of it alone, IMO.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back