Bass Cabinet Speaker size and why?

[funkinbottom]

I've been using these lately....

 

[Wfrance3]

It's a math thing...

 

[Standalone]

Bag End cabs with 15” drivers got me hooked on fifteens. I think that the heavy 2x15 cabs turned people off to them but a single fifteen is really easier to carry than some 210’s — and the tone is something I prefer. I find them responsive and clear speaking in the midrange and really great on stage.
Fifteens are said to project more so they throw sound out to the crowd that is close to the stage who may not be getting the upper mids and treble of the bass rig

 

[swarfrat]

I'd like to see the Q=1.0 box for that thing. Oh wait, thats it in the background

 

[smarthound]

I started with a ratty old Vox 15" speaker, then a no-name 15" in a ported bin. Next I got a HiWatt 4x12, which was great, but I foolishly sold it to get a Marshall JCM 4x12 bass cab which I hated. Then came the Trace Elliot 4x12 +1x15 fridge, and that's what I stuck with.

These days I am studio-only, and the only thing I have with a speaker (almost never used) is a Trace Elliot BLX130, which I think has a single 10". The rest of the TE behemoth has been flight-cased for decades.

 

[ashtray]

In my college band, I ran through a pair of 2x15 cabs (4x15 total). Today, there are 1x15 cabs (fEarless F115) that go louder and clearer and deeper than my 4x15 setup.

I used to have a room full of cabs when I was gigging. Had a 1x8 GB cab, a 4x8, a 6x8, and a Henry 8x8. A pair of 410’s, a 115, a four 210’s, a pair of 212’s, a single 12, a single 10… had them all arranged along a wall in a bedroom and would grab which cab suited me for the gig.

Today I’ve scaled back to “just”: 1x8, 1x10, 4x8, 6x8, 2x12, 1x15, and a 4x10. Was thinking though that I could really use either a lightweight 1x12 or 2x10 in case I audition for a band. Those seem to be the perfect size for giving decent output in a band practice setting while still being lightweight and compact to easily transport.

 

[kustomculture]

same ole story.. depends on what you want to sound like.. i use 1 or 2, Electro voice B215M cabinets.. best cabs ive ever had and ive used ampeg 8/10, acoustic 215 406, and a 1/18 an 2/10 config to name a few but it all depends what your trying to get. only way to really find out is spend some $$$ and haul some gear.. or go DI hahahaha

 

[LiptonJigglers]

15s are my go to speaker size.
After trying everything I could get my hands on, with very little success in finding what i liked, I'm back to a 215 cab which really does float my boat..
I do own a 212 that I use in my cover band and auditions. It's smaller and lighter than the 215 but really doesn't compare.

Cabs I own now are:
Mark Bass 152 (BC speakers)
GK neo 212ii
Labsystems 130 combo 15"

 

[Rickybass4001]

I used the old school Acoustic 370 with the 2x15 cab for awhile and then switched to a Bassman 100 with the 4x12 cab. They both were flamethrowers, but some heavy dudes to lug around.
As I got older, I switched to the SWR super redheads with 2x10s and a 1x15 (larger venues). They are much lighter to carry around.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

I think that one larger driver is clearer than an otherwise equivalent array of smaller drivers, because:

I suspect that the extra sound that comes from acoustic coupling of two drivers must be different in phase from the sound coming off of the cones (because the path length of the former must be longer). And in the case of for example 8x10, with multiple pairings, with different speaker to speaker distances including on all the diagonals, there must be what I describe to myself as (phase) "smearing" (of course whatever it is, many people like it. I like my fridge but I like clarity too). I would call it an "effect" that I don't always want.

I "describe it to myself" because I have no expertise to defend the idea on the forum. First time I've offered it.

*
But one thing I *am* sure of is that we could all save a lot of size and weight with a for example 1x6", because [begin quote]...driver size is irrelevant to the type and amount of noise it makes[end quote]. As that is obviously the opinion of an expert it needs no defending here.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

I suspect that the extra sound that comes from acoustic coupling of two drivers must be different in phase from the sound coming off of the cones (because the path length of the former must be longer). And in the case of for example 8x10, with multiple pairings, with different speaker to speaker distances including on all the diagonals, there must be what I describe to myself as (phase) "smearing"

If there's any truth to that, then it would be related to a multi-delay type of reverb (I don't know the right word for that).

And if there's any truth to that, then the often remarked upon ambiance of gravitas from an 8x10 could be related to the familiar effect of adding reverb to the voice of something big and powerful, examples in old Charlton Heston movies, entities speaking from the heavens, the Jolly Green Giant, etc.

If you're one of the many who think the fridge sounds mysteriously larger than life, here's an explanation.

 

[sid sonic]

oh jinobass1...what did you do with your henry the 8x8 eh?...you no like swr eh?...thats a smokin monster and if u want to sell it...just sayn'...ss

 

[Auspuff]

What’s your Favorite speaker size and Why?
I found 12” speakers in late 90’s and never went back except when I couldn’t bring my own,and had to use what was there.
Of course to get there I owned and gigged w/1x18, 1x15, 2x15 8x8, 2x10, 4x10 (x2)
8x10,1x12,2x12,4x12.
Or use them as stack with different combinations.
And Having to do bunch of gigs with other bassist and bassists in duo,trio situation or more,sometimes with drummers or w/o drummers but that’s a whole another thread…….

Started with a 1X15, graduated to 16X10's (two 8X10's), and have now settled on a 4X10, and a 2X10.

 

[jnewmark]

Never liked 10's, love-hate relationship with 12's, happily married to 15's.

 

[MIMike]

Previously:
2x12
1x15
2x12
1x15
1x15
1x15
2x10 + 1x15
4x10
4x10+ 1x15
Currently:
2x12
And
1x12

 

[agedhorse]

I think that one larger driver is clearer than an otherwise equivalent array of smaller drivers, because:

I suspect that the extra sound that comes from acoustic coupling of two drivers must be different in phase from the sound coming off of the cones (because the path length of the former must be longer). And in the case of for example 8x10, with multiple pairings, with different speaker to speaker distances including on all the diagonals, there must be what I describe to myself as (phase) "smearing" (of course whatever it is, many people like it. I like my fridge but I like clarity too). I would call it an "effect" that I don't always want.

I "describe it to myself" because I have no expertise to defend the idea on the forum. First time I've offered it.

*
But one thing I *am* sure of is that we could all save a lot of size and weight with a for example 1x6", because [begin quote]...driver size is irrelevant to the type and amount of noise it makes[end quote]. As that is obviously the opinion of an expert it needs no defending here.

Actually, a driver is not really a point source, it's an amalgamation of thousands of tiny point sources spread out across the entire cone. Adding another driver adds another source consisting of thousands of tiny point sources. Because of how these sources are distributed, the pairing of 2 point sources won't behave exactly like the theory suggests because the spacing between the point sources vary all over the place. Where the drivers are next to each other, they will be close, but where at opposite points on the two cones they will be much farther away from each other.

This is one reason why multiple speaker cabinets work better in practice than the pure theory of 2 true point sources separated by 2x the radius of the mounting centers.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

What you said smooths what I said by looking at smaller bits. You didn't say that no phase differences arise.

Oh well, I'll forget what I was talking about pretty soon anyway.

 

[agedhorse]

What you said smooths what I said by looking at smaller bits. You didn't say that no phase differences arise.

Oh well, I'll forget what I was talking about pretty soon anyway.

It’s not no phase difference but many smaller phase differences.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

It’s not no phase difference but many smaller phase differences.

I understand. Thank you.

 

[Passinwind]

I understand. Thank you.

Some modeling software lets you choose an arbitrary number of point sources per cone, FWIW.