Bass Cabinet Speaker size and why?

[Jinobass1]

15s every time.
I've tried everything in as many configurations as possible.
10, 2x10, 3x10, 4x10, 6x10, 8x10, 12, 2x12, 4x12, 15, 2x15, 18... and I keep going back to the 15's. There's just something about them that gives me what I want and need in my tone.
Currently using 215 for big shows and 115 for smaller shows.

Do u have a speaker brand preference ?

 

[Jinobass1]

my current speakers are a modded Bassman cab with a pair of Eminence Basslight 2012’s.
My 1x12 is an Audio Kinesis Changeling 12 that also has an Eminence 12 in it.
(The Rumble combo doesn’t count…it’s a combo, and only has a 10” in it)
View attachment 4966600

Nice pic!!!

 

[Passinwind]

What’s your Favorite speaker size and Why?

For at home, 18":

Why? Because moar is MOAR.


For my weekly semi-acoustic jams, 10":

Why? Because nothing exceeds like excess. Way, way more than I ever need, but it's all of 26 lbs. and the cab part just kind of dropped in my lap, so all good.

Gigging, when I still did, 12":

Why? Because my 115 or 215 rigs only made it out of the house for a tiny handful of gigs over the last ten years I was playing out, and the 112 easily sounded as good or better for anything I ever did that actually paid. If I needed more than a 112 someone else would've been welcome to that gig anyway, in all honesty.

 

[MarshallAC50Stack]

Smallest one that will sound good on the gig.

 

[MarshallAC50Stack]

For at home, 18":

View attachment 5025016


Why? Because moar is MOAR.


For my weekly semi-acoustic jams, 10":

View attachment 5025018

Why? Because nothing exceeds like excess. Way, way more than I ever need, but it's all of 26 lbs. and the cab part just kind of dropped in my lap, so all good.

Gigging, when I still did, 12":

View attachment 5025022


Why? Because my 115 or 215 rigs only made it out of the house for a tiny handful of gigs over the last ten years I was playing out, and the 112 easily sounded as good or better for anything I ever did that actually paid. If I needed more than a 112 someone else would've been welcome to that gig anyway, in all honesty.

Upon reflection, things have boiled down to 1x12, either in combo form or separates.

 

[Passinwind]

Upon reflection, things have boiled down to 1x12, either in combo form or separates.

Hey, whatever works. A single 112 cab wouldn't have even gotten me close for a few decades, especially give the state of the art back then. Two "high quality" 115s was still a fail for me in many cases, actually.

 

[MarshallAC50Stack]

The types of gigs have changed a lot, especially after the first ten years. Not as loud, and they actually began to pay well. Absolutely as involving to me as a musician, probably more so.

 

[Jinobass1]

For at home, 18":

View attachment 5025016


Why? Because moar is MOAR.


For my weekly semi-acoustic jams, 10":

View attachment 5025018

Why? Because nothing exceeds like excess. Way, way more than I ever need, but it's all of 26 lbs. and the cab part just kind of dropped in my lap, so all good.

Gigging, when I still did, 12":

View attachment 5025022


Why? Because my 115 or 215 rigs only made it out of the house for a tiny handful of gigs over the last ten years I was playing out, and the 112 easily sounded as good or better for anything I ever did that actually paid. If I needed more than a 112 someone else would've been welcome to that gig anyway, in all honesty.

Dude nice rigs!!!

 

[Jinobass1]

Do u have a speaker brand preference ?

I’m using Aguilar 112x2 most of the time,GS,DB (my fav)
but it weighs a ton so SL is nice and light but it may lack lows for 5 sting or if using preamp basses it distorts….
Also using fender amps,
like the tube heads and class D as well(Rumble 800)
And 4x10 speakers sounds good but need better tweeter for more punch…..
so im always toying with comp and making sure the I leave enough headroom for the the input gain.
That’s been my preference for a while now
But im always looking out for more & if there’s a better ones out there I would like to check ‘Em out.

 

[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.

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.

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

@agedhorse did not actually shoot me down, I don't think.
I'll restate a little: Some of the content at xHz (I guess the part straight off the cones) arrives first, then parts at that same frequency produced by speaker coupling arrive a little later (because they must have travelled a longer path). And since the 8x10 has many different pairings that can couple, the details at xHz are "smeared" over some very short period of time, acting like reverb or delay.

It is an "effect", as it isn't Hi-Fi. I wouldn't mind anyone else's alternate explanation or other ideas.

 

[agedhorse]

The easy explanation is that an 810 is 8 point sources. The actual explanation is that each driver is an almost infinite number of point sources and an 810 is 8 times that.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

The east explanation is that an 810 is 8 point sources. The actual explanation is that each driver is an almost infinite number of point sources and an 810 is 8 times that.

Yes, I understand that.

But what about "... the details at xHz are "smeared" over some very short period of time, acting like reverb or delay"?

 

[tshapiro]

My observations: leaving practicality aside, more speakers are always better as you spread the load and I personally don’t like the sound of speakers being pushed past their limit. 15’s tend to be slower, 10’s faster. So, for slap, the slowness or weightiness of 15’s can be very forgiving. However, 10’s in a nicely scooped cab are also forgiving. Smaller speakers, 8’s, 10’s seem to sound more forward and present ideal for mid forward tones. All of this being said, it’s the total cab design that gives it its characteristics making size alone irrelevant. I have a barn full of cabs that I gig with and I always choose based on the total cab characteristics - never the speaker size. Sometimes I pull 410’s, sometime a 15, sometimes a mix.
Large gig - 2x410
Med gig - 210+115 OR 410 OR 2x408
Small gig - 115 OR 408

 

[agedhorse]

Yes, I understand that.

But what about "... the details at xHz are "smeared" over some very short period of time, acting like reverb or delay"?

Any time a source is not a true point source, or there are boundaries involved, there will be multiple arrival times.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

Thank you.

 

[FRoss6788]

Vertical 2x12.

Tons of punch, tiny footprint, driver closer to my ears.

The Berg HDN 212 was a game changer, for me...

 

[LetItGrowTone]

... the details at xHz are "smeared" over some very short period of time, acting like reverb or delay

Any time a source is not a true point source, or there are boundaries involved, there will be multiple arrival times.

In this specific regard, the difference between an 8x10 and a 4x10 (half of the same 8x10) is big. But while the difference between a single 10 and a single 15 - in this specific regard - is small, it would seem to be inescapable then, thickening the 15 a little. Of all the possible differences between a 10 and a 15, I wonder how this one rates in size? Probably dwarfed by other factors, but I wonder if it's noticeable?

Because of trigonometry, I guess the difference is less as the distance to the listener increases.

 

[agedhorse]

In this specific regard, the difference between an 8x10 and a 4x10 (half of the same 8x10) is big. But while the difference between a single 10 and a single 15 - in this specific regard - is small, it would seem to be inescapable then, thickening the 15 a little. Of all the possible differences between a 10 and a 15, I wonder how this one rates in size? Probably dwarfed by other factors, but I wonder if it's noticeable?

Because of trigonometry, I guess the difference is less as the distance to the listener increases.

Yes, and this ignores all the off axis points too.

 

[4StringDave]

I prefer the sound of one single driver, so have played with 1x15 for most of my career, and now a 1x12 Markbass combo.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

I guess that the special thickening of an 8x10, for those who want that, has been emulated pretty well by now? I know nothing about these newfangled units.

I guess that a larger baffle board (with a shallower cabinet to maintain the same volume) would thicken (in the sense discussed) a single driver, and the opposite would be clearer.