Bergantino AE212 - Just Released

[KJung]

Have you tried it with the Puma yet Ken?

I haven't... waiting for Jason to come over Sunday and we will mess with some direct A/Bing of the MB, TC and TecAmp heads.

My guess is that will be totally killer. I need to compare this to my s212 cab also (although I have the older version that is more 'tight and bright' versus the current model with the deeper tuning).

Man, I pounded more on this cab last night with the LMII, and that is just a WONDERFUL combination.... fat and warm but still very articulate. KILLER cab.

 

[T. Alan Smith]

I haven't... waiting for Jason to come over Sunday and we will mess with some direct A/Bing of the MB, TC and TecAmp heads.

My guess is that will be totally killer. I need to compare this to my s212 cab also (although I have the older version that is more 'tight and bright' versus the current model with the deeper tuning).

Man, I pounded more on this cab last night with the LMII, and that is just a WONDERFUL combination.... fat and warm but still very articulate. KILLER cab.

How does the LMII differ from the F500 with the 212?

 

[Bassman7PM]

Curious, how would you stack this in comparison to the Aggie GS212 which gets lots af love on TB?

 

[KJung]

Curious, how would you stack this in comparison to the Aggie GS212 which gets lots af love on TB?

While I don't dig the GS112 x 2 stack much (too scooped, to much low end extension, and too big of a hole for me between the top of the driver and the tweeter), the GS212 sounds pretty nice to me (there was one up at the old LDS retail store for quite a while, so we checked it out pretty closely)... punchier and warmer for some reason than the GS112 x 2.

I obviously have not directly A/B'd them, but my feeling is that the AE212 still has more lower mid content, a bit more upper mid brightness, and a bit less 'sizzle' up top. Every bone in my body says the max SPL will be higher also... but just guessing there. The GS212 is a nice 212. The AE212 sounds a bit like an 'averaging' of the GS212 and DB212.

 

[T. Alan Smith]

Curious, how would you stack this in comparison to the Aggie GS212 which gets lots af love on TB?

The Berg AE family has it's own distinct sound whereas the Aggie GS line has a very different and distinct sound of it's own. The form factor of the two are very different with the Aggie being more conventional and the Berg taking up less real estate and being lighter.

 

[KJung]

How does the LMII differ from the F500 with the 212?

Just like with other cabs, a warmer low end... slightly bigger, a more relaxed feel, less upper mid brightness.

I have a clip comparing the F1 and LMII with the AE410 on my Youtube channel if you click on the link in my sig. You can really hear the difference.

The F1/F500 (they sound identical flat) will get louder on the gig due to that tighter voicing and bit more 'rough' upper mid content.... tighter and punchier than the warmer, more relaxed LMII/III.

 

[KJung]

The Berg AE family has it's own distinct sound whereas the Aggie GS line has a very different and distinct sound of it's own. The form factor of the two are very different with the Aggie being more conventional and the Berg taking up less real estate and being lighter.

+1 The Aggie is more offset, so short and squat, and is not a neo loaded cab. I think that brighter upper mid response of the AE line is still, for whatever reason, part of the neo speaker voicing compared to come of the ceramic drivers still being used. I really like that bit of aggressive extension at the top end of the drivers in the AE cabs, although the AE212 is much 'gentler' up there than the AE410, which will grind your ears off if you want it to

 

[T. Alan Smith]

Just like with other cabs, a warmer low end... slightly bigger, a more relaxed feel, less upper mid brightness.

I have a clip comparing the F1 and LMII with the AE410 on my Youtube channel if you click on the link in my sig. You can really hear the difference.

The F1/F500 (they sound identical flat) will get louder on the gig due to that tighter voicing and bit more 'rough' upper mid content.... tighter and punchier than the warmer, more relaxed LMII/III.

Thanks, Ken. You know, all day at work I rack up a list of video & MP3 links to watch when I get home. Trouble is, when I get home it never happens

...so the list grows.

 

[KJung]

Have you tried it with the Puma yet Ken?

What the heck... here you go. Man, the Puma has its own unique tone... super deep, smooth in the mids, and a beautiful hi fi, crystal clear top end that is not harsh at all. I prefer the grit and punch of the F500/F1 myself in most mixes, but man does the Puma sound absolutely beautiful to me. If you can listen to the clip with headphones, the deep low end is something to behold!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B64ptPqdfCw

 

[emjazz]

Boy, I really like the sound of the Tecamp with that cab compared to the other clips. Very nice.

 

[KJung]

Boy, I really like the sound of the Tecamp with that cab compared to the other clips. Very nice.

Hey Andy!

I would guess that would be more your cup of tea. The Puma really has a beautiful voice. It kind of makes everything sound like it is being played out of the Puma in a way... similar to my old Glock HeartRock... that unusual combination of a very big, warm, almost tubey low end, but with that crystal clear, pure top end. It smooths the top end of most basses, even the grindy aggressive ash/maple Sadowsky with singles.

This head can really get the speakers pistoning, with that hi pass filter set so low (feels like stuff coming out way down below the 40hz range... just hugely fat).

It's a nice match with the AE212 to my ear... that AE212 can really handle that low end!

 

[rodneyat]

Let me know what you think. I like those DB's!

Well, I will get that chance tomorrow!

The Atlanta Bass Gallery received their first one today. I just happened to be in the neighborhood and stopped in today. It had been delivered about 10 minutes before I showed up. So, I got to help take it out of the box and get it plugged in. It is definitely the best lightweight 2x12 cab I have ever played. I did get a chance to A/B against an AE410 as well.

Ken's initial description hits the nail on the head. The cabs sound very much alike..one with just more of a 10" flavor and the other a 12". As expected, the 410 is a bit tighter on the low end and a bit more grind on the top end. The 212 has a smoother bottom and top. I was playing it through an Epifani 902c so it would give me a good idea of what it would sound like with my Epi PS1000. I used a Sadowsky NYC 24-5 and P/J5. Since I was not expecting to stop by, I did not have a chance to bring my DB112s with me. So, I have not done that comparison yet. But, I already told Jim Rubio I would come by tomorrow morning with my check book and take it off his hands. Now, I need to figure out where I am going to put yet...another bass cabinet.

 

[MOSCOWBASS]

What the heck... here you go. Man, the Puma has its own unique tone... super deep, smooth in the mids, and a beautiful hi fi, crystal clear top end that is not harsh at all. I prefer the grit and punch of the F500/F1 myself in most mixes, but man does the Puma sound absolutely beautiful to me. If you can listen to the clip with headphones, the deep low end is something to behold!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B64ptPqdfCw

Thanks Ken, I still prefer the Tecamp to the Markbass. I'm really happy with the sound from my new Overwater Jazz thro' the Tecamp Puma1000 and UL410

 

[Whitbass]

Well, I will get that chance tomorrow!

The Atlanta Bass Gallery received their first one today. I just happened to be in the neighborhood and stopped in today. It had been delivered about 10 minutes before I showed up. So, I got to help take it out of the box and get it plugged in. It is definitely the best lightweight 2x12 cab I have ever played. I did get a chance to A/B against an AE410 as well.

Ken's initial description hits the nail on the head. The cabs sound very much alike..one with just more of a 10" flavor and the other a 12". As expected, the 410 is a bit tighter on the low end and a bit more grind on the top end. The 212 has a smoother bottom and top. I was playing it through an Epifani 902c so it would give me a good idea of what it would sound like with my Epi PS1000. I used a Sadowsky NYC 24-5 and P/J5. Since I was not expecting to stop by, I did not have a chance to bring my DB112s with me. So, I have not done that comparison yet. But, I already told Jim Rubio I would come by tomorrow morning with my check book and take it off his hands. Now, I need to figure out where I am going to put yet...another bass cabinet.

cool
enjoy, and do keep use posted....

 

[KJung]

Thanks Ken, I still prefer the Tecamp to the Markbass. I'm really happy with the sound from my new Overwater Jazz thro' the Tecamp Puma1000 and UL410

It is a beautiful sounding head, for sure! I bet that J through the 1000 and 410UL kills!

 

[jnewmark]

I forgot to ask you, Ken, where did you have the tweeter level set on the 212 ?

 

[KJung]

I forgot to ask you, Ken, where did you have the tweeter level set on the 212 ?

Noon. Jim is one of the few cab designers that seems to actually pad the tweeter so that it has balanced SPL with the woofers at the noon setting. Very nice and musical to me. Same with the AE410.

Given the small internal mics on my little recorder, the clips always come out just a smidge 'brighter' than the actual sound... more due to a slight compression/reduction in the deep low end than a boost to the top end. Pretty darn close to what it really sounds like, but just a tad 'tighter and brighter' than reality.

 

[rodneyat]

Well, here it is! The king of all 112s vs what could be the king of all lightweight 212s

I picked it up earlier this morning and decided to take a quick picture sitting next to the DB112 stack. Physically, you can see the AE212 is slightly taller but it is slightly more narrow and 4 inches less deep than the DB112s. Moving it around, it is actually just as easy to carry the AE212 as it is to move ONE DB112. It is about 10lbs heavier but the weight distribution is very even with the handle placement. It makes it very easy to move around.

OK...now to the tone comparison. In the end, it was nothing I was not expecting. The Aggies are very deep and round on the bottom end and smooth on the top. The AE212 has more edge to it on the top and the bottom. It is definitely more punchy than the DB112. SPL...It definitely goes to the AE212. But, I was expecting that when you just look at the sensitivity ratings of the two. The AE212 is considerably louder than the DB112 stack. That is probably where a lot of the extra punch is coming from. It is hard to say which one I prefer..they are just different. Neither better than the other...just different. In the end, I will probably keep both but sell a couple of the DB112s I have (I have 4...long story there) I hope to get some sound clips up later this week. And when I have some more time to spend with them, I will post more.

 

[KJung]

Well, here it is! The king of all 112s vs what could be the king of all lightweight 212s

I picked it up earlier this morning and decided to take a quick picture sitting next to the DB112 stack. Physically, you can see the AE212 is slightly taller but it is slightly more narrow and 4 inches less deep than the DB112s. Moving it around, it is actually just as easy to carry the AE212 as it is to move ONE DB112. It is about 10lbs heavier but the weight distribution is very even with the handle placement. It makes it very easy to move around.

OK...now to the tone comparison. In the end, it was nothing I was not expecting. The Aggies are very deep and round on the bottom end and smooth on the top. The AE212 has more edge to it on the top and the bottom. It is definitely more punchy than the DB112. SPL...It definitely goes to the AE212. But, I was expecting that when you just look at the sensitivity ratings of the two. The AE212 is considerably louder than the DB112 stack. That is probably where a lot of the extra punch is coming from. It is hard to say which one I prefer..they are just different. Neither better than the other...just different. In the end, I will probably keep both but sell a couple of the DB112s I have (I have 4...long story there) I hope to get some sound clips up later this week. And when I have some more time to spend with them, I will post more.

Nice rigs and nice review. While I don't have my DB112's any more, your comment of 'round' sounding is spot on for me, and also your comment of what a drag they are to carry (which is one of the primary reasons I sold mine). The AE212 does have that more 'neo bite' to it for lack of a better term, and I really dig it.

I actually have noticed that the whole response of the AE212 has softened and deepened just a smidge after 5 or 6 hours of playing. I typically don't notice this on most cabs, but this one seems to fatten up and smooth a bit as the surrounds loosen a touch. So, listen for that!

I LOVE this cab... love it, love it, love it. And, in my comparison with my TecAmp s212 (which has seen many gigs, so I know how it performs), the AE212 spanks it in low end and maxSPL (of course, it is 15 pounds heavier also). So, this should be killer on the gig.

 

[KJung]

Interesting to look inside this cab through the rear pots. LOTS of bracing in there... the 12's are almost in separate 'compartments'... there is a big 'shelf' type brace between the two drivers that extends about half way across the cab. Clean and solid inside. Heavy duty wire and a big honkin' tweeter assembly attached to that horn.