Best cab?

[johnk_10]

vintage SVTs and the new VRs are 24" wide. i made my own lightweight 2x15 cab (w/neo 15's) that measures 25"Wx36"Tx14"D and my SVTs look good on it (IMO). the cab only weighs 46 1/2lbs and fits in my BMW's trunk so it's alot easier schlep. and the two 3015's (or 15PR400's) put out ALOT more clean fullrange output than my ampeg 8x10 fridge cab. and being that it's a foot shorter than an 810 makes it a bit easier for me to set my 85lb SVT head on top of it.

i like it so much that i'm building a second one right now, only this one will have the option of running a steel perfed grill or silver-blue ampeg cloth.

 

[DrumsAndBass]

+1 for fEARful. I'm getting ready to order a 1515/66 from Anchak Audio Works. I still have not played through a fEARful yet but I know it will work out very well for me. I'll make a trip out to the shop soon.

 

[KJung]

I've been playing with my 810 Ampeg for over a year and it's just impossible to move anywhere other than my garage. I'm looking at downsizing to something else but I'm not sure what to get. I'll keep SVT Classic head with whatever I get, so I'm looking for something that sounds good with that.
I play in a rock band with 2 guitars, drums, and vocals so I need to be able to cut through the mix enough to be heard easily.

Any suggestions? Apparently Markbass isn't the way to go?

Per some of the recommendations above, if you like the tone of your 810, a fEARful would be the last cab I would recommend. TOTALLY different thing.... very wide, very bright and clean up top.... pretty much the opposite of the fridge.

The Bergantino NV610 would be awesome, and also, as JohnK posted, an of a number of 212 or 215 one way cabs (Barefaced, LDS). LDS also makes a pretty killer sounding 610 that is relatively lightweight.

 

[popgadget]

My fEARful 1212/6/1 put my 810e into retirement. My 12/6 did the same for my 410HLN (but it won't get quite as loud as the 410), however it's a one hand carry. The 1212 is about 20-1/2" wide.

 

[Alexander]

Per some of the recommendations above, if you like the tone of your 810, a fEARful would be the last cab I would recommend. TOTALLY different thing.... very wide, very bright and clean up top.... pretty much the opposite of the fridge.

The Bergantino NV610 would be awesome, and also, as JohnK posted, an of a number of 212 or 215 one way cabs (Barefaced, LDS). LDS also makes a pretty killer sounding 610 that is relatively lightweight.

I agree with Ken (also depending on how far downsized you want to go). The Berg NV cabs are amazing - shorter and lighter than the 810, but still big cabs. I own the NV412 and absolutely love it.

 

[Foz]

Per some of the recommendations above, if you like the tone of your 810, a fEARful would be the last cab I would recommend. TOTALLY different thing.... very wide, very bright and clean up top.... pretty much the opposite of the fridge.

True they are different animals, but the upshot is bad advice based on the idea one should bake tone into your cab. This approach is nuts IMO as you are narrowing your creative scope for no benefit save obviating the need to learn how to use your equipment in ways beyond previous limitations imposed by its prior deficiencies.

A fEARful will do everything your 810e will do and a lot more. This is not a problem, but rather an opportunity.

To the point, take a look at the 810e...

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Now lets compare that to a 15/6 fEARful from 100 to 5k Hz*.

While the measurement set is not sufficient to compare what is going on below 100Hz between these two cabs, rest assured the fEARful exceeds the capabilities of the 810e down low by a significant margin. This does not mean you have to play with an authoritative and solid low end that goes an octave deeper than an 810e [and makes the panties drop] but you can if you want.

Bottomline: if you are man enough to twiddle a few knobs you can get any tone you like out of a fEARful... from the dubbiest of dub dubs to slap happy zinginess. Got a sound in head? Your fEARful can take you there.

This means you can explore response profiles far beyond the capabilities of lesser cabs, and that statement is neither hyperbole, nor a subjective opinion from me regarding how you should sound when you play your bass. Instead, its physics: measured, demonstrable, and reproducible.

If you like your 810e, try a 66 fEARful. Its smaller, lighter, louder, goes lower, goes higher and has vastly superior off axis response = you won't want to go back, and in any event, your band mates wouldn't let you.

*Notes: Loudness normalized for comparison - in real life a 15/6 allows LF performance far past the point an 810e hits fart out - but if you want to get louder than an 810e in the mids as well, get a 1515/66. If response above 5kHz is desired you can add a tweeter, this concept is included in the fEARful design scope for those who want it.

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[popgadget]

+1 for fEARful. I'm getting ready to order a 1515/66 from Anchak Audio Works. I still have not played through a fEARful yet but I know it will work out very well for me. I'll make a trip out to the shop soon.

Have you at least heard one?
I didn't before I built my first one, but I would never have made a suggestion to s omeone else without any experience. As it turned out, I was not disappointed, but at least I was gambling with my own money.

 

[Phil508]

I am doing the same search. SVT just too big , including 90lb head. I so far have got the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 to replace the head. When I put in on the 810s it sounds pretty close. Bought the SVT410HLF, sounds ok, but ported and boomy. Returned that and got the GK MBE410, websites say it was 800w, but cab said 400w, not NEO and actually 60lbs vs website 41lb. Cranked it up and the speakers were crying to jump out of cab and call it a day. Now thinking maybe buy a Peavey 210 and put in good speakers. Still have not found that light setup to go with the 6.0

 

[makohund]

Hey, that 810e graph looks a lot like the graphic EQ shape usually dialed in on my BX1500. Not exactly the same, look at a graph from an SVT head and superimpose the two together to get a rough idea of the combination.

And when I tire of it or want some other sound, flick the tiny switch for the graphic to "off". How convenient.

I have a patch in my MWBD Pro set the same way, with a little fuzz/grit in it. So I can click it in/out there, too.

That said, I don't think I'd be too terrified of putting a 100lb tube head on my 1212/6/1. In fact my guitarist's rack (JMP-1, Marshall 9200, TC G Major, etc) probably matches an SVT for weight (I think he may have said 120lbs), and it spent the last gig on top of my rack (probably 30lbs). So I had about at least 10U of rack and north of 130lbs (maybe even 150) on top of my cab. No sweat. Not tippy or anything.

 

[BogeyBass]

I assume you are referring to fEARfuls. I am here to tell you that my Classic 400 pairs wonderfully with my 1515/66.

Yes I am speaking of those and the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Well that is great glad your happy. Dont get me wrong I love the sound of tubes and a 2x15 cabinet.

They only point i was making is depending on the width of a tube amp. The head will hang over the edges of the cabinet.
whether we are talking 1/2 inch or 1 inch. It does not matter to argue over. But if I am spending 1200 to 2000 dollars on a cabinet.

The head is going to fit perfect to the cab or in many designs the cab should even be slightly bigger, its just a small minor detail that should be addressed with such a costly build.

John says a Classic and SVT are 24" wide. He is lucky enough to still have those heads laying around. I have owned a Classic and a 70's SVT and a 70's Ampeg V4. Sold em long time ago.
Heck my memory ain't the best but i thought I remember the older SVT being wider than the classic. Maybe Im confusing the V4 with the classic because I know the V4 was wider around 26"

anyhoo all i was saying is there is not many off the shelf 2x15's
and i was just recommending either making a lighter copy of a matching Ampeg cabinet. Or buying a matching vintage cabinet and making it lighter and perform better with newer drivers.

Likewise i dont question the performance of the fearful or basically the Eminence drivers that make it happen.
But when John made his 2x15 which is smaller and lighter and still uses Eminence drivers. Overall his design which is slightly wider and smaller height wise. And uses a true vertically alignment and much better round ports.

For every guy that rages on and on about fearfuls. Im sure many of them dont realize what a pair of 3015's sounds like compared to a pair of 3015LF's
and just might be amazed really how well it sounds and how much cheaper it is. Aside from the fact as John has proven can be put in a lighter and smaller package.

When we are talking about a 290 to 330 watt tube head.
The max spl that a 810 and a pair of 3015LF's and 3015's can reach is roughly the same by 1 or 2dB.
In fact the 3015's are slightly more efficient than a 3015LF
so what is the difference between a 99.57 pair to a 100.93 pair.
not much round it off its 100 compared to 101.
Ampeg says a 810 is 100dB depending on how you model it
it can reach about 102.

So yes another 200 or 300 watts a fearful would be louder.
But in this case Tube amps are only 200 to 300 watts.
the magic 400 watts or more to make a Fearful louder dont exist in this case.

 

[popgadget]

.
Overall his design which is slightly wider and smaller height wise. And uses a true vertically alignment and much better round ports.

Why are round ports better? I had thought that port shape wasn't important, but a specific port area and shelf or tube length was the design goal. I don't claim to be correct, but I would like to gain a better understanding.

 

[Foz]

Why are round ports better?

They aren't.

 

[CTC564]

Any opinions on the DNA DNS210 cab?

 

[CL400Peavey]

Any opinions on the DNA DNS210 cab?

I would like to see this 210 that claims to have a max volume of [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].

I also find it interesting that they advertise mixing driver sizes.

Here’s the Little Brother to the DNS-410. It offers the same great tone in a smaller, lighter package. This system is for those who want tight, focused bottom that will fill the room, but don’t need to cover an arena stage. It also mates very well with our DNS-115N for those who want the best of both worlds: fast reacting 10s and the full bottom of a 15.

I would love to see them post actual physical limitation specs on the drivers they use.

 

[CTC564]

Okay, let me RE-PHRASE the question...does anyone have anything positive to say about DNA DNS210 cabs

(this question does not pertain to tech/spec individuals who are stuck on their fEARful soapbox)

;-)

 

[CL400Peavey]

Okay, let me RE-PHRASE the question...does anyone have anything positive to say about DNA DNS210 cabs

(this question does not pertain to tech/spec individuals who are stuck on their fEARful soapbox)

;-)

Nothing about a fEARful in my previous post.

You are talking about a 210 cab. The manufacturer of this cab claims it can reach volumes much higher than most 810s. Ok I'll bite and we can really look at it. With 1/4 the cone area it is claiming to have greater volume. For it to even match the volume the displacement of those two drivers would have to be ridiculous (which is why I would love to see some published specs, I am not aware of 10" drivers with this capability). I would also wonder about the mid-range dip that every LF driver I have see has. How do they contend with it before the tweeter kicks in? Some people dig that scoop, I'm not one of them.

This brings us to the marketing of mixed drivers. This topic has been discussed to death. With out opening that can of worms again I will say that I believe that mixing drivers of different sizes is not the most optimal set up. This has been proven with a lot of science, that is besides the point. I also wonder that the company is saying you need more low end out of another driver.

No axe to grind, just making observations based upon the manufacturers website.

 

[CTC564]

Okay...I can respect that and I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about tech specs and x max etc.

But your original reply sounded as if it came straight from the fEARful bible and I personally (and have heard from others) am just a tad full of the fEARful army...no offense intended but you're all a bit too tech savvy and tend to gloat about owning the cab

I asked on the fEARful forum if anyone could name a few professional/touring/recording artists who use them regularly and didn't get a response...that alone speaks volumes to me.

Many companies advocate using mixed drivers...heck, some have mixed drivers in the same cabinet...it may not be technically correct, but it makes the owner happy

 

[ninerfan]

NV610. /thread

 

[ninerfan]

He doesnt want to move around an 810, Why would he want to move a 215, 610 or 412 ?

I would be looking at either a pair neo 410 or 212s.

2/3 the size and a little over 1/2 the weight of a 810, but all the BALLS!!

O.K. now /thread.

 

[CL400Peavey]

Okay...I can respect that and I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about tech specs and x max etc.

I have no experience with the DNS210, so all I can look at is the few published specs.

But your original reply sounded as if it came straight from the fEARful bible and I personally (and have heard from others) am just a tad full of the fEARful army...no offense intended but you're all a bit too tech savvy and tend to gloat about owning the cab.

Not the fEARful bible, the bible of science. There are few opinions when it comes to the science behind acoustics, but there is a lot of math. I know it takes volume displacement to generate sound. I know it takes a lot of it to generate low frequency sound. I also know that the cone area of a 210 is pretty standardized, so to claim such large volume gains it would have to have fantastical xMax specs. Im sorry if you dont like the taste of our kool-aid, fEARful users are just excited about their cabs, but so are people using Audiokinesis cabs, and Barefaced cabs, and Ampeg cabs, and GK cabs.

I asked on the fEARful forum if anyone could name a few professional/touring/recording artists who use them regularly and didn't get a response...that alone speaks volumes to me.

There are a few well known bassists that endorse power cables that are ridiculously expensive. Just because there are people endorsing something doesnt mean its the best, or good, or good for you. The best it can mean is that they like the product.

Many companies advocate using mixed drivers...heck, some have mixed drivers in the same cabinet...it may not be technically correct, but it makes the owner happy

And I would shy away from any company recommending it over a matched set up, and would smile and nod to anyone trying to tell me it was the best way to go.

But the best judge on the cab will be yourself, go find one and play it. I know for my dollar I wouldnt be buying any of the DNA gear new.