Anyone have experience or the chance to compare Mike's "larger" cabinets to these smaller offerings?
I have a Flex 110 that I'm still enjoying!
I have a Flex 110 that I'm still enjoying!
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Big E Speakers Part 4 - Quadraphenia
- Thread starter kesslari
- Start date
You don't have to do that, you know (put on the red light).
It's not quite as tiny, but I'm considering Mike's 18... pretty sure it would be a good smaller EB cab and nice for stuff like cello as well. Wondering if it would match well with the AK Hathor 1203 I picked up recently. Speaking of which...
[---------------DUPLICATE POST FROM AUDIOKINESIS THREAD------------------]
I was unloading my car and took the opportunity to snap a couple of pics of the Hathor 1203 + MAS 110 sub combo that I mentioned awhile back. I've been goofing around with it periodically, since.
I initially stacked the cabs vertically, with the 1203 (port plugged) on top and it seemed to work well. Then I tried them in a "T" with the sub on the floor. Nice, but kind of heavy in a certain region of the upper bass. Then, I got the idea to put the Ampwedge in between the cabs. Bingo -- just right. You can even tune the response of the system by angling the Hathor up more or less -- seems to influence the degree to which the cabs couple and reinforce each other (less = thicker, with more of a bump in the upper bass, more = more even and more clear). Yields a very punchy, thick-but-clear sound -- sounds good with the Hathor sideways or upright.
I have yet to try it with a band -- not sure when I'll get to do that, but not too long, I hope -- so I still can't say how they'll hold together and balance in a live mix as the volume goes up, but the response feels good; I think the tone will work well and, so far, they seem to integrate well with each other.
Playing this combo back-and-forth with my 18 Sound MAS 112, the 112 still kicks harder at the bottom of its register and, with its tweeter, is a bit more clear up top, but the Hathor+sub has more chest-hit and a rounder, more bouncy-feeling envelope. Soloed bridge pickup is thicker. I told Mike that the combo strikes me, in some ways, as a "Flex Lite" -- not a bad thing.
The 110 sub with the 46 needs to be elevated to sound its best, at least indoors (too much bass reinforcement from the floor, otherwise). The Hathor elevated (at least with the port plugged), thins out more than I like. With the sub on the floor and the wedge between the cabs, though, the balance through the registers is good. Played the combo with a Glockenklang Heart Rock 2, EQ disengaged, and liked it. Also tried engaging the EQ and cutting a very little bass and low mid and liked that (for comparison, I boosted a bit of low mid with the MAS 112). I tend to use more lows and a thicker sound with a band than I do at home, though, so we'll have to see how that plays out live.
The cabs also sounded good and responded well to EQ changes with the Eich T-900, but I confess that I prefer the big Glock.
Will report again when I've tested the combo more meaningfully, but thought I'd share, meanwhile.
If you mean the 16s, I've never owned one, but I got to hear one and two played through the Tantra last year in Chicago at the GTG that was held in the Music Loft. They are impressive little cabs -- clear, tiny, louder than they have a right to be, and surprisingly open and spacious sounding -- but they're not going to go as loud or sound as big as your 110 Flex. I have a 46 -- that's in the ballpark, output-wise, with your Flex, but the voicing and feel are different.
One difference between the 16 and the 46 is that the 16 sounds good on the floor, where the 46 shines if you elevate it a bit.
Based on my experience with the 26, id say the 16 really benefits from its driver orientation, ie, the port against the floor.
For some reason, i always felt I had to keep pushing the 26 for my volume needs. Not so with the 2x 16, though I think I can blame some of that on the Walkabout. I was using at the time. Having the mids tilted up is genius as well.
Also, just did 2nd gig with them stacked, and I must say I prefer it. No loss of bass, and even easier to hear. So narrow even a micro head hangs over edges.
Alright, no more gushing here. Y'all know my take on these.
For some reason, i always felt I had to keep pushing the 26 for my volume needs. Not so with the 2x 16, though I think I can blame some of that on the Walkabout. I was using at the time. Having the mids tilted up is genius as well.
Also, just did 2nd gig with them stacked, and I must say I prefer it. No loss of bass, and even easier to hear. So narrow even a micro head hangs over edges.
Alright, no more gushing here. Y'all know my take on these.
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Another duplicate post, but pertinent to both threads.
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First time out with this combo and it did a great job -- thick, articulate, and stayed balanced at gig volume with plenty more in the tank. Sounded good on stage and in the house.
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First time out with this combo and it did a great job -- thick, articulate, and stayed balanced at gig volume with plenty more in the tank. Sounded good on stage and in the house.
How does it compare to your mas112?Another duplicate post, but pertinent to both threads.
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First time out with this combo and it did a great job -- thick, articulate, and stayed balanced at gig volume with plenty more in the tank. Sounded good on stage and in the house.
General voicing and feel impressions stayed pretty much the same at the gig as they did at home (see a few posts up where I compare it to the 112). Used some slightly different EQ on the gig (to be expected) and the feel and clarity got better, actually, as the sub got pumping/vortexing more.
There are some other differences... I was playing around with the HathSub (catchy, or just weird?) and the 112 with a Shaw B-150 tube amp yesterday and I tended to like whichever setup I'd just switched to better. 1203/sub was juicier by default, with a bit more hair on the notes. 112 more clear and crisp. Both nicely articulate, but each with its own feel. Each setup can approximate the other with EQ (interesting note on this for later), but each retains its own feel and sonic signature.
Keep in mind that I still know the 112 a good deal better than the 1203/sub stack at this point. I did briefly entertain the idea of bringing both rigs down and, for research purposes, driving each, in alternation, off a channel of my power amp (as I did some time back with the 112 and 46+sub), but that would have been more work than I was willing to do that night and I wasn't sure I'd have the room on stage. As it was, I had to park a couple of blocks away and schlep the rig in solo: bass on my back, cab in each hand, backpack containing the amp, power-strip, cables, spare cables, protein bar, and (don't ask me why, because I neither used nor planned to use it) looper pedal on my front.
This man and I high-fived.
I'll think on this and add to it with more experience.
Meanwhile, I posted this quick cell-phone clip of the stack in the AK thread (the "other clip" referred to is one of the Hathor played solo). You'll need headphones or decent speakers to get an idea of the sub's contribution (the phone-recording still doesn't do it justice, but you'll get an idea).
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@ DLM (and whoever else might find it interesting), here is another quick-and-dirty clip of the Hathor slapped. Like the other, this one is made at home with my phone and not a lot of forethought (apologies again to the gear thus sloppily represented and to the gods of audio). What's different this time:
- Hathor is played atop the MAS 110 sub.
- Phone is about two feet off the floor, four feet from the cabs, and 15 degrees off axis.
- Amp is a Shaw B-150 tube amp.
- No looper this time - played through the same little riff four times: with both switches up, mid down/treble up, mid up/treble down, and both down, in that order.
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Just giving props to the 112 cabs. After months of use in a variety of situations, I continue to be impressed with their sound, size, light weight, and versatility. Thank you, Mike Arnopol!
I must say, I miss my 12 a bit. Such a fabulous cab. I am really hoping when my second 110 Bodai arrives this week, that the pair will surpass the impact and thickness of my old eminence 12.
The different MAS cabs all have things they excel at (including the different 12s), but I think the 12 is a good one-cab solution that wil hang at loud gigs. Mine has been my go-to for some time.
Did you sell your 12?
Still playing both my MAS112 and 66+sub. I really like how articulate these cabs are and how the notes come out of these cabs. Both are different flavors of awesome!
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I did. Sold it to fund a Bodai. I was gonna just get the 12" model, but there were several reputable players enamored with the 110 pair. So, I figured I would give that a go. Being that I am aging less than gracefully, I figure a modular rig could suit me better in the future.
Brutally articulate - they let anything you do (well or poorly!) be heard and felt in the room.
Outdoor gig w/ pa support this weekend, cocktail drums. Ive always used the MA109 for outdoors, but temped to try the 16 stack.
- Apr 29, 2003
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Having played the 46, 66, sub, Flex, 112, 16, and 109, I can tell you that a pair of Bodai 110's is EXACTLY what I'd be angling for. The 109 has a really nice plump fullness that is big but doesnt ever sound boxy or heavy. Just thick and quick. I imagine a pair of them with vortex loaded mid drivers would be Stupid good.
Every thing they have come up with from day one has been different shades of awesome. I am going to play a jam up at the top of the Santa Cruz mountains at the end of the month. I will be playing through the original 48 and probably using the 210 flex as a PA main since I have a PA amp/board and monitors but no Mains. I have used MAS 46 as PA main in the past. These cabs are full range and as has previously been reported sound like high quality studio monitors. The real deal. Versatile, Blow your neighbors away or invite them to the party!
