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Big E Speakers Part 4 - Quadraphenia

#101
The below post is all a personal opinion. None of you know me from Adam, so not sure why it would matter, but it felt compelled to post it.

Chain- Euro4 all knobs full up/HPF3 -5 @35hz -5 at about 45hz/Monique hi 1 o'clock mid noon bass 9 o'clock sensitivity noon/Minnie pushing around 400 watts/45-110 running -3db pad on the 45 from the crossover on the 110 (8ohms). I'm working on an ability to record some sound clips.

I got the 45/110 In a few days ago, what to say about the sound?? Much of it's already been said in one way or another, I guess I'm looking for a way to describe the intangible qualities. The closest comparison I can make is to a choir. I checked the ports, it not like they shoved a bunch of tiny singers with bull horns in there, but it sure sounds like it. I feel like the cab really sings, I've never heard anything like this from my other rigs.... It's like a layer cake, the sounds are all distinct, but they seem to build and layer in a way that makes it more delicious. I feel like there is a ball of sound around my body while I'm playing, the band tells me they feel the same way.

The result? I put in an order yesterday for a 46 to replace the pole separating the 45/110, there will likely be a 210 flex mod in my future.

If anyone in central Texas wants to give the rig a test drive, just hit me up, I'm in Austin.
 
#102
MarkA said:
I'm intrigued.


I, personally, would still prefer a bit more growl/upper-midrange character than I've gotten with this cab so far, but it's proving itself to be a capable and versatile performer.

Last outing, as mentioned, was a low volume practice with sax and nylon-string guitar. Bossa nova tunes. In a reverberant room (wood floors) and with the cab right next to me, the tweeters sound a little hot/sizzly, but I've noticed that that quality disappears in the audience.
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In an ongoing effort to improve I feel that we've addressed these issues with the new generation. My current gigging cab is the new 66. The reason we went with the multiple 3's was to get an overlap in the mids/upper mids to do exactly what you say. A bit of a challenge crossover-wise. (glad we have Duke on the team).

As I've said, one of the biggest points of concentration for me has been voicing. At first I thought---let's go flat---like a home hifi. Than I realized that some elevated mids work really well with EB. I also realized that the better the quality of the mids and tweets you use---the more you can get away with a little bumpage in those areas. With the Flex cabs I didn't have to worry---pick your own voicing. But with the 6.5" cabs I worked really hard on two areas--smooth out too much bumpage from 180 to 250, and rather than a slight scoopage between 600 and 2500---let's see if we can bring it up a tad. It's only a few db up but enough so that their is a stronger midrange presence---but still pretty hifi. This is just my thing---but I always listen to music as a final step. I took the mids up just enough that I still enjoy playing music through them. If it sounds wanky with music--it's not in my lineup. There are other guys that do the strictly bass guitar sound--I respect that, but that's not what I do. Mainly because I don't know how to do it well!

The hot/sizzly was my attempt to see how far to push the tweets to get a bit more high--high definition. Oops! Too far.

One of the reasons I came out with the Flex--I don't know how to get a good rock sound. I figured I'd supply the tools for someone to do it themselves!
 
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#103
kringle77 said:
I can't comment on the technology here but, based on the graph in the latest issue of BGM, I would say the tonal profile shows what people are saying. That punch is coming from the big bump at 150hz, and the some growl and definition is coming from the other bump around 600hz. Sort of an eden xlt thing but with more extended low end. And the off axis response would be great due to the crossfired mids, not even factoring in the vortex stuff. If I saw that graph attached to a regular vented design, I would think it sounded like peoples description of the flex 210 so far.
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One thing I really have to mention. First of all---BGM does an astoundingly good job and their measurements give some important insights into gear.

But---the measurements you see are 1 watt at 1 meter. This will give a basic idea of sound from a reflex or sealed cab. But even those change character as power is applied.

With the MVW cabs---things REALLY change as power is applied. With a reflex or sealed box---frequency response changes only a bit with power. With an MVW it changes A LOT. Most notably is smoothing of frequency response as power increases. Not a lot of power, but 1 watt ain't gonna do it. As they've been published by now---if you look at the size of the driver chamber in the drawings--it's pretty small. If we were to just make a reflex box with a driver chamber of that size---the low end would have pretty sucky extension. And the frequency response would also be pretty sucky. When you measure 1 watt you get a little contribution of the back wave, but it's still a pretty small contribution. But as power increases, even at "at home" volumes, the backwave really starts smoothing the frequency response. We've measured it. So--yes, we have a bit of a bump with the Flex's at 150---but much less than in those measurements. I like a bit of a bump there. Enough to kick you in the chest but just under the "boomy" frequencies.

Also, efficiency increases a lot with more power applied.
 
#104
Dominick C. said:
The below post is all a personal opinion. None of you know me from Adam, so not sure why it would matter, but it felt compelled to post it.



I got the 45/110 In a few days ago, what to say about the sound?? Much of it's already been said in one way or another, I guess I'm looking for a way to describe the intangible qualities. The closest comparison I can make is to a choir. I checked the ports, it not like they shoved a bunch of tiny singers with bull horns in there, but it sure sounds like it. I feel like the cab really sings, I've never heard anything like this from my other rigs.... It's like a layer cake, the sounds are all distinct, but they seem to build and layer in a way that makes it more delicious. I feel like there is a ball of sound around my body while I'm playing, the band tells me they feel the same way.

The result? I put in an order yesterday for a 46 to replace the pole separating the 45/110, there will likely be a 210 flex mod in my future.

If anyone in central Texas wants to give the rig a test drive, just hit me up, I'm in Austin.
Click to expand...

Cool description. I've refrained from posting comments like that about my personal experience with these cabs (every time I do I get my keester handed to me) but that "ball of sound" may sound vague and not-very-tangible, but I can relate to exactly what you're talking about--thanks.
 
#107
Jule dude brought the 46 and his prototype amp and Monique were on top at the SF GtG. Coyote boy played his EUB through the 26. I plugged in the Roscoe Century standard I had listed for sale through the monique into the 46. Might just keep the Roscoe, since I will be getting a 46 soon. The best I have heard that Roscoe yet. Kesslari could not make it. Have to wait another day for hearing the 210 flex mod.
 
#109
radbass said:
I just got the new Bass Gear magazine. You've got to read Tom's wonderful review of the 210 Flex and the Big E guys explaination of the MVW. Thanks again Tom for having by far the best bass equipment magazine out there.
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Thank you for the kind words! :thumbsup:
 
#110
sounded great, of course the question is what sounded great in a signal chain like that. all of it I presume. I tried to get a few weak moments where all the other gear was not being played so my old ears, could focus. Aastack played his old restored Kay upright through it. Another member who's moniker I did not catch had some awesome Alembics which sounded sweet through it too. I was very impressed at the 46's versatility. It's funny because the older dudes, of which I am one, played the loudest, so you had to wait for the sweet spots. Amazing capability through that tiny 26 through coyote's Walkabout. Way bigger than coffee shop. Jule said he will be offering the power amp in the future, after the ducks are in a row.
 
#111
nomatic said:
66 pics for Daddy.......
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mas66 b.jpg
 
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#116
The 66 looks GREAT! One thing I notice, though, is that nice leather strap handle, intelligently placed on the side so as to not interfere with an amp. As a musician who regularly does urban schleps, it seems rotating it 90 degrees to run parallel with the long edge of the cabinet makes sense. Mike, am I wrong?
 
#117
greenrositti said:
The 66 looks GREAT! One thing I notice, though, is that nice leather strap handle, intelligently placed on the side so as to not interfere with an amp. As a musician who regularly does urban schleps, it seems rotating it 90 degrees to run parallel with the long edge of the cabinet makes sense. Mike, am I wrong?
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I suspect there is a matching handle on the opposite side for a two-handed lift.
 

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