I presently own a Bill Fitzmaurice PA setup with a pair of 22"w T39 subs loaded with Eminence 3012LF drivers and a pair of OTops loaded with Eminence 3012HO drivers and ND2005 HF horns. This is a good big rig but too much for practice so I have a pair of Fearless-inspired 15/6/1 cabs with the Eminence 3015LF/18Sound 6" mid/Eminence 1001 HF horn for practice. I was wondering if I could consolidate and have a pair of 6x6 cabs cover everything? The 4x8 is formidable but I'd like to keep individual items under 60 lbs.
Would a pair of 6x6 high passed at 40hz powered by a Crown xTi4000 but without subs provide a suitable PA for a rock/blues/funk band at a 200-300 person venue (assume robust but not stupid volume)? It would be nice not to have to deal with subs but if required, could a single Rache18 with Impero driver get the job done? What crossover point is suitable for the sub?
Also, would pole mounting or floor placement be preferred? Pole mounting should improve dispersion but have less bass without floor coupling so does the answer depend on whether a sub is used?
For about the last month + I have been using a pair of Big-E 4X6 PA cabs for mains, and we are a loud-ish R&B band playing 200 or so person-sized venues.
I've been pole mounting them horizontally (Leland has set them up to use easily that way with spring handles on the ends and a top strap for load-in). At 50 lbs. they are still pretty easy to wrestle, but getting close to as much weight as I'd like to run up a pole. So far, I am finding these are remarkable cabs for our FOH needs, and I've had to put aside my preconceptions about what they might handle room size-wise.
Not only do these offer a remarkable clarity in the vocal range (and warmth in the low-mids) but I'm also finding I can use a lower setting for the mains to accomplish the same task ...actually, accomplish it better. In my limited experience, these speakers project the mix more clearly and evenly around the room than the 15" 2-ways I've been using forever. I'm powering them with a 500 watt @4ohm QSC. We were actually advised to turn down the vocals! ...imagine that!
I'm also finding myself "flattening" my typical room EQ, as the natural sound from these is quite convincing (I haven't yet used them in a "problem" venue).
We do use a sub fed various ways depending on the set-up. Typically I just cross the main mix over at 75hz. It works great. I have also used these without a sub in a quiet room with the just the kick mic'ed lightly. ...sounded great!
I also had a chance to run a bass guitar through them in an A/B test at home vs. a 2-1X12 (pair of DB-112's) and an Eden 410 XLT. From a volume standpoint, the comparison was very close in both cases. Without getting technical, my sense is that the 4X6 (GC468) is in the same volume/watt ball park as these other two configurations. Keep in mind the 2x12 stack was 4 ohms in this case, the Eden and the Big-E, 8 ohms each.
However, at least when used as PA mains and mounted horizontally, the dispersion characteristics of this cab are very different, and much more uniform throughout a medium-sized room than the 15" 2-way boxes that I've struggled with for FOH forever. I'm looking forward to taking them outside!
I suspect they might meet your needs. In any case, there's no risk in trying them if Leland's offering a free trial period. I can't say he is for sure, but he's around here somewhere and can chime in.
: Say, at some point, you play in the house band for a local jam. Say you bring your rig one night. Say somebody gets up after you and proceeds to crank the LF extend filter and the bass control on your amp (and on their bass, for all you know) and hammer on the B-string. Some cabs will take that abuse (not that it would ever happen while YOU were playing) better than others. The Acme cabs are, reportedly, a little more sensitive to over-excursion than some others because of their tuning and because they actually give you a useable fundamental on a low B. The Big Es also extend low (those I have tried -- though only early versions). Are they similarly sensitive?
