Head used will be an Ampeg Portaflex 500 ([email protected] - [email protected]) I want to have 2 cabs, so I can get the full 500 watts, and more speaker coverage/move more air for gigs, and then just use the 1 cab for smaller stuff like band practice and practice at home (but still has to have substantial low end and tone) Here are the two options: 1 - Buy an Ampeg Portaflex 115he, and pair it with 115lf (or 112lf?) for bigger stuff. (= 2x15) 2 - Buy an Ampeg SVT 112av, and pair it with another 112av for bigger stuff. (= 2x12) Now, the latter seems like a good option because I've heard many great things about the svt212av having a great big sound. Having 2x 112 gives me extra flexibility in terms of using one or two cabs, and also making things easier to transport. However, from the few videos I've heard of the 212 and the 112 (there are barely any good examples of these cabs on youtube) they sound very bright and grindy and barely any good low end being made... although I suspect it's due to the cabs being miked up with a mic that doesn't pick up all the lows, and they most likely have the horn on, contributing to the excessive brightness. I imagine in person, two svt 112's would push out some serious low end. But I could be misinformed. The other option (the more affordable option!) is pairing two portaflex cabs, most likely two 115s. From what I've heard, they put out a bit more low end by themselves than the SVT 112 does. However... would pairing two 115's be an overkill for larger gigs? Im after a nice, round sound. Strong bass, nice low mids and smooth highs. I play a passive jazz bass with cs60s and ghs roundcore boomers, so it's not a overly bright bass, and is a bit fatter sounding than your typical jazz. I'd like to keep it that way. I wanna go Ampeg because, simply put, I know for a fact Ampeg is the most solid bass amp you can get... construction wise, sound quality, and rugged reliability gig after gig. I wanna amp that will make me sit comfortably in the mix with good bass and midrange, as you would hear on a recording, that will project out even to the back of the room so the lows can be heard and not get drowned out. Any insight I can get into this setup will be much appreciated. Thanks.
That's fine. How about the 212av? Technically speaking, 2x 112av's should be identical performance wise and tone wise. Have you tried any of the portaflex cabinets (the current iteration pf, not referring to any vintage pf) such as the 115he or 115lf? Any comment on these?
I have played the 212av and loved it, but I'm pretty sure the cubic volume is bigger in two 112av's, so that has a little something to say about it. And yes, I used to own a couple PF115he's and played the 210he many times at stores. I prefer the higher low end tuning of the 210.
This was found from a thread regarding the svt 212 vs 2x 112's from 2016 this is what I'm hoping to achieve. However, he was using a tube svt amp, and I'll be using a solid state portaflex amp. However, even if the pf doesn't go as deep, the lows should still be pretty big through that rig right? The deep factor isn't the main problem, I'd like nice and deep, but not too deep so as to lose clarity, and I still like good low mids. I just want the cabs to make solid, clean bass. From what I've heard in videos (again, perhaps not the most accurate representation) it's not that bassy at all. for reference... here is the video I'm talking about. Don't know if it's the mic, the horn, the bass or whatever, but it sounds all top end and no bottom. Would 2 115 portaflex cabs give me what I want, or would it be overkill?
Because on their own... I prefer the Portaflex 115 over the SVT 112 but, I've never heard 2 115's together and don't know if it will be too much. On the other hand, 212 seems to be the sweetspot as far as speaker configs go... and as you can see, I've heard really great things (written reviews) and also really bad (yt videos) So yeah, this is my confusion. This is what i wanna clear up a bit.
Get the two PF115 cabinets. I played with a pretty loud band using that and a PF800 and was no where near maxing out.
I’ve owned two svt112avs for about two months now and have been really pleased with them! I will say they take a little time to break in and initially I found them to be lacking in low end. They grind really well and warm up when boosting bass and cutting mids and highs. While you may fiddle about with your tone controls, I’ve yet to find a sound they didn’t handle well. Your description to me says go for the portaflex right out of the box. They have those characteristics inherent to them. The 112AVs are a great modular option and well built, just be aware you’ll need time to break them in and experiment with your settings.
Having two identical cabinets is advantageous for obvious reasons, but I wonder if the SVT112 has the same drivers as the 212? I actually find a 212 is easier to transport than a 115. My 212 is tall and has tilt back wheels—being a fEARful 12/12/6/1. Yet, it would hard to go wrong with a pair of either 112 or 115 cabinets. In any case, don't worry about "too much." You can always dial back the lows, volume, low mids, etc.
I have both the 115he and 115lf, and they compliment each other very well IMO. Combined they have a very full and thick tone. The 115lf by itself is much bassier, but the 115he sounds really good solo with my Ampeg PF-50t. The 115lf sounds a little boomy solo with the pf-50t; however, I like it with my solid state A.M.P. BH220. The best combo with either amplifier is running both cabs, and although it may be overkill for many situations, you always turn down the volume. I have no experience with 112av so cannot comment there.
might be best to hear them in person. now might not be the time, but it's not like you're missing gigs.
Yes, the “lf” designation is accurate on the 115lf. It has a more bassy voicing. It sounds great with my other amps, but for some reason my pf50t sounds better through the 115he. The opposite is true with my eden and a.m.p. Regarding the pf500, maybe you should try one cab at a time. The 115he has the flip top lid you can mount your amp to which is pretty cool, and if you find yourself wanting more low end the 115lf could provide that down the road. As far as tone goes I think you’ll have to demo it in person. My boomy might be your bliss.
100% I'm gonna have to try out for myself. Yeah, if I go down the pf road, it'll definitely be the 115he and 115lf. You can't stack a cab ontop of a flip top can you... the flip top has to be on top. As far as the SVT 112s go... what's their frequency range like in comparison to the PF? If you AB'ed a svt 112 and a pf 115he (both horn off) where would they differ? thanks
also I'm thinking with stacking 2 pf 115s, they would be taller than stacking 2 svt 112s, PLUS the bigger speaker coverage meaning I would have greater dispersion and push more air? PLUS the PF115 cabs have higher power handling rating than the SVTs, so more headroom! did anyone get a chance to watch the video I linked above for the svt cabs? Am I the only one thinking they sound very lifeless on the bottom and all high end? Please tell me the video is a bad representation and they sound much fuller and warm in real life!
I like the sound of 112's the best and I dig the warm, round tone of my rumble 100 v3 combo (which is 112) but from what I've heard of the svt 112 is very thin, and the pf115 has a much fuller sound in the lows and low mids, with less emphasis on the highs. I know that the SVT cabs are super clean, very high clarity, but can the same be said of the PF cabs? I've heard a few say it doesn't take long before they start to fart out. Is this true? Sorry, I know a lot of questions! Please read my posts guys, I'd really appreciate if you didn't dismiss them and were able to answer some of these because it would really help me answer some important questions for me that would help settle the deal.