Cabs - Stack or side by side?

[sax4blues]

I have GB Shuttle 6.0 combo. I now want to add second 1x12 and my automatic thought was this would be stacked. I know that for footprint space the stack is most compact.

What I'm wondering is the sonic difference/considerations between stacking cabs (seems to be most common) or having them side/side on the stage? If space/footprint is not a factor would you still stack?

 

[Sunn]

I have 2 1X15 Lopo Line cabinets. I run out of a Sunn 190B head.
I have had my rig side by side and that is a pretty compact setup.
The only reason why I stack when I do is to bring the 190B closer to
my eyes so I can see it and change EQ or something faster.
Depends on the venue--for a more hectic or dark venue in a smaller stage setting--ill stack.
If it is a more relaxed show in which our band can show our vintage gear I do the side by side thing.
Side by side is a little less precarious though...more stable setup for the head.

Either way, I have had complaints about sound only when the house is packed.
So I guess that could be an advantage of stacking---to get over people who block the sound.

On a side note, for some reason, my bass sounds better and louder when I am near a corner...I dont know why...maybe someone here can answer that one.


Sunn

 

[Stumbo]

Search for Bill Fitzmaurice or JimmyM or "comb filtering" for many threads/posts on sidebyside/stacking cabs.

Bottom line is that stacking gets better dispersion and better tone. Side by side gets interference from speaker to speaker.

It also gets you sound at or near ear level so you can hear yourself better.

 

[notforrobots]

Search for Bill Fitzmaurice or JimmyM for many threads/posts on sidebyside/stacking cabs.

Bottom line is that stacking gets better dispersion and better tone. Side by side gets interference from speaker to speaker.

+1 on bill anything he has said i trust.

 

[chadds]

+1 on bill anything he has said i trust.

But Bill said Toto was dating Lassie and that's not true.

 

[Rick Auricchio]

+1 on stacking vs. side-by side.

No opinion on the Toto/Lassie situation.

 

[Mystic Michael]

But Bill said Toto was dating Lassie and that's not true.

Alas, Bill's deficiencies as a canine gossip columnist are well known in this forum...

MM

 

[BassmanPaul]

I use a pair of 2x10s and I stack them on their ends, vertically. I can hear myself better and I project better.

Paul

 

[stflbn]

I use a pair of 2x10s and I stack them on their ends, vertically. I can hear myself better and I project better.

Paul

ditto ditto

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[billfitzmaurice]

But Bill said Toto was dating Lassie and that's not true.

Maybe not, but I have it on good authority that Bambi will go all the way for a buck.

 

[wdinc01]

On a side note, for some reason, my bass sounds better and louder when I am near a corner...I dont know why...maybe someone here can answer that one.

I'm sure it's because the corner is acting like a megaphone of sorts. The sound spreads out, but with a wall behind the amp, the sound bounces off the walls.

 

[stflbn]

The wall acts like an additional cabinet and in essence helps amplify. The effect is local to a certain amount of space.

Generally I try to stay away from those sorts of instances as much as possible as it's not a true idea of your sound or tone. Hollow stages, Concrete Floors and other surfaces can also do similar things.

 

[jjk2007]

I believe that if you have your cabs in a corner, you gain a few more db due to the sound reflection but I'm not sure how big the gain is. Perhaps Bill can enlighten us a little more.

 

[billfitzmaurice]

I believe that if you have your cabs in a corner, you gain a few more db due to the sound reflection but I'm not sure how big the gain is. Perhaps Bill can enlighten us a little more.

Middle of a field is half-space, that's the base measurement. Next to a wall is quarter space, you get an additional 6dB in the low end. A corner is eighth-space, an additional 12dB.

 

[jjk2007]

Thanks Bill.