Cabs with unusual driver combinations

[zortation]

Other than Acme I can't think of any right now. Please, discuss this topic in ths thread.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

Bass Cabinets Archives - Genzler Amplification

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As well, this slanted cabinet version further enhances all benefits of the BA design adding a new level of dispersion and projection, either when being used as a single enclosure or in combination with additional straight or slant cabinets.

 

[pfschim]

I honestly can't think of too many.
There were the older Mesa Powerhouse 15+4x10's and Powerhouse Jr. 12+4x8's all in the same box (not isolated). Sorta unusual, and probably not very good overall.
I did get to try the newer Powerhouse 1000 cab some years back ... 15+4x10's, again all in the same box. Very big cab that did not sound all that great to me personally. I guess not really very unusual though given that the cab geometry was just a rectangular box and the drivers were all normally sized.

I seem to recall some Epifani cabs a while back that packed a bunch of drivers in fairly small cabs and had some of the drivers firing from side mounted ports (?)

Phil Jones stuff has always seemed kind of off the beaten track to me ... like the C8, C9 and 16H cabs .. all using multiples of 5" drivers and various unusual porting designs.


I think bass cabs have tended to run towards the fairly conventional side of things so maybe there aren't that many odd-ball bass cab designs out there.

 

[abarson]

Ok, I'll be that guy...
Ampeg Isovent

 

[S-Bigbottom]

Genz Benz uber 1288 quad.
Ask @Wasnex about these.
He has a tower.

 

[CryingBass]

I "only" have the Jr model of this, and it's still killer.

 

[Wasnex]

Genz Benz uber 1288 quad.
Ask @Wasnex about these.
He has a tower.


View attachment 3840571
View attachment 3840572

My tower was inspired by the Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound.

I believe at one time Phil Lesh used four line arrays for his bass, one for each string. Well obviously I didn't go that far but I have always wanted to experiment with a line array bass rig since I was in my mid teens...and this is the result: (Quad of Uber Quads)

Two are more than I would ever need, but adding the third does enhance the sound quite a bit. Adding the fourth does not make as much of a change. The biggest difference is it pulls the perceived sound source up to the middle of the array.

I doubt I will ever perform with these since I have been retired from performing for quite awhile, but they would probably come in handy for gigs where my rig had to push the room.

 

[Wasnex]

Here are a couple of other companies that make 2-way cabs with a woofer and mid driver that I don't believe have been mentioned:
Baer Amplification Bass Guitar Speaker Cabinets
BASS VECTOR PRO | ISP TechnologiesISP Technologies

I bet four ISP Tech, Bass Vector Pro's would make a pretty potent line array .

 

[Cut the middle]

Once rode in one where the driver steered w his feet and accelerated/braked with his hands.

 

[pfschim]

I owned a Tri112 some time ago. Nice cab, very clean and clear. But I would not call any of these particularly unusual. Aside from perhaps isolated 3 and 4 way stuff, they use normal driver sizes, and box geometry.

Again, I think bass cabs have tended to stick with pretty conventional designs

 

[Wasnex]

I owned a Tri112 some time ago. Nice cab, very clean and clear. But I would not call any of these particularly unusual. Aside from perhaps isolated 3 and 4 way stuff, they use normal driver sizes, and box geometry.

Again, I think bass cabs have tended to stick with pretty conventional designs

The driver compliment is pretty normal.

Some of the executions are not normal and not particularly well though out IMHO; combining a single 15 and four 10s in the same acoustic chamber for example.


I would say the designs that use line array concepts are getting a bit into the unusual, but it's not like it's new technology.

Another unusual thing about the Genz Benz 1288T is the crossover. Usually in multi-way designs the crossover is set up so there is minimal overlap between the drivers.

If I understand this graphic, it shows that Butterworth filters are set up to cross at the -3dB point and Linkwitz-Riley filters are set up to cross at the -6dB point.

The range of the drivers in the 1288T don't line up this way. Instead there is significant overlap of the range of the woofer and mid drivers, and also significant overlap of the mid drivers and tweeter.

The Isovent is also a bit unusual because the woofer section uses isobaric loading. The intent of this design is to be able to produce deep bass in a smaller enclosure. The cost is reduced efficiency and increased weight. Since the effective radiating area is only one driver you don't get the normal increase in sensitivity from mutual coupling. It's argued with modern driver design that there really is no advantage to isobaric loading. Also I think the general consensus is the Isovents were a poorly implemented designs to begin with.

A more modern approach to isobaric loading was the Orange SmartPower speaker line. These came in 210, 212, and 410 variants, but are now discontinued. A lot of naysayers, but the people who owned them seemed to speak favorably.

 

[pfschim]

I guess TB's own Duke Lejeune makes some cabs that qualify as interesting/unusual.

His Changeling cab is equipped like this:
Two Eminence 3012LF woofers
Four Faital mid drivers
Three pluggable ports
Separate high and mid trim switches
Third switch for -7dB from the rear mid drivers

 

[klejst]

I always think of the cabs that have like a 15" and then like a 8" driver, three 10" drivers or the (often dreaded) four 10" and one 15"...just something you don't see everyday outside the typical combinations.

 

[basszillla]

my LDS 5x8

 

[MarkA]

Ok, I'll be that guy...
Ampeg Isovent
View attachment 3840554

Different cab and design, but it reminds me of the similarly huge Ampeg PR1832 HE (employed by Victor Wooten and Steve Bailey in the Bass Extremes days). One used to be backlined at a couple of area clubs. 18" woofer + two 10s + two 6s + a tweeter - 4-way cab (!), something like 160, 170 pounds (I hoisted it solo a few times - just not very far!).

I guess TB's own Duke Lejeune makes some cabs that qualify as interesting/unusual.

His Changeling cab is equipped like this:
Two Eminence 3012LF woofers
Four Faital mid drivers
Three pluggable ports
Separate high and mid trim switches
Third switch for -7dB from the rear mid drivers

I have a Hathor 1203 and a Changeling 112. Well-voiced and versatile cabs. Would be interesting to hear the 212 you describe.

my LDS 5x8
View attachment 3841008

Is the middle 8" driver, which looks different from the others, a guitar- or other mid-high driver? Is it high-passed?

 

[basszillla]

the middle one is different than the other four - it does have an adjustable attenuator , tho i'm not sure if its a guitar speaker or a hi-pass

 

[MarkA]

The MAS/Big E cabs (of which I've played several) are unusual for their overall design (which harvests the back-wave of the speaker, runs it through something like a virtual transmission-line -- but not exactly -- and combines it again with the wave from the front of the speaker) more than their driver complement, but I guess those tend to the unusual, too -- my MAS 112 has four, 4" mids and a tweeter in addition to the woofer, the Flex has a 10" woofer, two 6.5" mids, and two tweeters with lots of switching options.

Some of the cabs are more straightforward, though, with a woofer and a single, small mid-high driver and/or tweeter.

 

[MarkA]

the middle one is different than the other four - it does have an adjustable attenuator , tho i'm not sure if its a guitar speaker or a hi-pass

Okay, neat - I'm guessing that it is high-passed, particularly if it's on an adjustable attenuator and since there's one of it to four of the others. Maybe there's a full crossover in there, too - dunno.

How would you describe the overall sound and the contribution of that center driver?

 

[And I]

This Orange OBC212 looks pretty standard on the outside but the isobaric design makes it a bit unusual I'd say.

OBC212 Isobaric 2×12″ Bass Speaker Cabinet – Orange Amps

 

[basszillla]

here's the post of when i got it - it tells a little more of the specs & the midrange driver :
SOLD - FS/FT LDS Low Down Sound 5x8 Cab