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Coming to the experts... Outside Question -- Don't Spread out speakers?!

So I have been researching how to maintain some volume and tone outside. Lots of folks in the past talked about NOT spreading out the bass cabs as a solution to NO PA support.

Is this what you guys think?

Here's my situation -- I've got two amps a 2x12 cab and a 1x12 and another 1x12. Would it be best outside to just bring all that and keep it together or could I keep the 2x12 back and then put the 1x12s out under the guitar player/singers powered speakers?

Thanks guys!
 
Oh and it seems to be a thought that mixing cabs can cause some cancellation! Is that something I should be able to hear if I put it all together and just A/B and A+B back and forth?
 
Spreading bass cabs less than 50ft results in hot and cold notes out front.

I might be tempted to slave the 2nd amp on the 212 with the 112 pair stacked vertically on top and see how it goes. It is potentially going to sound crap but it might sound great.

Why? Outdoors loses half your low end out into the wild, making 212 more like 112.

If it sounds only passable it will be mids not phasing well. In that case you could poormans EQ out everything but the lows from the 212.

If it sounds really bad and gutless the gross phase will be out somewhere in the system, but easily fixed by swapping polarity of the 212.

I love frankenrigs of necessity.
 
think about it; if there's no PA, and you bring a bunch of crazy extra bass stuff to try to make up for it, what happens to the drums? if nobody hears the kick drum and you have a wall of massive bass it's just gonna sound stupid.

you should be as loud as the drummer but no louder, anything more and you need a PA to carry both.
 
This one is too easy...fire the singer, or rage quit and find a band where the singer is part of the team.

I'm going off the fact that you say the singer has ruled out the PA, you don't specifically state that the PA is not up to the job...

If that's the case, and the PA isn't up to the job, fire the PA...
 
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Reactions: bebass and walterw
lolol awesome... thanks Walter and Tedious. Common sense stuff but good stuff... These guys are some of my best friends. We'll figure it out together and you guys have given me some great ideas and ways to go about it.
 
lolol awesome... thanks Walter and Tedious. Common sense stuff but good stuff... These guys are some of my best friends. We'll figure it out together and you guys have given me some great ideas and ways to go about it.

Weird, just noticed no emojis in my post, sure I out them there... Anyways friends are different, knock me out and buy them a beer afterwards ;)

All you can really do is explain, patiently, the point behind sound reinforcement, as many times as required. Hopefully the rest of the guys get the point.