Dream Cabinet Discussion

[ctmullins]

I came up with a self-imposed rule of running a "one trip" rig. I usually use a mono soft case for my bass (or basses, with the case that fits two of them). Bass(es) on my back, my mini pedal board (tuner, footswitch for the mesa and a dirty pedal of some sort) and cables in the mono TIck, the mesa TT-800 carried in the soft case using the shoulder strap, and a BB3 in each hand. No dolly needed, no help needed and I can do stairs/grass/gravel without an issue while carrying my entire rig. This is the way...

That's a really good way.

But I still prefer my vertical 4x10 with integrated casters and skid rails. Also a one-trip load. Unless I bring the keyboard bass rig too....

 

[Pep]

That's a really good way.

But I still prefer my vertical 4x10 with integrated casters and skid rails. Also a one-trip load. Unless I bring the keyboard bass rig too....

When you say vertical 410 are talking two 210s stacked on end or one cab?

The reason I ask is with some help from @agedhorse, I designed a 410 vertical cab, that will be about 53” tall, with the 4-10s stacked from the top down. I should be able to hear the drivers quite well.
Hope to have it completed sometime next month.

 

[ctmullins]

When you say vertical 410 are talking two 210s stacked on end or one cab?

The reason I ask is with some help from @agedhorse, I designed a 410 vertical cab, that will be about 53” tall, with the 4-10s stacked from the top down. I should be able to hear the drivers quite well.
Hope to have it completed sometime next month.

One cab. Center baffle which separates the cab into two spaces. Like a pair of 2x10s permanently siamesed together. Loaded with Neo drivers. Tuned to around 50hz. Weighs something like 55lb, but rolls anywhere. Also easily tilts into the back of my car (like people do with the 8x10).

(photo before the grille went on)

 

[Pep]

One cab. Center baffle which separates the cab into two spaces. Like a pair of 2x10s permanently siamesed together. Loaded with Neo drivers. Tuned to around 50hz. Weighs something like 55lb, but rolls anywhere. Also easily tilts into the back of my car (like people do with the 8x10).

(photo before the grille went on)

Looks great. I assume you built it? From your description it sounds like it’s separated inside into two pairs. How does that happen with one port at the bottom of the cab? Mine will have all 4 together, no separation, using the port at the bottom. No tweeter.

Do you have any other photos including the back, the casters and the grille?

 

[Deloofs]

I built my dream cabinet. It's a fEARful 151566 with high gloss polished finish over walnut die with brass hardware and green Guiflord of Maine grille cloth. I built a matching rack case as well. The design inspiration was a mid-century modern billiards table. I'm powering it with a biamped Crown Macro Tech 36x12 and Sansamp RBI preamp. My pedalboard is a parallel processing rig centered around the KMA Tyler. I am not using the power conditioner any more.

This setup provides functionally limitless headroom and very transparent tone. The cabinet itself is quite light at 100lbs considering it's good for 1000w at 4ohm. The amp is very heavy and the rack case weighs almost as much as the entire cabinet. Probably not viable in the long run but it's a lot of fun.

 

[Deloofs]

One cab. Center baffle which separates the cab into two spaces. Like a pair of 2x10s permanently siamesed together. Loaded with Neo drivers. Tuned to around 50hz. Weighs something like 55lb, but rolls anywhere. Also easily tilts into the back of my car (like people do with the 8x10).

(photo before the grille went on)

This is VERY cool.

 

[ctmullins]

Looks great. I assume you built it? From your description it sounds like it’s separated inside into two pairs. How does that happen with one port at the bottom of the cab? Mine will have all 4 together, no separation, using the port at the bottom. No tweeter.

Do you have any other photos including the back, the casters and the grille?

Yep, homebuilt.

Here are the integrated casters (from Parts Express) and skid rails (skateboard stuff):

And the integrated handle (from Parts Express):

Good catch on the porting! The lower compartment has a forward-facing slot port at the front. The upper compartment has an identical slot port at the top, facing rearward. Shown here, with dual SpeakOns and a tweeter on/off switch:

Another benefit of this layout is a small stage footprint.

 

[ctmullins]

(side question: is the phrase "permanently siamesed" redundant?)

 

[John D Harris]

I forgot to mention an excellent solution - an Electro-Voice ELX200-10P active cabinet with an Electro-Voice ELX200-12SP subwoofer!

All you would need is a pedal preamp like the Bergantino Super Pre or Jad Freer Capo or Arkham Oracle or similar or a modeler like a Two Notes Opus or Line 6 HX Stomp or Neural DSP Quad Cortex or similar.

 

[gtirard]

I forgot to mention an excellent solution - an Electro-Voice ELX200-10P active cabinet with an Electro-Voice ELX200-12SP subwoofer!

All you would need is a pedal preamp like the Bergantino Super Pre or Jad Freer Capo or Arkham Oracle or similar or a modeler like a Two Notes Opus or Line 6 HX Stomp or Neural DSP Quad Cortex or similar.

I'm curious, have you tried this setup?
I'm sure it sounds great but it's very heavy and pricey, what are the advantages against a bass cab?

 

[John D Harris]

I'm curious, have you tried this setup?
I'm sure it sounds great but it's very heavy and pricey, what are the advantages against a bass cab?

No, I haven't tried it, but it basically gives you a very close (or identical) sound as what the PA is putting out (if you also run through a PA).

Really good active PA cabs put out what you input into them with minimal coloration.

Especially, when using a modeler, it's ideal when you develop Presets, that the sound on stage is really close to what the FOH is putting out.

That 10" is 30lbs and the 12" sub is 42lbs - not the lightest rig, but not too bad.

For practices and some small settings the 10" might be enough w/o the sub.

Together they cost $1700 here in the USA, while a GR Bass T 210V-800 ACT is $1900.

Of course the GR ACT is a lot lighter, so it might be worth the extra $200 for an older person like me.

I'd love to be able to compare the two, but I doubt that will happen.

I'm not currently gigging anywhere and my current rig is a compromise, but I can get it sounding pretty darn good.

I screwed up a few times in the past and got rid of some equipment that I should have kept (getting rid of my Demeter rack preamp, QSC PLX1602, and Bergantino HT322 was my biggest screw up).

A band I was with played an outdoor party where we were set up on a big concrete slab - running my StingRay 5 H into that rig was very, very close to the best bass sound I've ever heard.

 

[Deloofs]

If I hadn’t built my fEAful cabinet I always thought it’d be cool to build a single full-range PA stack with something like a 2x15 woofer cabinet and a 12”+horn top biamped.

Edit: just noticed this is exactly what John D Harris just described.

 

[tom-g]

Fearful 15/6 not a dream anymore, because it‘s here to be played. It‘s so much fun playing through this rig. Every time I use it I am surprised at how good it sounds.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I'd do either a Mesa 410 or Mesa 215 depending on what styles you play.

 

[gstaats]

I forgot to mention an excellent solution - an Electro-Voice ELX200-10P active cabinet with an Electro-Voice ELX200-12SP subwoofer!

All you would need is a pedal preamp like the Bergantino Super Pre or Jad Freer Capo or Arkham Oracle or similar or a modeler like a Two Notes Opus or Line 6 HX Stomp or Neural DSP Quad Cortex or similar.

That is kinda what running the Mesa TT-800 and Barefaced cabs gives me. The FRFR cabs offer minimal coloration of what the TT-800 puts out. Run the post out to FOH and you've got a great idea of what is being put out. FOH + in ears? Just run the Mesa without a cab and use it as a preamp. Done that too.

Fun fact about the ELX line from EV. We had a small festival gig that FOH was running EXL200 tops and subs (1 pair on each side of the stage). I brought my tt-800 and both barefaced BB-3 cabs. The guitar play had a fender twin. The PA couldn't run VOX above the mesa/2x BB3 pair. I was asked to turn down as they were "giving it all it had". The TT-800 wasn't clipping. Really think the Mesa/Barefaced combo will be the last live rig I purchase. It just sounds great and is super portable.

 

[John D Harris]

That is kinda what running the Mesa TT-800 and Barefaced cabs gives me. The FRFR cabs offer minimal coloration of what the TT-800 puts out. Run the post out to FOH and you've got a great idea of what is being put out. FOH + in ears? Just run the Mesa without a cab and use it as a preamp. Done that too.

Fun fact about the ELX line from EV. We had a small festival gig that FOH was running EXL200 tops and subs (1 pair on each side of the stage). I brought my tt-800 and both barefaced BB-3 cabs. The guitar play had a fender twin. The PA couldn't run VOX above the mesa/2x BB3 pair. I was asked to turn down as they were "giving it all it had". The TT-800 wasn't clipping. Really think the Mesa/Barefaced combo will be the last live rig I purchase. It just sounds great and is super portable.

The ELX 10" tops are rated at 130dB each and the 12" sub at 129dB each, which should be plenty in a lot of situations (not all, I realize).

Maybe the soundperson didn't have the gain structure set right.

That does jive with what I've read about them.

 

[gstaats]

I find EV's ratings to be really overrated. I have a set of ETX tops and EKX subs... They get the job done, but, I wouldn't believe their "ratings". Love the sound of the rig - but I don't believe their numbers.

 

[agedhorse]

I find EV's ratings to be really overrated. I have a set of ETX tops and EKX subs... They get the job done, but, I wouldn't believe their "ratings". Love the sound of the rig - but I don't believe their numbers.

they may in fact use peak SPL, not uncommon in the powered PA speaker world IME.

 

[John D Harris]

I find EV's ratings to be really overrated. I have a set of ETX tops and EKX subs... They get the job done, but, I wouldn't believe their "ratings". Love the sound of the rig - but I don't believe their numbers.

That's good to know.

 

[John D Harris]

I find EV's ratings to be really overrated. I have a set of ETX tops and EKX subs... They get the job done, but, I wouldn't believe their "ratings". Love the sound of the rig - but I don't believe their numbers.

Do you think that EV ELX 10" top & ELX 12" sub would do better than a single QSC K12.2 cabinet for a bass guitar stage rig?