Flat practice amp speaker/cab?

[Swift713]

I'm looking for a speaker or cab to work with my PJB Bassbuddy. My regular rig is an AI Clarus through a fEarful 12/6 and I love the crystal clear sound I get from it. Short of building another fEarful what can I use to get a similar sound from my Bassbuddy? It only puts out 10 watts so I don't think I need the x-max of the 3012 and the cheaper the better. I could build something with a less expensive speaker but I'm not too confident in the design department. I'm also considering powered studio monitors but they get pricey. Any suggestions?

 

[will33]

Just an idea. A guy on here a year or two ago built a phil jones style 16x5 using these. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

A little 2x or 4x would be an easy build. Wouldn't be loud but that's not the point. It would be fairly "full range" as far as a bass is concerned.

Edit: My WinISD model shows they work well in .33 cu.ft. per driver tuned 48hz or so. Puts the f3 in the mid 40's.

Another Edit: Playing around with the model here. The displacement limit is pretty low, that's why they use so many of them. That would have me leaning toward using 4 instead of 2. Anyway, just a thought.

 

[rpsands]

A Beta 10-CX with a high end horn?

Seems to model really well down to 60hz or so, in a 2cf box tuned to 50hz.

 

[fast slapper]

Look for deals on powered monitors. The Bassbuddy doesn't work well with small speakers in my experience, unless you play really quiet. Might as well go with headphones at that point.

 

[will33]

A Beta 10-CX with a high end horn?

Seems to model really well down to 60hz or so, in a 2cf box tuned to 50hz.

That's not a bad idea either. Could highpass a tweet or just string a couple peizo's to it to keep the cost down, give it some sparkle.

 

[fast slapper]

A Beta 10-CX with a high end horn?

Seems to model really well down to 60hz or so, in a 2cf box tuned to 50hz.

I've tried this too. It's not bad, but bigger cabs obviously work better. You should just build another fearful.

 

[will33]

Reading the original post, if his thing only puts out 10 watts, the 2x5 dayton would handle it, the beta 10 would be louder. Another fearful would be nice but overkill and expensive just to be practicing with 10 watts.

 

[SpamBot]

I'd recommend another fEarful. Even though its overkill for practice, you could always stack it with your first for high-volume gigs or to get the most out of a low wattage amp (VB-4 comes to mind)

 

[fast slapper]

The ironic thing about the Bassbuddy is that it needs a decent sized box to get a solid living room tone. Your better off using it as a preamp or headphone amp. The AI is a much better match for small cabs.

 

[will33]

That's good to know. I don't have any hands-on time with the bassbuddy. Just looking at data with the goals of flattish/even livingroom volume without getting expensive.

 

[rpsands]

I'd recommend another fEarful. Even though its overkill for practice, you could always stack it with your first for high-volume gigs or to get the most out of a low wattage amp (VB-4 comes to mind)

At 10 watts, you really do not need something with the displacement of even a 3012LF. You could accomplish the same thing with a much cheaper driver - same sensitivity down to 45-50hz even.

The trick is putting whatever speaker in a big enough box with the right tuning.

The deal with the 3012LF/3015LF is not that they go super low, it's that they can take a crapload of power down low and so get super loud.

 

[SpamBot]

My point is that a better solution could be a cab that will be useful in the future rather than the cheapest possible solution for this one isolated situation.

 

[bobcruz]

Flatest and cheapest speaker for bedroom use could be any old home stereo speaker you have around.

 

[will33]

Flatest and cheapest speaker for bedroom use could be any old home stereo speaker you have around.

Might want to try that before you buy anything. I used to plug my P straight in a stereo reciever to practice along with tapes and cd's, no preamp, no nothing. It got the job done.

 

[SpamBot]

Might want to try that before you buy anything. I used to plug my P straight in a stereo reciever to practice along with tapes and cd's, no preamp, no nothing. It got the job done.

Same here, but I more often use a 5W tube amp into an old stereo 3-way cab. (Paper tweeters = )

 

[Swift713]

The Bassbuddy does great with the fEarful or my previous Eden 112. I've been looking at the Eminence Beta 12LTA but I'm kind of in the dark with the design. Can anybody give me some pointers on port tuning?
I'd try some stereo speakers I have but they're from one of those annoying all-in-one systems that seem to have taken over in the past 20 years and it has a sub so I'd have to rig up some kind of crossover.

 

[will33]

It wants a pretty big box to play deep (4cu.ft.). Look at eminences 2 cu.ft. version here.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Plays to about 60hz as opposed to 48-50 like the big box.

 

[honestjohnny]

Acme B1?

 

[rpsands]

The Bassbuddy does great with the fEarful or my previous Eden 112. I've been looking at the Eminence Beta 12LTA but I'm kind of in the dark with the design. Can anybody give me some pointers on port tuning?
I'd try some stereo speakers I have but they're from one of those annoying all-in-one systems that seem to have taken over in the past 20 years and it has a sub so I'd have to rig up some kind of crossover.

Unless my numbers are wrong the Beta 10-CX will do the job in a box half the size, and be much flatter doing it (particularly if you cross it over fairly low to a proper HF driver, but I am not sure what your options are there).

The issue with those LTA's is that whizzer cones are definitely not "Flat" if the ones I have heard are any indication. If you're OK with that, it's fine, but they are certainly peaky and nothing near as smooth as say the Alpha 6a is in the mids.

Not sure exactly why it is but the EA whizzers I listened to had a very organic sort of midrange tone, definitely not smooth.