Hartke HyDrive 112 Cab review.

[TRichardsbass]

Okay, before everyone starts harping on me, yes, I'm an endorsee. But this is not a sales pitch.

I have used 4X10 cabs most of my career, mainly because I liked the tightness of sound with the power they had. From time to time I've borrowed a 1X15 to pair with my rig for outdoor events, but otherwise its been a 4X10 cab. I've been very cautious, but finally decided I needed a smaller cab for some smaller gigs I've been doing. The last place I dragged it to, a pub called the Arc in Point Pleasant, places the band in a booth and a half sized bay and you basically can only fit the drums their comfortably and you normally only can use the PA for vocals, otherwise you overpower the entire bar. So I decided to bite the bullet and go for the new HyDrive 112 cab. I have a 1X12 Peavey Basic 60 which is adequate for rehearsal and some studio duty, but I've never been impressed with the 12" speaker.

I just received a new HyDrive 112 1X12 cab. 300W, switchable impedance between 4 and 8 ohms.

I'm impressed. I just ran it through all its paces during a practice here at my home using my LH500 head.

I ran it first at 4 ohms and had the volume on the amp up to 6 and 7. Sound was super clean, and the lows were very deep and penetrating, pretty good for a 12. It handled all my Kubicki settings, passive and active, well. No farts, crackles or anything. All the HyDrive cabs have a horn that you can engage with the filter switch on the back, and when I flipped the switch I suddenly sounded like Flea. For me, that's pretty good.

I did the same with it in the 8 ohm position, with the amp up to 8 and 9. Again, clear, crisp, deep cutting lows, mids were good. Overall it reproduced the sounds of my Kubickis and Danelectro "twang" superbly.

So, now I've got a small club and rehearsal set up, (LH500 with 112) and an everything else rig (LH500 with HyDrive 410 and/or HyDrive 410 + 112)

My biggest "drother" is that the cab only comes with one handle, mounted on the side. While it was easy enough to move with just one handle, two would have been better.

If I had to compare it to another cab I would say it is very similar in sound to an Orange 1X12, with a little more cut and high end due to the aluminum-paper hybrid cone.

I will definitely have it at my Bass Forum and TB GTG on Monday, January 31st (look for the thread under GTGs) for anyone to try.

 

[BillyIVbass]

Tom,
Volume wise is the LH500 into the 1x12 closer to your Basic 60 or closer to the LH500 into your 4x10? I have the LH1000 into the 4x10 for big stuff then a 50 watt Ampeg BA112 for jams.

This past weekend was the first time I got to really unleash the LH1000 into the 4x10. I played a mall and just cranked the amp vs. using PA support.

 

[TRichardsbass]

Since the Basic 60 is a 50W, it pushes a lot of sound for its power but in a club like the Saint or larger in Asbury it is all but lost. For some small gigs its adequate but can easily be overwhelmed by a 20W guitard amp. Knowing that, I clearly say the LH500 in the 1X12 is closer to when its blowing through the 4X10 volume wise. Moves an interesting and amazing amount of air for its size. I would have loved the 4X10 to have the switchable impedance, then I could have gotten all 500 out of the LH. There are times I think I'm not getting the best sound because I'm only at half its rating. I bet with the LH1000 or Kilo at about 7 or 8 the HyDrive 4X10 would sing perfectly.

I want to say that what I heard today is comparable to a Line6 LD 300 Pro, maybe about 1.5 times louder. I say this because a friend of mine has an LD that was the backline I used for a benefit concert last year. Only in this case the sound is clearly Hartke. I would love to put the volume up to "11" in the 4 ohm setting and see what happens, but with my luck I'll blow the cab. I'm sort of squeemish to crank it in 8 ohms, seeing how the LH500 tops out at 375 and the cab is rated for 300. But I'd love to give it a go.

I actually think that in some ways the sound is more penetrating using the 1X12 then the 4X10, but that could just be my ears and the room we were rehearsing in.

I don't have the LH1000, but probably should have gotten one, but honestly being as freakin' old as I am, I never had anything that powerful and never really needed the power. So I thought the LH500 would do me best. However, recently my rig has been talking to me and my 4X10 cab is screaming for something 700W or over.

So, to sum, volume much closer to the 4X10 then Peavey Basic 60.

 

[root fifth]

Have you played an AEB thru it yet? I loved it at the store with electrics but had a hard time with a AEB.Sound was thin and just bad all around didnt have time to ry to hard with eq but wanted to know what you think!

 

[JimmyM]

switchable impedance? how does larry pull that one off? pretty wild.

 

[dood]

switchable impedance? how does larry pull that one off? pretty wild.

Hi!

The Speaker has two coils in it. It's not really a new technique either. I have a sub in my car that you can configure the two coils for either 8 or 4 ohm depending on the application. Clever Mr Hartke - I've seen so many adverts for 'I want to sell my 8 Ohm cab and get a 4 Ohm instead' - well, now ya don't need to

 

[JimmyM]

ah, the old separate voice coils trick! yes, larry is quite clever. he's clearly got tiger blood and adonis dna. i may be an ampeg guy but i'm a fan of the hydrives, and an even bigger fan of larry as a person.

 

[jlepre]

Not to hijack, but doesn't Epifani use that same technology in their D.I.S.T line? Also, the OP had said he wished it had more than the one handle. This cab weighs about 30 pounnds right? I used to have a pair of UL112 cabs at about 30 pounds each. I had no problem carrying one in each hand, and I'm NOT overly muscular.

 

[Nick901]

I have an LH1000 with 410 and 115 Hydrives. I'm not impressed with the sound nor with the hissing at higher volumes.

 

[Mystic Michael]

Bump!

 

[root fifth]

Bump for my ?

 

[MarkA]

Anyone have experience with these and with the GK 112 Neos? Curious as to how they compare, if so.

 

[NWB]

Anyone have experience with these and with the GK 112 Neos? Curious as to how they compare, if so.

I chose the Hartke over the GK mainly due to reports that the GK has insufficient bracing and damping material.

Lots of rave reviews on that GK though.

 

[Rob Buys]

I will probably pick up the Hydrive 112 at some point. I checked it out in Sam Ash (Edison NJ) recently. I too wish it had 2 handles!!

Btw, my main gigging setup since the 90's has been a Hartke HA3500 with an Ampeg classic series 115 cab!! Always great!!! I sometimes pair the ampeg with Hartke 210xl as well. They work well together!!

 

[tonmacaron]

In regards to the impedance switching, couldn't it just be a passive transformer mounted inside the Jack panel? Similar to output transformer on a tube amp?

 

[Gluvhand]

In regards to the impedance switching, couldn't it just be a passive transformer mounted inside the Jack panel? Similar to output transformer on a tube amp?

I guess it "could" be but it's two coils.

 

[dbase]

These are my babies.... and the LH500 is my workhorse.

 

[tonmacaron]

Thanks, dbase! I just ordered one today (HD112). Can't wait.

 

[jeff7bass]

Anybody take it apart to see what types of screws are holding in the drivers?

 

[contrabajisimo]

Hey all, does anybody know if the old Hartke HyDrive HD112 1x12 and the new one (with black grill) differ in WIDTH? I see conflicting info online, the new ones (black front grill) are 19" and the old one (silver grill) are 19.75" -- I'm trying to see if they're stackable. Thanks for any info.