Help!! Schroeder or EPI

[tgabor]

Man, I am torn between the Epi310 UL and the Schroeder 1210. I need all the help I can get from any fellow tbers that have compared and purchased either and your reasoning. I play small clubs, jazz and occasional parties. I have worked thru all the threads and I am still undecided.

 

[embellisher]

I have played through a couple of Epi cabs, but not that one. I like the sound of the ones I have played, it is a bit more refined than my Schroeder. Would be great for my acoustic stuff, but not enough 'cut' for my heavy rock stuff, IMHO.

I own a 1210. The primary reason that I bought it is because I wanted something small, light, and loud. It is all of that, and much more.

I love the tone of the cab. It has great authority in the lower register, and doesn't fart out at high volume on the low B like a lot of 'big name' cabs out there.

I have had mine for several months, but we stopped gigging about the time that it arrived, so I have only gigged with it recently. I have had three gigs. One at a small club, one in a church auditorium, and one in the fellowship hall of that church.

The club gig was loud rock with distorted guitar, the church gig was a mix between loud rock and praise & worship music, and the fellowship hall gig was playing my fretless to soft praise & worship, accompanying acoustic guitar, djembe, and vocals.

The cab performed well in all three situations. Great tone. And the B string sounds great. You can feel it in your chest.

The cab does so well at high volume, that I was honestly concerned about playing a quiet fretless gig with it. I thought that it might be too much for the gig, or might not have the right sound.

It did very well. As I said in my minireview in the Schroeder megathread, my Zon and Nordstrand basses have never sounded this good. And I have never been able to hear myself as well on stage, without having to turn up too loud.

The only very slight gripe that I have with the cab is the fact that the tweeter is a little bit too refined for my taste. It works very well for 90% of what I do, but on the heavy rock stuff I have a couple of songs where I really need some high end bite, and this tweeter takes some major EQ to get there.

Jorg sent me an email about a possible tweeter replacement, and as soon as I have some spare $$$, I will probably give that a try.

Don't get me wrong about the tweeter. It is one of the most musical tweeters I have ever heard in a bass cab. If you dislike the harsh, glassy sound that most horns on the market today have, you will love the tweeter in this cab. No harshness at all, very smooth.

 

[KJung]

Plenty of info already on the different sounds of the Epifani vs. Schroeder, so I won't go there. Here's something else to think about. Given that I do lot's of one nighter's and am a freelancer (I schlep my own gear but nobody else's!), a quick in-and-out is key. First, the Epifani310UL is actually a little lighter than the Schroeder (not that big of a deal, but a few pounds does make a difference if you like the sound of both). Second, and more importantly, the size and shape of the Epifani310UL allows for you to use removable castors (that Nick will install at the factory). The Schroeder is too short (IMO) to use castors, so you need to use a cart (48 pounds is still heavy if you are carrying it). So, with the 310UL, you have one less piece of gear (the cart) to deal with, and have the option of keeping the castors on to get the cab off the ground in boomy rooms. In small rooms where you don't need the cab coupled to the floor, you can keep the castors on for a very quick exit after the gig. Finally, the 310 sits quite a bit higher, allowing you to hear better when stuck close to the cab.

None of these things is earthshattering, but if you are doing a lot of one nighter's, it might make a difference.

 

[B String]

Most of us (me included) audition speaker boxes at a level
far above where we would normally play. I go back to my worn out question..... how many gigs do you do where they
ask you to turn it up louder. We know both of these boxes
can get loud. One question to ask is... which box works best
at low volume? Lately, I've been using a 1x12 with a 1x10
box. My own obsevation is that the 310UL was punchier and
more effortless at lower volume. This could be because of the
smaller 10's verses the 12. But the 310UL also gave more
effortless volume, with less strain. The 1x12, 1x10 needed a
bit more volume before it sounded full and punchy. I don't
think the 1 or 2 pound difference is enough to worry about,
but I do like that the 310 sits higher and is less wide. Both
are very good boxes. I'm sure you would be happy with either
one. jmho

 

[KJung]

Most of us (me included) audition speaker boxes at a level
far above where we would normally play. I go back to my worn out question..... how many gigs do you do where they
ask you to turn it up louder. We know both of these boxes
can get loud. One question to ask is... which box works best
at low volume? Lately, I've been using a 1x12 with a 1x10
box. My own obsevation is that the 310UL was punchier and
more effortless at lower volume. This could be because of the
smaller 10's verses the 12. But the 310UL also gave more
effortless volume, with less strain. The 1x12, 1x10 needed a
bit more volume before it sounded full and punchy. I don't
think the 1 or 2 pound difference is enough to worry about,
but I do like that the 310 sits higher and is less wide. Both
are very good boxes. I'm sure you would be happy with either
one. jmho

VERY good points. The 310 really sounds good throughout the entire volume range. I find your comment very appropriate for amps also.... some amps (like the Walter Woods and Thunderfunk) sound great at soft and loud volumes... other amps (like the bigger SWR's products) (IMO) sound great loud, but very thin as you turn them down. All this should be taken into account if you are playing 'casual' gigs requiring very quiet playing early in the night, and sometimes very high volume with no DI to the PA later on.

 

[jerry]

I had Jorg put casters on my 1212, and it works great for me!
If I have a small gig I bring just the 1212, and for bigger gigs I throw the 1210 on top and just roll it in

 

[slombovia]

...and it sounded like cardboard. Similar to what I heard out of the Ampeg Portabass 210. Then I plugged into a pair of Bergantino 112. Wow!. I have heard good things about the Schroeders.

 

[slinkp]

I dunno the Epi 310, but I regularly practice at a place that has a pair of Epi 210 (NYC not UL) in one room and pairs of Epi 410s in some other rooms. And I own a Schroeder 1212.

My highly-non-scientific never-done-a-direct-comparison-in-same-room-with-same-bass-and-head overview:

* both cabs are pretty efficient

* both cabs will take a lot of power

* both cabs get stupid loud

* both cabs have pretty nice high end. These are not crappy tweeters.

* both cabs go pretty deep. No complaints on the low E (I don't do fivers).

* the epi 210 (in pairs) or 410 is MAYBE smoother overall.

* the epi has more of a fuzzy textural midrange, if you know what
I mean. Not harsh at all, just a nice distinctive character that the
Schroeder doesn't have.

* when playing the epi cabs with an aggie preamp, I tended to leave the preamp flat, maybe boost the highs a bit for my passive bass.

* With my Clarus amp at home through the Schroeder, I tend to cut the lows and boost the mids a bit to get more of the presence I like out of it. Might not be necessary with the 1210, which I think has a bit more in the upper mids; but I bought the 1212 to maximize my available low end and I don't regret that - less work for the amp!

* the schroeder 1212 is maybe more boxy-sounding, with more oomph in the midbass. It's loudest in the upper lows / low mids. It's very tight and punchy, yet there's a distinct overtone somewhere in the mids that's part of its character - not really a ringing resonance, but a noticeable voice that's hard to describe... if were any stronger I'd accuse the cab of being boomy in the mids, but as it is, I'd more say that it's nice and warm and not too sterile.

* the schroeder might be a better choice for a slightly more "classic" sound, but it's still pretty "modern". E.g. turn off the tweeter for some serious soul or reggae thump. But even with the tweeter cranked, it is not a bright cab.

* I am guessing that with tweeters cranked, the epi will get considerably brighter than the schroeder will.

* I have a strong gut feeling that if I were able to properly A/B them, the
differences would be immediately obvious.

* I could be happy in a long-term relationship with either one

* the epi costs almost twice as much ... it's up in whappo junior territory

* I bet one of each would sound freakin' awesome

 

[tombowlus]

I dunno the Epi 310, but I regularly practice at a place that has a pair of Epi 210 (NYC not UL) in one room and pairs of Epi 410s in some other rooms. And I own a Schroeder 1212.

My highly-non-scientific never-done-a-direct-comparison-in-same-room-with-same-bass-and-head overview:

* both cabs are pretty efficient

* both cabs will take a lot of power

* both cabs get stupid loud

* both cabs have pretty nice high end. These are not crappy tweeters.

* both cabs go pretty deep. No complaints on the low E (I don't do fivers).

* the epi 210 (in pairs) or 410 is MAYBE smoother overall.

* the epi has more of a fuzzy textural midrange, if you know what
I mean. Not harsh at all, just a nice distinctive character that the
Schroeder doesn't have.

* when playing the epi cabs with an aggie preamp, I tended to leave the preamp flat, maybe boost the highs a bit for my passive bass.

* With my Clarus amp at home through the Schroeder, I tend to cut the lows and boost the mids a bit to get more of the presence I like out of it. Might not be necessary with the 1210, which I think has a bit more in the upper mids; but I bought the 1212 to maximize my available low end and I don't regret that - less work for the amp!

* the schroeder 1212 is maybe more boxy-sounding, with more oomph in the midbass. It's loudest in the upper lows / low mids. It's very tight and punchy, yet there's a distinct overtone somewhere in the mids that's part of its character - not really a ringing resonance, but a noticeable voice that's hard to describe... if were any stronger I'd accuse the cab of being boomy in the mids, but as it is, I'd more say that it's nice and warm and not too sterile.

* the schroeder might be a better choice for a slightly more "classic" sound, but it's still pretty "modern". E.g. turn off the tweeter for some serious soul or reggae thump. But even with the tweeter cranked, it is not a bright cab.

* I am guessing that with tweeters cranked, the epi will get considerably brighter than the schroeder will.

* I have a strong gut feeling that if I were able to properly A/B them, the
differences would be immediately obvious.

* I could be happy in a long-term relationship with either one

* the epi costs almost twice as much ... it's up in whappo junior territory

* I bet one of each would sound freakin' awesome

To quote another TBer, "KA-POW!"

Slinkp, you nailed my thoughts on Epi vs Schroeder right on the head!