How to stabilize a light head on a thundering cab?

[jnewmark]

@chris_b nailed it.

Ideally every bit of the energy generated by your amp should be going to moving the drivers, producing sound. If some of that energy is instead causing the structure of the cab to vibrate, then you’re wasting power, as well as causing unnecessary mechanical strain on both your amp and your cab.

If you want to fix the symptom, then get a rubber mat or a tie-down strap or similar.

If you want to fix the problem, your cab needs better/additional bracing.

Totally agree.

 

[jnewmark]

Yea but the new neo cab weighs 30 lbs and more bracing would add weight. Under 30 lbs and you can toss it like an old time medicine ball. Let that thing ring like a bell! For the miracle Fender Rumble cabs the box vibration is part of the sound, kind of a tuba effect.

Sometimes adding one front to back, or side to side dowel is enough.

 

[Freight Train]

A stack of phone books would be cool, but you'd probably have to get them off eBay at a premium.

 

[fdeck]

Just hold it down with one of these:

 

[PWRL]

I had an Ampeg SVT-350 once, which was just a little solid state amp in an SVT-sized box. It sat on top of a hot-rodded old Sunn cabinet and used to try to bounce off the cab. I just got on old, dark-colored little rug, folded it over, and put it under the head on top of the cab. That solved it for me.

 

[Freight Train]

This filled with coins would probably do it.

 

[saltydude]

I’ve used a squishy tool box drawer mat but honestly if you don’t mind using Velcro, the tiniest piece will hold it. A spec of residue is a small price to pay and can probably easily be removed with a little solvent.

 

[Ewo]

There is a product called TecPadz that might be useful.

I'm a happy user of these. Really amazing how much they keep cab vibrations from rattling the head--and the head stays put. They're durable, and fold up very small.

You can ping @bucephylus about these.

 

[Al Kraft]

I always run my cables (speaker and input) so that they are held in place by a carrying handle (or looped through the top ports on an AK cab). My biggest problem with lightweight amps and the cabs I own is that it's easy to have a bass input cable get a quick tug and pull the head off the cab. My heads also seem to stay in their original position (are unaffected by vibration) when using this cable routing safety tip.

 

[chris_b]

. . . . For the miracle Fender Rumble cabs the box vibration is part of the sound, kind of a tuba effect.

I get what you are saying, but every vibration is "stealing" part of the sound of that amp. It's like ordering a beer and the barman tips half of the glass away before he hands it to you.

 

[bucephylus]

I'm a happy user of these. Really amazing how much they keep cab vibrations from rattling the head--and the head stays put. They're durable, and fold up very small.

You can ping @bucephylus about these.

Many apologies; but TecPadz is no longer active.

 

[bucephylus]

For those interested; I believe I should now be allowed to post this link to an article describing my efforts with vibration isolation for bass cabs.

(Submitted Article) – Bass Amplifier Isolation | Bass Gear Magazine

 

[Huw Phillips]

Cork would be a more green material, cvs etc sell packs of tiles for about $7 for 4

 

[CosmicRay]

I either use a garden kneeler pad or an Auralux Gramma pad.
The Gramma works better for me. A somewhat more expensive solution,but you have a solid top and no vibration.
Although the Gramma was designed to be placed on the floor and a cab on top, I put it on top of my Greenboy F212, and my Mesa WD800 on top of the pad.

 

[HolmeBass]

Folded hand towel works for me, and it doubles as a hand towel. Imagine that!

 

[SLPimp]

So I've got a light TC Electronic atop a Fender 4x10 and at volume the head dances all over the place.
Anyone have a great solution for stabilizing a head atop a thundering cab?

Cab with better dampening. Worst I ever had was an Orange. Made my amps rattle like crazy.

 

[lermgalieu]

It's like ordering a beer and the barman tips half of the glass away before he hands it to you.

Is it really? HALF? I don't think so. These amps are very light and they tend to do a little bit of this on any cabinet I've used (and I've used quite a few with my Mesa D800). I for one, am pretty sure my Mesa and Barefaced cabinets are well constructed and am not worried that their vibration at high volumes means I am losing half of anything.

 

[bassdude51]

Velcro fly.

 

[Al Kraft]

Is it really? HALF? I don't think so. These amps are very light and they tend to do a little bit of this on any cabinet I've used (and I've used quite a few with my Mesa D800). I for one, am pretty sure my Mesa and Barefaced cabinets are well constructed and am not worried that their vibration at high volumes means I am losing half of anything.

I'm pretty sure the number is not quite that high and in the case of well designed cabs the high output bass energy can move a light amp on a cab as easily as it rattles/vibrates glasses off a shelf across the room. Acoustic energy can couple into most anything and it get it moving IME.

 

[lermgalieu]

I'm pretty sure the number is not quite that high and in the case of well designed cabs the high output bass energy can move a light amp on a cab as easily as it rattles/vibrates glasses off a shelf across the room. Acoustic energy can couple into most anything and it get it moving IME.

Yep. If anything it's more like a teaspoon of one of those giant Oktoberfest steins.