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Ideal speakers for 5 string bass (low B)

H

holllowbody

Guest
Mar 25, 2009
148
0
#1
An open low B string in standard tuning will be at about 30-31 hertz. Tune down and it goes even lower. As I peruse speaker cabinets I see that the vast majority of what is out there has a frequency range of down to ~40 hertz up to whatever (the latter spec is irrelevant).

I see lots of 4x10 cabs, 6x10 cabs etc that are only rated to ~40hz and people playing a 5 string through them and can't help but wonder about the compatability there.

My question is, what is most common for speakers in a 5 string rig and what is ideal a 5 string rig? Is a 5 string rig normally compromised in the lower frequencies?
 
#4
......and the bergantino nv412 is only rated to 45hz. Interesting.

OK, so below 40hz in inaudable, but my thought was more along the lines of possible speaker damage and noticably low output at the frequencies that are below the intended frequency range while the other frequencies have higher output.
 
#5
Specs mean very little, since they don't show the true picture of the cabinet's response. (An exception is Bill Fitzmaurice, who publishes SPL charts.)

The cabinet design makes all the difference. Size of drivers matters little nowadays.

T low B produces virtually none of its 29Hz fundamental; to do so would require much longer strings. It's almost all harmonics.

Use your ears to listen, not your eyes to read advertising.
 
#8
Jaco who? said:
The 40hz ratings are usually attenuated a fairly noticable number of db's anyway. Take your bass where you can try cabs out and see what sounds best. Specs are hooey, for the most part.
Click to expand...

+1. Too, Bill can respond as to the speaker damage aspect, but many live/practical applications require a tighter less-booming low B sound, so the resonant freq. of a speaker at say 40hz. would give it that tighter feel cause it naturally produces less db's/rolls off when it tries to go lower, like the notes on the B string. Just another thing to consider.

In other words, if you hang on the low B and use a 118 cab(or otherwise), chances are you're gonna boom in a live situation in a small/med venue. Then the sound guy, if he doesn't know what he's doing, won't EQ the boom out, he'll just cut you out of the mix:(

If you can keep the stage volumes/mixes right (or if your head has the capablity in cutting/boosting 30Hz and below), then I'd say get somethng that captures the low B.... .

....just another perspective.

Jimbob
 
#10
bryan bailey said:
Well the fundamental frequency is 30.change, try looking for cabs that will do that.
Click to expand...

Most cabs simply won't. Some claim response down near there (e.g. my Eden D112XLT claims 32Hz). Maybe it does, but the output is so attenuated that it's not worth much.

Again, knowing that "a cab will do that" reasonably is the whole reason for personally trying them. Specs don't tell you anything. And what you think you're hearing is not necessarily what you expect.
 
#11
I wasn't one of the early adopters, but I've been playing 5 string exclusively for 9 years now, and have tried LOTS of bass rigs over that time. My favorite of all is the Berg NV610, which (like the NV412) is spec'd to 45Hz. The reason I love it, even with five string tuned a half-step flat, is that it has great punch and growl, and sounds as deep as I want it to when I boost the low end. Sure, the lowest *fundamentals* aren't really there, but like Rick Auricchio and others, I will urge you not to worry about specs: listen with your ears, not your eyes! The Berg still sounds huge. I've owned some cabs that have had better frequency response, even down into the low 30's (allegedly), but I like the Berg better. In my experience, the lowest lows can muddy up the stage sound, interfere with the kick drum, blur note definition, etc.

Believe me, the lowest notes on my fiver come through my Berg NV610 just fine, and they sound great because there's a lot more to a note than its fundamental. I'm not saying that audiophile bassists are wrong for wanting to assemble hi-fi rigs that reproduce those low fundamentals. What I am saying is that tone is (as always) subjective, and a hi-fi rig isn't necessarily best! Each bassist needs to choose for him or herself... chances are, those lowest fundamentals won't be missed. YMMV, but I don't miss them at all. :)
 

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