Mesa Subway cab paralysis - Which speaker size?

[Meriphew]

I'm looking at the Mesa Subway cabs (1x15/1x12/2x10) trying to decide which one to get. Looking to get punchy bass tones within dense mixes - meaning the bass needs to sit nicely in the mix, it can't dominate it. I'll be using it with various amp heads (mostly tube). This will be for recording only, and I'm trying to keep the rig fairly compact.

I was leaning towards the 1x15 but then started thinking that the 2x10 might be punchier.

Any suggestions?

 

[Lowbrow]

I have the 115 and the 212. The 115 is the one I’d choose

 

[Laklandfan]

I’ve only tried the 15s, and find them very good in the mix. I’ve surprised a few diehard 10s guys when they say in and looked and saw it was a 15 so clean and punchy. The subway 10s reputation seems to be more mid shy and polite, but many people use a 210+115. There’s a Subway club with lots of feedback.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

I believe the consensus is around their 115.

 

[BGroovy]

I’d start with the 15 and add more as necessary. When I bring just one cab it’s always the 115.

 

[BGroovy]

Your comment about for recording only is interesting though, I never mic cabs for recording anymore, just DI off the board or off the Mesa head (been doing that more lately).

Love the 115 for live, have never mic’d it to record though.

 

[Laklandfan]

Your comment about for recording only is interesting though, I never mic cabs for recording anymore, just DI off the board or off the Mesa head (been doing that more lately).

Love the 115 for live, have never mic’d it to record though.

I missed that first time through, maybe a simple load box would be better for a small tube amp recording setup. I think mesa makes one or suhr or radial. For small live rig, I think the 112 would be worth considering. If the amps are really wide then the 410 or sideways 215/212 form factors would be good choices.

 

[ardgedee]

I recall @agedhorse saying he voiced all the speakers to work together, which I take to mean that they all sound pretty much the same aside from some being more efficient or having a bit more frequency extension.

 

[petch]

I started with the 15 (you can't go wrong!) and when a local deal came up on the 12, I snagged it. Modular sweetness for most any situation!

 

[agedhorse]

I recall @agedhorse saying he voiced all the speakers to work together, which I take to mean that they all sound pretty much the same aside from some being more efficient or having a bit more frequency extension.

Kind of.

All of the speakers (and cabinet tunings) share come common root design elements and voicings BUT they don’t sound pretty much the same. There are significant voicing and textural differences between the models. The 10” models are more mid forward but at the same time with a polite texture. The 12” models are also mid forward but less polite, with a more aggressive texture.

 

[Stranger Danger]

112/115 stack

 

[DuluthDank]

I have a hard time believing you couldn't EQ a Subway 112 to sound the way you want. If it's just for recording and you want compact, I'd go with what's smallest.

 

[OldSoulDownLow]

For what it's worth, I've had all three, sold the 1x15 and the 2x10, now have 2 1x12's and I love 'em. DuluthDank is right in that you can EQ the 12's for pretty much any sound you want and they are super easy to transport. One is all I usually need but when I need more two has never failed to keep up.

 

[Al Kraft]

I started with the 15 (you can't go wrong!) and when a local deal came up on the 12, I snagged it. Modular sweetness for most any situation!

View attachment 7257040

This was my first SW rig and I have continued to like the 112/115 combo with all the follow-on SW heads...and other manufacturer heads for that matter.

 

[Akiyama]

I have a hard time believing you couldn't EQ a Subway 112 to sound the way you want. If it's just for recording and you want compact, I'd go with what's smallest.

Sorry for being a nitpick but @agedhorse noted there were differences in “texture” between the sets. EQ can affect texture but is not an all-powerful tool that eliminates textural components.

“Texture/Texturing – A perceptible pattern or structure in reproduced sound, even if random in nature. Texturing gives the impression that the energy continuum of the sound is composed of discrete particles, like the grain of a photograph.”

Also, EQ will not fully equalize ADSR qualities between cabinets.

In a processed recording and/or a troublesome audio environment, it is possible for it to be a distinction without an audible difference in texture, i.e. “close enough for horseshoes”.

 

[Al Kraft]

For what it's worth, I've had all three, sold the 1x15 and the 2x10, now have 2 1x12's and I love 'em. DuluthDank is right in that you can EQ the 12's for pretty much any sound you want and they are super easy to transport. One is all I usually need but when I need more two has never failed to keep up.

I think the 112 is sometimes a little misunderstood and underestimated, especially when compared to a 115. While the 112 on its own cannot compete with the 115 for room filling deep bass with substantial volume even with a lot of EQ, it is surprisingly capable of speaking more deeply than you might first expect.

The 112 as Andy said was meant to be a little more aggressively mid voiced and you can hear that instantly when you play it with the same EQ side by side with a 115. However, if you EQ the 112 differently you might be surprised at how it can fill out and sound almost (not exactly) like a mini-115 at lower volumes. The 115 is very naturally full and equally balanced across the frequency spectrum as a design goal...and it is pretty exceptional for any type or size cab.

Because the two cabs are voiced differently by design, at the same EQ setting you are going to hear a difference in their note presentation. This is also why when you add a 112 and 115 together you get yet another voicing that is different from a 2X112 or 2X115 setup.

We all hear things differently, but this is my take on it having been a 112 and 115 owner from the earliest days of the SW product line introduction.

 

[OldSoulDownLow]

I think the 112 is sometimes a little misunderstood and underestimated, especially when compared to a 115. While the 112 on its own cannot compete with the 115 for room filling deep bass with substantial volume even with a lot of EQ, it is surprisingly capable of speaking more deeply than you might first expect.

The 112 as Andy said was meant to be a little more aggressively mid voiced and you can hear that instantly when you play it with the same EQ side by side with a 115. However, if you EQ the 112 differently you might be surprised at how it can fill out and sound almost (not exactly) like a mini-115 at lower volumes. The 115 is very naturally full and equally balanced across the frequency spectrum as a design goal...and it is pretty exceptional for any type or size cab.

Because the two cabs are voiced differently by design, at the same EQ setting you are going to hear a difference in their note presentation. This is also why when you add a 112 and 115 together you get yet another voicing that is different from a 2X112 or 2X115 setup.

We all hear things differently, but this is my take on it having been a 112 and 115 owner from the earliest days of the SW product line introduction.

Nice reply. I guess I favor the slightly, aggressive, mid voice. And you are right, they do go deeper than one would expect. To me it's a really clear, fast, bass which I like. I played the 15 and the 12 side by side and I just kept coming back to the 12. Choices/Options are a wonderful thing.

 

[Al Kraft]

To me it's a really clear, fast, bass which I like.

This nails the standout attribute for me as well, you just said it better than I did! There is a tightness and focus that you get in the 112 voicing that really brings out the note to note articulation especially with fast riffs.

And all that makes perfect sense for a cab designed to be a little more present and aggressive (but not obnoxious) in the mids.

 

[Element Zero]

112, 115, and 410 owner here. Wish I had 2 210’s. I’d sell the rest. 115 gets the most use and it’s an absolute monster of a cab. 410 is utterly ridonkulous on its own and by far my favorite voiced out of the 3. The 112 is an easy schlep and has a surprising amount of low end when used with common sense.

 

[Aussie Player]

I'm looking at the Mesa Subway cabs (1x15/1x12/2x10) trying to decide which one to get. Looking to get punchy bass tones within dense mixes - meaning the bass needs to sit nicely in the mix, it can't dominate it. I'll be using it with various amp heads (mostly tube). This will be for recording only, and I'm trying to keep the rig fairly compact.

I was leaning towards the 1x15 but then started thinking that the 2x10 might be punchier.

Any suggestions?

Never seen one in the flesh but on vid with headphones, I like the slightly darker tone of the 2x10. A couple of boxes would likely sound awsome with a tube head.