Mixing Speaker Sizes...Again

[walterw]

Fame and talent have no relation to ones ability to choosing sensible gear.

it could even be an inverse relationship!

part of the package of being at the level of "monster player" like vic is being able to make anything you plug into sound good.

combine that with top-shelf monitoring and big stages and geddy lee's choice of cabs is as good as anything else.

 

[wmhill]

mixed drivers can and do sound good, except on talkbass. They are pure evil here. They have been used with great success for years and still are. Follow YOUR ears, not the experts that say that it's not possible for them to sound good.

 

[friendlybass]

My SWR rig was similar. Sounded good. The Aggie 115 doesn't have a tweeter. One less thing I have to think about late at night.

Yeah mine is an swr goliath 3 and a son of bertha powered by a red face bass 350. Love my rig. I also do a goliath Jr. 3 and the SOB and that rig is soooo big bottomy. The guys at swr seemed to have planned on people mixing lol

 

[ThisBass]

At least the gear of Doug Wimbish and Stu Hamm looks like there is no biamping.
John Entwistle gear were biamped stacks for sure. Horn loaded cabs don't fit well to vented cabs in full range mode.

 

[pbass6811]

Fer' cryin' out loud, it's WimBISH!!!!

 

[JimmyM]

Well, let me just throw this wrench in: if I had my heart set on running two different cabs together, and say I had a dual channel amp running in non-bridged mode, would there be any of the same potential issues? At least the non-optimal power distribution problem should be solved, no?

Eh...I guess if each amp side has its own volume control, you could at least fix the uneven volume issue, but that would be about it. You'd ideally want a second amp so you could dial in complimentary tones.

Anyway, I have this feeling you've got your mind made up, so good luck.

 

[TOOL460002]

Sorry if its been posted but Schroeder mixes speaker sizes in the same cabinets, so in the same system you're good, provided you just plain like the sound. I loved my Eden 4x10, but my Schroeder combination results in 1x10, 2x12, 1x15, and it only seems to make a small difference if the larger cab (1215L) is on the bottom, and only on something reflective (can't tell on carpet really, though maybe its that room). I too just assumed you went with 10s or a 15er for bass and 12s for guitar, but it just seems to be a popularity thing. Amped sells more than Schroeder, but each configuration has their place for the right ear. Experiment as much as possible (and play some Schroeder goodness if you can!).

 

[Nev375]

Sorry if its been posted but Schroeder mixes speaker sizes in the same cabinets, so in the same system you're good, provided you just plain like the sound. I loved my Eden 4x10, but my Schroeder combination results in 1x10, 2x12, 1x15, and it only seems to make a small difference if the larger cab (1215L) is on the bottom, and only on something reflective (can't tell on carpet really, though maybe its that room). I too just assumed you went with 10s or a 15er for bass and 12s for guitar, but it just seems to be a popularity thing. Amped sells more than Schroeder, but each configuration has their place for the right ear. Experiment as much as possible (and play some Schroeder goodness if you can!).

Just want to say theres a huge difference between stacking a couple missmatched cabs on top of one another and plugging them into the same output. Versus mixing drivers in the same cab with a well thought out crossover so they work together.

I have an Ampeg pr1832he cab. It has a 118 firing downward in the lower half and 210s and 2 6.5s plus tweeter on the top. It was designed for Victor Wooten. They werent on the market long but the cab sounds great. Theres also a very elaborate attenuator and crossover on the back panel as well as a switch to go from biamp to full range mode.

 

[lfmn16]

Fer' cryin' out loud, it's WimBISH!!!!

Well, they got everything else wrong, why not that?

 

[iualum]

Sorry if its been posted but Schroeder mixes speaker sizes in the same cabinets, so in the same system you're good, provided you just plain like the sound. I loved my Eden 4x10, but my Schroeder combination results in 1x10, 2x12, 1x15, and it only seems to make a small difference if the larger cab (1215L) is on the bottom, and only on something reflective (can't tell on carpet really, though maybe its that room). I too just assumed you went with 10s or a 15er for bass and 12s for guitar, but it just seems to be a popularity thing. Amped sells more than Schroeder, but each configuration has their place for the right ear. Experiment as much as possible (and play some Schroeder goodness if you can!).

Yes, Schroeder does . Assuming: you know the old adage?

 

[iualum]

Just want to say theres a huge difference between stacking a couple missmatched cabs on top of one another and plugging them into the same output. Versus mixing drivers in the same cab with a well thought out crossover so they work together.

I have an Ampeg pr1832he cab. It has a 118 firing downward in the lower half and 210s and 2 6.5s plus tweeter on the top. It was designed for Victor Wooten. They werent on the market long but the cab sounds great. Theres also a very elaborate attenuator and crossover on the back panel as well as a switch to go from biamp to full range mode.

Yes, as in AudioKinesis, Baer, Barefaced, fEARful, Fearless, LDS (& whomever else I might be forgettin'). But Jorg's boxes are all full-range. If I'm incorrect here, someone set me straight.

 

[iualum]

Well, they got everything else wrong, why not that?

Mastercard cain't be a-buyin' this. It's p-r-i-c-e-l-e-s-s.

 

[Nephilymbass]

To be honest Id have to hear them together to give a good opinion. I know the thing to do on talkbass is to not use two different cabs but there are some that pair nicely although it can be rare. The mesa 212 and 410 sound very different and with either to me they sound like they are missing something but together they each do what the other doesn't.

 

[cchorney]

mixed drivers can and do sound good, except on talkbass. They are pure evil here. They have been used with great success for years and still are. Follow YOUR ears, not the experts that say that it's not possible for them to sound good.View attachment 636850

Geddy Lee had abandoned mixed driver rigs - and matching driver rigs - in favor of IEMs only. He has evolved.

 

[pbass6811]

Well, they got everything else wrong, why not that?

True. You have a point, and it's a great one...

 

[lfmn16]

True. You have a point, and it's a great one...

It's funny how two people can read the same threads and walk away with such different opinions. What I have heard is 1) it's most successful to pair the same cabinets, 2) the closer you get to the same cabinets the better chance of a successful pairing, AND 3) you have to try unconventional pairings to see if they work.

This is why so many people recommend starting with the search feature. You will get the same advice out of any thread about mixing speaker sizes.

 

[Thor]

I'd be glad to. So I feel very honored !

Thanks, ThisBass, the pleasure is all mine. The FAQ's are for reference and resource material, and when a well thought out demonstration comes along, we like to capture it and archive it for future use.

And, just a reminder to our TB members, if and when you run across a new thread or discussion that you have found helpful, and you think merits inclusion in the FAQ section, please PM with the thread link and we will review/edit it and post it there.

 

[wmhill]

Yeah mine is an swr goliath 3 and a son of bertha powered by a red face bass 350. Love my rig. I also do a goliath Jr. 3 and the SOB and that rig is soooo big bottomy. The guys at swr seemed to have planned on people mixing lol

I used the goliath JR/S.O.B. rig for years with great results. Odd that the only folks that disliked that configuration, where here on TB, and they didn't even have to hear it to hate it

 

[JimmyM]

I used the goliath JR/S.O.B. rig for years with great results. Odd that the only folks that disliked that configuration, where here on TB, and they didn't even have to hear it to hate it

You guys really need to quit complaining about being told the truth about audio amplification. Like it or not, the physics of it are known and easily proved on a repeatable basis, so it simply cannot be argued. Now it may not matter to you or some of the others who mix cabs but that's a whole different story, and it doesn't disprove the laws of audio physics by any means. Like I love my 810 cab but it beams highs right to the middle of the cab, just as the audio physics says it will. It doesn't stop me from loving it because beaming matters very little to me. And the physics of what can happen when you mix cabs may not matter to you, but that doesn't mean those problems can't exist. So instead of getting all snarky about it, maybe you should try listening and learning a little something instead. And then you can make a much more informed decision about doing it instead of busting out pics of mixed rigs (celebrity bassists often know very little about the science themselves, and just because they're famous doesn't mean they know everything) and getting all bent out of shape.

EDIT: OK, I'm better now. Forgot to take my blood pressure medication.

 

[friendlybass]

I used the goliath JR/S.O.B. rig for years with great results. Odd that the only folks that disliked that configuration, where here on TB, and they didn't even have to hear it to hate it

Man maybe there's science to why it shouldn't work, but just like electric instruments (which some swore up and down would never catch on) it seems to work for some folks
You decide what's important to you in a rig. I dont have to mix drivers, but I do really dislike having cabs of mismatching brands. I also wear shorts when I play, dance too much, and play with a pick. Some people hate all of those! Its all about where you decide to put your energy lol.