Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
No more 15s for me!
- Thread starter Bradley Ray
- Start date
I'm running a GK 1001rbll 2x12 neo combo with a 15" ext. and the tone is great to my ol' ears. Very smooth mids particularly from the 12's. The 12's have a real punch not unlike a 10' speaker and they have some nice lows. They marry up quite nicely to the 15. Warm and punchy is the best way to describe it.
***Buuuuuuurrrrrrnnnn!!!!!*** your feeble 8x10 will never do proper Reggea!
Although 'Family Man' does just fine with an Eden 410XLT ...
I'm just saying ...
Cheers
Speaker diameter has an influence on the sound, I do believe. While you can do a lot with manufacturing methods and cabs to bridge the gap, I still feel a slower response in 15"s and a quicker response in 10"s no matter who makes them or what cabs they're in.
Come to Maryland and prepare to be enlightened.
If you hear anything slow about my rig, you'll be the first.
Come to Maryland and prepare to be enlightened.
If you hear anything slow about my rig, you'll be the first.
I hear that one Bag End brother.
Maryland, huh? I think I'll pass. My band had some trouble in MarylandCome to Maryland and prepare to be enlightened.
If you hear anything slow about my rig, you'll be the first.
Anywho, hey, I own a double baffle B-15 cab. Nothing slow about it, either. But in general, 15"s do have certain characteristics, and so do 10"s, and so do 12"s, 8"s, and 18"s. You can make different drivers behave somewhat uncharacteristically, but the underlying characteristics of a certain driver size will still be there.
I think most of these "which drivers sound best" discussions would go a lot better when you simply look at the frequency response of the drivers, instead of the size. That said different kinds of speaker cones displace air differently IMHO. (10s are very direct and their sound waves focused, while larger speaker cones spread out the signal more)
Thats why in my opinion most people have the 15's on the bottom end of their stacks IMO.
Thats why in my opinion most people have the 15's on the bottom end of their stacks IMO.
most 15" cabs dont sound great as the speaker is put into a too small a cab. this will tend to give quite a hump in the frequency response at around 100 hz or so (depends on the cab and speaker combo). this can give them that less defined sound. some 15" speakers can and do get plenty of high frequencies that emphasises the attack (because the cone can move fast enough to get there).
if you get a properly designed 15" with a speaker that can go high enough then it will be great and will compete easily to the best 4x10 (or a 2x15 vs a 8x10). not saying their better, but the problem isnt the 15" speaker, its the volume and tuning of the cab. i'm going to be making a little version of my big 1x15 with the same speaker. to avoid getting that hump i mentioned i will tube it closer to 30hz (as opposed to 45 which tends to be pretty common). its not that im trying to get it to put out a strong findamental on a 5 string, its to give the freq response a bit flatter around 100hz
if you get a properly designed 15" with a speaker that can go high enough then it will be great and will compete easily to the best 4x10 (or a 2x15 vs a 8x10). not saying their better, but the problem isnt the 15" speaker, its the volume and tuning of the cab. i'm going to be making a little version of my big 1x15 with the same speaker. to avoid getting that hump i mentioned i will tube it closer to 30hz (as opposed to 45 which tends to be pretty common). its not that im trying to get it to put out a strong findamental on a 5 string, its to give the freq response a bit flatter around 100hz
Take a look at some discussions about off-axis frequency response and you will find the exact opposite to be true. However, between a 10" and 15" driver the beaming frequencies aren't terribly far apart. It is easier to illustrate the point if you look at the radiation characteristics of a point source and a larger radiator.
Having owned previously, and own currently a variety of cabinets... I used to play through a pair of 2x15 cabs. That was fun. Thunderous lows. It was nice - but certainly wouldn't have worked well with a funk style.
Now I play through my 2x10 (top) and 2x12 (bottom) setup for smaller gigs, and my 8x8 for bigger gigs. Both do the job, differently, but good. My 4x10, other 2x10, and 1x12 cabs get pushed off for "home duties", or for a rainy day. It's never bad to have too many cabs, right? Sold off my SVT 15 though b/c it didn't sound nearly as warm and deep as my SVT 410.
That was fun. Thunderous lows. It was nice - but certainly wouldn't have worked well with a funk style. Now I play through my 2x10 (top) and 2x12 (bottom) setup for smaller gigs, and my 8x8 for bigger gigs. Both do the job, differently, but good. My 4x10, other 2x10, and 1x12 cabs get pushed off for "home duties", or for a rainy day. It's never bad to have too many cabs, right? Sold off my SVT 15 though b/c it didn't sound nearly as warm and deep as my SVT 410.
Man, I couldn't disagree more! I have so grown to hate that snappy bright slappy funk sound. I'm so into slapping on a Precision with the highs rolled off past 2k. Just get enough high end to give it an edge, but make it big and fat. "Brick House"...now that's slap tone!Having owned previously, and own currently a variety of cabinets... I used to play through a pair of 2x15 cabs.
There are too many variables, and my 215 has a faster seeming attack than any of my cabs with 10s.
Although 'Family Man' does just fine with an Eden 410XLT ...
I'm just saying ...
Cheers
Or at least may of them! I was sent a rider from The Wailers' European management for a show I was programming, asking for 6 x 410XLTs just for the backline (4 for him and 2 for the drummer), heh heh. It was more of a wish list, I guess, as I've seen him on stage with less, but he usually has at minimum 8 10s on stage, plus a kick ass PA, of course.
My Bag End 15s and Bergie NV215 put paid to any criticisms about slowness, flabbiness or woolliness, in any room.
If there is one characteristic to 10"s over 15" speakers that I would risk generalizing about is that 10s can be punchier.
I had a similar situation. I have a Carvin RL810 that I really like. There really wasn't anything, for my purposes, that it was lacking. However, on Craigslist, I had a chance to pick up an ampeg SVT 215E for $250(minus a grill and most of the tolex). I thought the 2x15 would be deeper than my 8x10. It sounded good through the guy's SVT, but when I got it home I realized it wasn't nearly as warm and deep as my RL810. It was quick, agressive, ballsy, and punchy.
If I wanted an overdriven agressive tone, it would have been the bee's knees, but as a pop-rock and country player, it wasn't at all what I needed.
