I know bass players dont use 18's anymore, but I play a 5 string with 4 10s and will be getting another cab soon. Was going to get another 410 but I want that earth shakin, distortion free bass- something that can handle my low "B" string- kinda like what you get when you play a bass synth through a pa. It seems that the 4 10s cant handle the freq responce of a 5 string (30 htrz). I experimented with an 18 and crossover before and got the sound I wanted. Since its hard to find 18" cabs, what about a powered 18" pa sub? Any pros out there please help.
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Not enough bass.
- Thread starter eq777
- Start date
Have you checked out Carvin 1x18 bass cabinet?
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They make very good stuff and it's quite affordable.
Otherwise, yes, the addition of a powered sub should work. Just make sure the crossover isn't set to high so it doesn't muddy up the sound with the bass cabinet.
Invalid Link Removed
They make very good stuff and it's quite affordable.
Otherwise, yes, the addition of a powered sub should work. Just make sure the crossover isn't set to high so it doesn't muddy up the sound with the bass cabinet.
Also make sure the sub doesn't mess with the FOH sound. Too much bass on stage and the soundman will have to remove you from the mix.
You don't say what kind of amp or cabs you use. There are plenty of 5 string guys using 4x10 cabs that are happy with them. If you're short on power that could be an issue too. If you're looking to buy another cab maybe look at a fEARful 15/6. Low end for days if you have enough power.
Not a lot of bass-specific cabinets are built for really low lows. They go for overall tone instead. You might want to check into a purpose built sub, and run it bi-amped. I run a Bill Fitzmaurice sub when I want big bottom, but I've seen others build fEarful subs. If you see a bass cab with a mid, or one that's just larger than others, you can probably assume the woofer goes extra deep.
IMHO, ditch the 4x10s and invest in either a large Acme rig or a large fEarful (i.e. 15/6 + 15 sub) rig - then make sure you've got a powerful enough amp to drive 'em well, with ample power left over for headroom.
You won't ever want to go back...
MM
Whappo Grande 21 incher from AccuGroove! Though it was mentioned before...let the PA handle the FOH not your rig. I used a 4x12 with 5 strings and it sounded fine.
Yes an active 18" sub will give you what you want.
Stuff to know:
- it's gonna be big & heavy
- Can conflict with FOH sound if you do small/medium gigs. Except if you have to "be" the FOH or on extra large stages.
- Like others mentioned , better get a Xover to low pass the 4X10 and high pass the 18"
Stuff to know:
- it's gonna be big & heavy
- Can conflict with FOH sound if you do small/medium gigs. Except if you have to "be" the FOH or on extra large stages.
- Like others mentioned , better get a Xover to low pass the 4X10 and high pass the 18"
Few commercial bass cabinets are designed to reproduce useful volume of the fundamental of even the low E on a four string. There are several reasons. One is that it takes considerable cone area to move enough air to produce a clean 30hz fundamental at stage volume. It also takes quite a bit of power to produce that frequency at that spl, and obviously drivers which can handle that power. Next is the fact that drivers that can produce high spl's in that frequency range aren't much use in the mid bass region (or higher), so it takes dedicated drivers and crossovers. That means much more complexity, weight, cost. Oh yeah, our ears are less efficient at hearing such frequencies too. Many PA subs aren't even designed to produce 30hz. Finally, many commercial bass cabs are designed to reproduce the sound we've all heard for years. Many of these cabs do little below 80hz (such as the Ampeg 810).
+1 to the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]suggestion if you are looking for a cabinet or cabinets that can take a ton of power and produce that low B very well. If you aren't familiar, they are a DIY plan set developed primarily by TB user Greenboy, and offered for free. There is really nothing like them available commercially for bass. If cab building / DIY isn't your thing, there are several authorized builders available at the link above. There's a number of threads here on TB, but Greenboy has an official forum on his site if you're interested.
If you are interested in DIY, Bill Fitzmaurice also has some great designs. Bill focuses on horn designs, whereas GB's are bass reflex. His subs were noted in a post above and are very well received in the PA world.
+1 to the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]suggestion if you are looking for a cabinet or cabinets that can take a ton of power and produce that low B very well. If you aren't familiar, they are a DIY plan set developed primarily by TB user Greenboy, and offered for free. There is really nothing like them available commercially for bass. If cab building / DIY isn't your thing, there are several authorized builders available at the link above. There's a number of threads here on TB, but Greenboy has an official forum on his site if you're interested.
If you are interested in DIY, Bill Fitzmaurice also has some great designs. Bill focuses on horn designs, whereas GB's are bass reflex. His subs were noted in a post above and are very well received in the PA world.
Don't worry about hitting 30Hz. Even if your cab can reproduce it, it will be so quiet you probably will barely hear it if at all. That's not too far from the limit of human hearing.
Instead, shoot for a cab that can reproduce 60 or 90Hz (1st and 2nd harmonic) more forcefully.
I haven't actually used one myself, but everything I've read about fEARful cabs makes them sound right up your ally. Look in to a 15/6.
I picked the 30Hz range because if I'm not mistaken, that is the freq response of an open b string and not many guys who play 5 can get the clear true tone of that low b. When you play it on a keyboard, you get it and I have heard guys play 5 string bass and get it but just wondering what there using. I have a Hartke LH-1000 with a neo GK 410 (800watts) and a Hartke Hybird 500 Watt 15)-plenty of power but just can't get that low clear bottom. Do I have to get like 4 cabs or what? I appreciate your input...I'll search for a clip of a bass player with the sound I would like and will post on here.
Why is it that if you play a note on a moog bass synth, you can get that deep round rich bottom that fills up the room? Ex.: Michael Jacksons, "Man in the Mirror", have you ever listened to that with some big speakers? But on a 5 string, the b always breaks up.
You are not hearing much of the B string around 30hz, you hear the 60hz range and the 120hz range coming from the subs. PA subs (at most shows - even big ones) are rolling off the low end around 40hz to save on power and to keep the mix from getting too muddy. So the 60hz range is very important.
If you say others are getting it, you must be talking about PA systems. Keep in mind that is IMPOSSIBLE to tell in most situations what part of the bass tone is coming from the stage and what the PA system is putting out. Your ears can not figure that one out.
You are hearing a combination of frequencies - not just the super low range at 30hz. The B string is a weird one, you have to baby that string more than the others to get it to sound right. Along with having a good response around 240hz to get enough thickness on the note.
When you pluck the open B, you're producing more than just the fundamental frequency of 30Hz, but also the harmonics at 60, 90, 120Hz and upward. The lower the frequency, the more power it takes to reproduce. Also, the lower the frequency, the harder it is to hear by the human ear.
So, you should focus on the frequencies that you will actually hear. I guarantee that the bass players that you're hearing that are getting good, clear Low Bs have amps that are reproducing frequencies above 30Hz.
EDIT: Gearhead17 beat me to it, lol.
