You dont have to do the 210s vertical to get good dispersion, the retro cabs are .5 aligned -- mids and highs from on speaker only. So stack a pair horizontal and you've still got a line array.
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Official Barefaced Bass Cab Club
- Thread starter Stumbo
- Start date
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,518
- 19,954
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
Understood, it would seem that two Two 10s would give you a modular versatility and an easy schlep then. Unless you go with a Big Baby 2 with which I unfortunately have no experience. The Four 10 is a very light and shallow carry, easier than any other 410 I know but nowhere near as easy as two Two 10s.
I'd suggest looking at the Bf Super Twin II.
That looks like a really good one cab solution if you don't need the chimey stuff up high.
Hey guys, in an attempt to give some info I purposely played (what I would call) a medium-ish loud outdoor gig with PA support with only one SM. Drums, bass, guitard, keys, harmonica. PA was two EV 12 tops and two EV 15 subs. I used my L2k into a Demeter tube DI into a Grace Felix into a AI 4plus Clarus. The one SM did not keep up. (I used all this stuff because I had an upright gig later that day.) It was hot-n-humid and the sun came out from behind the clouds while we were playing so maybe my stuff got overheated? Not sure if that would make a diff. I wonder if the Demeter got too hot and that caused some breakup?
Here's a pic of my setup. I should have taken a shot of the whole stage to give you guys an idea of the size of the gig. And I know, I know...the rig looks a little herky jerky. But it was a hit-it-and-quit-it gig. Set up quick and tear down quick as I had to get to another gig.
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I've played a lot of outdoor gigs without PA. Bass tends to disappear into the ether in outside environments. Depending on circumstances, even a louder rig could seem "thin" on stage. I bet your experience would be different inside a club or other indoor performance venue.
In your case, since bass was also in the PA, the audience probably experienced it just fine?
First, thanks for taking the time and effort to help us here at TB by testing out our questions in in gigging environment. That's cool, if I do say so myself.
Is the amp one that you always or regularly use outdoors for electric bass? I know the Clarus is great for UB but I've not really heard of its use for EB much. If that amp is your standard rig for EB outdoor gigs, just with more cab coverage, then I think that definitely tells the tale: single AM not big enough for medium-sih outdoor gigs w/ PA support. . If not, I wonder if that is really a fair test?
A few weeks ago, I played outdoors with no PA (except vox and sax and a smidge of kick drum) with a BB2 and a 5-string with a MB800 amp, and it did pretty damn well. Can there really be that much difference in keeping up with band mates between the 12" driver in a SM and the same driver in a BB2?
Thanks again for being our laboratory.
According to the sound man the bass sounded great.
It's my usual rig. It is possible I messed up a gain stage. Or maybe the amp maxed out? Like I said, the Demeter DI was very hot, as was the Clarus.
I've got 3-4 gigs this week (depending on if one of the gigs is IEM only) that I'll take both SM's and experiment more. Start with one and see what happens.
I've used just one on indoor gigs with "medium loud" bands and the damn little cab sounded incredible. Fat and punchy and quick to respond to EQ.
With the pavement being the closest (& only) boundary, I think you'll get more reinforcement for the low end by putting your cab at ground level.
I usually put my rig on top a milkcrate, but outdoors with no other boundary close by, I think you'd get more output with it on the ground.
If you had plenty of lows w/o EQing, then that would be different, but this is just my speculation on part of your issue.
More drivers is almost always better, as well.
Oh, I know. I'm just experimenting. I can easily bring two SM's and case closed.
What I'm trying to do is all Science-y and stuff!!
so, none here have had any direct experience moving from a Berg (CN212 or NV610) to BF cabs.
I read that BF has basically two flavors of cabs - full range (which will reproduce what you put into them) and retro (which are designed to give a "flattering color" to bass tone).
I have used full range cabs in the past - Accugroove Tri115, which I liked pretty well, but was not overwhelmed by. I guess they helped me realize I actually like a little inherent color in my cabs (particularly a bit of upper bass/low mid bump for "oomph").
The Bergs work fine for me as is, but I am always keeping my eyes/ears open for better options.
any Berg to BF converters want to chime in ?
I read that BF has basically two flavors of cabs - full range (which will reproduce what you put into them) and retro (which are designed to give a "flattering color" to bass tone).
I have used full range cabs in the past - Accugroove Tri115, which I liked pretty well, but was not overwhelmed by. I guess they helped me realize I actually like a little inherent color in my cabs (particularly a bit of upper bass/low mid bump for "oomph").
The Bergs work fine for me as is, but I am always keeping my eyes/ears open for better options.
any Berg to BF converters want to chime in ?
Here's a bunch of random thought for you...
I used a CN212 from when they were released up until the beginning of 2016 when I switched to BF BB2's.
The CN212 is an awesome cab and I had zero cab gas. At a gig I had an issue that I thought was cabinet related and was worried that I might have to call off the show or end early. I prefer a single cab solution, but the reality of having only one cab that blows up means gig over.
I started to look into modular solutions, but the caveat was that each single cab would need to be able to cover the gig on it's own should it's partner go down. I also wanted them to be small enough to cover what my combo amp was doing for me in the restaurant circuit. I wanted more low end, more volume, more power handling...more everything. The CN wasn't lacking in any way so upgrading needed to be worth it.
That basically brought me to Greenboy, Baer, and Barefaced. After some reading around I decided GB and BF were the two contenders. I felt that Alex's boxes have a lot of engineering put into them and push the limits of what a bass cab can do. Then I decided I wasn't messing around and the Big Baby II's were the only option that fit all of my critera.
I still prefer the single cab solution (when I'm gigging with both cabs) but everything else was a pretty clear upgrade in my eyes.
More volume? Check
More low end? Check
Better portability when needed? Check
Light? Check
The best way that I can describe the cabs is that my band sounds like we have great FOH support when we never do. Overall tone is kinda similar to the CN212 but with fuller mids that don't get as barky. The low end is much more powerful and very useable, not in any way uncontrollable. So much so that I don't run a HPF and will boost bass instead
Thanks for the comparisons. When you run both BB2, do you stack them on their sides with horns and woofers aligned vertically?
I know this is "wrong" and goes against every instinct I have, but has anyone tried combining a BB2 with a Four 10? Just that these cabs seem to be be so far ahead of the pack that maybe some of the old rules don't apply any more.
Just sayin'.....
Just sayin'.....
I know this is "wrong" and goes against every instinct I have, but has anyone tried combining a BB2 with a Four 10? Just that these cabs seem to be be so far ahead of the pack that maybe some of the old rules don't apply any more.
Just sayin'.....
I haven't tried them together, but perhaps I should just for the sake of SCIENCE. I haven't yet played a gig since I got these where I felt that the Four10 or the BB2 were not enough on their own... by I am all for expanding the the foundation of knowledge.
Bass...... the final frontier.
A few pages back I was saying how I liked the cabs that were provided in backlines for how mid-forward they were.
I just wanted to check back in to say that I've been able to bring my own cabs to most of gigs within the last few months, and I'm totally in love with how my Barefaced stuff sounds and responds.
Playing new gear always give me GAS, but coming home buries it just about every time.
I just wanted to check back in to say that I've been able to bring my own cabs to most of gigs within the last few months, and I'm totally in love with how my Barefaced stuff sounds and responds.
Playing new gear always give me GAS, but coming home buries it just about every time.
This exactly. Seems impossible, but it is true. It's amazing what the BB2 does in that regard.
