A few months ago I received my new Big Baby 2 and Super Midget to augment/replace the Gen 2 Midget that I had been using. I've now had a reasonable amount of experience with both cabs and thought it was time to post some comments. Although I do have the occasional doubling gig and pure bass guitar gig, the vast majority of my work is on Double Bass. I play a LaScala Hybrid with a Revolution Solo pickup into an Acoustic Image Series III Focus amp. My work ranges from big band jobs to small group background jazz gigs, sometimes with just a piano or guitarist as a duo. I was a bassist in Los Angeles for many years before moving to the Edinburgh, Scotland area.
As so many others have stated both the BB2 and Super Midget are fantastic bass guitar speakers, alone and in combination. However, unlike many other speakers that work well with bass guitar, both of these speakers are outstanding with double bass as well. Their accuracy is incredible and they sound natural and very much like the sound of my bass without an amp. Both are capable of getting incredibly loud with no distortion or frequency bumps and yet they can also be used in those instances where you want just the tiniest bit of amplification to augment what is essentially an acoustic sound. The BB2 does provide a slightly richer and fuller sound than the Midget, but both are wonderful.
For trios and quartets, either with or without a vocalist, the Super Midget is my first choice. It fits in a Meinl Deluxe Cajon bag leaving enough room for the Focus and an extension lead. Using the high pass filter on my amp, I'm able to get a very warm and yet solid sound that is extremely punchy on swing tune walking lines or sambas and bossas. It is also capable of getting plenty loud on its own, and I've experienced this with double bass backing a 17-piece big band as well as on bass guitar gig in a 5-horn pop band backing a male vocalist in a large hotel ballroom.
The Big Baby 2 has become my favourite speaker however because of its ability to sound rich and full at any volume from just a whisper up to Stoopid loud. I play regularly with a 5-horn, 3-rhythm touring Rat Pack theatre show and it is particularly effective as a stage monitor that I point across the band stand so that everyone in the band can hear me. While we always have a house PA, the quality of the sound crews and systems can vary widely and having my own amp has saved my bacon many times. The sound on stage often gets quite loud and the BB2 is capable of holding its own against multiple monitors with no problem whatsoever. The first time I used it I got several compliments from the other musicians, particularly the horn players who are on the other side of the stage from me.
I have yet to use both speakers together on a gig, not having had a job that required that kind of volume. However, in my practice room the sound of the two together with both my upright and BG is wonderful and I have no doubt that I would ever need anything more than what these two speakers can deliver. I haven't mentioned how light, compact and easy to carry they are, but like most upright players I refuse to have amplification equipment that is heavy. Wonderful speakers like the BB2 and Super Midget have eliminated any need for hauling heavy stuff around.
Thanks Alex for designing and building products that are so good for the working musician.
Erik Hansen aka Lownote
Scotland