Pairing two cabs vs one giant cab

[tfernandez]

I'm curious about the difference in pairing, lets say, two 410 cabs, rather then having one 810 cab. or two 212 and a 412. or even mixing it up and having a 410 and a 212 vs an 810.

also, (kinda related) would you kindly recommend me a cab that does prog. rock/metal well. looking for more of a hifi sound, but need versatility as well.

 

[THORRR]

I use 2 Avatar B410Neo Cabs rather than an 8-10 'refrigerator'

Sometimes I use just one of them - other times (mostly outdoor venues) I use both stacked. I have a Markbass III 800w head which has power and tone to spare.

I don't see or hear any benefit to having everything in one cab. It would be a back-breaker anyway.
My Avatars are only 64lbs each and I can wrestle them both into the back seat of my Toyota Avalon no problem.

So for me either 2 410s or a 410 + a 210 would also work great.

 

[Gearhead17]

You need to try out some different sized cabs and see what your ears tell you. It's going to sound best if you use two identical cabs (brand & model) - you get everything one cab has, plus more when you add identical cabs. If you start mixing 412's and 810's, you may or may not have a great resulting tone. One cab will always be louder than the other and the quieter cab will just muddy up the tone of the louder cab. I urge you to try this yourself! Some people like combining two different speakers - I know I did not. I combined an Eden 212xlt and 410xlt - it was terrible. The 212 would fart out before the 410 did and I was always limited by the 212's lower wattage rating. The resulting tone was muddy too, It was beyond difficult to get rid of with EQ. I ended up tossing the 212 and getting another 410 - wow! My tone got WAYYYY clearer, punchier, lower, everything was there. It was literally my 410xlt and more!

From trying out bunches of different 810's and 410's, 810's generally have a massive/thick bass tone.. I have found 410's generally have more high end detail and a more articulate tone. Having two 410's around is helpful for shows where an 810 would be too much. On the other hand, there are 810's (Ampeg 810e), where you can use just half of the cab when needed.

It really comes down to - do you really want to carry an 810 all the time? Or would you rather have more options? If you like a particualr 810 - grab it! The two 410 option is going to sound different than the 810 version - every time. It all depends on how you feel about the end result. Every brand is different, so make sure you try as many as you can before purchasing. Search craigslist.org too! Great deals to be found.

 

[crustychef]

I play prog/garage rock. Two smaller cabs is the way to go. I combine sizes but mine are meant to be combined. TC electronic RS 210 and RS 212. The 210 is so articulate and punch you in the chest. The 212 gives plenty of low end booty and then hits you in the gut with low mids. I have no problem cutting through or sitting nicely in the mix with two vocalists, synth, guitar and drums.

 

[Korladis]

Two smaller cabs might be more portable in some situations.

One giant cab is cooler, though (and actually, depending on the cabs involved, I actually find some easier to move).

More awesome, of course, is two giant cabs.

 

[rockstarbassist]

I don't recommend pairing different drivers really, unless you plan to specifically mic and EQ each cab independently.

A good 410 will overpower a good 212 more than likely, and if you added a 210 to a 212 you won't hear much 210 unless you do as stated above.

I used to go back and forth with this, but in the end I settled on a 610 which is a good in between of big cab but still portable. I hated having to go back and get out and lug around two cabs.

 

[MNAirHead]

To pair different drivers, it's commonly said that a cross over and biamp work best.. this minimizes them "fighting"

I own a fridge.. been at least 5 years since I've moved it.. heck it's been about a year since I've played my 2x10+1x15 mated stack biamp.

 

[meatwad]

I carried around an 810 for many years, and most of the guys I played with were always happy to help move and load it, because they knew the band benefited from it being there. It was not so bad to handle and was worth having in the long run. I admit we were in our early twenties then too.

Now, I have two Ampeg Classic 410HEN cabs and even though I can't tell a huge difference in the sound between the two setups, the flexibility of two identical cabinets is very nice.

 

[elavate7]

i think have 2 cabs vs 1.....

1. potability. lugging 2 410s is much easier than 1 810.
2. convinience. for smaller gigs just bring 1 cab, larger ones bring both.

 

[rbbrchkn]

I prefer one big cab instead of two smaller cabs- as long as you're driving a station wagon, hatchback, van, truck, etc.

If you can just tilt a big cab and roll it out in one trip, then tip it into the car and slide it in, it's so much easier than having to make two trips just for cabs for bigger shows. And IMO & IME a good quality big cab always sounds better turned down for smaller shows, than a single smaller cab does turned up.

In regards to sound, 2 matched smaller cabs usually tend to be a tiny bit more crisp all the way around, while the bigger cabs sound slightly more balanced and coupled. The sonic differences are so small, though, that it's not at all worth worrying about.

 

[doctorpunch]

More awesome, of course, is two giant cabs.

 

[rockstarbassist]

i think have 2 cabs vs 1.....

1. potability. lugging 2 410s is much easier than 1 810.
2. convinience. for smaller gigs just bring 1 cab, larger ones bring both.

Unless you're about 5'1, or they each weigh about 30lbs, it isn't. I've tried it may times. Most 410 cabs are between 75-100+ lbs, and are a good 2.5-3' off the ground. And it requires two trips.

 

[mikeswals]

... as long as you're driving a station wagon, hatchback, van, truck, etc.

If you can just tilt a big cab and roll it out in one trip, then tip it into the car and slide it in,

Yes I find it easier rolling the big cab on it's wheels which I don't have to hunch over to do. And then all I have to do is tip the cab and slide it into the back of the truck, not much lifting effort there working by myself.
4x10 sized cabs you have to hunch over and dead lift, no thanks.

 

[PWV]

I used to do the modular thing until recently. The Bergantino NV 412 is the module killer imho.... and this:

I prefer one big cab instead of two smaller cabs- as long as you're driving a station wagon, hatchback, van, truck, etc.

If you can just tilt a big cab and roll it out in one trip, then tip it into the car and slide it in, it's so much easier than having to make two trips just for cabs for bigger shows. And IMO & IME a good quality big cab always sounds better turned down for smaller shows, than a single smaller cab does turned up.

 

[JimmyM]

depends on the design of the cab itself. can't really generalize.

 

[meatwad]

I'll add that I have my bottom cab set on it's side with the top cab stacked on the same way (which is how i set up on stage) rolled right off the trailer on a standard dolly, one trip. A dolly's inflatable tires are wayyyy better for carting around than any cab's standard swivel casters. I do this since it's true that two Ampeg Classic series 4x10's outweigh one Ampeg 8x10, and one 4x10's casters don't seem very sturdy under it's own weight, plus that of another cab and an SVT head stacked on. The extra floor contact also helps out with sound projection, so to me setting up this way with two cabs is win/win.

 

[Son of Bovril]

if you have the space in your car and won't be going up flights of stairs an 810 with wheels is actually easier to tilt and move than lifting & carrying two 410s

 

[mongo2]

One giant cab is cooler,

Hence the term "refrigerator"