I have always run either combos or small stacks in small to medium sized rooms, and it's always been a bit hit-or-miss as to what sounds best in what environment. I currently use a small MarkBass stack (CMD121P combo plus NY121 extension) for most of these situations, and I can usually set up in such a way that the rear boundary becomes an asset to the sound. There is one room we've been playing with greater frequency, though, where I'm very constrained to a spot about 8-10" in front of a glass wall. Not an optimal situation with my rear ported rig, and it's an absolute bear to dial in a decent sound. It occurred to me that this would actually be a great application for an infinite baffle cab; however, I'm not dragging an SVT 810 into this environment. That stays home unless called for on a larger venue or outdoor gig. All of which is the setup for the obvious question: does anybody have experience with portable infinite baffle cabs? Alternatively, do any of the bass cab manufacturers even make such a thing? It goes without saying that such a thing could be built, but I don't think I've ever seen one for sale. Something like a 1x12 or 2x10 IB cabinet, that is. Thanks in advance for the voices of experience.
That depends on your definition of infinite baffle. In hi-fi it's usually used to describe subs where the speaker is installed in a wall, ceiling or floor, but historically it's any cab where the rear radiation from the speaker is isolated from the front radiation, which means any sealed cab is an infinite baffle.
Interesting. I used "infinite baffle" to mean a sealed, portless box (hence the SVT reference), and was unaware that the term had any other meaning. Now I guess I need to research my terminology better! Portable, sealed enclosure with no ports is what I'm looking for info on.
Bingo. Thank you for this. I was under the mistaken impression that all of Ampeg's SVT cabs - with the exception of the 810, which I own - were ported (having glanced only at the 610 and 410 previously). I'd never bothered to really look at the 210av. In fact, that Micro VR setup with the cab and 200W head may be a perfect solution for my situation. It's also small enough that I could toss it in the car along with the MB rig, and just use whichever one makes better sense for the venue. Thanks for the Bergantino reference, too. Same thing - I was unaware they made any sealed cabs. I have become less of a 15" fan as the years have passed; then again, it's Bergantino. There's a magic to their cabs that's pretty tough to deny. I may take that one under consideration if I can find one to demo. Much appreciated!
Many of the AudioKinesis cabs come with port blockers and can be run as sealed cabs too. That gives you a few tuning options since you don't have to block all the ports, which might prove useful given your stated problems.
Berg makes the NV610/610T too (sealed 6x10 with or without a tweeter), but since you have an Ampeg 810, that may not interest you. The NV610 is everything the Ampeg cab is, but smaller & lighter. good luck with your search. tons of great bass gear out there these days.
Thanks, folks. I will also investigate the AudioKinesis cabs as suggested. If nothing else maybe I can expand my knowledge base a little on some of the more modern cabinet options. Regarding the Bergantino 610, smaller and lighter are definite assets. At this point, though, it's strictly about economics when I consider the larger cabinets. The Ampeg 810 was sort of an opportunistic grab on my part. One fell into my lap in beautiful condition with very light use for about half of list, and I bought it for the stated purpose of having a good, punchy cab for larger gigs, but it probably sees 5% of the use that my smaller rigs do. If I get to where I'm moving it with considerable frequency, I may take that Berg under serious consideration. Appreciate everybody's insights!