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Pros and cons of stacking...

What's my best bet from these choices??

  • stacked on the floor

    Votes: 30 61.2%

  • stacked on a box

    Votes: 14 28.6%

  • Stack split by stand

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • something else

    Votes: 4 8.2%

  • something else involving crates of organic carrots

    Votes: 1 2.0%
  • Total voters
    49
#81
Wasnex said:
In my experience it depends significantly on the acoustics of the room. If the room is boomy, it is usually better to elevate the cabs and stand closer to them. Putting the speakers on the floor and standing too far away is not going to help anyone under this circumstance. You will blow out the room, it will sound awful, and you won't be able to hear clearly.

If the room is relatively dry, it may be better to stack the cabs on the floor and vary your distance for the desired balance, but it depends on the tone you want. You can still tilt the top speaker back to aim at your ears. If the drivers are relatively close together and the splay is relatively limited, the sound will integrate nicely. I usually still prefer my speakers elevated.

IMHO there is no one size fits all solution. I suggest considering the acoustics and adjusting as appropriate.
Click to expand...

Yes.

I guess the only difference between the two approaches is what you start with (what is the default setting).

I start with my rig placed on the floor. If it sounds good, I leave it that way. If it doesn't, I need to adjust. Sometimes I end up lifting the rig off the floor.

You start with the rig lifted. If it doesn't work in the room, you may end up with the rig placed on the floor, I guess.

It's all about adjusting to the acoustics of the particular room.
 
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#87
Zbysek said:
And do you place it on the floor or on a box? :)
Click to expand...

Lol

Only time anyone needs to fart around with a box.
Is with a single speaker application like a 1x12 or 1x15 etc etc
Or same situation with a small combo.

As far as some super pooper amazing boundary effect or line array effect etc etc.

Not really. You just bring it up higher to hear it better. Or get a better midrange response.

People just stick with the standards. 4x10 sits low pain in but to move...blah blah.

Just use a standard 810 or a vertical 2x15 it's just that simple.

For a " lighter" 2 x10 or 2x12 it sits lower so yes a box will help.
A " box" that works really really good and looks professional and sounds good....

Is simple another 2x10 or 2x12 lol.

As far as what that bottom cab does or doesn't do on another box.....who cares.

Problem gets easily solved right back where it all started. Either a 810 on some wheelie thingys or a 2 x 15 on some wheelie thingys.

I'm sure there is some mystical magical isolation pad or other mystical overpriced device. To help with hollow stages or million other situations.

But believe it or not those mystical magical " wheelie thingys" known as castor's. Pretty much solve 90% of stage problems. Otherwise a thing found on stages for some odd Reason for a zillion years. Called a " Rug"
 
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#88
Zbysek said:
They do. But they don't sell subs on stick. They are usually placed on floor.

IMHO, bass cabinets should be treated more like subs than like PA systems...especially if they need to carry the room.
Click to expand...


Except subs usually carry only 100hz down (or lower). If your bass cab only passed these frequencies it would sound awful. Honestly I don't think the lowest frequencies are all that important to getting a good bass sound, too much low end tends to cause problems in most performance venues.

Since low frequencies are omni directional, you actually hear direct sound in the low end. But as the frequency increases, the drivers begin to exert pattern control. Eventually at the limits of their frequency response, the drivers begin to beam the sound, so you don't hear the higher frequencies unless the drivers are aimed at your ears, or the sound bounces off a reflective surface. Also, if your cab has multiple drivers, you get the formation of off-axis, frequency dependent lobes in the mids (comb filtering). In other words, the off axis frequency response is uneven. Some people like this unevenness, but I do not.

The reason I like to elevate and aim the speakers at my ears is I prefer more of an FRFR sound...I don't necessarily run my rig flat, but I do enjoy hearing extended mids and highs, and a bit more smoothness in the low mids.

Plenty of examples of subs that are designed to be flown. Consider the JBL VRX918S.
 
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#89
Zbysek said:
Yes.

I guess the only difference between the two approaches is what you start with (what is the default setting).

I start with my rig placed on the floor. If it sounds good, I leave it that way. If it doesn't, I need to adjust. Sometimes I end up lifting the rig off the floor.

You start with the rig lifted. If it doesn't work in the room, you may end up with the rig placed on the floor, I guess.

It's all about adjusting to the acoustics of the particular room.
Click to expand...

I think you have summarized pretty well here, but if I need to carry a room and also want a nice tone at varying distances and angles to my rig, I might bring something like this.
Quad of Quads.jpg
 
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#90
I voted stacked on a box. I copied this design from another TB member. It holds cables, spare strings, my amp, and has a Furman power strip in the back. I would have painted it but I am already designing a new one.

I love having my cabs up where I can hear them and feel them in my lungs. I also find that I do not have to turn up as loud to hear myself very clearly.

IMG_2022.jpg
 
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#91
Wasnex said:
I find this confusing since you are such an advocate of the Phil Jones Ear Box :confused:.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am. I find Ear Box to be a very helpful device, IMO.

Let me explain.

I am using Ear Box in order to get the high mids/highs closer to my ears because sometimes I need it-in particular when playing EUB or fretless. It's a device which helps me achieve my goal: to play in tune.

In order to achieve my goal without Ear Box, I would have to:
  • increase the volume of my rig; and/or
  • boost the highs/high mids; and/or
  • lift the rig off the floor.
I don't want to do any of the above. Ear Box allows me to be able to play in tune without playing unreasonably loud, making extreme EQing and lifting the rig off the floor which would deprive me of the bottom end which I enjoy.

Do I find the sound pleasant? No. It's direct and harsh.

Does it help me achieve my goal (play in tune)? Yes. That's what matters.

Note that I don't use Ear Box when playing my fretted bass guitar...because I don't need it. But it's worth every penny when I need to play arco on my EUB. The harshness of the sound close to my ears makes sure that I do everything in my capacity to stay in tune...:-)
 
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#94
Zbysek said:
Nice. The picture you posted made me come up with yet another reason to stack the rig on the floor: it would not fir under the ceiling otherwise! :)))
Click to expand...

I can think of no legitimate reason to elevate that rig. However, If I were only playing with two of the speakers, I would consider it, although they actually sound quite nice ground stacked.
 
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#96
I use Invalid Link Removed with two 1x12s. I actually bought 2 of them and tried putting one on the floor and the other between the two cabs but that was overcomplicating it. Using just one points the speakers more toward my ears, which is just enough for me.
 

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