Rig ideas. Help... please.

[popinfresh]

Alright, here goes guys. I'm looking for a punchy sound, preferably a more low mids sort of punch. Big low end, hard hitting mids, and rounded highs.

For this sound, i've been looking at and Aguilar GS412 cab with say a GK 2001RBP (Preamp) and a Crest or Crown Power amp (Works out cheaper than the whole head).

Do you think this would give me what i'm looking for? I was thinking if i want more crisp highs, i could add a couple 10's.

What's come to my attention recently though, are two things. One (Head wise) is the thunderfunk. Two, cab wise, i'm looking at schroeder cabs again.

Thunderfunk - For one, would this be powerfull enough to get what i need out of the 1200 watt aguilar? For two, i like the warm smooth sound, but can i get more low end punch and growl out of this head? (this is why i'm looking at gk's)

Schroeder - I'm in an oldschool type rock band, so i'm need something with big low presence band wise, something that can also cut through, but i don't want the same old ampeg fridge style thing (don't like ampeg anyway). Yet i play lots of reggae, funk and mellow tunes when i'm on my own or with other groups. I'm not sure if these cabs would give me the big sound i need, or low end growl/punch...

Other idea was getting the aguilar 4x12, and if i wanted more highs (I should have enough lows with this cab, yes?) I could add a schroeder 1010 or 1012 on top. Bring the load to 2 ohms on occasion for bigger gigs (With a power amp, not thunderfunk) and have some more cutting highs.

I'm also looking for a smaller cab for practices as i don't want to drag the 4x12 everywhere, so i was looking at the shroeder 1010's or 1012's again (I don't mind having two different cabs).

So guys, what do you think is my best bet?

By the way.. i play all sorts of music from mudvayne (Flame me if you will, i love ryknow's low end growl) to Jaco to P-funk and all that in between. Because of that, i'm leaning more towards the aguilar and power amp still, and buying a smaller schroeder latter for band pracs.

Opinions please.

EDIT: Or do you think a big Schroeder cab would do? Such as a 3101212, though i think i might be missing out on the big presence or big lows again. Anyway who's played these cabs, please share.

 

[Eric Moesle]

Frankly, I think your stated goals of "low mid punch" and "big low end" are a bit at odds with each other. I've personally been able to dial in one, but not both at any given time. Trying to get both just ends up with LOUD. My current situation calls for more low mid punch to get through the stage mix, and I let the PA feed get the lows. If I run big low end on stage, I get buried in the mix and lose mid range definition.

The Aggie 4x12 will get you the lows, for sure, but if you're looking for midrange growl, a big stack of 10's can't be beat. Using a tall Aggie 4x12 with another cabinet of 10s will be huge and overkill, IMO. Perhaps a combination of 10's and 12's will get you what you're looking for.

 

[tombowlus]

I really think that the Schroeder cabs would work well for you, from what you describe. They have a strong low-mid presence, and are very punchy. I have not tried one in a live situation, but those who have all say how well they cut through a mix. My favorite, and probably the one that I would think would work best for you, would be the 21012. Huge sound in a very reasonable package. And yes, these cabs are loud!!! While I agree with Eric that "low mid punch" and "big low end" are difficult to achieve in one package, I do think that the Schroeders would be one of your best bets in this regard. The Bergantino NV line and the Accugroove cabs also come to mind and would probably fit the bill for you.

I generally like the preamp/amp rack combo, but the Thunderfunk is a great head. The iAMP 800 is also well suited for the sound that you are after (and it handles a 2 ohm load).

Hope this helps, Tom.

 

[popinfresh]

Hey, thanks guys. Yeah, i'm not wanting both at once, but i want to be able to get both out of the cab, if you get me. Sorry about that.

How much to the iAmps retail for? I e-mailed schroeder and he said his cabs would fit the bill, though said the aggy was nice also, i do think having the aggy and 10's would be overkill though. So i think i'm going to go with schroeder.

I'm gonna get a 1012 to start with, and see if i like the sound of the cabs (I'l use this for band pracs, and side projects where i play more reggae/mellow tunes and don't need big volume). Then if the tone is what i'm looking for, i'l go and buy a big box. Something like a 21012 or wait for his new cab to come out, 3101212, though i probably wouldn't need that much.. would be fun for kicks though.

So yeah, head/rack wise. What do you guys think? Depends on the price of the iAmp and what i can find on it. But right now i'm looking at a GK2001rbp and power amp (Could you suggest me a power amp please? Something with around 900 watts or more a side at 4ohms would be great, yet nothing too expensive).

Thanks.

 

[tombowlus]

Good call, talking to Jorg directly. I think you may be really happy with his cabs, and he seems to be quite the helpful type.

As for the iAMP 800, it has a list price of $1495, though I'm sure Bob Gollihur or Gard at Bass Central could get you a competitive price. You see them go used in the $800-$1,000 range. EA service is great, even on used gear (such as my own). Gary went over my amp completely and did all the updates (mine was an older, red-knob version) for free.

As for a good power amp, a Crest CA9 fits your description almost to a tee. They do come up used occassionally (which is how I bought mine). I think I paid $700, shipped for mine. I also really like the QSC PLX series, though opinions do seem to vary. A lot of players like the Stewart amps, though I have not tried them.

Good luck, Tom.

 

[popinfresh]

Thanks.. yeah, i need something around the $2000 mark over here (Aus, that's like a GK 1001 price range) if it's a head. Otherwise i can buy a more expensive power amp now, and use my warwick as a preamp. Then just save a while to get a nice preamp.

I'm still kind of stuck with wether i should go aguilar or schroeder. A big chest thumping wall of 12's is tempting.. Yet so is have a big sound in a little cab. I'm also not sure if the schroeder is the tone i'm looking for. I know i like aguilar though.

So, we'll see!

Just for reference, Power amps here are quite a bit too.. A crown XLS602 is about 900 bucks (Not retail) and the yamaha P3500S is around $999, non retail (the higher yamaha's are around $1500 i think).

 

[tombowlus]

I'm still kind of stuck with wether i should go aguilar or schroeder. A big chest thumping wall of 12's is tempting.. Yet so is have a big sound in a little cab. I'm also not sure if the schroeder is the tone i'm looking for. I know i like aguilar though.

I haven't heard all of the Aguilar cabs, but the cabs that I did hear (GS112, GS210, and one or two more that I forget) on the whole were on the mid-scooped side, with fairly nice, clear high end and respectable low end. All in all, what I could call "hi-fi" - at least as it was thought of in the late 80's, early 90's. By contrast, Schroeder cabs have much more midrange content, particularly in the low to middle mids.

Hope this helps, Tom.