Double Bass Solid Articulation?

[bassist1962]

When I was younger, for articulation purposes, I would turn the treble up on my amp. I used to hear 'Make the bass sound like a bass!'. This meant lose the treble frequencies, and add more lower mid and bass.

I was introduced to multiple tens, and this is supposed to have better high frequency response as well as bottom. I don't care for them because I cannot seem to get the lower frequencies happening. I stayed with 15's as they sound more solid to my ear.

I have recently done several acoutic gigs with an amp using eight inch speakers. The same deal as with the tens. Last night I decided to use my 15, and I felt that it was the best I had sounded in weeks.

Am I doing something wrong with the smaller speakers? Has anyone else experienced this? Why is it that my 100 watt amp with a single 15, seems to sound louder, and more solid than the 300 watt amp with 2x8? This is with both BG and URB.

 

[fdeck]

I can imagine a number of possibilities. First, the 15 may have higher sensitivity than the 8's, enough so that the higher powered amp can't make up the difference. Second, the 15 may have a "hump" in its response curve at the frequency where perceived loudness resides -- a likelihood unless the box is huge. A third possibility is that the amps themselves are processing the sound differently, as bass amps are often designed to have other-than-flat response. And a fourth is that the 15 is more directional, so that where you set it up and where you stand influence what you hear.

 

[robgrow]

I think there is something special about 15-inch speakers for bass. One of the best bass players I know uses a 1x15 cab and he loves it. I have to admit he sounds great playing through it too. I have a cab with an EVM-15B, and although I don't use it much, I would never sell it. The big cone on a 15 really moves some air, and 15's tend to have low-mid presence like nothing else. These days however, I mostly use a Euphonic Audio VL-208, which has some serious low end for such a small cabinet (with two 8-inch woofers). Overall, it's the best cab I've ever used and is very articulate.

 

[Ric Vice]

When I was younger, for articulation purposes, I would turn the treble up on my amp. I used to hear 'Make the bass sound like a bass!'. This meant lose the treble frequencies, and add more lower mid and bass.

I think that we all did this. I certainly did with my B-15. Those amps didn't have much in the way of midrange control until Ampeg put those rocker switches on the later B-15's

I was introduced to multiple tens, and this is supposed to have better high frequency response as well as bottom. I don't care for them because I cannot seem to get the lower frequencies happening. I stayed with 15's as they sound more solid to my ear.

I never liked 2X10's i.e. the original Hartke's either. but some of the
newer ones sound pretty good, although I personally prefer 2x8's for upright.

I have recently done several acoutic gigs with an amp using eight inch speakers. The same deal as with the tens. Last night I decided to use my 15, and I felt that it was the best I had sounded in weeks.

Sometimes, it's simply what you are used to that gives you the sound you want. When you change the amp or speakers you can't get the same sound

Am I doing something wrong with the smaller speakers? Has anyone else experienced this? Why is it that my 100 watt amp with a single 15, seems to sound louder, and more solid than the 300 watt amp with 2x8? This is with both BG and URB.

It's doubtful that you are doing anything "wrong" at all. Just because a speaker cabinet has 2x8's doesn't really mean anything. A 15" speaker cabinet with better sensitivity will sound better than a 2X8's with more wattage and less sensitivity. There has really only been one 2X8 speaker cabinet from EA the, VL-208 that sounds really great with the double bass. Unless that's the one you tried it's really a crap shoot.

Ric Vice

PS. I forgot about Don Oatman's LDS 2X8 three way. It's a very nice cab as well.

 

[fdeck]

I think there is something special about 15-inch speakers for bass. One of the best bass players I know uses a 1x15 cab and he loves it. I have to admit he sounds great playing through it too. I have a cab with an EVM-15B, and although I don't use it much, I would never sell it. The big cone on a 15 really moves some air, and 15's tend to have low-mid presence like nothing else. These days however, I mostly use a Euphonic Audio VL-208, which has some serious low end for such a small cabinet (with two 8-inch woofers). Overall, it's the best cab I've ever used and is very articulate.

When I was in high school, the EVM-15B was just an amazing value, and I built one into a fairly tight-sounding box. Along with a Peavey head, it got me through college and beyond. It handled anything that I could throw at it, either for EB or DB. When I downsized, I sold the EVM-15B.

Regrets? Yes and no. My little 12" box is ample for virtually all of my gigging, and definitely more portable.

 

[bassist1962]

So it is just a simple matter of what I want to hear from my bass is coming from the 15, and not the 8's. I think rob is right in that what I want is the low-mid presence. Thanks guys.

 

[bribass]

My main cab for years was a EV Pro-line 15 in a Flite cab. A great highly portable 15. Before that an old Black Widow Peavy and ofcourse the Polytone Mini-brute IV w/ a 15. I do think they can have warm fatter lows & mids that just sound better. Esp. at lower to middle vol levels. Although i'm sure EA's 210 cab is prolly great, I've never liked most tens for DB (or even BG) that I'ved used. They just sound brittle and the low end seems artificial to me w/o the good low/ mids. These days I love my EA Wizzy M-line 12. All the low mids w/ smooth eyebrow raising upper response as well. All w/o getting too flabby at louder levels like some 15's can. Much better for DB than the Aguilar 12 I used to use AND lighter. I don't have much experience w/ 8's. I'm sure the EA VL 208's are killer and who couldn't be tempted to try their under 20 lb. Wizzy 10. But, I must admit this thread has me thinking about busting out the ol' EV.

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

When I was in high school, the EVM-15B was just an amazing value, and I built one into a fairly tight-sounding box. Along with a Peavey head, it got me through college and beyond. It handled anything that I could throw at it, either for EB or DB. When I downsized, I sold the EVM-15B.

I built two of these things and also ran a Peavey head. When the head and one of the cabs was stolen I bought a Sunn Concert head . A deserving Noob was given these a couple of years ago.

After building two of your DIY 12 cabs I realized that it was deja vu all over again, although in a much smaller and lighter package. Two for the weight of one? Getting old, man.