• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

TL-606 Advice and Recommendations

#41
Chickenwheels said:
Yep. Definitely prefer deeper/narrower shapes. They’re cool looking bins, though. There’s a pile of them in a sound hire companies warehouse near me. Tempting to try! I love old junk (tongue in cheek).
Click to expand...
You better buy them up
before they send them to the chipper.
 
#43
Chickenwheels said:
Lol! Yes indeed.
Click to expand...

Yeah if I were you I’d be scooping a couple of those up as well.

I also have a love for old stuff and as heavy and “outdated” a 606 cab may be, I love the sound.

Gotta say, last night I ran my 606 with the GK 700rb and then split my signal to my small 70s Kustom solid state combo. The sound was awesome! And the Kustom was up high enough that it helped my ability to hear.

Think I’ll be running this combo for a while :bassist:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chickenwheels
#44
The only reason we built the heavy TL type cabinets is that the materials and motivation wasn't there and available to build the compact, lightweight stuff... otherwise we would have back then too.

Driver development allowed drivers to deliver improved performance and power handling with lighter weight, and in smaller enclosures. Once these (and better grades of light weight plywood) became available, it generated demand which drove that industry segment.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Haroldo, fdeck, Passinwind and 2 others
#45
agedhorse said:
The B115 and B215 are pretty much a TL606 type cabinet. I believe they are a couple inches shallower than the published EV TL boxes but should come out to roughly the same internal volume.
Click to expand...
This sounds right.
I still have the B 115 and the TL 606
Will measure outside dimensions for fun and report back
Another one of those too good to toss, no resale value, and too heavy with not enough volume to gig with...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bugeyed Earl, Chickenwheels and agedhorse
#46
estimated_eyes said:
That's awesome. Do you have a PDF of that? Would love to read about it.

I'm curious about the differences with stepdown mode because I think the cab sounds great without being there.

Also curious if putting the cab in step down mode will make a difference if I am still using a HPF that cuts around 50hz anyway?

Ya'll are great for discussing this with me and sharing your knowledge as well. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Pay attention to the "frequency response" and "low frequency maximum acoustic output" charts. In step down, mode the cabs do play lower, but you lose sensitivity from about 50-150hz, so you will need more amplifier power to achieve the same SPL. Then, in order to get flat frequency response, you need to use equalization that provides 6dB of boost with a Q of 2 at 45hz, and a rolloff of 12dB per octave at lower frequencies. Also, per the builders plan, you lose 2-3db of max output between 60-90hz.

If you are using a 50hz HPF, I believe you are better off using the standard tuning, rather than step down. The only potential advantage I could possibly imagine for continuing to use step down mode with the 50hz HPF, is it may improve the phase and group delay characteristics of the system; but that's just a guess.

Keep in mind, the continuous thermal power handling of the TL606 with an EVM15L is 100W.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chickenwheels
#47
Jim C said:
This sounds right.
I still have the B 115 and the TL 606
Will measure outside dimensions for fun and report back
Another one of those too good to toss, no resale value, and too heavy with not enough volume to gig with...
Click to expand...
Lol. My catholic guilt keeps me using my TL bins for this reason. Plus they just sound great, period. I did a wedding gig with a six piece band last night and just used one TL. It sounded perfect and didn’t work hard (I DI into a QSC FOH).
What a bugger, I can’t justify buying anything new!
 
  • Like
Reactions: webmonster and Jim C
#48
Chickenwheels said:
Lol. My catholic guilt keeps me using my TL bins for this reason.
Click to expand...

Right there with you mate!
I sometimes find myself with my hands folded as the nuns at St. Bernadette's would come up behind you and give you a good smack for not sitting straight up, eyes forward, and hands folded.
- I know, that explains my posts...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chickenwheels
#49
Wasnex said:
Pay attention to the "frequency response" and "low frequency maximum acoustic output" charts. In step down, mode the cabs do play lower, but you lose sensitivity from about 50-150hz, so you will need more amplifier power to achieve the same SPL. Then, in order to get flat frequency response, you need to use equalization that provides 6dB of boost with a Q of 2 at 45hz, and a rolloff of 12dB per octave at lower frequencies. Also, per the builders plan, you lose 2-3db of max output between 60-90hz.

If you are using a 50hz HPF, I believe you are better off using the standard tuning, rather than step down. The only potential advantage I could possibly imagine for continuing to use step down mode with the 50hz HPF, is it may improve the phase and group delay characteristics of the system; but that's just a guess.

Keep in mind, the continuous thermal power handling of the TL606 with an EVM15L is 100W.
Click to expand...
The thing to do is put it and step down and then go do a loud gig. Then you can hear the difference. I eq pretty much the same but just bump up the bass knob in my GK a teeny bit. I haven’t needed to turn up any louder. The sound is cleaner and fuller and really sits nice in the stage mix.
I should reiterate that I always DI into a big FOH so I’m not trying to fill the room, just the stage.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wasnex
#52
Outside Dimensions:
TL606 - 19 1/4 x 17 deep x 24 high = 7,854
B115 - 24 1/2 x 14 deep x 28 1/4 high = 9,689 less the size of the mid driver which is deep as I recall (and maybe in it's own interior box??)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chickenwheels
#54
Jim C said:
Outside Dimensions:
TL606 - 19 1/4 x 17 deep x 24 high = 7,854
B115 - 24 1/2 x 14 deep x 28 1/4 high = 9,689 less the size of the mid driver which is deep as I recall (and maybe in it's own interior box??)
Click to expand...
So in the ballpark, but for a slightly larger enclosure an adjustment of the port area and depth will result in the same type of characteristic response curve (F3, F10 excursion and port velocity) even if the numbers are not exact they will certainly be proportional.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jim C
#55
agedhorse said:
So in the ballpark, but for a slightly larger enclosure an adjustment of the port area and depth will result in the same type of characteristic response curve (F3, F10 excursion and port velocity) even if the numbers are not exact they will certainly be proportional.
Click to expand...

I should have pulled the mid driver but was short on time.
As I recall, that thing is large and very heavy. It could easily be 6x6x6 = 236 (or bigger)
It adds a lot of "air" plus treble response: for it's day it was pretty impressive; not so much by todays standard IMO
 
#56
Jim C said:
I should have pulled the mid driver but was short on time.
As I recall, that thing is large and very heavy. It could easily be 6x6x6 = 236 (or bigger)
It adds a lot of "air" plus treble response: for it's day it was pretty impressive; not so much by todays standard IMO
Click to expand...


There was a time when I really wanted some of the EV cabs with VMRs. About the closest I came was a pair JBL 4628Bs.

images

They were super heavy at 108lbs each, and not particularly loud, but I had full range, flat response long before it was popular in the bass community.

My bass amp for awhile was a Yamaha EM200 powered mixer. I don't think my bowed string bass ever sounded sweeter.
upload_2019-9-9_22-5-25.jpeg


I also ran them for awhile biamped with a Marshall IBS 3540. Nice sounding amp, but it spent more time in the shop than on the road. Eventually it went in the recycle pile.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chickenwheels, Jim C and agedhorse
#57
Chickenwheels said:
I’m tempted to find a VMR and build a little cab for it to sit on top of the TL bins...
Click to expand...

If you go back to Dave Green's pre-fEARful threads you'll see that some of us were doing similar stuff quite a few years ago. You can see some of mine on my legacy DIY website, which you can reach via the link in my profile. The VMR wasn't the most robust thing and just doing something like Dave's "Headcase" doesn't have to be all that high tech or expensive really. I loved the VMR cabs back in the day though, and they were fairly common within the jazz community around where I lived at the time when they came out.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Chickenwheels, Jim C and Wasnex
#58
agedhorse said:
Respect the limited power handling of the EV drivers...
Click to expand...

I've used tons of EV drivers over the years and most of the time I've played them with a minimum of double their ratings without a problem. I still have two EV cabinets that I play with 2,600 watts - well in excess of of their rating. I always high-pass the boxes and I use limiters so that I don't clip the amp. The design of those drivers is pretty old, but they were well made and honestly rated. They still sound good.
 
#59
Gizmot said:
I've used tons of EV drivers over the years and most of the time I've played them with a minimum of double their ratings without a problem. I still have two EV cabinets that I play with 2,600 watts - well in excess of of their rating. I always high-pass the boxes and I use limiters so that I don't clip the amp. The design of those drivers is pretty old, but they were well made and honestly rated. They still sound good.
Click to expand...
I've reconed hundreds of EVMs where they simply didn't live up to your suggested standards (both OEM series 2 and ProLine). As a previously large OEM manufacturer (actually with 3 different companies, using thousands and thousands of these drivers) user of these drivers, I absolutely stand by my statement of opinion about their limitations. This doesn't mean that they were bad drivers (in fact they are still some of my favorites under the right situations), just limited by today's standards.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back