Who owns a 15" and why do you use em?

[SwamiRob]

Never ever seen a PA with 10's for the low end; what does that tell you???? Heck, guitar players even use 12's; why would a bassist use a smaller speaker? This is such a no- brainer, I am amazed we're even talking about it.

Just you wait till Bill FM gets here

 

[Eckie]

I'm a great fan of 15s and currently have an Ashdown EB115. My dinosaur rig is an Acoustic 220 / Peavey 115 BW. Over the years I've used compact 2x15s, Marshall 4x12 and Orange Bass bins

However, at the weekend, I got up to jam with my old band mates - a great excuse to really let rip with my Jazz 24. Apart from the lead guitarist using a Line 6 Combo, the whole band used two Bose L1 systems comprising 2 "poles" with 16 x 2inch speakers and three 2 x 4 inch cabinets - a bit more like a home cinema system than a band backline.

The sound is awesome - very well balanced and clear with more than enough lows - the earth certainly moved for me.
I don't know how Bose have done it but they seemed to have defied the laws of physics.

The whole system is incredibly light and compact, easily fitting into the back of one hatchback car.

The downside - each system costs about £1,400.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

When I first started playing bass, in '93, my brother and I used to go see the Black Cat Blues Band every Wednesday in Buffalo (NY). The Bass player used a Fender American Jazz 5 and an SWR Basic Black combo amp (a single 15") That guy used to make my insides rattle from across the room. I loved that sound.

I used to run a 4x10 on top of a 1x15, but I always felt that the 4-10's were always louder than the 15, and overshadowed it with brightness.

I most recently sold my 4x10 and picked up a 2x10 set atop the 1x15. Let me tell you, this is probably the BEST balance of frequencies I have ever heard in a stack. The two 10's give the right amount of punch and the 15 just makes sphincters bleed.

Just last week, I started to rethink my whole sound, thinking that I'd get rid of the 1x15 and sort of make up a faux 6x10 by stacking a 4x10 under the 2x10. So I started playing around and A/B-ing my 2x10 and 1x15; each alone and then together within 1 minute of playing. The conclusion I came to is that I will most likely NOT rid myself of the 15. I am definately keeping that sucker.
What I probably will do is pick up another 2x10 so that I can change my setup around depending on my mood, the venue and style of music I'd be playing. Larger places would get the 10's & 15. Low dives would get two 2x10's.

But if I can probably set up two 2x10s on top of the 115 and get all my impedances correct, I'd be in heaven...

 

[anonymous101511]

Just you wait till Bill FM gets here

What is a Bill FM??

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

I play two Genz Benz Neox-112T cabs with a Shuttle 6. I'm interested in experimenting with a combination of one 112 along with a 115 cab. Jeff Genzler at GB said they have no plans to make a Neox-115T so I wondered if any of you could recommend a good 8ohm 115 as a companion.

Any ideas how tone would change using a 15 with the 12?

I play blues, R&B, rock, country, etc. No slap, just straight ahead bass. Thanks for suggestions!

 

[neonrust]

I couldn't be happier with my rig at this point. Two 15's + no horn = luv.....IMO.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Stumbo]

Any ideas how tone would change using a 15 with the 12?

Here's a link you might want to check out:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=442966

Many of the cab builders will discuss your situation in detail with you.

 

[Oric]

So how do you stand in front of that without injury?

 

[SwamiRob]

What is a Bill FM??

Bill Fitzmaurice, he knows ALOT about audio science. Essentially under the right conditions any size speaker can put out any frequencies. The only thing speaker size dictates is off-axis mid response apparently.

 

[anonymous101511]

Bill Fitzmaurice, he knows ALOT about audio science. Essentially under the right conditions any size speaker can put out any frequencies. The only thing speaker size dictates is off-axis mid response apparently.

Probably right in the vacuum of science; in the field, that's the biggest load of crap I've heard in a while.
Here's the proof.
1) go to a concert
2) note the size of the PA speakers
3) laugh at the statement you made
OR, just listen for yourself. That's all I would encourage anyone to do; don't take my word for it and definitely don't put much stock in scientific theory. It's all about what it SOUNDS like, not what's popular, looks good or is endorsed by me or whomever.
Music is not science. Hearing is not science. Leave the mathematics alone, if it sounds great, it sounds great.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

OR, just listen for yourself. That's all I would encourage anyone to do; don't take my word for it and definitely don't put much stock in scientific theory. It's all about what it SOUNDS like, not what's popular, looks good or is endorsed by me or whomever.

Couldn't agree more -- however, for those of us who live in the sticks, it's not practical to to even hope of A-B'ing the options in person. Comments on TalkBass are a way to get vicarious impressions as we remotely consider sonic options. One of the trade offs of living in paradise, I suppose.

 

[GreggBummer]

I just read through this thread and I found some good info... thanks to those who posted...

I have a 410 and a 115. I use one, the other, or both all the time. Because I don't play out that often I tend to bring all my toys to the bar. I don't mind loading it in my car... I only do it once a month.

Once I get in the bar, when it comes time to mic the cab I usually mic the 115. For whatever reason it seems to sound best in the house mix.

Something that still amazes me though... I bring a 450 watt amp and 115 cab to rehearsal and my guitar player brings a little VOX 80 watt tube amp that is REALLY LOUD!! I have to push near 450 watts to compete...

What we lack in talent we make up for in volume.

G

 

[SwamiRob]

Probably right in the vacuum of science; in the field, that's the biggest load of crap I've heard in a while.
Here's the proof.
1) go to a concert
2) note the size of the PA speakers
3) laugh at the statement you made
OR, just listen for yourself. That's all I would encourage anyone to do; don't take my word for it and definitely don't put much stock in scientific theory. It's all about what it SOUNDS like, not what's popular, looks good or is endorsed by me or whomever.
Music is not science. Hearing is not science. Leave the mathematics alone, if it sounds great, it sounds great.

Get any modern 15 made for bass guitar, then compare it to an acme B1/2/3/4 whatever you think is fair. If what I've heard is correct, the acme will probably blow it away in terms of low end, proper low end that is, not alot of mid bass to make up for it.

I agree with your philosophy, I don't even use 10/8/5/tweeters at the moment, and certainly wouldn't cos most others do, but the fact of the matter is that speaker size does not dictate bass response. I'm not sure whether it's a rumour or not, but I've heard the bassiest sub in the world has a 12" horn from a couple of sound guys.

I don't know whether it's the case, but I imagine that larger speakers are easier and cheaper to voice lower, and probably easier to push more power through without it costing too much on top. Merely speculation but that's why I imagine they are used.

I'm a massive 15 buff don't get me wrong, I like how alot of 15s are voiced, and shelled out for an NV215 which is my only decent cab (my other rig is waiting to be sold), but speaker size not the be all and end all of how something will end up sounding. If anything, I've heard cab design has nearly as much to do with the whole sound of a cab, never mind the entire speaker as a whole regardless of it's size. I'd like to ignore the science, but if people didn't utilise it then equipment would never get any better.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

In the past week, Jeff Genzler (Genz Benz) and Jim Bergantino told me neither is planning at this time to introduce a new 115 cab, and neither is currently selling a 115. I wonder if this is a measure of market demand for 115s, or if they feel their 112 cabs are as good as a 115? I use a pair of Genz Benz NEOX-112Ts and they sound amazing. Someone once called this cab the "smallest 115 they've ever played." Perhaps it's a case of new technology trumping old. Anyway, thought I'd pass this along for reactions.

 

[SwamiRob]

I think there are plenty of people who can't get over owning such awesomely sized speaker(s), like me! I think there will always be some demand for them.

Look at Ampeg for example, although it's a different issue with amplifiers, alot of people make very clean robust sounding amps, but people don't want them. Alot of people like the "imperfections" that give alot of amps/cabs their character.

Jim makes the NV215 though remember, although that might just be to cater to people like me. His none NV range stuff is pretty Hi-fi too, and in the Hi-fi bass amp market, 15s seem to have already been discarded pretty much entirely.

 

[alexclaber]

In the past week, Jeff Genzler (Genz Benz) and Jim Bergantino told me neither is planning at this time to introduce a new 115 cab, and neither is currently selling a 115. I wonder if this is a measure of market demand for 115s, or if they feel their 112 cabs are as good as a 115? I use a pair of Genz Benz NEOX-112Ts and they sound amazing. Someone once called this cab the "smallest 115 they've ever played." Perhaps it's a case of new technology trumping old.

It's just consumer fashions and trends. The current state of the art 15" drivers knock the vast majority of 10"s and 12"s into a cocked hat when it comes to reproducing bass guitar tone at high SPL. No 1x12" has a hope of keeping up with my small 1x15" let alone my large 15"+6.5".

Alex

 

[blowinblue]

After many years of not owning a 15" cab, I took delevery of a brand new Aguilar DB 115 a week ago. It sure does sound different than any other 15" I've ever heard and it sounds very different from my other bass cabs. I like it and I'm keeping it. The plan is to run it as a standalone powered by my Crown XTi 2000 in mono bridge mode. Eventually I'll add a second 8 ohm cab of some sort for louder situations. In the meantime, I'm just going to have fun!

M. M.

 

[zac2944]

It's just consumer fashions and trends. The current state of the art 15" drivers knock the vast majority of 10"s and 12"s into a cocked hat when it comes to reproducing bass guitar tone at high SPL. No 1x12" has a hope of keeping up with my small 1x15" let alone my large 15"+6.5".

Alex

+1

But what happens if Eminence releases a Kappalite 10" and 12"?

 

[greenboy]

+1

But what happens if Eminence releases a Kappalite 10" and 12"?

Then one will be able to perhaps build smaller but less sensitive boxes with similar frequency response and with less excursion-limited capacity than what you get with the current spate of commonly-used 10" and 12" drivers. Hoffman's IRON LAW will still prevail, after all ; }

I use a specific 15" driver under my high-performance 6.5" midrange driver because the two drivers give me what I consider the best compromise between bandwidth/voicing and sensitivity that's possible in a given internal cab volume, and all without the excursion-limited capacity that 10" and 12" drivers commonly available are capable of - and with better off-axis presentation than is found in almost any commercial bass cab.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

What other cabs are using the Eminence KAPPALITE™ 3015 speaker for 115s or related enclosures?