• 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.

Why Didn't Powered Cabs Catch On?

#81
I don’t want a powered cab because I want the ability to use a tube amp if I so desire. Plus now that combos are so light and often pretty powerful, it seems superfluous to have a powered cab.
 
#83
ProbablyTooLoud said:
...or maybe they did and I can't tell.
I'm a few years late to the powered cab party.
I got some GK gear and was psyched to use their powered cabs - but they're now discontinued and not easy to find.

Anyone have any ideas on why the whole powered cab thing didn't get popular?
Seems like a great idea to me. Preamp to cab and that's it.
Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Isn't every combo amp a powered cab? That is what every powered speaker is, a speaker cabinet with an amp in it also.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ric Vice and JimmyM
#85
Why didn't powered cabs catch on?

They have caught on, but we pay little attention the people using them! Kinda kidding there, and really, I agree that a combo is a powered cab. SRV did really well with his combos : )

I just installed these old Peavey's today at our rehearsal space, as you can see we are all using stacks (Orange for Rhythm Guitar, Marshall for lead, and the Peavey's for bass) cuz we like the look, but we do have powered pa cabs.

IMG20221012132509.jpg
 
#86
ProbablyTooLoud said:
UPDATE:

Mr. Gallien hisself chimed in on another thread to say the MBP cabs are not discontinued (I apologize for the bad info) but they're paused because they can't get all the parts they need for production. He said they'd be making them again early next year.

Psyched on that news.
Click to expand...

Me too!
I held off on getting a matching cab for my MB112, and about a year later when I decided to get one, couldn't find one anywhere. I'd given up on the idea.
 
#89
ProbablyTooLoud said:
UPDATE:

Mr. Gallien hisself chimed in on another thread to say the MBP cabs are not discontinued (I apologize for the bad info) but they're paused because they can't get all the parts they need for production. He said they'd be making them again early next year.

Psyched on that news.
Click to expand...

I too thought this was a genius idea since I stopped gigging clubs after years selling my monster rig and went with the GK powered cab and a MBP cab if needed. Plus if I wanted switch it up, you could with the other MBP options.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ProbablyTooLoud and Ric Vice
#92
ProbablyTooLoud said:
Right - but wouldn't powered cabs open up options? Pedalboard plus cab, no amp needed?

Bu that would require compatibility, which GK def did not want.
Click to expand...
Sound logical to me, I would have definitely been on board, but there's a large group of 'no pedals' players who would have had to buy their first pedal if they wanted EQ, etc, that is already standard on amps and combos, so I see how it could be a negative.

Bummer, seemed like a cool concept
 
#96
Wasnex said:
I agree that GK's proprietary approach is a force that limited the potential success of powered bass cabs. My understanding is they were essentially powered extension speakers intended for use with GK combo amps...thus not fully compatible with regular preamps. These were moderately priced.

Bergantino had powered cabs based on their HT line. I believe these had line level inputs. They were expensive.

The only other powered bass cabs I can think of is the ISP Bass Vector series. The ISP Bass Vector Pro and Beta Bass preamp received very good reviews. From what I remember they were pretty expensive, and also the cabs were large and heavy (scaled for arena type gigs). As you probably know the market is now focused almost exclusively on small and light.

I think a big reason why powered cabs have not caught on is they simply were never common enough to break through. In order for a new product to gain a footing in the market, it needs high enough sales to break over from losses into profitability. If there is money to be made, more companies enter the market.

The GKs are not really designed as a powered cab and the Bergantino and ISP seemed positioned as high-value, low-sales-volume products. None of them ever made scale in the market, either as individual products or as a category of products.

Sweetwater has a Bass Vector 210 for about $800. Not sure if the Theta Bass and bigger Bass Vectors are still available. Sweetwater has bunch of other powered ISP Vector cabs available, including subs, but they are intended for guitar, rather than bass. Also some are special order.

Ultimately I think few bassists are willing to consider the preamp/power amp path. Most would rather have an integrated pre/power solution. Most of the great bass preamps are rack-based. Racks tend to be big and heavy.

If you want powered cabs, it's not too hard to select PA cabs that will do a fine job. For best results you probably want a 2-cab solution with a sub and mid/high cab.
Click to expand...

I would add in that there’s also a likely variable that the intention of being only GK compatible is partly so they wouldn’t have to defend any claims for use with an untested head/cabinet/preamp combination. By limiting themselves to running/marketing as only GK compatible, the onus also slightly falls on the user if something isn’t to their liking.

“something doesn’t sound right with this setup?”

“Correct, it’s not running with compatible components”
 
  • Like
Reactions: Old Garage-Bander
#97
ProbablyTooLoud said:
Right - but wouldn't powered cabs open up options? Pedalboard plus cab, no amp needed?

Bu that would require compatibility, which GK def did not want.
Click to expand...

I play live with a pedalboard pretty much all the time, so the powered cab option has always intrigued me.

For me one of the biggest benefits would be eliminating a separate bass head and the packing/unpacking/plugging/unplugging associated with it. And yes, I realize that I still have to run signal and AC cables to a powered cab. :)

I've got a preamp pedal and all the other tone-shaping pedals I need (compressor, HPF/LPF, tube DI, octave, fuzz), and I really don't use the EQ/shaping tools on my head anyway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hennessybass and ProbablyTooLoud
#99
Having played through Gibson's version in the 70's:
1) Too heavy, with both speakers and amp in the same enclosure;
2) No flexibility: you have a preamp and you either use it or you don't. You don't get to use your choice of speaker cabs with the power amp.
 
#100
Most studio monitors are self powered. Many PA cabs are powered.

The first powered cabs that I saw were for organs. Leslie and other similar cabs used that approach. Ampeg introduced the SBT with self powered cabs in 1969. The advantage is that if more output was needed, add another cab. It was scalable to suit different budgets.

Now imagine a self powered cab where the speakers are protected by a monitor in the power amp. It would have to react quickly rather than damp performance. If done right, no more blown speakers.

Studio monitors have a means of using a mic to sample tones for setting up and tuning cabs for the room. Cool technology. Maybe some day players will have that ability.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back