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Why Didn't Powered Cabs Catch On?
- Thread starter ProbablyTooLoud
- Start date
I’ve been barking up this tree for years. I still believe that powered cabs are the next step forward and they are going to become the popular choice for most players that prefer an onstage amp to in ears . The concept has been tried and never caught on, but that was before lightweight neo speakers and class D power amps.
My rig is bass > pedal board > amp > cab. I can do it in one but usually a two trip load in. I have been thinking about how to simplify my rig. My thought was a Helix or something similar into a powered cab. I spent way too much time researching but in the end decided there wasn’t enough upside. I also felt a powered cab locks you in to that one option where with my cabs now I can do 2x10 or 4x10.
If I trusted the Dayton amps from Parts Express (I don't) I would consider mounting one of those in a fErful 15/6. I would take the cab and preamp dujour... as it is, I'm generally doing aound and I have a PLX1804 racked with my mixer and driverack. I often go direct from my pedal board and send an Aux to one side of the 1804 and then to my cab. The other side is for a passive sub. It really is about as dialed as I can get. The powered cab would be one incremental step closer to minimal...
So if my speakers blow, I can't use my amp, and if my amp dies, I can't use my speakers? No thanks.
I already use a powered speaker: The band runs everyone through the PA. I use my BA210 as a preamp if I want an Ampeg tone, or I'll use one of my 12AX7 pre-amps if I want a tubey sound. I still keep my class-D amps though, and often use the little BAM200 to drive a 2-10 as my personal "monitor" cab. I really like the idea of letting the guitarists load and store the sub and speakers at their house, and I just keep my little BAM in my gig bag . But if I ever need to, I can directly drive my own 4-10's with my Quilter BB802. It just doesn't get as much use as my pre-amp / DI anymore. Bassists have many more options now than we did 30 years ago. It's all preference.
If a speaker blows... regardless of where the power came from... you still have to get a new speaker.
This could easily happen with a separate head and passive speaker system. In fact, it might be more likely to happen because a separate system is relying on the user to make good choices and to match up the appropriate amp and speaker.
I think most any powered speaker system has a built in limiter to protect the speaker and amplifier. The powered Bag End speakers do.
I've been looking into this. I agree with those who have said it's a niche market.
My current situation is running a Markbass head into a GK cab. Unfortunately, the Markbass tone stack runs in parallel with the effects loop, so my BDDIv2 has a colored signal no matter what.
The only decent solution for a small power amp I've found so far is the Seymour Duncan Powerstage 700. It does have some EQ controls, but they're minimal compared to a typical bass head. However, at $700, I'm not certain it's the wisest choice. I'd probably be better off getting a used Ampeg Portaflex head and running into the effects return.
Otherwise, I'd be looking at a powered speaker in the $500 range and I'm not certain how optimal they would be for bass.
My current situation is running a Markbass head into a GK cab. Unfortunately, the Markbass tone stack runs in parallel with the effects loop, so my BDDIv2 has a colored signal no matter what.
The only decent solution for a small power amp I've found so far is the Seymour Duncan Powerstage 700. It does have some EQ controls, but they're minimal compared to a typical bass head. However, at $700, I'm not certain it's the wisest choice. I'd probably be better off getting a used Ampeg Portaflex head and running into the effects return.
Otherwise, I'd be looking at a powered speaker in the $500 range and I'm not certain how optimal they would be for bass.
There is a Baby Sumo power amp FS in the classifieds right now. (no affiliation)
While I’d have put it more diplomatically if I’d thought of it, you make a strong and succinct case for discrete components here, and I’ve got the collection of presently useless combos to prove it
Plus, nothing about powered cabs prevents you from having backups in case of failure.
As long as GK is getting ready to relaunch their powered cabs, I think they would be well advised to update them to be compatible with all rack mount and pedal preamps. I would get one of their powered 1x12s in a New York minute if I could use it with my rack mount and pedal preamps.
So...what? The point stands. If a speaker blows in a regular cab, I plug in a different cabinet. If it blows in a powered speaker, I need a backup amp AND a backup cab (or a backup powered speaker). It's like a computer built into a monitor. Some people think it's a fine idea. I don't.
See above. Neither of you have countered my point in any meaningful way.
Sure, you can come up with catastrophes/accidents that make any choice look inadequate. Bringing a backup is bringing a backup, powered or not.
I'm not really trying to convince you - we disagree here.
+1
For those who double on upright/electric and prefer to use a separate 2-channel pre, this could potentially be a great bass- specific option.
This has nothing to do with "catastrophes" or "accidents." It's a simple point about the compound consequences of a failure to one element or the other. I never said you were trying to convince me, I just pointed out you hadn't countered my point. And if you weren't trying to do so, you wouldn't have tried to do so ;-)
Take it easy.
Sure, but it's still one thing fails, but 2 things aren't usable. My cab dies, I bring another one. My head dies I bring another one. My powered speaker dies, I have to bring both another speaker and an amp. As for power/amp match choices for combos, you must have missed the Carvin Cyclops that seemed to have the design goal to blow it's speakers, or the Portaflex series that had a similar track record. I'd rather trust my own knowledge and experience on the subject to make good choices. My options are then not dictated by profit margin.
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I had a couple powered 2X15 cabs. I had reliability issues with the amp and ended up gutting the power section. Worked fine after that. Worked great until it didn’t.
GR has a line of powered carbon fiber cabinets for guitarists. My guess as to why they don't have bass offerings is b/c of the combos, but having been through the 70 lb. WJ 2x10 powered cabinet experience, if something like GR AT Bass powered cabs popped up, I'd order one. Maybe two!
