Why is mixing cab sizes a bad idea?

[agedhorse]

As long as the impedance matches, so will the power distribution. Pairing a 115 with a 210/410 is common.

The concern isn't necessarily power distribution between cabinets but power distribution between drivers.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I never really understood why some TB'ers care if a thread is resurrected ; new knowledge about an older topic is always welcome, imho.

I wonder if the people who do it ever ask themselves why?

 

[Brad Johnson]

I’ve been reading the posts with amusement. Some are quite good while others are pretty funny.
Everyone is going to have an opinion on this and it boils down to what you like.
I’ve owned Vox, Fender, Sunn, Kustom, Ampeg, Peavey, David Eden, Mesa, and a few others. I prefer the old all tube head. That said I gotta admit there are a few new light weights now that are programmable that can do a nice job. Cabs, 10, 12, 15, and 18 in the brands above. Found 10’s too tinny, 15’s and 18’s too slow. Cab of choice for me are 12’s. Best controllable tone as well.
In smaller venues or where there is a great house system, I’m using TC Electronics 650 with TC’s 212. Large venues that are going to require a lot of air getting moved Mesa Boogie 400+ with Mesa’s 412. If that’s not enough, then 1 Ernie Ball 212 on the other side of the stage. Never needed to use the 2nd EB cab on stage. Only out doors on grass and the drummer on risers.
Just remember, bass carries much further than anything else, so you don’t want to be loud, just move enough air to help ‘em dance. Find your sweet spot with the drummer and then back off a half a number.
Hopefully that helps.

With what's available today, assigning much of anything to driver size alone, while comfortable, is usually a step in the wrong direction.

 

[Blaze Barlow]

The industry term for bi-amping implies that a true crossover is being used, low frequencies to one amp and high frequencies to the other. Just using 2 amps is not, by industry terminology, biamped.

To turn this around, if a manufacturer claimed that because there were 2 power amps in an amp being fed from the same signal source and with no crossover were market as biamped, the world would have a cow over that claim because it's misleading (perhaps intentionally).

More correct terms would be "dual mono", or "dual amp system", or even "stereo" if the signal path allowed for 2 different signals.

yes..I have an svt pro 4..and it can use the two internal amps (A&B or 1&2) to power two seperate cabs by patching cables on the back panel..crossover frequency select knob is on the front of the amp..

 

[Blaze Barlow]

If either are 4 ohms, then together that would be 2.67 ohms and could damage your head. As long as both are 8 ohms, you will be ok and won't damage your amp.

It may sound fine, and at 4 ohms your amp probably don't have enough power to easily damage the 210, but be aware of the possibility if you drive the amp hard.

[edited for missing line]

ha..ha.....I am using two ampeg HLF 4x10 cabs with my svt pro 4..cabs are 4 ohms each..the two internal power amps will each power a full range cabinet..the manual is calling it "dual mono"..hows that for a compatible pair of cabinets..?..

 

[plymptonite]

yea, I love to bring a 2 cab rig , sometimes in a small venue ,a light DI signal to the board. In 05 I used an SVT 4 pro , till it gave up and kept blowing thermal fuses. when Hartke came out with the LH-1000 I was totally in love .simple stack eq , and a balance knob .. by 09 I paired it up with an old Trace Elliot single 15, but hated that speaker so I swapped it out with a 4ohm, 1982 Peavey Black widow PA speaker I had from college, and the top cab is a 97 Hartke transporter ( I know Yuk ,right ) but believe it or not the LH-1000 in dual mono, can handle a 4ohm and a 8ohm load just fine .. oh don't ever run it in bridge mode, just 500 a side ( I know it's not putting out that wattage per speaker ) but man does it sound Great .. I should put the 15 on top , cause actually it's brighter . but the TE cab has casters . The Dirty Bird rig sure looks ugly , its' got the Best tone. may not get as loud as my 2 Hartke XL 4x10's and the Kilo head.. but I've had more compliments . others have said , I've never heard a Hartke rig sound that good . i'll run my upright's for a grass or Jazz gig . Ric or a Fender for a rock gig. the LH-1000 pairs well with a Sansamp RBI or Bass Driver DI. yea, some speakers will pair well together . others won't ..

 

[Chickenwheels]

I plugged an old column speaker into a Crate combo once. The Crate blew up.
This is mixing speakers together badly.

 

[jnewmark]

I wonder if the people who do it ever ask themselves why?

What bugs me are the posters who start threads, and then disappear .

 

[Old P Bass Guy]

Some questions don't need a discussion just an educated answer. I have started doing that with PM's to prople I think are the most qualified on a particular topic. Works for me.

 

[agedhorse]

ha..ha.....I am using two ampeg HLF 4x10 cabs with my svt pro 4..cabs are 4 ohms each..the two internal power amps will each power a full range cabinet..the manual is calling it "dual mono"..hows that for a compatible pair of cabinets..?..

Sounds good to me

 

[Blaze Barlow]

yea, I love to bring a 2 cab rig , sometimes in a small venue ,a light DI signal to the board. In 05 I used an SVT 4 pro , till it gave up and kept blowing thermal fuses. when Hartke came out with the LH-1000 I was totally in love .simple stack eq , and a balance knob .. by 09 I paired it up with an old Trace Elliot single 15, but hated that speaker so I swapped it out with a 4ohm, 1982 Peavey Black widow PA speaker I had from college, and the top cab is a 97 Hartke transporter ( I know Yuk ,right ) but believe it or not the LH-1000 in dual mono, can handle a 4ohm and a 8ohm load just fine .. oh don't ever run it in bridge mode, just 500 a side ( I know it's not putting out that wattage per speaker ) but man does it sound Great .. I should put the 15 on top , cause actually it's brighter . but the TE cab has casters . The Dirty Bird rig sure looks ugly , its' got the Best tone. may not get as loud as my 2 Hartke XL 4x10's and the Kilo head.. but I've had more compliments . others have said , I've never heard a Hartke rig sound that good . i'll run my upright's for a grass or Jazz gig . Ric or a Fender for a rock gig. the LH-1000 pairs well with a Sansamp RBI or Bass Driver DI. yea, some speakers will pair well together . others won't ..

I had a hartke lh1000..but when I had it on top of my speaker cabs and volume was up..the metal top on the amp would vibrate and rattle..I tried to tighten it down..but it didnt help..it was especially a problem on an "A" note at loud volume..I sold the amp..really never was a hartke fan..just got this one on a good deal and was only using for a backup and tuning instruments..havent missed it since I sold..dual mono wattage is under 400 watts per side..you can only get the 1000 if you bridge..never did try it though since it was never my primary amp..I am ampeg all the way..

 

[DigitalMan]

I plugged an old column speaker into a Crate combo once. The Crate blew up.
This is mixing speakers together badly.

Sounds like it worked out for the best actually...

 

[Bill G.]

I've been using GK 1x15 & 2x12 cabs for over 10 years & they've always sounded great and worked well for me. I don't feel the need to change until they blow up!

 

[Tim Schnautz]

I've heard that you shouldn't mix cabs, but why is this?

I would have figured that using a 1x15 and a 2x10 together would give you a warm low end from the 15 and a tight top end from the 10s, but I guess this isn't the case.

Well, there's cabs out there that have 1-15 and 2-10s in it. You could get one and then not worry about mixing them...

 

[Jukin]

I've heard that you shouldn't mix cabs, but why is this?

I would have figured that using a 1x15 and a 2x10 together would give you a warm low end from the 15 and a tight top end from the 10s, but I guess this isn't the case.

Waaay too much to lug around, but if required, works very well and outstanding!
1x18 and 2x12, each cab 4 ohms, 370.

 

[Jukin]

I've heard that you shouldn't mix cabs, but why is this?

I would have figured that using a 1x15 and a 2x10 together would give you a warm low end from the 15 and a tight top end from the 10s, but I guess this isn't the case.

 

[el murdoque]

I would have figured that using a 1x15 and a 2x10 together would give you a warm low end from the 15 and a tight top end from the 10s.

Yes, that is absolutely the case. You will get the warm low end from the 15; Mixed with the coughing harsh lows of the 10s, of course.
Same goes for the highs - the smaller speakers have less mass and can swing faster, therefore they will bring a better articulation - again mixed with the muddy feel of the 15.
When you choose different sizes of speakers and mix them up, keep in mind that you'll send a fullrange signal to each speaker. When you combine those mixed speakers with a single amp, you will have one equalizer to make both cabs sound good at the same time.
I'm not saying that this can't be done - I've done it myself on many occasions with varying results - but usually it's the easier thing to choose a driver for its sound and then the quantity of that driver for the volume needed.
I quite like the Idea of having a 112 and a 212 (either in 16 and 8 ohms or in 8 and 4 with a 2 ohm stable amp),
so there is the possibility of playing 112, 212 and 312. The sound will not change its character by adding speakers, it'll just become more.


Mixing drivers that have their forte in different frequency ranges and using a crossover to make sure every driver gets the optimal frequency band is something entirely different, however.

 

[agedhorse]

Your assumption that smaller speakers have less mass in not necessarily true, and it ignores mass to motor strength ratio.

If you were to do the math and understand the results, you would recognize why your assumptions are often untrue.

 

[Chickenwheels]

Put an EVM 15 into a TL606 box and run it with a GK. That ain’t ever going to sound muddy, slow, or lack tops or punch.

 

[Al Kraft]

Yes, that is absolutely the case. You will get the warm low end from the 15; Mixed with the coughing harsh lows of the 10s, of course.
Same goes for the highs - the smaller speakers have less mass and can swing faster, therefore they will bring a better articulation - again mixed with the muddy feel of the 15.

Respectfully, you are kidding here right? The rest of your post makes good sense to me and seems to agree with my own experience.