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why no sEALed fEARfuls???

#82
Plstrns said:
Sometimes I wonder if they got it right (very, very difficult for a first outing, if not impossible), or if we just enjoy the nostalgic sound. It's difficult to distingish- like a cheeseburger, is it really good or do we just think it is? I personally love it, but what are the odds it's really that good?:)
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All I can tell you is that I've heard all the advancements in cab technology over the past 30 years, and while I'd never want to use it for a PA, the sealed 810 is still my favorite bass cab of all time and I think it holds up incredibly well against all these new designs 42 years later, as do a whole buttload of us bass players.
 
#83
Plstrns said:
Sometimes I wonder if they got it right (very, very difficult for a first outing, if not impossible), or if we just enjoy the nostalgic sound. It's difficult to distingish- like a cheeseburger, is it really good or do we just think it is? I personally love it, but what are the odds it's really that good?:)
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Does it matter, as long as you still love it? If I design a cabinet with ruler flat response from 5hz to 30kHz and handles 5000watts without farting out, does that mean it is "better" and everyone will love it? Sometimes a cheeseburger is just a cheeseburger. Quit thinking about it and eat!
 
#87
Bob C said:
How come Greenboy hasn't chimed in on this thread yet?
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LOL!!
He's probably gritting his teeth trying not to, but my money is on NO RESPONSE!!

One thing is clear. There are definitely two camps. Sealed and ported. You can argue (debate?) "till the cows come home".

I've always been in the "ported" camp, whether bass guitar or hi-fi cabs. Porting reinforces the low bass response while making the cab more "efficient".
Yes, an old SVT sounds great with the original head, but that is around 200lbs with one cab. 300 with two..

The modern gigging bassist seems to be seeking the most bang for the buck (or weight), hence the quest for lighter, smaller designs that sound huge and accurate!!
another two cents in this pot!...:)
 
#90
So with the apparent shortcomings compared to a vented cab, why is the swr marcus miller 410 sealed? Given how nice the MM preamp is and the fact that it seems to genuinely incorporate some of his input, I assume Miller went with a sealed design because he's getting something from it that wasn't available via a ported design (at that price point??), be it tone or response. Or is it all a cynical marketing exercise?

It does seem to me that he must have gained something to accept the tradeoffs.
 
#91
I Forget said:
So with the apparent shortcomings compared to a vented cab, why is the swr marcus miller 410 sealed? Given how nice the MM preamp is and the fact that it seems to genuinely incorporate some of his input, I assume Miller went with a sealed design because he's getting something from it that wasn't available via a ported design
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Like I said, if there's a market for a product someone will fill it, especially if some people will not even consider something else.
 
#93
Yair, maybe. But I don't get the impression that Miller is the kind of man to pedal bs. Nor do I think they're going to sell a boatload of modern voiced, sealed cabs to svt fans.

Just have to have a listen for myself I guess. :)
 
#95
This is NOT my area of expertise, but Duke provides plugs to permit ported or sealed operation for his 3012-based Thunderchild. He also provides quite detailed information about the change in response when used with the ducts open or closed.

Seems like sealed vs ported with these drivers isn't a can-do/can't-do situation, just a case of what you get vs what you have to give up...
 
#97
billfitzmaurice said:
Probably not, but he's also not an expert in the field of loudspeaker design.
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Agreed Bill, but most experts in the field of loudspeaker design are not musicans or players the calibre of Marcus Miller. Even ferrari's engineers design their racing cars on the basis of feedback from the drivers, because ultimately they aren't qualified to judge whether or not it's 'right'. Ideally it's a joint effort.

Of course there's more to a cab than whether it's sealed or not so the only way I'm going to know if I like that particular one is to try it.

Interesting thread.
 
#98
One thing I've observed is that that tube amps typically interact more with the speakers they are driving than SS amps. This is because tube amps generally have higher output impedance. Ported cab impedance typically varies with frequency quite a bit more than sealed cab impedance. This can produce noticeable unevenness in response that's not detectable with a sealed cab. In a side by side comparison under these circumstances, I think many would consider the sealed cab to be smoother sounding.
 
#99
I Forget said:
Agreed Bill, but most experts in the field of loudspeaker design are not musicans or players the calibre of Marcus Miller. Even ferrari's engineers design their racing cars on the basis of feedback from the drivers, because ultimately they aren't qualified to judge whether or not it's 'right'. Ideally it's a joint effort.
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I agree with you. And I agree with Bill. And I agree with everyone. I'm just an agreeable SOB tonight!

:hyper:

You know, one great thing about the debate between traditional bass cab designs and the newer stuff like the fEarful and the Audiokinesis and the Bill FM stuff...you don't have to choose only one side. You can build a fEarful, get a Marcus Miller GoLight, and get a vintage Ampeg 215 with JBL's if you want, and you can use any of them to make a goodly amount of sound with your bass depending on your mood. It's great to fill yourself up with as much knowledge as you can, but in the end, what truly matters is how well you perform. Play whatever makes you perform well. Everyone's got opinions on gear, some are educated, some are not and that's perfectly OK too. In the end, you must decide what's right for you.
 
#100
rpsands said:
Some of us don't like cheeseburgers because they sound anemic drop tuned below D or so. :)

Sorry, metaphor fail.
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Which answers the question of why there is no sealed fEarful cab. The fEarful's are 2 and 3 way cabs optimized to take advantage of the performance of the Eminence Kappalite woofers in a ported cabinet. Two and three way design cabs were around long before them. These cabs provide a different "flavor" that seems to work great for some folks. A sealed box design is an entirely different animal altogether, with a different response and probably wouldn't appeal to the fEarful lovers.

It's like comparing apples and oranges and saying, "I like apples better. Why can't oranges taste more like apples?" Is decreased low end response necessarily a bad thing? I've played many cabs without a whole lot going on down deep that I thought sounded great within the context of the music. Once again different flavors. Personally, I'll trade response below 50Hz, for increased lower mid punch, but that's just me. Guess that's why some people prefer the Whopper and some prefer the Big Mac.
 

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