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Why not a qsc Ksub

#21
I ran our band through just two K12s a few weeks ago. Bass, guitar, drums, and vocals. No amps, just Tech 21Sansamps. The K12s vibrated and rattled on the poles until I secured them with bungie cords. Nothing wrong with the speakers; they were simply working extra hard. I never use the DEEP function because I feel it messes with the clarity of the vocals and guitars, so it wasn't that. We are not all that loud of a band and I wasn't pumping up the bass too much, but I like my bass. Clear low bass. Well, I ordered the KSub imediately after the gig. I will be running everything through one KSub and two K12s in two weeks at the same venue. I will set the K12s to EXTERNAL SUB so I am expecting great things. I am not looking for earth shattering bass; just great danceable bass. The K12s alone sounded fantastic; even the bass! We are a two piece classic rock band and I actually had other professional musicians asking if I had some of my music recorded. I took that as a compliment since I play both the bass and the guitar parts from one guitar.

I have also used just a Precision Bass into a Tech 21 Programmable Bass Driver straight into just a K12 when I filled in on bass for a local band recently and it kicked! Next time I am thinking about using my K12 and a KSub.
 
#25
My old band had k12's, ksub and a presonus studiolive. Sounds perfect for your group. The sub was good at being natural and could match the loud drummer for volume. Chest-crushing, bar band sub, it was not. Great sounding sub that got loud enough, it was.
 
#27
I will be trying mine out for the first time on August 24th. Two K12s, one KSub, and a third K12 on the floor at an angle for a monitor. I am going to try the two mains and the sub at 12:00 on their gain which is unity gain and I hope the single sub will match two K12s like that. I don't know if I will need to set the sub higher since it is one sub up against two mains.
 
#28
I run my ksub and both k10's at about 2:00 pm. The Presonus Studio Live board isn't a hot output so the extra gain makes up or it. Basically, I'm running the same gain on the Tops as I am on the sub, at least to start. Nice setup, you'll like it.
 
#29
I usually run the sub off an aux out on my presonus and only put the kick, bass and keys through it. I run all the QSC's at max.

This weekend I will want a quicker easier setup so I will run the tops off the left and right out and the sub off the main out. I will start with all the speakers on full and the main out maxed then bring the main fader up.

Balance for taste if need be.

CP
 
#30
My mixer is the weakest link on our system, for sure. It is only a Peavey PV10. I am slowly piecing it all together. Next Friday I believe the KSub will really make a big difference. It isn't that big of a venue. Last time the two K12 mains set at 12:00 were great. It is reassuring to know others are just running one KSub with two mains.
 
#31
knuckle said:
Getting 2 K12's tonight. Had another thread recently on the K12's.

Our band is
1. Me guitars / vocals
2. Bass player, upright / electric
3. Cajon player (drum box)

We're definitely getting 2 K12's but the bass player is all over the place with what to get as far as a bass preamp. He's peed off about the tone of his upright and is contemplating all sorts of preamps.

Now we were originally going to get a QSC 18" powered sub, but due to cost, we're considering the Ksub instead. I've heard folks say that this is not optimal.

But we're not a metal band. Why would a sub with 2 12" drivers not really work? We're an acoustic band. I tend to think it will be fine.

What do the experts think? I'm certainly not an expert when it comes to sound.

Thanks
Click to expand...

The best subs I've ever owned were EAW SBX220s (compared to several JBL models, which are very good and some older Peaveys which were adequate). They were 212s rated at 1,400 watts continuous. EAW recommends driving them with amps capable of 1.5 to 2 times rated power, so each sub got its own QSC PLX-2402 bridged. Wow. Just incredible, tight, punch and bottom. But at $2K+ each, they'd better sound good.

Anyway, I think the K Sub would work well for you.

Invalid Link Removed
 
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#32
Jerry Ziarko said:
With the Fat Channel on the Pre Sonus, there honestly is no need for a bass preamp. There is SO much shaping ability with that board and the K12's.;)
Click to expand...

I use the FDeck HPF/Pre as my pre-amp when I play DB directly into FOH; the 10 megohm input impedance really helps get the best out of piezo pickups, it has its own volume control, and the variable HPF helps clean up the unproductive infrasonic frequencies. I never leave home without mine.

Works great with my passive P-bass, too! :D
 
#33
I ran the KSub last night for the first time. It had so much power it didn't need to be turned up to even 12:00. It really filled the room up great. There are still going to be times when I can just run the K12s, but it is nice to have the extra power. The KSub takes a lot of the load off the K12s. I am pretty sure I mentioned that I have run a Sansamp into just a K12 for a bass amp before with great results.
 
#34
i just got a K12 due to bass amp/cab/combo anxiety.

rehearsed with it with a hard trio yesterday.

i got there early to dial stuff in. i am running an FSR jazz with J-Retro pre and Aguilar hum cancelling pups through a Boss GT-001 (just a touch of reverb, pre's off).

best setting with the K12 alone (and me alone) was deep with the vocal eq on.

started at 12 o'clock high. i cranked the bass. sounded great, i upped it to 3 o'clock and goosed the J-Retro EQ.
i was rattling the studio fixtures.

i still didn't think it was loud enough. i think i fatigued myself - i wanted MORE!!! when the band came in i had to turn down A LOT!
depending on the tune, deep and vocal went on and off with great results.

before this i was looking at a KSub. but for my purposes (rehearsal, small bar gigs, etc...) the K12 alone is FANTASTIC!

and it sounded even better in monitor position (horizontal) - and looked cool.

forcing me to clean up my technique too.

shhh... i still want a KSub eventually. GC has a used one locally for cheap(er).
 
#35
11 year old thread but this seems like the best repository of ksub knowledge. Those of you who used the k12 on top of the ksub with distance poles: did you ever find it top heavy or unstable? They look like big heavy tops above narrow, relatively light subs. I was under the impression the ksubs were more meant for the 8 or 10 tops.

My band love my k12.2s that I use as wedges and we've just seen a cracking deal on a pair of k12s and a pair of ksubs all in mint condition with covers and poles and everything. The seller says they're never unstable, but then he would wouldn't he?
 
#37
4Mal said:
K subs were really not great. under K8, K10...OK you got a tad more low end. Under K12 nada.. 1 Yamaha DXS 15 XLF will bury a pair of ksubs without breaking a sweat. Time has moved on...
Click to expand...
This is fairly consistent with what the specs say:
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1775410230062.png


Rated SPL for a KSub is 130dB peak
Rated SPL for a DXS15II is 135dB peak

Keep in mind the standards for QSC and Yamaha specs are probably not exactly the same. The actual difference may be bigger are smaller than the specs suggest.

A pair of KSubs tight packed should bump the SPL up to 136dB. You don't get the extra 6dB if the subs are placed left and right.

KSub is rated -10dB to 44hz.
DXS15II is rated -10dB to 40hz.

Doesn't do anything to answer the question about how tippy a KSub and K12 will be. KSub is 14" wide, which is definitely narrow. A KSub weighs 74lbs and K12 weighs 41 lbs.

@Jack to some extent, how tippy a K12 and KSub will be depends on how high the K12 is lifter. IHMO tippy is also somewhat subjective. Can you do a demo and judge for yourself?
 
#39
Wasnex said:
@Jack to some extent, how tippy a K12 and KSub will be depends on how high the K12 is lifter. IHMO tippy is also somewhat subjective. Can you do a demo and judge for yourself?
Click to expand...
I certainly could, but they're about a 3 hours drive away.

Thanks for the help all. To be honest I really don't need deeper low end at all, just more of it. I'd bet the ksusb probably would work great for our application. However, between my tipping concerns and the general feeling that there's better subs out there then I think we'll wait for the next deal to come along. It was just tempting as the band keep telling me how great my K12.2s sound, so the idea of getting a similar qsc pa system rather than from any of the similar brands appealed to the hive mind.
 
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#40
knuckle said:
Getting 2 K12's tonight. Had another thread recently on the K12's.

Our band is
1. Me guitars / vocals
2. Bass player, upright / electric
3. Cajon player (drum box)

We're definitely getting 2 K12's but the bass player is all over the place with what to get as far as a bass preamp. He's peed off about the tone of his upright and is contemplating all sorts of preamps.

Now we were originally going to get a QSC 18" powered sub, but due to cost, we're considering the Ksub instead. I've heard folks say that this is not optimal.

But we're not a metal band. Why would a sub with 2 12" drivers not really work? We're an acoustic band. I tend to think it will be fine.

What do the experts think? I'm certainly not an expert when it comes to sound.

Thanks
Click to expand...
We use either K8 or K10 tops and a single ksub.
Its on wheels...a one man lift out of the truck if you think you can handle it...but you are a team of 3 so help is available.

For larger gigs, we 5 mic the kit, keys, acoustic and sax plus 3 vox and we get punchy for 150 person room.
So 2 K12 and a ksub for a low power gig is easy in its scope.
You aren't going for huge power..you just want some nice depth and clarity.

We also run same for 4 piece/2 gtrs and get pretty energetic and powerful and our gig sound is the benchmark level but an extra part of that is that our gtr who runs the board is very useful. imo.
 

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