Off Topic Cabinet Help - 2x15 or 1x15 + 2x10

[Manfloozy]

I am sorry for the Off-Topic thread... but I simply didn't want to get flamed on TB for asking this question (yes, yes I've done a friggin' search).

Would you guys recommend doing the 2x 1x15 thang, or adding a 2x10 on top of a 1x15?

I really was leaning towards doubling up the 15's, but is there something to be gained from the 10's? By themselves, 10's haven't done it for me, neither have 12's... there is just a richness that comes out of a 15" cab.

I know that there are efficiency gains from doubling drivers, and I know that driver size alone has no actual effect on sound other than dispersion pattern... and that usually the difference comes from the cab... but other than that techno mumbo jumbo... HOW DOES IT SOUND? What do you like? Thoughts, feelings?

Did I make any sense? Or do we need to break out the bunny?

 

[Aussie Mark]

I went the 4x10 plus 1x15 route for several years, shrunk the 4x10 to a 2x10 and noticed no detriment in sound, then I swapped the 1x15 for another 2x10 and things still sounded good. I really like a pair of 2x10 cabs (and sometimes three of them) - I like the sound, portability, and flexibility.

That said, if I were young enough and didn't mind taking the child seats out of the car everytime I needed to load up for a gig, I'd still have my Henry The 8x8. Best. Cab. Ever.

 

[b-unit]

If 10's haven't been your thing in the past and you love the sound of a good 115 cab, then adding a second 115 cab would be my recommendation. Adding a second cab that is identical to the one you already have will give you an increase in volume and depth to your sound that will be huge sounding. Your tone and power distri9bution will be balanced between cabs and you will not likely need anything more then 2 115's volume wise.

Hope that helps.

 

[five7]

2x10 0r better yet 2x12. My markbass thru my ampeg 2x12 is amazing. My guitar player uses 2 Marshall 100 watt 1/2 stacks and my drummer asks him to turn up.

 

[Laredo]

I have both...............

But like you, tend to prefer 15" speakers. That being said, it depends on the speaker and cabinet. I will no longer play any 15's that don't have the Epifani logo on the grill! A mix of 210 and 115 can be great, but if you have the right 115's you will never miss, or regret not having a 210............I actually replied to you over on TB, before I saw this!

 

[maddog]

I know that there are efficiency gains from doubling drivers, and I know that driver size alone has no actual effect on sound other than dispersion pattern... and that usually the difference comes from the cab...

given the same cone material, a 15" driver is going to have a lower resonating frequency than a 10" driver. This is due to having a larger cone area and thus a higher moving mass. Also, because of the higher mass, it won't produce higher frequencies as efficiently. Thus giving a richer, warmer, thumpier sound over a 10" driver. Cab design plays into it but the cab design revolves around that cone mass which a 15" usually wins.

If you need more punch and clarity, go with a 2x10 cab. If you like warm, fuzzy and thumpy, get another 1x15.

 

[Stephen]

What maddog said ... plus, you might want to consider that your new bass has a lot of quality top end (as far as basses go) to offer for which a 2x10 would be more suitable. EQ the rest.

 

[Movielife]

Ah, the cabinet quest!

I am still on the cabinet quest, and I now have 6, yes 6 bass cabs! All of them high end.

If I were you, and you want a fairly compact rig that can stand up against a few guitars and loud drummer, go for either:

2x10 + 2x10....sometimes one 2x10 will just not cut thorough. It all depends.

4x10....just get a high quality 4 ohm 4x10 with casters and it will provide a LOT of low end. I suggest Bergantino or Aguilar. Bergantino have neo 4x10s as well, if you want to save more weight. The Bergantino HS410 is a powerhouse of a 4x10, and will do virtually any gig. It will fit in a boot, as its slim, but it does weigh around 85lbs.

2x10 + 1x15...if you want that added low end fatness. It is nice to have a 15 sometime

2x12....one high quality 4 ohm 2x12 will cover a LOT of ground. Tecamp make high end neo 2x12s with great tweeters, only 44lbs ish, and very very loud with great tone. M212 is the best Genz make a nice 2x12 or two as well.

1x12 + 1x12 - Go Bergantino or Aguilar....or Genz.

The 12s will be great in saving you space and giving you the common ground of a fast 10 and the low end (nearly) of a 15. Plus, they are quite throaty.

If I were you, i'd get a high quality lightweight 2x12 4 ohm cabinet.

 

[oli@bass]

Try the cabs out. Get to a store and compare them. Take your bass and amp with you, so you're familiar with the basis and able to listen to the differences. Every cab sounds different, regardless of the speaker size. I love 10". But there's a ton of 2x10" and 4x10" cabs I don't like at all.

Something else to consider is: Do you need the cab for monitoring yourself only or do you want provide the bass sound for the audience? And derived from that, is the purpose mainly to make yourself heard or to have a beautiful sound (these are very different goals, and even exlcusive in their extremes)

 

[Movielife]

Try the cabs out. Get to a store and compare them. Take your bass and amp with you, so you're familiar with the basis and able to listen to the differences. Every cab sounds different, regardless of the speaker size. I love 10". But there's a ton of 2x10" and 4x10" cabs I don't like at all.

Something else to consider is: Do you need the cab for monitoring yourself only or do you want provide the bass sound for the audience? And derived from that, is the purpose mainly to make yourself heard or to have a beautiful sound (these are very different goals, and even exlcusive in their extremes)

This is good advice....+1

I agree, tone is more important than massive massive volume. There are some cabs that will give you both, but they are quite pricey......eg the mid sized/larger sized Bergantino line.

 

[T Alan]

Try the cabs out. Get to a store and compare them. Take your bass and amp with you, so you're familiar with the basis and able to listen to the differences. Every cab sounds different, regardless of the speaker size. I love 10". But there's a ton of 2x10" and 4x10" cabs I don't like at all.

Something else to consider is: Do you need the cab for monitoring yourself only or do you want provide the bass sound for the audience? And derived from that, is the purpose mainly to make yourself heard or to have a beautiful sound (these are very different goals, and even exlcusive in their extremes)

This.

 

[coastie72]

Don't overlook the Genz Benz options. I currently have a 212T Neox that weighs 50 lbs and it is an amazing cabinet! When I was deciding on a new bass I had very little trouble on deciding on EBMM. It finally came down to which one. The cabinet was a different story, I bought one without every seeing it, other than pictures. It took a couple of months asking questions and pm's with other TB'ers before I pulled the trigger. I have the same cabinet that Ed uses for all his demos's. I am a blessed and happy with what I have! Good luck!

 

[Basspro]

Oli has it. Only you can decide what fits your needs.I've used alot of different combos,
and found that the Aguilar GS412 works best for me as a single cab solution.
For me these 12's are the new 10's, fast response and attack, without the flabbyness
that some 15's give.

 

[cellkirk74]

If you think about neo on a 15 be aware that they sound a little different from traditional drivers. That means they will not be boomy anymore, especially when they use quality stuff like the eminence neo speakers as used by Genz, Epifani and tecamp.

This said I have a fullrange 2x10 + 6' +15 -Cabinet that sounds really great with the Big Al. But it is big. Personally i would go for an additional 2x10 neo with a good tweeter, but you have to try the sound together with your cab, as mixing speakersizes may cause frequency-loss.

 

[keko]

It really depends of few factors, what kind of music You play, do You use only personal amplification, or play with PA support, if play with PA support depends also what's in the sub-woofer PA boxes? ...etc.

I'll just give You my case for example:

During the gig I play simultaneously through 2x10"+1"hf box powered with amp/head and through DI output to PA system support!
In my PA system there are 18" drivers in subs, 2x12" in middle range and 3" titanium horns in highs (EV RX series in 3-way amping mode).
So, obviously I don't need huge bass speaker drivers in personal amplification, 'cause in PA system are huge sub bass drivers for lowest tonal spectrum!

P.S. ...I hope You'll understand my "English"

 

[oli@bass]

Oh, BTW, something else to consider: Don't focus so much on speaker size than on sound and portability of the cab itself. Don't be afraid to go unconventional routes. E.g. I tried my MarkBass Minimark (2x6") with the NYC 4x6" extension cab and the sound was huge, full, phat, you name it... not exactly what I had expected from those tiny speakers.

However, that cab costs almost the same as a full blown 4x10, so I ditched the idea of getting it for home practising

 

[Powman]

given the same cone material, a 15" driver is going to have a lower resonating frequency than a 10" driver. This is due to having a larger cone area and thus a higher moving mass. Also, because of the higher mass, it won't produce higher frequencies as efficiently. Thus giving a richer, warmer, thumpier sound over a 10" driver. Cab design plays into it but the cab design revolves around that cone mass which a 15" usually wins.

If you need more punch and clarity, go with a 2x10 cab. If you like warm, fuzzy and thumpy, get another 1x15.

I concur...

10's for more punch...another 15 for thump

 

[tkarter]

I like what a 2x10 and 1x15 brings. I have heard enough 4x10s to know a lot of folks play them and apparently love them but not I.

Maybe go try out some cabs. See what rings your bell.

tk

 

[fly]

same......1x15 and 2x10 is what works here.......sometimes just the 1x15,and sometimes just the 2x10.........but together is my fav.

 

[Funky Chicken]

I'm a firm believer in carrying as small a rig as is humanly possible, and letting the PA do the work if you can. That way you end up in the mix instead of fighting with it. The small rig also enables me to hit the preamp a little harder which is a big part of my tone.
I remember going to see the Spin Doctors with Mark White on bass a long time ago-it was a pretty small venue and I was right up front. It was obvious that there was simply too much compression and sheer volume-he could have breathed on the strings and gotten a full-on thumb slap tone. He had no shot at controlling any kind of dynamics with his hands, and that's the exact opposite of how I like amplication to feel. I want to be able to dig in or lay back as needed and a smaller rig with help from the PA lets me do that.
If I am flying to a gig I'll do anything I can to avoid something like an SVT (standard rental backline amp). I just don't need or want to move that much air onstage and it interferes with my playing.
I played hundreds of gigs with an ancient SWR Studio 220 head thru a Goliath Jr. 2x10. It was more a monitor for me than anything else and I liked the fact that the "throw" on it was short-it made it easy for me to hear myself onstage. The only downside to it was that I really didn't "feel" much because I wasn't moving much air, but that was ok with me because it gave our soundman control over how bottom-y things got. We used the XLR out on the back-I didn't even need to carry a direct box.
When the Goliath Jr. died I replaced it with an Epifani 2x12. It moves a lot more air without defeating the purpose of keeping the stage volume manageable.
YMMV, of course, but unless you are in a LOUD band that usually doesn't run instruments thru the PA, I look at carrying multiple cabs or a 2x15 to be overkill. If I preferred the tone of a 15" I might look an an SWR Triad or something similar but that's as big and heavy a cab as I could ever see myself carrying.