Bass Cab opinions....

[Ancient Astronaught]

You could also try rolling back the bass a little bit and bumping the mids.

Speaker size also doesn't have as much to do with perceived low-end as some companies would have you believe. A fridge will usually "go lower" than a single 18".

Roll back the bass Blasphemy! I've tried that, and with the way my bass is run with the tone rolled all the way off it doesn't really help much, and if i turn the tone up my pedals don't sound right to me. I want more of an enveloping low end bass tone that won't compete with my 3 guitarists tones. It's a really fine balancing act eq wise.

Your right, if your talking about perception when standing in front of the cabs, and the main reason you perceive more low end out of an 8x10 then a 1x18 is the amount of air the speakers will push. An 8x10 would destroy a 1x18 in person as far as perceived low end, but my main goal is a little extra stage volume and recording tone. When put to tape a 1x18 will destroy an 8x10 as far as low end, because when you mic up the cabs the 8x10 becomes a 1x10. While the ten can put out some serious bass it can't replicate the base frequency of a low B like an 18 can, the 18 will also have a looser feel which is what I'm going for on tape.

[D.o.S.]

Well then make it happen, doood. And take pictures. And bring candy.

Ear-candy.

[Ancient Astronaught]

Well then make it happen, doood. And take pictures. And bring candy.

Ear-candy.

I will don't worry, just gotta unload some drum gear first.

Oh and ear-candy? All ready got that....



Buzzbomb 2x12 with Swamp Thang + Tonker

[SmallEQ]

It's the size of a 4x12, and shakes like nobodys business (it will rattle off a 65lb bass head in under two minutes at practice volumes).

I hate reading this, screams of an under braced, under engineered cab. Well made and well braced cans don't do this shit.

[Ancient Astronaught]

It's more that semi gloss finishes and the hard rubber feet on my orange don't mix well for great friction, especially under the heavy vibration of a 200watt tube bass head with the master cranked and gain between 4 and 6. But if you feel emperor cabs are under braced and under engineered that's your opinion. To me a cab that resonates to that effect is a good thing, sound is vibration so more vibe more sound and it gives the tone a more 3d feeling, I've also never had any construction issues with any of my emperor's.

[Demon666]

Me.

I am intrigued, i had no idea you made cabinets. please tell me more!

I built myself two Matamp?Electric style 2x15's and an 8x10. I haven't built any for anyone else even though everyone keeps telling me too. Eminence Legend speakers, the 2x15's are wired up 4/16 ohm. I usually use two for an 8ohm load but I can just grab one and run it at 4ohm. The 810 is 4/16ohm mono or 8ohm stereo. I'm kicking around the idea of building a 4x15.

That is awesome my friend, and really smart wiring. I've found most companies don't consider flexibility with wiring and just go for what ever is easiest what rarely ever works in my favor. So i take it you have an AD200B as well, what's your feelings on it? I personally love mine to death for both bass and guitar.

Yep. My main amp. I have a love /hate relationship with it. I really do love it and it's simple and works, but I try to not like it because I want to try some other heads (Matamp, Hiwatt, Electric, mostly) I've let a few people use it for guitar and I always thought it sounded pretty damn good.

[Demon666]

It's more that semi gloss finishes and the hard rubber feet on my orange don't mix well for great friction, especially under the heavy vibration of a 200watt tube bass head with the master cranked and gain between 4 and 6. But if you feel emperor cabs are under braced and under engineered that's your opinion. To me a cab that resonates to that effect is a good thing, sound is vibration so more vibe more sound and it gives the tone a more 3d feeling, I've also never had any construction issues with any of my emperor's.

My Taurus pedals will make any amp vibrate around on top of the cab. It usually only happens with extreme volume, long sustained notes (feedback) playing bass.

[SmallEQ]

It's more that semi gloss finishes and the hard rubber feet on my orange don't mix well for great friction, especially under the heavy vibration of a 200watt tube bass head with the master cranked and gain between 4 and 6. But if you feel emperor cabs are under braced and under engineered that's your opinion. To me a cab that resonates to that effect is a good thing, sound is vibration so more vibe more sound and it gives the tone a more 3d feeling, I've also never had any construction issues with any of my emperor's.

Well I wouldn't say it's my opinion, it's also held by a lot of people way smarter than me (there is basically no interior bracing from what I've seen/heard), but I get what Emperor is going for.

Truthfully, while you may be happy with the sound (and that's what matters most in the end), resonating like that takes away from the overall output of the cab. That's a lot of energy that's being lost that is not being transmitted through the air, which is a much more efficient medium for the waves to propogate through than the wood panels of the cab.

[whiskey_face]

sell drum shit, get 18.

18s are fucking SWEET.

[metalmariachi]

I voted the 4x10 2x15.
I’ve played through 18” cabs, an Acoustic folded horn, and 8x10 cabs. I couldn’t hear myself through the 18 and 8x10s are a bit too punchy for me.
Maybe a big 4x12 cab would do the job more note definition than 15s with less punch than 8x10s
Might be a bit too Cream/Blue Cheer sounding for you though.

[Waterpilot]

I'd vote for another 2 12 or go 2 15's. I agree with EQ in that all the shaking would seem like that would be a lot of wasted energy. But, I'm no where near an expert so take it with a grain of salt.

[sanfordandsonny]

8x18"

[Ancient Astronaught]

Well I wouldn't say it's my opinion, it's also held by a lot of people way smarter than me (there is basically no interior bracing from what I've seen/heard), but I get what Emperor is going for.

Truthfully, while you may be happy with the sound (and that's what matters most in the end), resonating like that takes away from the overall output of the cab. That's a lot of energy that's being lost that is not being transmitted through the air, which is a much more efficient medium for the waves to propogate through than the wood panels of the cab.

I may have been a little harsh in my post yesterday, i apologize. I have 4 different emperor cab's at the moment and i've opened all of them up, while they don't have insane amounts of bracing all of them have atleast one front baffle to back plate brace, my larger cabs (3x15 + 6x12) have 3 in each. I'm not sure if this is the bracing your talking about or not though.

Okay now I can see where your coming coming regarding the resonating. I can see where for some people this isn't a feature that is wanted, for me though that is actually what sold me on my first emp cab and convinced me to buy the rest that i have. The natural resonance is pleasureful to my ears, they are the first cabs that i can feel vibrating to music thats coming out of a stereo, and when you play through them i almost perceive them as having a 3d sound, that i enjoy. Instead of casting sound in only which ever direction the speakers are facing they seem to fill a room. To each their own, and it truly boils down to if you hear what you like.

My Taurus pedals will make any amp vibrate around on top of the cab. It usually only happens with extreme volume, long sustained notes (feedback) playing bass.

That's what seems to be happening with me also, loud long sustained notes. And i can tell you the cab is definitely tuned to D, as that's when it resonates the most.

I voted the 4x10 2x15.
I’ve played through 18” cabs, an Acoustic folded horn, and 8x10 cabs. I couldn’t hear myself through the 18 and 8x10s are a bit too punchy for me.
Maybe a big 4x12 cab would do the job more note definition than 15s with less punch than 8x10s
Might be a bit too Cream/Blue Cheer sounding for you though.

Yeah I'm thinking the 8x10's not for me, I'm not looking for punch. I need more ambient massive low end tone. The 4x12 is a decent idea, Brian Cook from Russian Circles uses 2 of them and his tone is killer.

sell drum shit, get 18.

18s are fucking SWEET.

How did I know you'd say that hahahahaha Thanks bud!

8x18"

I don't play in Ol' Scratch anymore, that would just be total overkill in every sense of the word for my current band. But thanks Sonny!

[whiskey_face]

8x18"

i actually have one designed for EV 18s. . . fuck i even have the cutlist done. now to just hit that powerball so i can afford 4k in just drivers in one cab. . .

someday ill get around to it. . . . .

after my 8x12. . .

[The4455]

You could always sell some drum stuff and keep the 1x18 and get a 4x12, that would be louder and more "punchy," but not too punchy, than a second 1x18.