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The Reardrop explodes

Like any mass produced instrument, there are always good and bad examples, but there is something odd about the Stingray sonically. You can tell it's definitely designed as an evolution to the Precision, as it's pickup placement fits into an almost perfect sonic space for the listener, but it's often a struggle for the player. If you're running a 'Ray balls-out like Flea, it rises magnificently to the occasion, but as an accompanying instrument it does tend to get sonically buried. It's almost as if the sound lacks the necessary body in a live situation. Even my fantastic sounding thirty year old 2eq model can seem to get a little lost [to my ears], but audience members regularly say it sounds fantastic, that they can clearly hear every single note. Maybe many of us have on-stage hearing difficulties and the Stingray is just fine?

So it’s fair to say a 15” speaker cab won’t sound deeper if the low frequency is increased compared to say a 10” speaker assuming both can handle the low bass ? im aware they may sound the same flat but what if you say boosted mostly the 80hz upwards which normal driver would cope better ? IE why do we use 15” or 18” subs with PA surely it’s because they handle very low hz better and sound deeper ?

My experience of festivals is that there is either a supplied (good) backline that you are required to use as a condition of playing, or that everything is on movable platforms that can be wheeled off to a backstage area for setting up and packing down. I think the sorts of gigs people are talking about here are those in sub 500 capacity venues where there is often no backstage area and the green room is already full of all the other bands and their kit. My attitude at these gigs is, the moment we have finished playing, to get our gear off stage as quickly as possible, find a quiet corner and then pack it down. However, some musicians still don't appear to have got the message and can take up the whole 15 minutes on stage packing their guitars and pedals away whilst chatting with their fans.

Agreed 👍

Isn't there other factors too, from a striictly playing point of view, other than just what it can handle - speed of driver/cone response, feel (flappy, tight etc), the 'slam' you get from them... Apologies for the non scientific terms just describing in a very basic way terms from a playing point of view.

A great way in for me has been the Soul Jazz Presents Studio One series https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/sjr/browse/c-music/i-studio-one/o-all/v-grid/s-hide All great compilations showing the best of studio one from all eras. The x00% dynamite series is particularly good if you're unsure where to start.

Why do we still think that the size of the driver cone is the most important factor in describing a cab? Every cab will sound different, I've owned cabs with the same driver configuration but completely different sounds. Not surprising when you consider that just about everything else to do with the cab - size, construction, driver specifications other than the cone diameters - was completely different. If I was still using backline the diameter of the driver would be the least important factor in choosing a cab.

Que Seurat Sera - Doris Day

Veeeeery nice! Congrats! I'm still very very happy with both my USA JOs. They balance, playability and sound are INSANE. I always get compliments on my sound when I bring one of them.

Blimey. That must be some intense slapping action going on there. I suppose those roller saddles are quite fiddly little things but he must have really been hammering it to make that happen with the strings under tension. I can't shift them, despite my best efforts. Still, it must have been serious for the owner at the time to get what must have been a fairly expensive mod done. Thanks for clarifying!

That’s lovely Si! Matches thr gold PJ!

I ran sound at free festivals in my 20's. Turnarounds averaged 15mins but were very band dependant. You never knew what you were getting but the pro's were always easiest to work with. Steve Winwood turrned up with Traffic refused to go on stage 1 because of the sound and wandered across to our stage listened to the band I was mixing and asked to come on. Are you kidding me! . A total gentleman, no fuss: "I'll play and you make it sound as good as you can" The easiest band I ever had to mix for. They knew what they were doing, the onstage sound was great and all I really had to do was make it loud out front. They even said "thanks" at the end. Sometimes it isn't the sound guy.

Oh yes, if you are using a tube/valve amp, I'd recommend a 2x10" or 2x12", where elements are 16 ohm and connected in parallel. If the other element would break, there would be another left as a load. This could save the transformer.

It’s ready! Shipping today apparently, so we’ll see if it arrives before Christmas 🤞 Si

No. One plain number tells very little about the response. Most of the numbers seem to be about marketing than real life. I would like to see something like this, although this is mostly wishful thinking: Response: 60 - 4000 Hz (±6 dB) Wattage: 500 W @ 8 ohm Sensitivity: >100 dB / 1 m / 1 W (previous numbers tell me that the cab is capable of pushing at least 127 dB, and 8 ohm means that it is pretty easy load to any amp, 60 Hz equals good response even with a 5 string bass) (Adjustable) Tweeter 2 Speakons Weight: <45 lbs (means Nd elements) 1x12" / 1x15" / 2x10" / 2x12"

As I said, the 15 minute turnaround ones are generally fine. The ones I'm complaining about I'm talking from the perspective of a punter as much as a player.

As @Bill Fitzmaurice has said I did a blind shootout of six speakers ranging from 6" to 15" at a couple of bass bashes this year. All eq's flat and diven at the same volume by identical PA amps so no tone shaping taking place. Even when I told them what they were listening too people couldn't reliably list them from smallest to largest. The favourite was an 8" cab which a number of BassChatters are now building but all had some admirers. If I did the same next year with different drivers I'm pretty sure the favourite would be a different cab. After the demo I had the 15 out so I used it at a couple of rehearsals, with a TE Elf it sounded great but not special, with a Warwick Gnome it sounded special. Neither amp is flat (and we've measured them) and the speaker certainly isn't flat but the Eminence Deltalite 15 suits the Warwick Gnome and the high efficiency of the Deltalite and limited top end suit the Gnome. I am a scientist and can use measuremnts to understand what is going on but using your ears is still the only test that really matters. We all percieve sound differently so personal taste is what matters in the end and if you are enjoying your sound you will play more and ultimately better. It just isn't the 15'ness of the speaker that's doing it

Flats on a stingray are glorious 👍 But then flats on any decent bass are glorious 🙂

When you see a cabinet frequency range stated does it mean the lower the stated HZ will sound deeper in tone ? As a pick player using 10’s I often wonder if using 15’s would add more low end or can handle lower HZ more efficiently? I tried an older MarkBass 15” cab and didn’t like it as it was so dark sounding