Twincam

I've always liked a pick sound on some songs that just don't sound as good played with fingers. I dislike the way some people say you can get the sound playing near the bridge with your fingers, no, no you can't. But mostly I prefer the rounder sound of fingers. I don't play with a pick because I can't and I feel "your not a real bass player if you play with a pick"

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1462276057' post='3041620'] Is it that obvious? [/quote] Yes How loud is the microbass and uke combo. I think it would be fun to have around.

My vote is in. My fav this month is dad3353's entry. Thought it sounded nicely lo fi it just had something to it that reminded me of an old lp. My other votes was for the U2 one and the Primus one lol see if you can work out who I voted for. Again all were very good. My recording quality was again the worst, going to soundcloud next month to try improve it slightly more YouTube really degraded the original that could be a good thing lol.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1462260001' post='3041443'] Could you extend the ports, bend them over the top, then flare them out a bit so it looks like a giant double trumpeted gramophone? [/quote] I so wanted to do this but the maths did not add up. There was cool looking flared pieces in b&q I could of modified and painted. The other daft but fun idea was to have multiply smaller ports but coming through were the old Te combo head was.

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1462273762' post='3041580'] The way to understand ports is that they're just like a mass bouncing on a spring. The bigger the port volume, the greater the mass. The bigger the cab volume, the softer the spring. The bigger the port area, the harder the spring. A heavier mass lowers the tuning frequency. A softer spring lowers the tuning frequency. If your port is too small in area then the port develops turbulence and instead of having a neat and tidy lump of air vibrating back and forth (like having a subwoofer whose cone is made of air), you get air blowing/chuffing/whistling back and forth. If you increase the port area that stiffens the spring and raises the tuning frequency, so you then need to lengthen the port to increase the mass and bring the tuning frequency back down. Making the port volume bigger makes the cab volume smaller (assuming the port is within the cab) so that raises the tuning frequency again. And round and round you go until you get where you want to be! A port should be tuned to help out where the speakers start rolling off. Below the port tuning frequency it starts to cancel out the output from the woofers, so you have to be careful not to tune too high or you lose more than you gain. [/quote] Yes which is why they stick far out the back currently once again they are not through the cab lol just out the back. If I decided to place them internally at a bend I would recalculate the cab area.

Lol the ports are just in the back of the cab. I actually can't believe some people would envision that they were right through the cab lol! They are just to big for the 9inch depth.

Still up reading about cab port theory. Very interesting and it's one of those things I seem to understand to a degree which is odd as there is a fair bit of mathematics involved but I get the basics I now have enough knowledge to be.... stupid haha. Anyhow my different sized ports will be inefficient if my understanding is correct and when the higher tuned port goes under its tuned frequency then the lower tuned port will hardly work at all, again if my limited understanding is correct. Up until then the higher tuned port will dominate the lower tuned one neither will be as loud as they should if using two ports of equal size and tuning. I'm guess you can have two very very slightly tuned port lengths but it would be only a very small amount and not worth the trouble. So I will give the cab a trial tomorrow but going to cut and extend the ports, this time inside the cab so they are equal and don't stick out the back stupidly.

[quote name='Moos3h' timestamp='1462229398' post='3041375'] I wish to change my username to this. [/quote] Hahaha! I approve.

That mb micro combo and uke look made for each other. Very cool. So your a hardcore death metal band?

Pics no way! It looks ridiculous think of an old tatty green Trace Elliot combo with the head removed, a celestion sidewinder and two huge 4 inch white ports sticking out the back, one being significantly longer than the other. I really should of angled the tubing inside. I am trapped thinking it looks totally stupid and half of me thinks it looks pretty mean. Be a nightmare to transport!!!

Decided to run to long ports they stick out the back, looks a bit errm homemade. But good thing I'm in a punk thing it will fit right in. Also as an experiment I'm running two port lengths one tuned 16.5hz lower which is a fair bit longer than the other. Bit late to test it now or is it. My gf is asleep on the couch so I best not unless I want to get instadumped.

Ok have another issue apparently to prevent port whistling I can only tune down to about 66hz.

Hmmm ports have to be deeper than my cab to get to 55hz

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1462195886' post='3040973'] If you're attached to the idea of winging it without looking into things too deeply, you could just measure the internal volume of your box, then use this calculator to figure out what length ports would give you what tuning. The open holes you have at the moment will behave like a port with the length the thickness of the wood. [url="http://www.linearteam.dk/default.aspx?pageid=ventcalculator"]http://www.linearteam.dk/default.aspx?pageid=ventcalculator[/url] Most bass cabs are tuned anywhere from 40Hz to 55Hz, so if you shoot for somewhere in that range it'll be an improvement on what you've got at the moment even if it's not completely optimal. [/quote] Why didn't I know about this simple program before. Indeed not optimal as you say but will do in this case. Thanks

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1462194916' post='3040957'] Then again it might be better to ignore my advice and take advantage of Phil Starr's rather more scientific offer [/quote] Well it's just a bit of fun this but in the spirit of not blowing the driver then best do it correctly as possible without going mad.

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1462178526' post='3040755'] It would make more sense to just work out the internal dimensions of the cab and tell us, then someone will work out the best port length and you won't end up with a damaged driver. You've now got two convenient holes to put your tape measure through At the moment you've got it tuned too high with the problems you've been told about. [/quote] There would be no fun in that. But of course you are correct I shall get the internal measurements.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1462135481' post='3040587'] Without knowing what the volume of the cab is, it's impossible to say what tuning frequency you've ended up with, but at a guess, two 4" ports 18mm long would come out much higher than any tuning used in a bass cab. I had a quick play around in WinISD, and it comes out as anywhere from 80Hz upwards depending on the box volume. Such a high tuning is likely to give you a large bump in the midbass (the boominess you're hearing), but will also massively decrease the power handling below the tuning frequency, risking blowing your driver. The port tuning could be lowered by putting tubes in the holes, so it might be worth doing some research to figure out what would work with your box and driver. [/quote] What about a tube within a tube I could vary the length of it and go by ear. This is just a little project I'm not wanting to go to mad on it. Although the boominess isn't that bad I've heard much worse cabs but it would be nice to do a bit better.

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1462134233' post='3040572'] Next construct plywood port cover (e.g. 5" x 5" square), and screw this down so that it can be rotated to cover the port varying amounts. Try different port blocking until you find the optimum tuning that removes the booming. At that point screw the port cover down. [/quote] Yes might be a good idea.

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1462121151' post='3040419'] It's directly proportional to the weight of the rig... [/quote] Might be some truth in that somewhere lol.

Totally unscientific although I did take a kinda, sorta not very educated guess. I had a 1x15 cab that was sealed, didn't take measurements but it's bigger than say a micro 1x15 actually it's a te commando combo cab. I upgraded the speaker 250w celestion don't know the specs, but it was still weak sounding not much bass. And with my Aguilar ag500sc which is mid forward I thought the tone was not great, with the previous abm 500 it wasn't bad actually at lower volume but that's different amps for you. So I thought I would add some ports I was going to go with a single 4 inch port however it seemed to really suck in air and out and I know that isn't a ports job and from putting my hand over ports of various amps in the past it didn't feel right. The cab did sound better. So I put in another 4 inch hole. Which really helped, cab is louder and the bass is a lot deeper. However it is a little more boomy not bad though it's very useable now. I was going to ask for help and get all the cab measurements and speaker specs together but thought since it's only a little experiment that cost me nothing I would wing it.

I will have a listen later on and vote. Seems a couple less noodles this week?

Or you can follow this. Here is an easy way to set up a bass, with household tools that should give you a very playable bass and a pretty standard setup. Tools need are a 4mm or 3/16 Allen key for the truss rod, a 2.5 mm allen key and a 2mm allen key. Also a small allen key or small flat head screwdriver for the bridge saddle adjustment. Finally a standard business card like the ones from a taxi company not a plastic credit card etc they are too thick. Of course if you can invest in the correct tools but this method is fine for getting a bass in playing condition, for someone with limited tools. First tune your bass normally then fret at the first fret and then with your elbow of your right arm hold down the e string at about the 17th fret. This is so you can check the relief of the neck, place the business card corner first in between the 7th fret of the E string while its still held down at the first and last fret. It should slide in nicely if it doesn't fit in as the gap is too small then the neck is too straight and needs more relief, if it fits in but there is also a gap the neck has too much relief (too bent). the card should just fit in there nicely maybe a very slight drag. Business cards tend to be around .010 - .015" in size which is around about the average in most factory specs for relief. If you tighten the truss rod turning it right it will make the gap smaller, left for increasing the gap. This is of course while your looking at the nut right on if your holding the bass tightening looks like your going left and vice versa!. Assuming the truss rod access is in the headstock. Ok so turn the allen key small turns at a time, then check the relief as above, remember each time you tighten or loosen the truss rod you must put the A string back and re tune all the strings so you get an accurate reading of the relief. Its time consumming and can sometimes be a pain in the bum but has to be done right. Once you have the relief set, then we adjust the bridge saddle to alter the final string action (height). There are a two different areas to measure the string height at the 12th and 17th fret i suggest if you play hard we go for the measurements at the 12th if you play lighter the 17th fret. There is also of course the fact nearly everyone likes a different string height but, 2.5mm - 2mm is about standard. To measure the height get your 2.5mm allen key and i will assume you have chosen to measure from the 12th fret. and without fretting the string measure the height of the E string from top of the fret to the bottom, and adjust at the bridge saddle so again the allen key slides nicely in and out with very slight drag. Make sure the bridge saddle is level it does not need to be angled, also while taking measurements make sure the bass is in relativly the same position you play, as necks move slights amounts at different angles. Ok So once the E is at 2.5mm you can set the A, D and G in this way the final G string should be 2mm. So maybe E and A could be 2.5mm and D and G 2mm in height from the top if the 12th fret to the bottom of the string. And again after every single small movement of the strings you make at the bridge every time before the height is rechecked it need to be put back into tune. The bass other than now needing to be intonated should be in very reasonable playing condition. If you dont have a 2.5mm allen key a 3/32" one gives you about 2.4mm. Feel free to set the string height higher or lower, but using allen keys or even drill bits do a good job of measurements. 4mm is the heights action that could be considered playable, under 2mm is low but the lower you go the more buzzing you might get if you hit the strings hard. Buzzing from frets 1 to 7 indicate too little relief, buzzing in the higher frets indicate to low an action, buzzing all over might indicate just that your playing too hard for the setup. Then you would set intonation, and recheck the string heights (adjust if needed) if the intonation was well off it will change string height on adjusting. Sometimes you have to go back and forth a bit, setting the action and intonation. I could write a full on essay about various other set up problems and remedies. Watch setup videos, read my little guide and hopefully it will all make sense. Hope what ive written helps.