vailbass

if the 'tape out' will send a signal to your bass amp (you will need an amp, not just the speaker) , you could set the tone controls with all the mids and highs turned down and the bass up to 'emulate' a sub. Why not give it a try? Experimentation is fun and useful.

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1470542358' post='3106603'] Yowch that's ridiculously hungry. Are you sure it wasn't faulty? [/quote] yep, it even stated that in the manual; they fixed that issue in later models

if you run EMG's you'll get between 1500 and 2500 hours of 'on' time. I had a Celinder bass that would run through 2 9volt's in less than 4 hours; it needed the power supply plugged in all the time :-(

lots of good advice above, I would first verify that the cabs are in phase with each other, do you gain low end when you unplug one cab? That's a quick way to check. I think you would be happier with the 1x15" (as long as it's a good speaker) than any 4x8. I personally use 15"s and find them to be quicker responding and punchier than 10's and especially 8's. Almost always better to use the same cab when using multiples unless you are bi- amping, of course.

the classic 'smiley face' graphic EQ. I never use that sort of EQ, as all the mids just disappear and those are what's important when it comes to hearing the note value of the bass in a live situation.

I would say that you may not need anything near 1000 watts, though I understand if you are thinking of the inexpensive class D power amps, they seem highly over- rated power- wise; the good ones will be a couple thousand USD and up. If you want something small, I have had great success with a single rack space ART SLA-2 power amp. It gives 280/ side into 4 ohms or 560/ bridged mono into 8 though it will run 4 ohms bridged safely. It's deep and about 20 pound so not a 'micro' amp.

the only issue in my mind would be if there's a tweeter in the bass amp, you might want to be able to turn it off or down, at least. Try it, that's the only way to know; specs are less important than whether the listener likes it or not.

yes! that's a great speaker, I use the 15BX's and love them. If you like a snappy high end, you might want a tweeter but it's a great all around speaker for sure

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1437257339' post='2824727'] Right. That doesn't mean that some Class D amps might not be anemic, but don't blame it on being Class D, blame it on poor design by the manufacturer. Powersoft wouldn't be where it is if there was something inherently deficient about Class D. [/quote] I disagree, the K10 running my dual 15" wedges sounds great, it's also nearly $10,000 for 2 channels! The Class D bass amps on the market are largely just plain 'cheap' and sound like it.

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1447096337' post='2904854'] By 4dB to be precise, which isn't worth the bother. As equally valid a question is what is the point of 500w amps? If I manufactured amps I'd make the size differential between models at four times the power rating, say 50w, 200w, 800w. [/quote] But 3dB is DOUBLE the acoustic energy, right Bill? Sounds like a lot, eh?

[quote name='tonewheels' timestamp='1433117120' post='2788061'] This is all very well but it's very subjective. Objectively, a beer crate is the ideal solution. You can't argue with science. [/quote] does the tone change if you leave the beer in the crate? How about just empty bottles? :-)

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1432736215' post='2784412'] You'll start losing floor coupling at about 2.5 feet off the floor, so don't go higher than that. If it's still hard to hear tilt it back. A keyboard stand is a bit too high. The same applies to the distance to the wall behind the cab. Placing the front of the cab more than 2 feet from the wall will not only reduce boundary reinforcement off the wall, it will cause a response dip. That can be of use on boomy stages. The correct distance from the wall can put the dip at the boom frequency, cancelling out the boom. [/quote] well said. I prefer keeping them on the ground but I will stack vertically when using 2 small cabs. Bill, I would like to create a dip around 200hZ but 1/4 wave is closer than the 2 feet mentioned? Or is 200 too high to be affected by the cab/ wall relationship? Thanks!

[quote name='henry norton' timestamp='1264263779' post='722287'] A 'cheapo' 2 piece alder body is no less likely to sound 'good' than an exotic sandwich of brazilian mahogany with quilted maple facings and wenge centre stripes. It needs to be carefully dried to about 6 percent moisture content and then kept in a relatively dry indoor climate 'til it's used. There's really not that much more to it except for allot of smoke and mirrors from some luthiers. [/quote] yes! My Kubickis are alder...my unbelievably great sounding 1962 Precision...alder..My custom made Roscoe basses...alder with fancy and thin top veneers for looks...etc., etc., etc..... my least favorite basses I've owned or played...anything with wenge. purpleheart, blah blah blah or other exotic "tone" woods. Great looking pieces of furniture, though....:-)

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1432252441' post='2779817'] That comes across as a bit personal. Is there some history of conflict here? Frank. [/quote] absolutely, he pulled the same crap on Talkbass website; lording scientific knowledge over all else; everyone is sick of his drivel there and now he's polluting this website with the same acedemic elitist approach. Now that he wants to compare actual bass playing, I'm so happy!! :-) still waiting for those clips to back up your statements Mr. F. :-)

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1431607112' post='2773102'] The interpretation of what the two 'sides' stand for depends on which you're on. Those on the purely subjective side who deny the benefits of objectivity make the assumption that engineers wear white coats, work in laboratories, and wouldn't know an E string from a pickup. I don't own a white coat, and I don't have a laboratory. My work clothes are well imbedded with sawdust, as is my 'office'. I don't know how long Alex has been a bassplayer, but I have been since 1965, and not immodestly would put my chops and ears up against [i]anyone[/i] elses. Just because I know how gear works doesn't mean I don't know how to use it. [/quote] oh, this is gonna be great! Please, please Bill post some of your best bass playing clips; I can't wait!! :-)

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1432228931' post='2779493'] If one's goals are the same as his, this would work. It's not always the case, I'd dare to say. [i]My [/i]notion of a good sound could be (and probably is; I'm a drummer..! ) very different from his. That said, my own favourite cab is my Fender Bassman 2 x 15 with JBLs, so there..! [/quote] if that's the case, you wouldn't pay any attention to anyone at all, which is another way to go but I was responding to someone who wrote that they would trust the ears, experience, perspective and judgement of a novice over a pro. The notion that a top pro lacks skills that a novice has is pretty silly, right? That's saying that the pro was never a novice and never had the experience of a novice; learning, experimenting; failing; succeeding, etc., etc., etc. That's the sort of thing that angry/ jealous/ resentful people say.....in order to feel better about what they percieve to be lacking in their own life and think they should/ could have achieved it but for some (usually lame) excuse......

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1431874621' post='2775757'] The way I see it "elite" players are operating under an entirely different set of circumstances to the average amateur small/medium venue player. A top pro playing a concert/recording session/tv studio/whatever gig is going to be close miked and/or DIed with his gear running at tickover levels that only has to be good enough to get a decent sound to a mic a few inches away, he hears himself through monitors, the audience hear him through the desk where the sound has been massaged by an expert sound engineer using top grade signal processing gear. We amateurs on the other hand need our gear to operate at high SPLs, to have good projection and dispersion characteristics, and in most case be the sole source of the sound for our instrument for ourselves, our band mates and the audience. So thats why I value sound/tone/gear advise more from my fellow amateurs more than that from the pros, its why I buy I gear (specifically speakers) design by and for amateur players like me who face varied and demanding acoustic situations. [/quote] fair points all, but what you're ignoring is that, with rare exception, that pro you're talking about didn't start out on the big stage; he went through far more club/ bar/ basement gigs that you and has already done the legwork necessary to understand how to get a great sound for every size room you can think of at every volume level. He probably still plays in small rooms in his town when he's off the road and maintains up- to- date knowledge of all the new developments in amp- world. Do you really think that taking the advice of people struggling with figuring it out just like you over someone who conquered that hill long, long ago is the best way to achieve your goal?

Oh brother..What a load of crap, even for this guy! Sheesh :-) he did this at the Talk Bass website, too. I never said I didn't understand the 'science', he's assuming so much as to be laughable. To say that according to the numbers, you would need 2 EVM 15's to get 'the sound' of a single 'modern' 15 is ridiculous. Which 'modern 15', for example?. Here's the bottom line that is written in stone, irrefutable and infallible...... What does it SOUND like? That's all that matters in the end, nothing else; the color of the tolex, the material of the magnet, the origin of the plywood the cab is made from, how many handles does it have? etc., etc., etc. The reason I care little about debating the 'specs' is that early on in my quest for my degree in mathematics, I learned how to lie with statistics to such a degree that I can give you several logical and correct conclusions from one set of numbers; the result of which being a healthy skepticism for anyone touting numbers over real world experience......who would you listen to when it comes to recommending a football shoe, the salesman at Nike who played a bit in primary school or the guy with a lifetime pro career who's played in a few World Cups? Please, while useful to some degree for comparison, let's end this ridiculous notion that specs determine what it actually SOUNDS like. It just doesn't.

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1430918386' post='2765920'] So does high cone excursion result in poor transient response, as implied by the 'pro' and said not to be the case by Alex Claber and Bill Fitzmaurice. Which is correct? Maybe he's never played a fast 32nd note slap line really digging into the strings hard? When I do that, the cabs I'm talking about get very confused, as I am playing another note before the speaker is done moving about reproducing the previous one; that gives a very mushy reponse. There are many other examples; I've spent the last 45 years experimenting with electric bass sound; countless variations of speakers, cabs, electronics, speaker placement, etc., etc., etc. I've used these experiments on thousands of actual gigs in the real world; not in a lab or a bedroom. :-) My goal has always been the best possible sound and reproduction of what I am playing all the way to the end user; the listener. Here's a great example of how choosing a speaker on specs alone would be a major mistake; the EVM 15" speakers that I love are rated for 100 watts! You would dismiss these immediately but they handle 500 watts of hard charging bass far better than the 800 watt rated neo- magnet speakers I used to use that kept failing on me. C'mon now [/quote]

blah, blah, blah; the 'science' of sound; all well and good. Dear readers, don't get caught up in the Wizards' technical musings. Trust your ears with regard to sound; all the data sheets in the world do not tell you how it 'sounds'. :-) When I see a cone flapping about like a flag in a stiff breeze and hear a mushy, indistinct sound then notice the 15" K140 barely move and hear a punchy, clear attack I make a conclusion based on what I am hearing. I may be technically incorrect about the excursion/ mushy relationship. What I do know is that there's nothing about a 10" (or smaller) speaker that inherently has any advantage over a 15" and all the modern 10" cabs I've tried have a hollow, scooped mid, indistinct response. In contrast, the jbl and EV 15's have wonderful, punchy and clear all- around bass guitar response.

[url="http://www.ashly.com/products/discontinued/manuals/sc40-instrument-preamp-r01.pdf"]Ashly SC 40 [/url]

JBL e or k series or an EVM 15" speakers you get much better mid definition and quicker response than any current 10" bass speaker". 10"s are usually lacking in mid clarity and are slow responding with far too much cone excursion trying to give lots of lows.

I would highly recommend a couple small single 15" cabs loaded with either JBL k or e speakers or EVM's. These speakers respond much quicker than 10's and have much more low and mid response. The modern 10" speakers respond very slowly, especially for slap or pick sounds. That's because of design compromise trying to make a 10" speaker reproduce useable low freqs.

I can recommend the [url="http://artproaudio.com/art_products/studio_amplifiers/product/sla2/"]ART SLA-2 amp [/url] I've been using that for my around town gigs with a single 15" EVM 15BX speaker and Ashly preamp (circa 1980) very clean and punchy; sounds SO much better than the cheap Class D stuff though this amp isn't light if that matters to you, (~20 lbs.)

The likelihood of phase issues increase with every extra element one adds, even if they were the same cab, for example. You would need to make you own decision about what sounds best to you; does the mixture of both cabs together give you something you can't get with one or the other? If so, you would then need to judge where (spatially) this 'better' sound is heard and place the mic there. It will not be close mic'd, that's for sure. If you hear the best sound, for example, 8 feet in front and 6 feet high, well, that's where you would need to mic it. Odds are that would not really duplicate the sound you're hearing with your own ears. I imagine you would be best served by using one cab only, probably the 15 because there will be no phase issues that a 4x10 has. Try an AKG D122 close mic'd, off center, and play at the volume level that gets the best tone. I would suggest using DI and speaker together only if you have capability to adjust the phase continually (not just 180 degrees) on one of the channels in order to cure the phase issue there. Generally speaking, DI [i]OR[/i] mic is what's used in the end