Bass cabs that can be used for PA / HiFi?

[Dood]

When it comes to running workshops and clinics, it always helps to be able to travel as light as possible. It has got me thinking about what gear I take with me for sessions and that sometimes I require some kind of full range amplification too.

I realise the obvious answer to my question would be to just get a pair of (or one) active / powered PA cabinet, end of. That could well be what I do as the inputs would allow me to plug in my laptop to play music through as well as bass guitar.

Doesn't stop me pondering over which bass cabinets would be good for audio though eh? Especially if I want to use the same gear to crank up loudly so that I can be heard over a drummer.

I've already had a chit-chat with 'The Funk' about his Acme bass cabinets as I think they would be pretty ace and I hear that people have used them as PA cabs on TalkBass. What else is out there? Accugroove 1x10 / 1x12? What about EA? Barefaced?

[jnewmark]

The Carvin LS 1503 cab is very popular with bass players in the states, especially retrofitted with the Eminence 3015 woofer, but sound ok for bass on it's own. I did'nt care for them for bass guitar that much, but do use them for PA stuff ( I have a pair ), and also for home stereo cabs . Don't know if carvin ships to other countries, but they are great bang for the buck cabs. Huge thread on them over on TalkBass.

[umph]

[quote name='dood' post='1086824' date='Jan 12 2011, 03:51 PM']When it comes to running workshops and clinics, it always helps to be able to travel as light as possible. It has got me thinking about what gear I take with me for sessions and that sometimes I require some kind of full range amplification too.

I realise the obvious answer to my question would be to just get a pair of (or one) active / powered PA cabinet, end of. That could well be what I do as the inputs would allow me to plug in my laptop to play music through as well as bass guitar.

Doesn't stop me pondering over which bass cabinets would be good for audio though eh? Especially if I want to use the same gear to crank up loudly so that I can be heard over a drummer.

I've already had a chit-chat with 'The Funk' about his Acme bass cabinets as I think they would be pretty ace and I hear that people have used them as PA cabs on TalkBass. What else is out there? Accugroove 1x10 / 1x12? What about EA? Barefaced?[/quote]
have a gander at the bare faced big one

[thinman]

Depending on which tweeter configuration they were built with, the BFM Omnis abd Jacks are OK for PA use.

[LawrenceH]

I don't think there will be many cabs on the bass side of the market, better off looking at PA cabs designed to give reasonable low-end performance and/or crossed to decent subs.
For 'hi-fi' quality (bit of a dangerous term!)? Fohhn, and the top end of the HK Audio range, can't think of many 'big names' that'll do it. For a low-powered and small all-round solution then AER kit is good, something like their Compact. None of these options are cheap though!

[sockdeluxe_mikey]

Yeah, I'll push the EA end of the spectrum forward. The non-Wizzy cabinets can be considered very good for multi-instrumental applications at least such as keyboard and acoustic guitar (I've played an acoustic guitar through my NL-210 and it sounded great). That particular cabinet is even listed as useful as a drum monitor, so there's some interesting suggestibility...

[Robin UK]

I'd recommend checking out some fo the phil jones cabs, although not necessarily the easiest for positioning, great hi-fi sound, i've run vocals and keys through mine aswell as background music for intervals when we've had PA issues (once had to run keys, vocals, bass and guitar through my stack at once, and it handled it pretty well).

[Happy Jack]

I had an extended email exchange with Alex Claber about using a pair of Big Ones as a full-range PA solution. To sum up, they would work a treat IF fitted with tweeters.

I think he's developing a full-range PA cab based on the Big One anyway.

[MythSte]

Yeah, I'd shoot barefaced on this one

[xgsjx]

I've used my MB combo several times as a small PA system. Plugging in a mixer & putting thru 3 vocals, an electronic drumkit, bass & acoustic guitar & it sounded pretty good. I didn't have it turned up very far as it's been in a hall to about 30-40 people. Probably had the input & master at @ 9 o'clock at the loudest. Not sure how it would be cranked up tho but I don't see why it wouldn't handle this at louder volumes, a few manufacturers suggest putting a CD thru your cabs at a decent volume for several hours to break them in.

Edited to learn how to spell

Edited January 18, 2011 by xgsjx

[martinbass7750]

[quote name='dood' post='1086824' date='Jan 12 2011, 03:51 PM']When it comes to running workshops and clinics, it always helps to be able to travel as light as possible. It has got me thinking about what gear I take with me for sessions and that sometimes I require some kind of full range amplification too.

I realise the obvious answer to my question would be to just get a pair of (or one) active / powered PA cabinet, end of. That could well be what I do as the inputs would allow me to plug in my laptop to play music through as well as bass guitar.

Doesn't stop me pondering over which bass cabinets would be good for audio though eh? Especially if I want to use the same gear to crank up loudly so that I can be heard over a drummer.

I've already had a chit-chat with 'The Funk' about his Acme bass cabinets as I think they would be pretty ace and I hear that people have used them as PA cabs on TalkBass. What else is out there? Accugroove 1x10 / 1x12? What about EA? Barefaced?[/quote]


Bergantino 2x10 with a genz benz shuttle - depends what you mean by hi-fi, but play an iPod through the rig and it sounds really good. By definition an iPod means it isn't hi-fi though!

Also sounds good with guitar and vocals. Oh and bass!

Cheers

Martin

[MythSte]

Oh, and the other "obvious one" If you have the time and inclination, BFM Omni rig?

[pete.young]

EA VL110s are great for this, not least because they have a woofer, a mid-range driver and a tweeter and I presume a 3-way crossover - you can adjust the balance of tweeter and midrange driver.

[Pentode]

Another big up for the BFM cabs here.

[Dood]

Thanks for the replies guys! It was a bit of a strange question to pose - as in most part we tend to plug in to PA which is capable of reproducing a better quality audio - i.e CD's etc. - Anyone ever tried playing CD's through normal bass guitar cabinets? ruddy awful! ha! - So it was interesting to find out what companies are TRULY manufacturing cabinets that can handle a full range of audio AND actually sound good. Notice I am not sating 'flat response' here - because even most PA cabinets and home HiFi cabinets aren't flat response. - but ones that can reproduce music to a high quality. Then add on top of this, being man enough to handle bass guitar too - indeed being able to be used for say drums and percussion with high SPL transients too.

From a size and weight standpoint, the Acme B1 seemed like a good idea, being 3 way. Oh, in response to the 'rig' thing - the plan would only have been for a smaller combo sized solution - again, like the B1 or maybe as far as a 2x10 but not really for full on gigging - just workshops and tutoring when I am out and about. Gigs would be handled by PA and backline.

[Dood]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1093703' date='Jan 18 2011, 12:07 PM']I had an extended email exchange with Alex Claber about using a pair of Big Ones as a full-range PA solution. To sum up, they would work a treat IF fitted with tweeters.

I think he's developing a full-range PA cab based on the Big One anyway.[/quote]

Promising information!

[quote name='pete.young' post='1094336' date='Jan 18 2011, 08:09 PM']EA VL110s are great for this, not least because they have a woofer, a mid-range driver and a tweeter and I presume a 3-way crossover - you can adjust the balance of tweeter and midrange driver.[/quote]

I'd spotted the pair of VL's for sale - but I don't really know much about them. If they sounded great for the application as well as bass guitar, I could see maself looking in to those further.

[MythSte]

I always run music through my bass cabs (Usually on the day I get them, Just to see what happens! )

The only two that spring to mind as being any good where a BFM omni 10 and a Schroeder 1212

[51m0n]

I thought everyone knew that Bergantino cabs make THE best PA cabs in the world (probably):-

[Dood]

[quote name='51m0n' post='1095078' date='Jan 19 2011, 01:03 PM']I thought everyone knew that Bergantino cabs make THE best PA cabs in the world (probably)[/quote]

Woh! Impressive

[Phil-osopher10]

What about the other way around? At the minute I'm using peavey eurosys something or other pa cabs and they are dandy!

[Dood]

[quote name='Phil-osopher10' post='1098301' date='Jan 22 2011, 01:43 AM']What about the other way around? At the minute I'm using peavey eurosys something or other pa cabs and they are dandy![/quote]


Yep, I guess it was more just pondering the question as I have seen threads asking about using PA cabs for bass - so I thought I'd throw i out there for discussion. There's much talk about 'super cabs' these days with 'flatter frequency response' being a big selling point. I find that being able to have tools (in this case cabinets) that can 'multi-task' in my current line of work could prove beneficial.

[Dood]

For anyone wondering (yeah right) how I got on with a search for a PA cab that could handle bass duties, I've taken delivery of an as new ACME B2 from another BCer. I've been playing CDs and bass in to it for the last few days and it's really good! I was definitely after a cab that had less of it's own 'signature' so that CD's and MP3's sounded as good as possible. I think a second cab would make an excellent little PA system for workshops and clinics too!

[Mister_E]

[quote name='dood' post='1111475' date='Feb 1 2011, 07:18 PM']For anyone wondering (yeah right) how I got on with a search for a PA cab that could handle bass duties, I've taken delivery of an as new ACME B2 from another BCer. I've been playing CDs and bass in to it for the last few days and it's really good! I was definitely after a cab that had less of it's own 'signature' so that CD's and MP3's sounded as good as possible. I think a second cab would make an excellent little PA system for workshops and clinics too![/quote]

Shame on you sir. I would have thought you would have considered the Hartke cabs!? Not that I've tried it at all but the HX112 has that switchable horn for super high frequency response. It don't weigh much and looks very nice. Also has Speakon connectors if you want secure hook up to the PA/mixer/amp thingy.

But I see you have turned your back on "uncle Larry".

[Dood]

[quote name='tinyviking' post='1112396' date='Feb 2 2011, 01:48 PM']Shame on you sir. I would have thought you would have considered the Hartke cabs!? Not that I've tried it at all but the HX112 has that switchable horn for super high frequency response. It don't weigh much and looks very nice. Also has Speakon connectors if you want secure hook up to the PA/mixer/amp thingy.

But I see you have turned your back on "uncle Larry".

[/quote]


Not at all sir! - As per my opening post, I was looking for a cabinet that I could mainly for PA and HiFi. Hartke is still very much my choice for everything else, but they aren't designed to be flat response for CD's, backing tracks and the like (PA). I am a stickler for how things sound and I'd rather run my bass through bass gear and my PA through PA gear not confuse the two, if you see what I mean

[Soliloquy]

Having just taken delivery of an Acme B1, I can highly recommend them.

I've tried 12" cabs by Berg, Epifani, Markbass, EA, Accugroove and others. My little Acme blows them out of the water, and they're a lot cheaper . The Acme B1 is a whole £150 cheaper than the Bergantino HT112ER, and it really is 'true accuracy', and really does produce a low B.

I reckon two B1's would be an amazing rig, and could easily be used as a PA or a hifi.