Class D Active Full-Range PA Speaker for Bass

[discreet 2,768]

[b]Class D Active Full-Range PA Speaker for Bass[/b]

So I'm thinking, here am I using a Zoom B3 as a pre-amp (works a treat by the way) through a Crown power amp and traditional bass cabs (as far as BFM cabs are traditional), when this thought occurred to me:

Now that you can buy a spiffy full-range active PA loudspeaker using very light class D technology - and for not a huge sum of cash at that - what's to stop me getting one, sticking it up on a PA pole at lug-hole level, plugging in my B3 (which has my core sounds in it), et voila?

All that tedious back and forth about the merits of various bass amps and cabs swept away in an instant!

Very portable, a built-in DI out and massive power on tap if required. Could be stuck on the floor as a monitor if working with a big PA. Small enough to use for rehearsal or practise at home. Would fit in the boot of any car.

I'm assuming there must be some technical reason why this won't work, or that I've missed something obvious (dur) so I'm up for a beating (fnarr) if you like... so why would it not work..?




I thank you.

[discreet 2,768]

Is this such a terribly crap idea that everyone's keeping a polite (yet pitying) silence, or what?

[Mudpup 631]

I think you've just rendered everyone speechless!

Works in principle doesnt it?

Edited February 1, 2013 by Mudpup

[sifi2112 97]

I've considered the same idea but was advised that PA speakers (in this case just a single) would not have enough umph for bass only as the majority are designed for vocals. A lot of bands are using them for guitar when using Fractal FX and such .. Mackie HD / QSC / Yamaha / RCF / Line6 / FBT but some of these are pretty expensive. I was looking for one that could do both bass and/or guitar .. I have a Line6 for guitar but did fancy using an active cab with just a Darkglass B7K .. no idea if it would work well though lol ...

[charic 342]

You would need a pretty hefty cab to cut through a full band imho. Possibly need a graphic eq aswell

[Kiwi 1,308]

I've done it. The Wharfedale 450w monitor/PA cab I used sounded REALLY good but the range then were prone to overheating because of the extra current needed for low frequencies. I'd definitely do it again if the cooling issues were sorted.

[discreet 2,768]

Ah, so I'm not [i]entirely [/i]nuts, then. Are we still waiting for technology to catch up? I thought the whole thing about Class D was that it essentially runs cool. And I'm not particularly putting forward Behringer for the task, but the spec of their B115 MP3 shows a 45Hz - 20kHz frequency range, 1000W (peak power, I assume), a long-excursion 15" driver, a 1.35" aluminium compression driver and it's 713 X 427 X 313mm,[size=4]17.7 kg... and £204 from Thomann.[/size]

[url="http://www.behringer.com/assets/B115MP3_WebBrochure.pdf"][size=4]http://www.behringer.com/assets/B115MP3_WebBrochure.pdf[/size][/url]

I probably wouldn't go for this particular item, but QSC do a similar beast for around £600... I reckon it won't be long before technology and price converge and we see this taking off. There are just too many advantages, particularly if you already have your preamp of choice sorted!

I thank you for your indulgence.

Edited February 1, 2013 by discreet

[owen 1,258]

I used to do this with series 1 Mackie SRM450. I ran out of headroom too quickly. It was a different story when I added the Mackie actve sub, but the portability was lost then

[JTUK 4]

Apart from looking totally stupid, it would sounds pants, IMV...unless you put a lot of money in a very good bass monitor...and QSC isn't it, IMO...by any stretch.
That coming from someone who uses KW12's for P.A.... it is ok but you have to use the subs... and those things weigh a lot..and that is a £1500 plus rig...if you get the cheap
composite cabs...

Let the singer carry it... ...

[discreet 2,768]

I take your point, but I don't care what it looks like if it sounds good. If.

[stevie 1,085]

Thin-wall cabinets ring like crazy. Plastic cabs are useless for bass. Plus a good PA cab is voiced a lot flatter than a bass cab. This is not a good idea.

[discreet 2,768]

So what you really need is a thick-walled, non-plastic cab voiced for bass... now where would I get one of those...

Edited February 1, 2013 by discreet

[stevie 1,085]

It beats me:-)

[stevie 1,085]

Actually, I believe Bergantino produce the thing you are looking for - and it's highly rated too. But it has been designed specifically for bass instruments.

[JTUK 4]

and bin the NEO idea as well

[Kiwi 1,308]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1359753219' post='1960011']
Ah, so I'm not [i]entirely [/i]nuts, then. Are we still waiting for technology to catch up? I thought the whole thing about Class D was that it essentially runs cool.
[/quote]
I'm not 100% sure that the Wharfedales I tried were Class D, but even Class D generates heat under load. Just not as much as other classes of amp.

[Guest bassman7755]

Most of the budget powered PA speakers have comically overrated specs so beware of that.

[geoffbyrne 54]

I'm sure there was an thread in Talkbass by Greenboy about this kind of thing which was very informative, but it was at least a couple of years ago and you'd need to do a fair amount of digging/searching to find it, but, if you know Greenboy, you'll know it's worth reading.

G.

Actually, here it is, and it was 6 years ago.....

[url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/boutique-3-way-115-215-budget-336504/"]http://www.talkbass....-budget-336504/[/url]

Edited February 3, 2013 by geoffbyrne

[krysh 2]

For a while I used an aguilar tonehammer pedal with a db opera lyric 212 (12" with tweeter, 220W) for rehearsals and gigs with a small choir and semi acoustic band (cajon, no drums) it worked, but never was really good. I with the others on the lacking bass. plus: usually the tweeter on a pa-cab is not seperately adjustable, so you will always hear unnecessary noise from it.

[discreet 2,768]

Thanks for the responses... the general consensus seems to be that there are still too many issues too make this workable, i.e. cheap gear is largely crap, and a powered PA cab that would do the business would be at least as expensive, heavy and difficult to transport as a decent bass rig. If not more so.

@geoffbyrne: Thanks for the TB link, looks fascinating, I'll read the whole thing later.

[bassfunk 1]

I once worked a gig where the bassist used a Carvin 2x10 cab pole mounted to head height with a Markbass head. It sound great and really cut through, but not sure about PA speakers??

[The Dark Lord 1]

Balderdash to the naysayers. I say do it. No problems with this idea.

[discreet 2,768]

Thank you, O Lord!

The Carvin thing may be a go-er... I need to read that TB thread about it.

[jezzaboy 672]

A couple of years ago I pluged a Sansamp into a Wharfdale 12" powered monitor and it was..........guff. It started making farty noises right away at low volumes and I had to turn the bass, drive and volume down a good bit. No use for gigging.

I recall it was rated about 250 watts but I think that was rather optomistic. Mabye a classD would be better but I wouldn`t like to shell out for a powered cab and find out it was no use unless you could pick up something suitable 2nd hand?

It will be intresting to find out if this works, especially if you are paying!

[discreet 2,768]

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1359928609' post='1962274']
It will be intresting to find out if this works, especially if you are paying!
[/quote]

I'm going to have to be pretty damn sure about it before I shell out a groat!
Definitely a 'try before you buy' situation.