Mixing Bass Bins?

[RogerDodger]

We have a PA consisting of a Behringer Wing mixer (too complicated for me to use. I like old fashioned knobs!), Mackie SRM 450 tops and SWA1501 bottoms. 

One 1501 is ours, the other is "borrowed". We've been looking for a second 1501 for us, but I see on-line that they can have expensive reliability problems.

 

If we bought another manufacturer's bass bin and use both together, would it / could it cause  problems? At least then, if the Mackie died we would still have the other.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

If not identical you can have one coasting while the other is stressed. 

[RogerDodger]

OK. Thanks. Guess I'll keep an eye out for another 1501.

[Downunderwonder]

Build a couple of Bill's subs and sell your 1501.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

One would be sufficient. ☺️

[RogerDodger]

10 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

Build a couple of Bill's subs and sell your 1501.

Tell me more....

[Downunderwonder]

5 hours ago, RogerDodger said:

Tell me more....

BFM T39 

[Phil Starr]

On 27/10/2025 at 18:04, RogerDodger said:

We have a PA consisting of a Behringer Wing mixer (too complicated for me to use. I like old fashioned knobs!), Mackie SRM 450 tops and SWA1501 bottoms. 

One 1501 is ours, the other is "borrowed". We've been looking for a second 1501 for us, but I see on-line that they can have expensive reliability problems.

 

If we bought another manufacturer's bass bin and use both together, would it / could it cause  problems? At least then, if the Mackie died we would still have the other.

You don't need to be too scared of technology but perhaps a little wary of advice on the internet

 

You've ben using two Mackie subs plus two tops, presumably for quite a while with no problems but some people you've never met have told you they are unreliable. It would seem they are wrong about at least four speakers! I've heard the rumours too which usually go along the lines of 'get the old ones as they are more reliable'. I also know of several local bands still using their 20 year old Mackies. Think of it as being like cars, My two most problematic cars were Toyotas, an AVensis and a Yaris, my most reliable were Fiat Multiplas. I don't think Fiat are generally better than Toyota but failure rates are low and Iactually 89% plays 95% means it isn't hard to be apparently lucky or unlucky. My advice its to take advantage of the internet and buy a used Mackie cheaply because of the internet pile on.

 

To answer your question however. These are active subs with volume controls, mis-matching isn't an issue really. Subs really don't have flat responses so there may be a mis-match there but I doubt you'll hear it and the auudience not at all.

[Chienmortbb]

I did some testing a few months ago with my PA tops (Wharfedale Titan 12s Titan 12s) and Some JBL subs. 
 

Although the subs were the same, I tried the system with one sub, two subs, both with and without a high pass filter on the Tops. Although conventional wisdom is that the system with the HPF on the tops should sound better, I could not really hear any difference sound wise. This is probably due to there being very little real low end in most tops. 
 

Your SRM 450s have a little more low end than my Wharfages, but probably not much. I would guess that adding other subs would cause few problems, providing you can get the subs phased correctly.  You have a 75Hz second order HPF on the SRM450 so that helps further. 
 

In reality, don’t worry about your system reliability, it has never let you down. There are probably better things to spend your money on than a sub you do not need. 

Edited 8 hours ago by Chienmortbb

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

You wouldn't hear much, if any, difference if the tops aren't reproducing sufficient lows. However, they're still receiving the low frequency information, so the amps are producing low frequency power and the drivers are taking that power, which stresses both the amps and the drivers, while the THD of the tops will be higher than if high passed. You've got nothing to lose with high passing, and potentially much to gain with respect to amp and driver headroom and lower THD, so it should be done.