alexclaber

This is a minor obsession of mine. There are two main issues to deal with: 1. Maximising low frequency output 2. Ensuring the band (and audience if going without PA support) can hear the mids and highs clearly The solution to point 1 is to position the cab in the corner of the room on the floor. This maximises reinforcement from near boundaries and minimises cancellation from distant boundaries. In a perfect world (i.e playing in a concrete bunker) you will get 18dB more sensitivity below 150Hz. In the real world it will be less (as the walls and floor will both absorb and pass sound energy instead of reflecting it 100%) but it will still be VERY significant. The solution to point 2 is to position the cab so the speakers are on-axis or within 30 degrees of on-axis for those that need to hear them. Generally this means getting the cab up off the floor and/or tilting it, and also positioning it so it can fire diagonally across the stage or room from a corner. The final issue is one of interaction with the PA. If you have a reasonably powerful bass rig and you're playing smaller venues it makes a lot of sense to leave the PA for the vocals, guitar and kick, run the rest of the drums acoustic, and let the bass rig carry the house. This avoids negative interaction between multiple low frequency sources. If the PA subs are carrying the house bass sound then keep your stage volume (particularly your lows) quieter to avoid interaction. Ultimate decisions depend very much on the individuals in the band - in an ideal world everyone will be able to hear their preferred mix, which in my case is the vocals loudest, bass fairly loud and drums, sax and guitar balanced but a notch quieter. I've found that if someone cannot hear themselves that bit louder than the rest of the mix then they'll end up playing too loud in response - which is why all guitarists should learn to point their cabs at their ears, then they'll stop turning up! Alex

Contact Robbie McDade of RIM Custom Basses. Although he's made some more esoteric beasts - the current build being for me! - he's open to less unusual ideas and his workmanship is excellent. I know he's also working on a J-style bass for himself. I know what you mean about the 'piece of furniture' thing - although my custom will be pretty atypical and will have the bare wood look, it'll be simple unfigured woods, not some crazy Alembic style hippie sandwich. May I ask, why a custom bass? What is it about production instruments that doesn't do it for you? Alex

[quote name='stewblack' post='19539' date='Jun 18 2007, 11:36 AM']I put my 650 watt head through my 4X10 and it A) Sounds great, really great, and Doesn't blow up in any way. Just posting for balance here.[/quote] But that doesn't mean you're actually putting 650W through the speakers. Alex

[quote name='rodl2005' post='19441' date='Jun 18 2007, 07:41 AM']OOOOHHH NNASTY!!!!!!!!! 1000w RMS means it should take 2000w for short times![/quote] Thermally yes but not mechanically, and as these are bass speakers it's the mechanical (i.e. excursion limited) power handling that matters. I'd bet that these Behringer speakers can handle barely 10% of their rated power mechanically. Alex

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='19205' date='Jun 17 2007, 05:17 PM']Yes it was more or less the same place give or take a few feet. same distance from the wall though (about 6 ft from it)[/quote] This may be worth reading: [url="http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/soundsystems/boundarycancellation.cfm"]http://www.peavey.com/support/technotes/so...ancellation.cfm[/url] There are two kind of acoustic coupling - one is the opposite of boundary cancellation and is where the sound bouncing back off the floor, walls or ceiling reinforces your sound. The other is where the floor itself starts vibrating in sympathy with your bass cab like a giant loudspeaker - this tends to be very uneven and uncontrolled in response. IMO you should try to maximise the former and minimise the latter. Since I did some reading into this acoustics stuff I've never had a gig where I can't quickly get a good sound. Alex

That's an OmniTop 212 vs a decent production ported 2x12". Note that in the lows both cabs act as direct radiators so the output down there is dependant on the maximum cone excursion and not the sensitivity plus thermal power handling. What does handle a low B mean? Does it mean the cab can hit low B fundamental without noticeable roll-off - in which case only Acmes can do it? Or does it mean the cab can handle an unEQ'd low B at high volume without farting, in which case you just need to make the enclosure small enough to restrict the speakers' movement (like the small Schroeders) but that does mean that you get no real bottom? If you're curious about how real world cabs actually respond, as opposed to what their specs claim, model the DeltaLite II woofers in the approximate volume of the cab (take a couple of inches off the external measurement to get internal volume minus woofers and ports) and you'll get a pretty accurate picture of the Epifani UL cabs which are about as good as standard cabs get. You'll notice that the response below 100Hz is FAR worse than the specs and perceptions would have you believe. Alex

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='19155' date='Jun 17 2007, 02:46 PM']I dont know how many cabs and amps epifani make a year but its surely in the tens of thousands.[/quote] I believe you totally overestimate the size of the market! I doubt even Ampeg sells that much gear... Alex

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='19061' date='Jun 17 2007, 09:40 AM']I guess you are right, maybe Epifani sohuld sell direct as well.[/quote] They can't because then they'd undercut their dealers! Catch 22. Alex

[quote name='Oxblood' post='18880' date='Jun 16 2007, 06:27 PM']There's one thing: this idea is so simple that anyone could have a bash at making something similar and report back here. Then we'd know![/quote] Or if you have two matching cabs you could put them back to back. As the lows are omnidirectional their response will be the same (i.e. still hopeless with Delta 10s) whilst the mids and highs will be combination of direct sound from the front speaker and reflected sound from the rear speaker, which will combine in mysterious ways due to phase differences. Another way to look at it, is do you like add reverb to your bass sound? I know I don't! Alex

They look like straightforward ported dipole cabs with all the pros and cons that result. The Delta 10 is a pretty disastrous bass driver, it farts out with more than about 50W in the lows despite the high thermal power handling. Alex

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='18834' date='Jun 16 2007, 04:00 PM']Maybe but compare the UL212 at $999 and the Dr Bass BL212 at $459. Both cabs seem very, very similar. Even the weight is only 1lb difference yet the UL212 cost double. plus the BL212 is hand made (and im guessing by someone better than the guy who made my UL212) just like the UL is.[/quote] Direct sales vs retailer sales makes up most of the difference in price. Epifani are probably only getting about $500 for their cabs from the retailers, if it makes you feel any better! If I'm not mistaken Epifani prices have come down a little since the launch of the Series II, as the Eminence woofers are less expensive (but just as good) as the B&C woofers. Alex

Dave, whilst you've got the speakers out I'd really like to see some photos of the inside of the UL cabs, just trying to get an idea of how they brace things to make them quite so light! Alex

[quote name='tempo' post='18592' date='Jun 15 2007, 10:18 PM']Thanks again for the advice Alex. My drummer is pretty dynamic, not a huge kit; we play pop/indie stuff (I know ...7 strings, overkill, ...I do a lot of chording.)[/quote] Sounds like you're in a similar situation to me - nice dynamic drummer, lots of chording (though I've a mere four strings), reasonable volumes - rock and roll but not metal! [quote name='tempo' post='18592' date='Jun 15 2007, 10:18 PM']At the moment I'm using an Ashdown EB combo+the hartke cab and it keeps up fine. (and sounds great)... but I'm wanting the sounds i get in my home studio, live. Probably too much too ask, Just seems Acme is the place to start.[/quote] Not too much to ask at all! Trust me on this, one Low-B2 with 600W+ behind it is going to be comfortably louder than your Ashdown EB + Hartke, and it will sound like you hear through nice monitors. There are two contexts where I wouldn't recommend Acmes: 1. LOUD rock or metal bands where the guitarists knobs' only turn in one direction and you're reliant on midrange honk and growl and general nastiness to cut through their mess. 2. Where the colouration of your speakers is as much as part of your sound as the sound of your bass. If you do not love the sound of your bass (and preamp / head) straight through a mixing board and out through good (i.e. big ones or with sub) monitors then buy something else. On the power amp front I can strongly recommend the QSC PLX or PLX2 series, I've been very impressed with mine. If you're looking for a nice preamp on a budget, keep an eye out for SWR Grand Prix or BBE B-Max. My new Avalon U5 arrived today, though the rack ears appear to have been mislaid in transit - once that's sorted my GP may be looking for a new home, after eight years with me. Alex

[quote name='Spikyhedgehog' post='18546' date='Jun 15 2007, 08:35 PM']I should've added, the cab was professionally built by 'IZ Bass Technologies' and is obviously a well designed cab. If anyone has any info on these people I'd love to hear from them, google yeilds no answers.[/quote] Obviously a well designed cab? I don't know how you come to that conclusion! Looks like a bog standard under-braced, under-insulated box which is too small for the woofers to operate efficiently, has a speaker arrangement that causes poor off-axis response, has too small a horn tweeter to cross over well to the woofers and to cap it all the drivers don't even match. However, apart from the latter point, that would accurately describe the majority of bass cabs on the market... Impressive name though! Alex

[quote name='Davemarks' post='15357' date='Jun 10 2007, 11:46 PM']Can't believe I forgot to mention this - the term 'one drop' actually refers to the fact that there is one kick drum played in each bar. That would be the kick which falls each time on beat 3.[/quote] Now that is interesting as I'd been led to believe it referred to the lack of bass note on beat 1. Your explanation makes much more sense! Alex

[quote name='Spikyhedgehog' post='18478' date='Jun 15 2007, 06:32 PM']But I quickly realised that the top two drivers had significantly smaller voice coils, and I clicked that they were neo drivers.[/quote] That's the magnet you're looking at, the voice coil is inside that and is the same diameter on both. [quote name='Spikyhedgehog' post='18478' date='Jun 15 2007, 06:32 PM']Anyone like to comment? [/quote] Just googled them and found the specs: [url="http://www.cadaudio.dk/12pz32.htm"]http://www.cadaudio.dk/12pz32.htm[/url] [url="http://www.cadaudio.dk/12hpl76.htm"]http://www.cadaudio.dk/12hpl76.htm[/url] When I looked at these I was concerned because Qts, Fs and sensitivity are quite far apart though Vas is pretty close. The frequency response plots are not drastically different thought the PZ32s have quite a bit less HF extension due to the greater Mms and Le. On the bottom I expected to see quite a difference but on sticking them into WinISD Pro it appears the differences in various parameters almost cancel each other out. I think you got lucky there! Very good speakers - shame the cab's a bit of a bodge but I wouldn't bother changing them if I were you, not at the cost of B&C replacement woofers. If you were to do all HPL76 expect less bottom, more upper midrange. Nothing you can't change with EQ though. If you're interested in saving some weight, maybe build an Omni 10 and stick a pair of the neo speakers in that. It's all very well using neo magnets but it's pretty futile if the cab's a typical unbraced thick ply design. Alex

[quote name='tempo' post='18064' date='Jun 15 2007, 10:07 AM']Another question(s) though, I already have a Hartke 2.5XL cab, would this work ok with the B2, or is its higher efficiency going to nullify the benefits of the Acme? Can the B2 handle small/med gigs w/o pa support (my band has just vox & guitar in the pa).[/quote] The Hartke cabs are pretty insensitive themselves so I think you'll find only a marginal difference in output with the same input voltage, and the Acmes can handle so much more power that you can just balance the gain to get equal output. Interesting that you already have one of the few other cabs on the market with a midrange driver - you'll find the Acme goes higher and lower with smoother mids (though if your bass growls then the cab will growl too) and fuller bottom. I'm confident that a Low-B2 as a standalone can play louder than a 2.5XL - even if it's marginally behind on midrange sensitivity the greater sensitivity below 100Hz precludes the usual need for bass boost thus levelling the playing field and then you have a load of extra power handling to play with. One Low-B2 can keep up with (and somewhat drown out) most drummers but two are needed to handle the loudest animals. I still prefer to take two cabs to gigs because we're usually sharing backline and you never know how loud the other drummers will be but my rig is really cruising in our band, even with the drummer's big kit with 26" kick and all. What's your band like, what kind of vibe is going on? Alex

If I were you I'd buy used old Peavey heads (quite low power ones too) and I'd build a whole load of Bill Fitzmaurice Omni 10 cabs with Eminence Beta 10 woofers. Peaveys just run and run, and matching very low powered heads (relatively - I mean definitely under 300W) with modern high power speakers and sensitive cabs means you're unlikely to suffer frequent damage, if at all. By building your own cabs you can save a ton of money, and I suspect also develop a sideline in building and selling these to impressed bassists that have rehearsed at the studio. You could do the same with the PA system too. Alex

[quote name='Spikeh' post='17461' date='Jun 14 2007, 11:17 AM']I'm going to be using it sparingly, as a boost during solos / middle sections...[/quote] A strange suggestion but have you considered a boost pedal instead? Alex

[quote name='Spikeh' post='17496' date='Jun 14 2007, 11:42 AM']I base a lot of my compressor opinion on this article[/quote] Only one man's opinions and I certainly don't agree with all of them. Compression is a very personal thing. Alex

Can I offer a fourth option? A high impedance output buffer will cause your tone to be more degraded as it runs through all your effects cabling and your run to the amp so although you want the fuzz to see a high impedance source you want the rest of your pedals or your amp to see a low impedance source. Therefore I'd recommend a simple box with a high impedance buffered input, a high impedance buffered FX output, a high impedance buffered FX return and a low impedance buffered output to drive the run through your other pedals and to your amp. No LED, no footswitch, no battery, just a 9V in. The fuzz should go in the FX loop and the rest of your effects after the low impedance output (though if you wanted to you could put some between the bass and high impedance input). By not footswitching it you won't end up with tonal oddites as you gain or lose highs or level as buffering is added or taken away. You don't need an LED because it's always on. And by running on a 9V supply instead of a battery you can use better sounding opamps (whose current draw would preclude battery power). Alex

[quote name='jacko' post='17545' date='Jun 14 2007, 12:44 PM']Mine [attachment=680:amp4.JPG] Korg DTR2000 tuner Eden Navigator pre-amp Vent QSC PLX2402 In the rear i've mounted an ART Isolation Transformer outboard of the DI to avoid any phantom power spikes coming from the desk.[/quote] Nice! A brief heads-up regarding vented blanking panels in racks - if you're unlucky you can end up with circular air flow, with the warm air from the amp exhaust going round and through the vented panel and back into the intake, and this feedback loop continuing until the amp overheats. I doubt you'll ever have a problem but if you do then you know what to do about it. Alex

[quote name='NJW' post='17491' date='Jun 14 2007, 11:37 AM']eh-pee-FAW-knee, with stress on the Faw. I believe this is the correct pronunciation according to the company themselves?[/quote] Exactly - it's an Italian name, like Bergantino - stress on the penultimate syllable. Is Aguilar pronounced the Spanish way or anglicised? And Alembic is a.LEM-bik, I believe. How do you say Skjold? Alex

[quote name='redroque' post='17423' date='Jun 14 2007, 10:48 AM']always pick up the interesting ones late! Re drums and coherent kit sound. I can recommend the current Sound on Sound for a good article on this - in very brief - use the over heads first and then bring up the close mikes to support them as required. Don't over pan.[/quote] I shall check that out! I bought an issue about recording bass recently - though I don't know why I bothered as I've pretty much nailed getting my sound down on tape, it's the drums that are the battle. The problem I'd had with spaced overheads was that even with the close mics all the way down as soon as you got a reasonable width of panning the two images diverged so you'd hear the hihat in two places, the snare in two, etc. The X-Y approach seems far more coherent. [quote name='redroque' post='17423' date='Jun 14 2007, 10:48 AM']You can get an online sub for SOS instead of the mag - cheaper and gives you access to thier considerable database of reviews and more importantly, how to's. Not an SOS contributor - just a subscriber! It does increase any GAS problems tho'. But hell, your'e recording now so you can just throw money away for the next x many years. The Tascam is just the start...... max[/quote] My flatmate at Uni had a subscription so I've had about 4 years of it, plus I read a lot of the older articles when they're released online. Such an awesome magazine but it does promote terrible GAS! I used to record on a Tascam 424 MkII which worked surprisingly well for tracking a band and then we'd overdub vocals and master on the computer. I do like tape compression but reel to reel is just so expensive. I bought a Fostex MR-8HD last year which was cool (too stingy to buy the 2488) for tracking and then I did all the overdubs on the computer. With this definitive incarnation of The Reluctant I relented, sold the Fostex and bought the 2488. So pleased I did, it's an incredible piece of kit - 24 bit sound really makes a difference. Between Bill and I we have quite a lot of mics and I have a neat little TFPro preamp with a friendly optical compressor which works great for vocals. I'd like a good outboard compressor like the FMR RNC but I shall persevere with the ones in the 2488 - I'm thinking I can always bounce individual tracks back and forth with very subtle compression to build up greater compression whilst maintaining transparency (like the RNC does). Just listening to the mixes on the hi-fi whilst doing some admin - feeling quite positive. Particularly pleased with the width of the groove on Funeral Song Pt.1 - anyone else liking the drum fill before the final verse? Alex

[quote name='Delberthot' post='17300' date='Jun 14 2007, 12:24 AM']I have heard that they are grossly inneficient but never personally tried them out[/quote] I think grossly inefficient is going a bit far! The Low-B2 is 93dB sensitivity (B1 90dB, B4 96dB). The greatest sensitivity you'll get from a smoothly tuned 2x10" is ~97dB, though if you tune a big hump into the response you can get greater sensitivity in the high-bass at the detriment to lower bass. All those numbers you see companies like Eden, SWR etc quoting are bs, plain and simple. Because the Acmes have essentially flat response they do not help your sound cut or punch through the mix with added midrange - but if you put a punchy sound into them it comes out unsullied - so they're not as obviously loud as other cabs. [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='17326' date='Jun 14 2007, 06:33 AM']I've heard the same, but it doesn't it potentially mean you can pump into them double their power rating? Best to talk to Acme direct on that.[/quote] The limiting factor in terms of cab power handling is not the thermal power rating (350W on a B2 vs 500W for some 2x10"s) but is how far the speakers can move without distortion (known as Xmax). Typical bass guitar woofers have an Xmax of ~4mm. The Acme woofers have an Xmax of ~8mm. If you double the Xmax you quadruple the power handling, which gives you another 6dB of output. In reality Acmes can handle about 300W RMS per woofer without distortion right down to 30Hz, whilst typical bass guitar woofers can handle about 75W RMS per woofer down to 45Hz. Acmes simply don't sound like typical a 10" bass guitar speakers, they sound full and even from low to high, essentially nothing missing. They don't have the usual hump that lives somewhere between the mid-bass and low-mids followed by a roll-off below 100Hz and plummeting response below 50Hz, instead they stay full down to just above 40Hz where response gradually drops to 30Hz and then plummets. [quote name='tempo' post='5511' date='May 24 2007, 12:20 AM']I know of only one uk user (alexclaber) who uses these, would appreciate some info from anybody about the cost of importing etc. I have done my own calcs based on the few imports from 'states[/quote] I can't remember how much mine cost but I do recall having to pay about 25% on top of purchase and shipping costs in import duties. But they're an incredible bargain - bear in mind that if they were being sold through retailers they'd be twice the price due to the usual 100% mark-up. They aren't a 'cheaper' option, they just cost less. Consider that when the Series I was launched there was no boutique cab market so selling through retailers wasn't an option as no shop would stock a bass cab that cost that much. And with the incredibly weak dollar they work out extremely good value even after import costs. [quote name='tempo' post='5511' date='May 24 2007, 12:20 AM']also how they might do in the "real world" with a 7, tuned low F# up. (I know the maker recomends low B as a limit). [/quote] They were originally designed for the low B, as that's their tuning frequency. I'd recommend using 30Hz filtering with them (either built into your amp or with a simple filter in the FX loop) as output and power handling drops below there. The good thing about the low F# on a bass guitar is there is very little fundamental content due to the shortness of the scale length compared to the wavelength so even if you had a cab that ran flat to 20Hz you'd barely notice its presence. Bear in mind the number of ERB players using AccuGroove cabs which are tuned higher and have far less output below 40Hz (even the Whappo Grande) and you'll see that none of these players are hearing (or missing) their lowest note fundamentals. Andy Lewis really knows his stuff and although these speakers are great at the lows, it's the midrange and highs I love - the crossovers are excellent, really well designed and phase accurate and provide seamless integration of the woofers, mid and tweeter. You can use them as studio monitors, they're that accurate. And the build quality is second to none. I could write more but honestly they are extremely well designed cabs at insanely good prices. Alex