NCD - Barefaced Big Baby 2

[Sean]

Still waiting for mine.

[mcnach]

I got the Big Baby 2 out last night, for the first time.
Just the BB2, with the Shuttle 9.2.

We were playing at Studio 24 in Edinburgh (for those of you who are local and know the place). It's hard to hear well on that stage. It's very boomy and the echo in that place is amazing (although that changes with human flesh come show time, and last night it was packed ). I have played there many times and it was never too good. I have used my old RH450 with a RS210, I have used the Markbass CMD121P combo both on the ground, tilted, and on a stool... Last night the BB2 with the Shuttle, with a Gramma pad between the cab and the stage floor was a very different experience. I could hear myself very well (it's a busy band, we're normally an 8 piece and last night we were 9) and I did not have to resort to boosting mids ridiculously. It still sounded clear but with enough girth onstage.

In short: it's looking GOOD!

The bad (if you can call it that, it's nothing to do with the speaker itself): I would not be able to fit two BB2 in the boot of my Golf... the boot is about 3-4cm not deep enough. So if the Compact works well with the BB2 I would not feel the urge to get another BB2.

Let's see how the BB2 sounds as it breaks in, but it already sounds very good, very clear and it is able to put a very reasonable amount of lows at volume.

Thumbs up for the BB2.

[Beer of the Bass]

I'd agree that Studio 24 is one of the toughest rooms in town for sound, so if it sounded good there I'd say you're on to a good thing!

[discreet]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1396782159' post='2417198']
Thumbs up for the BB2.
[/quote]

Good to know. Having recently considered myself GAS-free, I'm now looking at a BB2.
How long did you wait from deposit to delivery?

[mcnach]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1396783884' post='2417225']
Good to know. Having recently considered myself GAS-free, I'm now looking at a BB2.
How long did you wait from deposit to delivery?
[/quote]

Order placed and deposit paid on the 25th of January
Balance paid on the 27th of February
BB2 received 31st of March.

So just 2 months.

Edited April 6, 2014 by mcnach

[discreet]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1396784409' post='2417232']
...just 2 months.
[/quote]

Thanks very much... so not long, then! Hmm. What to do...

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1396785576' post='2417247']


Thanks very much... so not long, then! Hmm. What to do...
[/quote]

FYI my Super Twin took three months

[mcnach]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1396785576' post='2417247']
Thanks very much... so not long, then! Hmm. What to do...
[/quote]

I think you know what you want to do... but I'm not going to say it

[discreet]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1396789618' post='2417299']
I think you know what you want to do... but I'm not going to say it
[/quote]

Haha [size=4] Yes, there is a certain inevitability about it... been gassing for a bf for years. And I don't mean a boyfriend. [/size]

Edited April 6, 2014 by discreet

[Merton]

Just to help your GAS, I can personally vouch for the BF cabs and GK sounding great together

Edited April 6, 2014 by Merton

[discreet]

[quote name='Merton' timestamp='1396803070' post='2417490']
Just to help your GAS, I can personally vouch for the BF cabs and GK sounding great together
[/quote]

Thanks, Martin. That was going to be the next question I dare not ask.

[Mudpup]

I was so impressed with my BB2 i have another one coming this week. Pics of Rig of Doom to follow. Discreet, do you want a pic of it with my MB Fusion sat on top to whet your whistle ?
Oh, and if you open your windows on Friday you should be able to hear it - we're playing near Guildford!!!

Edited April 6, 2014 by Mudpup

[discreet]

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1396816223' post='2417692']
Discreet, do you want a pic of it with my MB Fusion sat on top to whet your whistle ?
[/quote]

Go on then Jon, may as well - looks like resistance is futile now anyway.

[TobyMunkling]

I got my BB2 a couple of weeks ago and have gigged it a few times now, powered by my GB Streamliner. Frankly I'm very disappointed with it! Yes it has great lows, but there are no high frequencies or punch, especially when compared to my Epifani UL2 112.

Maybe my one is defective, as turning the "horn control" on the back of the cab makes absolutely no difference to the sound at all. I even got my band mates to check it out and they agree!

It that the same for all you other owners, or have I just got a duff one?

I assume the latter!

It has rather put me off and as it's within it's one month trial I may just ask for a refund.

It's not cheap cabinet and Barefaced's lack of communication and response to emails right from the beginning of the ordering process has also rather put me off!

Am I being petulant? Should I stick with it and get it repaired.?

Advice requested and welcomed!

[funkle]

[quote name='TobyMunkling' timestamp='1396831572' post='2417826']

Am I being petulant? Should I stick with it and get it repaired.?

Advice requested and welcomed!
[/quote]

The highs are absolutely beautiful in that cab....some of the best I've heard. Should sound good with the Streamliner, that's what I used. Get it fixed and you'll notice a difference I think.

I agree it is a little tight in the lows. This opens up a bit as time goes on. Ultimately I preferred the voicing and lows of another cab, but my experience with the BB2 demonstrated it to be a very even and loud cab and really beautiful highs.

Alex and co are pretty busy...it does sometimes take a little persistence to get a response. Sorting a refund for my BB2 needed a few reminders and a telephone call to make it happen. Got there in the end though.

[discreet]

[quote name='TobyMunkling' timestamp='1396831572' post='2417826']
...there are no high frequencies or punch, especially when compared to my Epifani UL2 112.
[/quote]

Going by the general consensus it would seem that the compression driver's not working, or maybe not connected?

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1396849919' post='2417847']
Ultimately I preferred the voicing and lows of another cab... ...refund for my BB2...
[/quote]

Would you mind telling us which cab it was you preferred?

Kind of good to see it's not all 100% positive for this cab - that would have made me suspicious...

[mcnach]

Highs missing from the BB2? That's one thing I can't imagine saying about it. Or our definition of highs is very different. I feel my BB2 has a LOT of top end, should I want it. Or tehre's something wrong with yours?

Can you get those highs you seek from your amp using a different cab?

I used to have a RH450 and it just did not have the highs, so no cab would give those to me and I ended up letting it go (for other reasons, but this was a factor).
I have not tried the Streamliner, but I hear it's very "old school", so I wonder if it's not the amp that's just not designed for the sound you're after.
I chose the Shuttle 9.2 over the Streamliner, without hearing either "in person", just on videos, precisely because it seemed a bit on the dark side for my taste, from all descriptions.

As for the horn control... it is a funny one. I have experienced two BB2s, mine and somebody else's prior to buying mine. The effect is subtle. The 12" driver gets fed all of the signal when the horn is turned off, and it seems quite capable to reproduce a significant amount of high frequencies.
As you turn the horn on, the voicing changes, and you get some more highs, but the effect I hear is more of a voicing change rather than a clear increase in top end. The guy who let me try his first also was surprised by it and at first he thought it was faulty, until he started testing it and realised what it was doing. I recall he said Alex told him that it's like a dynamic crossover, so as you turn down the horn, more high frequency content is fed onto the main driver... and as it's capable of reproducing quite a bit of top end, you don't cut the top end as you do in some other cabs.

Of course, if the top end is not there in the first place, the horn will have absolutely no effect... I suspect I would not hear much of a difference, if at all, with my old RH450, as it just did not have much top end at all, regardless of what settings I used. If the Streamliner is voiced similarly, that could explain what you hear (or don't hear).

What cab were you using before with the Streamliner that you were satisfied with, regarding the top end?

edit: sorry, you already mentioned it, the Epifani UL2 112. I have no experience of that cab, so I can't say anything. But I would consider the BB2 to be rather bright (not necessarily the brightest, but the first thing that struck me was its clarity and top end)... Maybe it's wrong, or maybe it's not what you want. Is there anybody close to where you are with another BB2 that you can test? I suspect in your situation, I'd probably just return it... no point keeping it if you don't like it, but I'd try to talk to Alex first in case there's something wrong. If the cab is ok and you just don't like it, I don't think you'd have much trouble selling it later with a relatively minimal loss, as people are often happy to pay a bit over the odds for a used cab, and not have to wait 2-3 months for a brand new one (if in good condition)

Edited April 7, 2014 by mcnach

[barkin]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1396856216' post='2417880']
Would you mind telling us which cab it was you preferred?
[/quote]

Chapter & verse - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/221992-barefaced-bf-big-baby-2-review-bergantino-ip112er-and-acme-b1-content-also/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/221992-barefaced-bf-big-baby-2-review-bergantino-ip112er-and-acme-b1-content-also/page__fromsearch__1[/url]

[funkle]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1396856216' post='2417880']

Would you mind telling us which cab it was you preferred?

Kind of good to see it's not all 100% positive for this cab - that would have made me suspicious...
[/quote]

I ended up preferring the Berg IP112ER, which I scored whilst waiting for the BB2. Heavier, and it does have a less even response in the upper mids (I think), but the lows are just voiced really well for bass. The upper end of the IP is wonderful; the BB2 upper end was even better - totally pristine.

I still use my Acme B1 for small jazz gigs, and it is extremely even as the BB2 is. Bigger lows too, though incredibly inefficient.

The only other cab I really want to try is the Fearless F112 (or a F110). Great form factor and decent lows whilst being pretty light, or so it is said. If I think those are better (whenever I can try one), then I'll sell the IP.

For now, the IP is the go to cab for loud gigs. I bought an HD112 as extension cab for it but didn't like it much, so clearly the built in amp in the IP is doing a lot of voicing (the IP and HD share the same woofer). So that went back. Tried a CN112 instead in its own and as ext cab - bit low shy in its own (just enough lows - I think similar to BB2 in some ways) but in band context on its own or as ext cab voiced very well for my needs and loud enough.

Edited April 7, 2014 by funkle

[funkle]

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1396860643' post='2417937']


Chapter & verse - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/221992-barefaced-bf-big-baby-2-review-bergantino-ip112er-and-acme-b1-content-also/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/221992-barefaced-bf-big-baby-2-review-bergantino-ip112er-and-acme-b1-content-also/page__fromsearch__1[/url]
[/quote]

Beat me to it!

[barkin]

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1396862598' post='2417964']
Beat me to it!
[/quote]

It's a subject of great interest to me at the moment...

[discreet]

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1396862487' post='2417961']
I ended up preferring the Berg IP112ER, which I scored whilst waiting for the BB2....
[/quote]
[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1396860643' post='2417937']
Chapter & verse - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/221992-barefaced-bf-big-baby-2-review-bergantino-ip112er-and-acme-b1-content-also/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.u...__fromsearch__1[/url]
[/quote]

Thanks for the considerable amount of information, guys. Very interesting.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1396860120' post='2417927']
Of course, if the top end is not there in the first place, the horn will have absolutely no effect...
[/quote]

I'd be using the BB2 with a GK Fusion, so no worries on that score.

Edited April 7, 2014 by discreet

[Musicman20]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1396860120' post='2417927']
Highs missing from the BB2? That's one thing I can't imagine saying about it. Or our definition of highs is very different. I feel my BB2 has a LOT of top end, should I want it. Or tehre's something wrong with yours?

Can you get those highs you seek from your amp using a different cab?

I used to have a RH450 and it just did not have the highs, so no cab would give those to me and I ended up letting it go (for other reasons, but this was a factor).
I have not tried the Streamliner, but I hear it's very "old school", so I wonder if it's not the amp that's just not designed for the sound you're after.
I chose the Shuttle 9.2 over the Streamliner, without hearing either "in person", just on videos, precisely because it seemed a bit on the dark side for my taste, from all descriptions.

As for the horn control... it is a funny one. I have experienced two BB2s, mine and somebody else's prior to buying mine. The effect is subtle. The 12" driver gets fed all of the signal when the horn is turned off, and it seems quite capable to reproduce a significant amount of high frequencies.
As you turn the horn on, the voicing changes, and you get some more highs, but the effect I hear is more of a voicing change rather than a clear increase in top end. The guy who let me try his first also was surprised by it and at first he thought it was faulty, until he started testing it and realised what it was doing. I recall he said Alex told him that it's like a dynamic crossover, so as you turn down the horn, more high frequency content is fed onto the main driver... and as it's capable of reproducing quite a bit of top end, you don't cut the top end as you do in some other cabs.

Of course, if the top end is not there in the first place, the horn will have absolutely no effect... I suspect I would not hear much of a difference, if at all, with my old RH450, as it just did not have much top end at all, regardless of what settings I used. If the Streamliner is voiced similarly, that could explain what you hear (or don't hear).

What cab were you using before with the Streamliner that you were satisfied with, regarding the top end?

edit: sorry, you already mentioned it, the Epifani UL2 112. I have no experience of that cab, so I can't say anything. But I would consider the BB2 to be rather bright (not necessarily the brightest, but the first thing that struck me was its clarity and top end)... Maybe it's wrong, or maybe it's not what you want. Is there anybody close to where you are with another BB2 that you can test? I suspect in your situation, I'd probably just return it... no point keeping it if you don't like it, but I'd try to talk to Alex first in case there's something wrong. If the cab is ok and you just don't like it, I don't think you'd have much trouble selling it later with a relatively minimal loss, as people are often happy to pay a bit over the odds for a used cab, and not have to wait 2-3 months for a brand new one (if in good condition)
[/quote]

Just a quick snippet of info for the thread. The Streamliner has a lot of top end sheen and snap, if you want it. It can sound very crisp, modern and clear if you want it to.

There is either a fault with the cab or they just plain don't like it me thinks.

[TobyMunkling]

Thanks for your replies!

The streamliner was used on both the BB2 and my Epifani UL2 112. I find the streamliner to be pretty good at a clean hifi like sound if the valve section is kept in check.

I will send my BB2 back to Barefaced and see what they say. If the horn wasn't working, I may just ask for a repair. If the horn is working, then they can keep it. it's not for me!

Barefaced have (typically) not yet replied to my email.

Other companies are busy, and yet manage to keep-up with their customers!

[discreet]

[quote name='TobyMunkling' timestamp='1396865445' post='2418016']
Barefaced have (typically) not yet replied to my email. Other companies are busy, and yet manage to keep-up with their customers!
[/quote]

I sympathise entirely, but I'm guessing barefaced haven't yet invested in separate administration and customer service departments. This would of course be good for Public Relations, but no doubt it would mean increasing their prices way beyond that of any comparable cabs. Not that there are many (if any) comparable cabs, but you get my drift...

Edited April 7, 2014 by discreet