Barefaced (BF) Big Baby 2 Review (Bergantino IP112ER and Acme B1 content also)

[funkle]

Hi all

I have been lucky enough to score one of the new Big Baby 2's Alex is making. A beauty of a cab. I will lay out some thoughts as a review.

It is wonderfully light. The website says 29lbs, my bathroom scales say 31 lbs.

The textured finish feels tough, and the new handle and corner hardware looks professional. The new grill looks extremely good and brings up the looks compared to what I thought about previous Barefaced cabinets. The port has a Barefaced logo countersunk inside, which is a nice little touch. It looks good. I would have no qualms about recommending ownership.

The sound.

This is going to take a bit longer, and I have made comparisons to my smaller but heavier Bergantino IP112ER (50 lbs, 500W into 8 ohm, DSP circuitry, specs as per [url="http://www.bergantino.com/ip_series.htm"]http://www.bergantino.com/ip_series.htm[/url]) and my smaller but inefficient Acme B1 (31 lbs, 175W into 8 ohm, specs as per [url="http://www.acmebass.com/pdf/b1.pdf"]http://www.acmebass.com/pdf/b1.pdf[/url]).

I have used my Streamliner 900 variously as combo head, preamp only, and poweramp only (depending on the setup), with variously trying out the Zoom B3 as preamp at various times. I have also pumped full range material through all cabs to compare also. The Streamliner 900 delivers 500W into the 8 ohm BB2 neo driver. The Berg IP112ER delivers 500W into it's ceramic driver and tweeter.

Test basses were Celinder J Update (ash/maple) and Celinder J Classic (rosewood and alder). Both 4 strings. For reference, I play mostly jazz, fusion, funk, and occasional function band deps. I'm not in a rock band with two guitarists - tends to trios, 4 or 5 piece units, good drummers, big bands sometimes, that sort of stuff.

I often used the looper on the Zoom to be able to play a piece of music and then be able to swap set-ups, so as to keep the source constant.

Using the Zoom B3 as preamp into the Streamliner power section, or using the Streamliner set flat (Talkbass has instructions on how to do this), the Big Baby 2 has a very even frequency response from top to bottom. Really clear and beautiful high end with the horn turned all the way up. Full range music sounds clear. Bass sounds very clear. Very similar to the Acme sound, to me, anyway.

With the horn turned full up, the BB2 has a clearer high end than the Berg, no doubt about it. Full range music confirmed this as well as listening tests.

It had less low end set flat than the Berg IP, but about the same as my Acme B1. [I tend to like a very large low end, R'n'B or upright bass jazz style as opposed to lean finger funk].

EQ'ing in low end is very simple and the cab responds well to bass EQ, no farting out. I think the Streamliner is a good match to this cabinet. The Berg IP has two settings for how the cab is set (one a 'dry'/flat setting and the other a 'Bergantino EQ' setting', but both of them employ the onbaord DSP - it cannot be turned off. I have confirmed this with Jim Bergantino). The low end is very meaty and punchy on the Bergantino, and a bit more even on the BB2 by comparison, though EQ can set this to taste. However, even using compression and EQ on the BB2, I couldn't quite replicate the low end of what the Bergantino can do - it just has a certain voicing wired in.

It is extremely loud. Ear shatteringly loud, unbelievably so. I could barely touch the bass when I maxed out the volume and gain controls on the Streamliner. I couldn't make it fart, even with slapping. I think Alex's claims to max volume and power handling appear to be valid. I could easily fart out the Acme with the Streamliner, of course - it's not a very efficient cab. The Berg IP was able to achieve the same volume level to the BB2 also without farting out or sounding nasty (using either the Zoom B3 or the Streamliner as preamp), but of course it uses DSP wizardry to do so. I suspect a bigger amp than what I own could push the BB2 to even more stupendous volume levels.

I genuinely have been spending a few days working out what to do with this top-line cabinetry.

The Berg is heavy, more compact, has a meatier low end built in from the DSP, is as loud as I've ever heard a 1x12" be, and has a very slightly less sweet top end. The BB2 is larger, much lighter, is at least equally loud, takes EQ extremely well, and has a very sweet top end. It also worked well in a stereo set up with the Berg or as an extension cab to it (that was just....ridiculously loud. What a feeling though.) .

I originally ordered the BB2 in July as a replacement for my Acme B2. I scored the Berg IP112ER meantime as a chance lucky find. For my particular needs, I am probably going to stay with the Berg as my 'big rig'. I like its voicing, its compactness, and it's about as loud as I could ever imagine needing to be. I have preamps which work well with it. It does have a massive low end which needs taming on some stages with EQ.

The BB2 beats the pants off my Acme B1 whilst having a many sonic similarities. But, for when I need a very small rig (some pubs around here), the Acme B1 remains unbeatable in size; the BB2 is considerably bigger.

The Big Baby 2 is really a very fine piece of engineering. I regret not being able to keep both the Berg and the BB2. It sounds great, is very very very loud and sounds good at high SPL, and is very light. If I hadn't scored the Berg IP112ER whilst waiting for it, it would be my #1 'big rig'. I have very little doubt about the claims Alex as made for it and I think it could easily match some of the 2 x 12" setups I have heard (e.g. Vanderkley - I previously owned 112MNT and have played through a stack of 2).

Anyway, that's my 2p for now. I'm very tempted to try out Alex's Super Midget which is nearly as small as my Acme B1 and see if it simultaneously works as a small jazz gig cabinet and extension cab for the Berg IP112ER. Tall order, but it does have his fancy 12XN550 driver in there too...

I'll add some pics of relative sizes of everything later.

Pete

Edited November 10, 2013 by funkle

[LukeFRC]

thanks for the review funkle!

[funkle]

Thanks man. A shorter review could have been: An excellent cabinet whose only contender is another extremely specialised cabinet with fancy DSP, compression, and limiting built in. As for other passive cabinets...

Of course not everyone wants a 'flattish' cab.

If Alex starts doing powered cabinets or PA equipment, I think there's some incredible possibilities there.

Edited November 10, 2013 by funkle

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1384099906' post='2272730']
Thanks man. A shorter review could have been: An excellent cabinet whose only contender is another extremely specialised cabinet with fancy DSP, compression, and limiting built in. As for other passive cabinets...

Of course not everyone wants a 'flattish' cab.

If Alex starts doing powered cabinets or PA equipment, I think there's some incredible possibilities there.
[/quote] My tecamp Puma 1000 has the same powersoft amp module as your Berg IP - if I knew how to programme DSP hacking into the Puma to add the DSP board to pair it with a BB2 would be the plan!

Edited November 10, 2013 by LukeFRC

[funkle]

A couple of pics, showing relative sizes of the cabs and what the BB2 looks like with and without crappy mobile phone flash.

[attachment=148093:IMG_2613.JPG] [attachment=148094:IMG_2615.JPG] [attachment=148095:IMG_2616.JPG]

[nottswarwick]

Is it going back then?

[funkle]

[quote name='nottswarwick' timestamp='1384110775' post='2272896']
Is it going back then?
[/quote]

Sadly, yes. 'Big rig' stays in the house till needed, little rig stays in the car boot all the time, ready to go for small gigs. No room for much else!

[Bigwan]

Looking forward to my bb2 being ready. Hopefully in about 4 weeks...

[Owen]

How did the BB2 compare to the Acme for low frequency extension. Obviously the BB2 would have significantly more ultimate heft, but did it have Acme-esque LF "openess" (for the want of a better word)?

[funkle]

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1384443265' post='2276772']
How did the BB2 compare to the Acme for low frequency extension. Obviously the BB2 would have significantly more ultimate heft, but did it have Acme-esque LF "openess" (for the want of a better word)?
[/quote]

I thought so...though I'm sure it's not tuned as low as the Acme. Let's just say, good enough for my ears. Though I don't have a low B any more, just playing 4 string.

The Berg IP seemed to have an incredible low end though - bigger than either the B1 or the BB2 (at equal volume). And I'm certain that it's doing it with compression and psychoacoustics...but what can I say, I really like it.

I keep playing through the BB2 and not wanting to send it back though - I found a new setting turning off the horn completely which gave a very cool gritty old school cabinet tone. As I said before, with the horn on, it has an beautiful and clear upper mid/treble which is really great sounding. Better than the IP112ER for sure. And the horn will have better dispersion than the tweet in the Berg in a big room.

Decisions, decisions.


As an aside, I tried out one of the AER Amp Ones at the weekend - a local shop had one, and it has such a good rep that I thought it was worth a try. I did not like it. Loud, but boosting bass made it boomy to me. I don't think it can enjoy much true low end in the sense of Acme etc, but of course it is much more efficient as a result. I guess others will find it suits them just right, but my taste in low end is a bit deeper than conventional. I think The Dark Lord has two of these combos and loves them...fair play to him.

[chris_b]

[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1384462692' post='2277129']
.... I tried out one of the AER Amp Ones at the weekend....
[/quote]

You've got to know when enough is enough!

[funkle]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1384479033' post='2277298']


You've got to know when enough is enough!
[/quote]

Why? I'm having fun...and they happened to have one in when I was buying strings. Pretty rare thing to see, so I thought I'd have a go.

Acmes kept me GAS free for 5 years, think I'm happy having a good look around planning for next 5 or more...