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adding a cab to my Barefaced Compact? BF, Schroeder or Vanderkley?


mcnach
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I want to get a second cab to complement my Barefaced Compact (2nd gen). It will have to be 8ohm.
When using both cabs, I'll most likely be using a Markbass LMIII.

The Compact is nice, but a little on the dark side. I'm looking for something that has enough "oomph" and is a bit more "clear" and prominent on the midrange.

Oh, and I want to keep it reasonably small (up to BF compact size or so) and *light*.
Yes, I care about it being light. Bite me. :P

I'm looking at 3 posibilities, but I'm open to others... I wonder what the collective wisdom and experience here says. The three options I have here are all in the same price range, roughly.



1)
Barefaced Big Baby 2
1x12"
56 x 45 x 37cm H,W,D (stacks nicely on the Compact)
13Kg (light!)
not the nicest handles, but at 13Kg not an issue.
97db
30Hz - 20KHz
timescale: 3-months wait or so?
returns: 30-day trial, easy.


2)
Schroeder 1210
1x12" + 1x10"
60 x 48 x 41cm (stacks perfectly on the compact)
17Kg (reasonable)
handles are not very comfortable
102db
40Hz - 18KHz
timescale: 2-weeks + shipping from USA (air freight)
returns: not practical, too expensive (USA)


3)
Vanderkley 210MNT
2x10"
50 x 50 x 41 (stacks nicely, just 2cm wider than the Compact)
17Kg (reasonable)
great comfy handles
100db
45Hz - 16KHz
timescale: in stock, UK (Bass Direct)
returns: at least 7 days, I have not checked further.


I have not tried any of them and I'm not likely to be able to try before I buy...
I like my mids... think "fingerstyle funk" with a Stingray or Jazz on bridge pickup alone (in the latter case, with a J-Retro preamp fattening up the bottom end a bit).

The lazy guy in me wants to go BF, but what I hear about the Schroeder and VdK cabs makes me think they're probably a very good option... and 4 more Kg won't kill me, especially with a nice handle. The grip on the VdK has a cylindrical cross-section and I find those nice when carrying weight. The ones on the Schroeder these days look a lot like the ones on the TCE RS210, flattened, and they dig in my hand after a bit (I have soft hands, ok? :lol:)

decisions, decisions...

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I don't know what "dark" means!

I've heard 2 Compacts played with a Mark bass 450 (ish) and they sounded great together.

I've also played a Compact and a Bergantino AE210 together with my Thunderfunk, at front room volume, and the result was an amazing tone.

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I'm just in the process of acquiring a BF compact Gen2, and if I haven't sold it before the BF arrives, am planning to try pairing it with my one remaining MarkBass NY 604.

In reality, I'm expecting to find the BF will be more than adequate for most, if not all, my gigs. But, going purely on descriptions for now, I think they might make quite a complementary pair.

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[quote name='Salt on your Bass?' timestamp='1390402046' post='2344996']
Yeah, plus 1 to the midget. It adds a great level of 'growl' to a compact and I think it would be exactly what you're looking for if you consider the Compact to be dark. Righteous rig that, loved mine when I was running it.
[/quote]


The midget gets lots of love I see. Hey, happy to see that, it's cheaper and lighter too ;)
I thought of it but figured the BB2 would be a bit more "oomphy".

Hmm.

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Another vote for a Midget. I have a Compact + Midget and the pairing is marvellous. Also gives flexibility for rehearsals, too - I usually just take the Midget along. OOmph-wise I've never found the pair lacking - I use a TC Classic 450 or GB Streamliner 600..

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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1390398493' post='2344917']
I want to get a second cab to complement my Barefaced Compact (2nd gen). It will have to be 8ohm.
When using both cabs, I'll most likely be using a Markbass LMIII.

The Compact is nice, but a little on the dark side. I'm looking for something that has enough "oomph" and is a bit more "clear" and prominent on the midrange.

Oh, and I want to keep it reasonably small (up to BF compact size or so) and *light*.
Yes, I care about it being light. Bite me. :P

I'm looking at 3 posibilities, but I'm open to others... I wonder what the collective wisdom and experience here says. The three options I have here are all in the same price range, roughly.



1)
Barefaced Big Baby 2
1x12"
56 x 45 x 37cm H,W,D (stacks nicely on the Compact)
13Kg (light!)
not the nicest handles, but at 13Kg not an issue.
97db
30Hz - 20KHz
timescale: 3-months wait or so?
returns: 30-day trial, easy.


2)
Schroeder 1210
1x12" + 1x10"
60 x 48 x 41cm (stacks perfectly on the compact)
17Kg (reasonable)
handles are not very comfortable
102db
40Hz - 18KHz
timescale: 2-weeks + shipping from USA (air freight)
returns: not practical, too expensive (USA)


3)
Vanderkley 210MNT
2x10"
50 x 50 x 41 (stacks nicely, just 2cm wider than the Compact)
17Kg (reasonable)
great comfy handles
100db
45Hz - 16KHz
timescale: in stock, UK (Bass Direct)
returns: at least 7 days, I have not checked further.


I have not tried any of them and I'm not likely to be able to try before I buy...
I like my mids... think "fingerstyle funk" with a Stingray or Jazz on bridge pickup alone (in the latter case, with a J-Retro preamp fattening up the bottom end a bit).

The lazy guy in me wants to go BF, but what I hear about the Schroeder and VdK cabs makes me think they're probably a very good option... and 4 more Kg won't kill me, especially with a nice handle. The grip on the VdK has a cylindrical cross-section and I find those nice when carrying weight. The ones on the Schroeder these days look a lot like the ones on the TCE RS210, flattened, and they dig in my hand after a bit (I have soft hands, ok? :lol:)

decisions, decisions...
[/quote]

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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1390398493' post='2344917']
I wonder what the collective wisdom and experience here says. [/quote]If you like what you have but need it louder for big gigs add another, it will sound even better. If you don't like what you have try other cabs and when you find one that's better get one, or two, and sell/trade what you have now. Asking others opinions of what might work best will get you almost as many different opinions as you do answers, none of them valid, as no one can tell you what you like. Only you can do that.

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[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1390405948' post='2345064']
I would sell and buy a Bergantino CN212. Super light, great form factor, great for mids, tweeter.
[/quote]
But he wants two cabs as far as I can work out. Is there a CN112? Then you have the same suggestion but offering the two cab solution he requires ;)

Edited by Merton
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[quote name='Salt on your Bass?' timestamp='1390402046' post='2344996']
Yeah, plus 1 to the midget. It adds a great level of 'growl' to a compact and I think it would be exactly what you're looking for if you consider the Compact to be dark. Righteous rig that, loved mine when I was running it.
[/quote]

This is what I did, as I also found the Compact too dark/round/warm for my needs. Alex recommended the Midget and together they were a perfect pair, added the growl and bite I wanted but still kept the low-end that I needed.

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[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1390404515' post='2345043']
Another vote for a Midget. I have a Compact + Midget and the pairing is marvellous. Also gives flexibility for rehearsals, too - I usually just take the Midget along. OOmph-wise I've never found the pair lacking - I use a TC Classic 450 or GB Streamliner 600..
[/quote]

This is what use and would highly recommend it. (This will be no surprise)

You have 3 rigs in 2 cabs. It's a very flexible setup - the Midget for rehearsals and smaller gigs (It's still very loud) Compact for bigger gigs and both, for say, gigs in hotel function rooms and outdoor gigs.

I like the Compact very much even on its own though. ;)

Frank.

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I got a gen3 BF Super Midget as an addition to my gen 2 Compact. Great pairing. I wrote a thing on how they match up if you want to read it:

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/219758-super-midget-1-intense-first-week/page__p__2245828__hl__first%20week__fromsearch__1#entry2245828

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Get the Vanderkley, for purely selfish reasons. I'd like to go for 2 of these myself (or at least try them out) and having never heard them I'd welcome a review. :D
BTW I used to own an original Schroeder 410L cab which was probably the best single cab solution I've owned to date. Not really sure why I got rid of it being honest, a case of mistaken GAS. Dare I say, BF not being the holy grail of sound after all. For me anyway.

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Sell the Compact and buy a Super 12T? Or trade your Compact for an S12T?

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/227756-fs-barefaced-super-12t-silver-cloth-great-condition-l600/"]http://basschat.co.u...condition-l600/[/url]

Or, just to add another option (sorry!) - a TKS H115? Not hugely dissimilar in size to a Compact, but much more top end from the (variable) tweeter. Also very light and very loud. I tried one in tandem with my Compact and they sounded great together.

[url="http://www.tks.se/"]http://www.tks.se/[/url]

Edited by Conan
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Well, a Barefaced Big Baby 2 has been ordered... :)

If it lives up to expectations, I can see two of these in my future, we will see.

I played a gig last night in which I used the Compact with the MB combo. Afterwards I disconnected everything and left it in a pile onstage while I went to get the car, which was parked a couple of blocks away. Meanwhile, my girlfriend and the trumpet player decided to move my stuff closer to the door. My gf knew the Compact was light, so she grabbed that, apparently turning heads as she went by, since people expected it to be heavy. Superwoman :lol:
She loved the weight and approves my choice :P

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