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2x10s... enough?


CamdenRob
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Been asked before I know... but I'm always considering as smaller rig as I can get away with.

Is a decent 2x10 enough for regular gigging? I very rarely play venues with no PA support but sometimes have to overcome an enthusiastic drummer...

I love my 112s they sound awesome but I'm forever on a quest to carry as little gear as possible...

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IMO a 2x10 should be enough, but it really depends on the band - if it's not enough your stage volume is probably too high, which probably means your guitarists have massively too-big amps and/or the drummer can't control their volume.

I gig regularly with a single 1x12, and even that is enough to drown out a fairly enthusiastic acoustic drummer with a 300w amp. That said, I do nearly always DI for extra projection into the venue via the PA.

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I did loads of gigs on a 210.
Especially with modern, more efficient speakers and cab design there are some brill cabs.
Traded my last 210 with Beneath It All a few years ago. . great cab, often wonder where it is now. Oak-faced MDF with front port; I had a knife and fork sticker on the front.

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It depends on the 2x10 in question & how good it is at moving air.

I never had trouble being heard using the MarkBass CMD102p in my old rock band, so really surprised to hear Cliffy having volume issues. I was asked to turn down many times, but never up (I don't think that was to do with my bass playing either).

I suppose it depends on the sound you're after, how you set your eq & where you place the cab.
If you whack the lows up or turn the mids down, you're gonna need a lot of speakers to move a lot of air to compensate if you are in a loud band.
If you stick the 2x10 horizontally on the floor, then you're not gonna get much going to your ears.

My experience was that a 2x10 could cover all the venues that didn't require PA support.

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[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1430471686' post='2761677']
IMO a 2x10 should be enough, but it really depends on the band - if it's not enough your stage volume is probably too high, which probably means your guitarists have massively too-big amps and/or the drummer can't control their volume.
[/quote]This (IMO).

Edited by Conan
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It really depends on the cab - there's a huge variance!

What it comes down to is how much air the cabs can move - so that's the cone area x cone excursion. Double the cone excursion and you only need half the cone area to get the same output for bass guitar.

Amongst older/cheaper cabs the 15" speakers tend to have more cone excursion, plus a 15" is about the area of 2.5 10"s. So generally amongst a similar range of cabs you'll find the 1x15" sits halfway between the matching 2x10" and 4x10" in terms of output.

Our little Retro Two10 though has about twice the cone excursion of most decent 10"s and even more that older/cheaper ones, so one of them has similar output to a typical 4x10" and more than almost all 1x15"s.

Obviously a 2x10" can't move enough air for louder bands/larger venues or so many larger cabs wouldn't exist!

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I`ve never used a single 210 on a gig so can`t comment from that point, but I`ve heard many bassists using the MarkBass CMD102p in pub gigs, so therefore doing all the low end without FOH, and it was plenty enough. Again not huge venues/stages, so maybe not enough for those, but regular pub sized venues not a problem.

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I haven't done a gig in the last 20 years where a 210 would be enough.

Playing with a drummer, the smallest rig I'd carry is 2 112 cabs.

PS
Barefaced cabs would be the only 1 cab solution that I would try. The Retro 210, BB2 and SC might suit you, also one of the original 15" Compacts.-

Edited by chris_b
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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1430479408' post='2761796']
I haven't done a gig in the last 20 years where a 210 would be enough.

Playing with a drummer, the smallest rig I'd carry is 2 112 cabs.

PS
Barefaced cabs would be the only 1 cab solution that I would try. The Retro 210, BB2 and SC might suit you, also one of the original 15" Compacts.-
[/quote]

This....

Its why I ordered a Barefaced BB2 yesterday.

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Had very good results with berg hs 210 and littlemark 2, does not have the nth
degree of bottom end, but lower mids sit well in the mix and lets face it, the
real bottom you feel rather than hear.

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[quote name='cliffyspliff' timestamp='1430471271' post='2761668']
I tried gigging with just a TC RS 210 and that wasn't enough in a Rockband for stage volume with PA support .... I had to add an RS212 ... A Markbass cmd102p wasn't loud enough either.
[/quote]

Nope..wouldn't expect it to be... but it also depends what you want back from the rig...
Some people can make do with just getting the volume up..and aren't worried about the tone.
Wouldn't work for me...no matter how hard I wished it would.

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I've never had a problem volume or tone wise gigging a 210. In fact i've gone back to a 210 set up (yet to gig it, but I'm more than confident it'll cut it). The only reason I ever bought a 410 was because I was in a band with a neanderthal for a drummer. I refuse to be in a band anymore where the drummer, or anyone else for that matter, has only two settings - mute or ear splitting.

I saw a guy play a gig in a medium sized pub the other night use a little Peavey 112 combo (one of the new ones). He was loud enough and sounded fine to me...the audience enjoyed the gig.

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I have used my 2x10 with 250w markbass head in many a situation, and not once has it felt underpowered. I like ti roll off the real lows (via an eq pedal within my ms60b; that tends to get a bit more out it it before the speakers begin to struggle.

To be honest, it's normally just used for stage monitoring anyway.

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My Fender Rumble amp is 2x10.

It is very loud and full by itself. Easily fine for gigs (I have gigged it, and it was plenty).

I added the 1x15 cab to simply give it more of the same, if you like. Just a bit more presence overall - but in rehearsal, I only ever use the amp. Got some gigs coming up when I won't bother with the cab either.

To add, our drummer is equally 'enthusiatic' - and the 2x10 was fine - never even made it to half-way! :)

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[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1430498995' post='2762128']
My Fender Rumble amp is 2x10.

It is very loud and full by itself. Easily fine for gigs (I have gigged it, and it was plenty
[/quote]

Ditto

Edited by Norris
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[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1430472398' post='2761690']
It depends on the 2x10 in question & how good it is at moving air.

If you stick the 2x10 horizontally on the floor, then you're not gonna get much going to your ears.

[/quote]

I beg to differ if we talk about Barefaced cabs.

I swapped my Ampeg 4x10 HLF Classic for a Barefaced RetroTwo10 mainly to save my back but I have also found:

i) The Barefaced moves as much, if not more air than the HLF.

ii) Something in the design of the Barefaced makes for an omnidirectional cab.
I have found that it makes no difference to[b] my shot ears[/b] (and punters who have commented) on whether the cab is set horizontally or vertically.

Just [u]feel[/u] the bass, man. B)

Edited by Jazzneck
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Always amazed when people say that a single 15 or a 2x10 isn't enough. Even with good quality ones! How loud do people play?!

I suspect many people suffer the consequences of unsuitable EQing for the gig and placement issues.

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