Cab placement - split them?

[geoham]

Hi,

I've been gigging with just on TC Electronic RS112 cab recently, with a BH550 head on top. The gigs have mostly been in small pubs, so it's been perfectly adequate. However, i recently played a fairly large pub and while the speaker was loud enough, I did crank the master volume to about 70-80%. I know the cab is rated at 200w, and I guess the amp will put out something like 300w with just one 8 ohm cab, so I was probably pushing things to the limit. It did sound great though - I was approached with a couple of musicians after the show who were flabbergasted that such a small setup could sound so huge.

Anyway, I've gone and purchased a second RS112 (from Ebenezer on here!). I'd planned on just stacking one on top of the other, but my guitarist has suggested placing the other at the opposite side of the stage! His logic is that he'll hear it a bit better (he's half deaf!) and also that it would sound more better out front. I suppose I can see where he's coming from, it just seems a bit unorthodox to me!

Have any of you tried such a thing? How did it work for you? FYI - neither the guitar or bass go through the PA.

Thanks,

George

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Read this. The same applies to bass cabs.
http://www.prosoundweb.com/topics/sound_reinforcement/in_search_of_the_power_alley/

[quote]- neither the guitar or bass go through the PA.[/quote]They should, especially through the monitors, so that everyone can hear everyone else. You would high pass the bass so that nothing below 100Hz is in the monitors. With a stacked rig you can aim the bottom cab away from you to spread the mids and highs, but you'd usually aim it at the drummer, since he'd typically be beside, if not behind, your rig.

[geoham]

Thanks Bill, that was quite interesting!

I agree that ideally we'd put everything through the PA, it's just not practical at many of the gigs we play. (A five piece band squeezed in the corner of a local pub, with the headstock of my bass almost up the keyboard player's nose!)

It's definitely something I want to look at for bigger gigs.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Most of the gigs I play can get away with not going through the PA, as far as the room goes, but I always run the guitar through it so I can hear him through the monitor. Small stages aren't a problem, they're why I designed small monitors. Besides, they have to be there to hear the vocals.

Edited July 16, 2017 by Bill Fitzmaurice

[Danuman]

Thanks, that was a good read indeed! Comb filtering issues do my head in sometimes.

(Now to find an easy way to explain to the bass player of one of my bands why boosting the low lows on his rig by 15dB is not beneficial for the rest of the band.)

[OddBass65]

I asked a somewhat similar question here a couple of weeks back.
I've a MarkBass combo, and matching 151 cab.
I was considering the same idea, but was advised against it.
What I did on my first gig out with the rig was I stacked, but turned the bottom cab facing across the stage, towards the drummer and guitarist.
That worked perfectly.