Two 210’s or a 210 plus a 115

[isteen]

Got a lot of good old Trace Elliot stuff, so I am trying various  combinations. If anyone already has tried to match different cabs, what are your experiences putting two cabs together?

Currently I have a EBS head linkes to three TE cabs, but the TE head can’t go under 4 ohm - so two cabs is the limit with the TE HEAD

[outsider70]

All my most favoured past rigs have been with 115 and 210. Trace Elliot, Gallien Krueger and currently Ashdown ABM. Tried with 410's in the past but they never did it for me.

[chris_b]

I used a 210 and 115 mesa Boogie EV stack for nearly 10 years. That was a great combination for me.

I also used a 210 and 112 Bergantino stack for a few years after that. Wonderful sound.

Put the right cabs together and these formats will sound good. I'd expect your cabs to work together. You have the cabs, try them and let us know. I don't know TE but IME the bottom line is if it sounds good it is good.

[fretmeister]

I don't like mixing speaker types. EQ settings for 1 cab won't necessarily be right for a different cab.

If you have something you like and want more of it - add more of the same. Don't add different.

[Newfoundfreedom]

I'm not exactly sure of the science behind it, but apparently if you use mismatched cabs, such as a 1x15 and a 2x10, the result of the two soundwaves combining will ultimately bring about the destruction of the universe. 

Or so I'm lead to believe from similar threads. The 1x15 + 2x10 combination has always sounded bloody superb to me. 

Edited August 9, 2019 by Newfoundfreedom

[Lozz196]

I’ve had a good few 210/115 set ups, all have been great. So I recommend two 210s. Why I hear you all ask, well the reply is laziness. With a 210/115 set up each cab is likely to be voiced differently so your sound is made up of two items that if either are missing you can’t replicate it completely . Whereas with 2 identical cabs you can use just one for rehearsals and smaller gigs, adding in the second when needed. Jus makes life that bit easier. 

[chris_b]

If I read this correctly, the OP isn't talking about buying, he already owns these cabs.

[Dan Dare]

10 hours ago, chris_b said:

If I read this correctly, the OP isn't talking about buying, he already owns these cabs.

In which case, the answer must be suck it and see. I always liked 2x10 + 1x15 when I had that set-up, but two 2x10s is pretty nice too. In the eye (or ear) of the beholder and all that.

[E sharp]

12 hours ago, chris_b said:

I used a 210 and 115 mesa Boogie EV stack for nearly 10 years. That was a great combination for me.

 

Exactly what I used for years too . Traded them in for an Eden rig at the old Wapping Bass Centre , around 18-19 years ago , or so .

You didn't happen to get them from there did you?

[chris_b]

3 hours ago, E sharp said:

Exactly what I used for years too . Traded them in for an Eden rig at the old Wapping Bass Centre , around 18-19 years ago , or so .

You didn't happen to get them from there did you?

I got the 210 from Wapping (there were 2, which were supposed to be ex-Mark King) and the 115 was brand new from the Bass Cellar in Denmark Street. Both were the Road Ready versions which did for my back in the end!!  Thankfully Neodymium came along at just the right time. They made a great sound with my Ampeg SVT-3 PRO.

[bazzbass]

wisdom says mixing 210 with 115 results in mismatched power to each speaker, as the 15 will get twice the power that each 10 gets

but, bass wisdom says, if it sounds good, it IS good

[Steve Browning]

Ditch the 10s and get another 15. 🙂

[chris_b]

On 12/08/2019 at 17:51, bazzbass said:

wisdom says mixing 210 with 115 results in mismatched power to each speaker, as the 15 will get twice the power that each 10 gets

The definition of wisdom is "the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement". IMO that has nothing to do with literal interpretation, or narrow fundamentalist thinking.

Drivers are defined by a dozen or more Thiele/Small parameters and these can appear in any number of permutations in the finished article. It depends on the aim of the designer. Many of those permutations will work well together as a "happy accident" others will work together because the designer knew exactly what he was doing and designed them that way.

My Mesa cabs could have been happy accident or design, I don't know. They worked so well together I don't care. Other driver mixes can be equally successful. The biggest sound problem bass players have is a bad room and the other band members.

Listen to the cabs. If they sound good they are good. That's wisdom.

[stewblack]

I have the twin or bi-amped Trace head which has built in high and low pass filters and individual volume controls for each amp. 

This is sheer, utter joy. The higher frequencies go to the 2X10 and the lower to the 15". Because the 15 is rated at 600 watts and the 2X10 isn't as much. Also the 2X10 has a horn. 

The lesser cab with its horn never sees the big fat bottom end while the more capable cab gets it all. 

Get a nice sound and tweaking to suit your tastes becomes one knob for top and one for bottom. I love it. 

Not much use to the op, sorry, just love talking about Trace Elliot. 

 

[bazzbass]

18 hours ago, chris_b said:

Listen to the cabs. If they sound good they are good. That's wisdom.

did you not read the next line in my post?

"but, bass wisdom says, if it sounds good, it IS good"

[chris_b]

11 minutes ago, bazzbass said:

did you not read the next line in my post?

"but, bass wisdom says, if it sounds good, it IS good"

I know, I didn't word that well. I was just using your post to kick start my point.

[bazzbass]

3 minutes ago, chris_b said:

I know, I didn't word that well. I was just using your post to kick start my point.

Saul Goodman (s'all good, man )

I come from the generation that played in the 70s 80s and 90s, we broke ALL the rules, because we didn't know about them hehe

We mixed cabs, and even used guitar cabs

we used instrument cables to connect our heads to our cabs

we didn't know about this thing called a truss rod

or intonation.......

Edited August 15, 2019 by bazzbass

[Evo - HV]

21 hours ago, Steve Browning said:

Ditch the 10s and get another 15. 🙂

I'm thinking of buying a MarkBass 151p Combo with a New York 15" extension cab.  From your comment you seem to like this set up?  Have you experience of 2 15" cabs.  I've not used the set up since the late 70's.  Always had a 15" and 4x10 or 2x10 or just a 4x10 and sometimes a 6x10.  All of which broke my back in different stages ha ha.  I'm seriously thinking about the MB stack.

[barkin]

While 1x15 + 2×10 obviously works for some, it didn't for me (both cabs from the same range, from the same manufacturer)

The 1x15 was quite a bit louder and dominated the sound. The 2x10 didn't really bring anything to the party.

Each to his own, eh?

[stewblack]

Going with this at the weekend 

Smaller than the other TE 115 I have but nowhere near as heavy either. 

The 500x is actually only two 250w amps in one box. So both these cabs being 8ohm means two 125w amps (roughly speaking maybe a bit more). 

Don't know how comfy I'd feel with two 125 watt amps for a gig with no pa support but this sounds huge. 

Back I  topic the 210 and 115 together are delicious. 

[Steve Browning]

On 15/08/2019 at 10:20, Evo - HV said:

I'm thinking of buying a MarkBass 151p Combo with a New York 15" extension cab.  From your comment you seem to like this set up?  Have you experience of 2 15" cabs.  I've not used the set up since the late 70's.  Always had a 15" and 4x10 or 2x10 or just a 4x10 and sometimes a 6x10.  All of which broke my back in different stages ha ha.  I'm seriously thinking about the MB stack.

I have been a 2x15 player pretty much my entire playing life.

My comment was mainly tongue in cheek but I have always loved the sound. 

Current set up is a pair of 1x15s and they're simply awesome. 

[uk_lefty]

On 09/08/2019 at 09:21, isteen said:

Got a lot of good old Trace Elliot stuff, so I am trying various  combinations. If anyone already has tried to match different cabs, what are your experiences putting two cabs together?

Currently I have a EBS head linkes to three TE cabs, but the TE head can’t go under 4 ohm - so two cabs is the limit with the TE HEAD

I used to run a trace 2x10 as an extension to a Trace 1x15 500w combo. Best amp sound I've ever had. I now run an Ashdown RM500 in to a 1x15 and a 2x10 but I personally preferred it in to two 1x15s. That's just me though. 

[Steve Browning]

Yup. Ultimately, nothing any of us says should influence what your ears tell you.

Of course that (fact) renders this entire forum obsolete!!

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 4, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Steve Browning]

23 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

In years gone by I had the classic big Trace stack of a 1048h atop a 1518, albeit with a V-Type which had a valve pre based on the Fender passive tone stack (which I didn't know or understand at the time, I must admit!). It was a glorious sound, which I still miss somewhat to this day. At the best part of 100kg and with the maze of speed bumps where I lived in south London at the time, I have a sneaking suspicion it did for my first car's suspension! As everyone has said, mixing cabs brings some complication and unpredictability to proceedings, but only your ears can tell you whether the combination is good.

I also used a 2x15 around the same time in a rehearsal studio, but which was also hired out for a gig or two. It was one of the big black Fender ones from the 90's/2000's when I think they took over and rebranded the Sunn stuff which was around at the time. That one in particular was lovely, a little dark in the top end without a horn, if I remember rightly, but kept up with a ridiculously loud industrial metal/trance band. One can't really generalise based on driver size, but while not as popular as they once where, 15's are still very viable options, and certainly look the part, too!

P.S. While I was typing I recalled using a Trace 2x15 which was also lovely. it was the house cab in a studio, and was used for tracking some guitar based pop/rock. Whether the cab sound made it into the mix I don't know, but it sounded great in the room- I seem to remember enquiring as to whether they'd sell it to me!

That reminds of the time when my new (then) Bass 400 and 2 x Diesel 2x15s were delivered to the shop and a guy tried a 335 through the entire rig. Let's just say it was impressive!! 🙂