1 x 15 & 2 x 10 in a stack, will there be issues?

[Gray C]

Looking to build a stack for gigging small / medium venues. Would like the versatility of a 1 x 15 cab with a 2 x 10 cab on top for a full range of tone. However I heard some tech stuff somewhere about how mixing speaker sizes can cause issues with the sound. Any tech minded people have some knowledge on this? Thanks for your help 👍

[Hellzero]

This was the typical 90's stack, so I don't see why there should be a problem as millions of bassists have done it for years.

Go on mate.

[franzbassist]

Back in the late eighties/early nineties, a 1x15 underneath a 2x10 or 4x10 was a staple setup for many bassists up and down the land.  I don’t think there’s an issue with what you propose.

[chris_b]

I spent nearly 10 years with a Mesa Boogie 115/210 EV stack. Nothing wrong with mixing those cabs.

Having said that I wouldn't buy that stack again. It was of its time and IMO these days you can do better. I prefer a couple of the modern "Super" 112's. Lighter, louder and excellent tone.

Edited January 31, 2021 by chris_b
spelling!!

[Killed_by_Death]

 

I'd go for a 2x10" vertical stack:

 

[stevie]

8 minutes ago, chris_b said:

I spent nearly 10 years with a Mesa Boogie 115/210 EV stack. Nothing wrong with mixing those cabs.

Having said that I wouldn't buy that stack again. It was of its time and IMO these days you can do better. I prefer a couple of the modern "Super" 112's. Lighter, louder and excellent tone.

Is there any particular brand you'd recommend, Chris?

[Gray C]

Thanks guys, guess it’s just an old wives tale after all 👍

[Killed_by_Death]

 

It's not just a wive's tale, you get more efficiency if all the drivers are the same.

That is a fact!

 

[stevie]

Facts are good. Perhaps you'd like to explain how it works.

[Mykesbass]

13 minutes ago, stevie said:

Facts are good. Perhaps you'd like to explain how it works.

Been done to death on here by some of our esteemed cab builders. In a nutshell, if you like one cab a second identical one will work perfectly with it and give you more of the same. A different cab might work just as well/better, but may not. Matching cabs removes the unknown.

[Lozz196]

I’ve had a good few 210/115 stacks, all worked great, though given that I didn’t have the matching cabs for any of them I’ve no idea if two of the 210s or 115s would have been better. 

I have however doubled up on identical cabs on other set-ups that I’ve had and that has always produced a very big grin, so nowadays it’s always the same cabs. Benefit of this also being if I only want to use one then my eq is going to be the same.

[BassAdder60]

I’ve had this “ next cab to get” dilemma myself .. assuming we get gigging again !

At present I have the Ampeg PF115LF cab and I’m pleased with it but I guess only suitable for small to medium gigs 

For larger gigs I would need to either get a second PF115LF cab ( most likely ) or get a different cab 

 

[Merton]

I had a Trace Elliot 2x10 and 1x15 stack for a while in the early/mid 2000s. I actually never really got on with it at the time and didn’t understand why until I stumbled across Bassworld and learned the science behind it all. Haven’t mixed drivers since. Find a cab you like and double it if you see more

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited March 11, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[MuddBass]

This old thread is worth a read through

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by MuddBass
sp. err.

[agedhorse]

Part absurd myth with a little bit of truth too.

IF the speakers are designed to work together, that means sensitivity, power handling, phase response, complimentary voicing, then the combination may be better than 2 identical speakers. 
 

Of course, this can not be assumed, nor taken for granted. Where cabinets were not designed (in the engineering sense) to work together, it will be a total crapshoot.

[pbasspecial]

I’ve had all the various options over the years. The downside of the modular 115 with a 210 is that when you have a smaller gig/rehearsal and can only take one cab, the sound will be different, either too bright or too bassy. Whereas if you have 2 of the same it will just be quieter and a little bit less depth. I had 2 super compacts (112s) but switched to a single cab solution. Currently have a barefaced super twin which is a 2x12 in a single box. Not much bigger than a single cab. Really light, very loud. In the picture below it is the supertwin (2x12), the compact (1x15) and the super compact (1x12). It’s a great visual to see the size comparisons. Hope this is of help. 

Edited February 1, 2021 by pbasspecial

[Gray C]

2 hours ago, pbasspecial said:

I’ve had all the various options over the years. The downside of the modular 115 with a 210 is that when you have a smaller gig/rehearsal and can only take one cab, the sound will be different, either too bright or too bassy. Whereas if you have 2 of the same it will just be quieter and a little bit less depth. I had 2 super compacts (112s) but switched to a single cab solution. Currently have a barefaced super twin which is a 2x12 in a single box. Not much bigger than a single cab. Really light, very loud. In the picture below it is the supertwin (2x12), the compact (1x15) and the super compact (1x12). It’s a great visual to see the size comparisons. Hope this is of help. 

Thanks for the advice, I’m leaning towards 2 x 210s now or a single 410 cab, depending on the size and weight. I’ve always had combos for simplicity in the past but the weight and lack of versatility puts me off that route.

[pbasspecial]

2 hours ago, Gray C said:

Thanks for the advice, I’m leaning towards 2 x 210s now or a single 410 cab, depending on the size and weight. I’ve always had combos for simplicity in the past but the weight and lack of versatility puts me off that route.

Remember you can always buy gear s/h and if it’s not right for you, you can always sell it on for roughly what you paid for it. 

[Lozz196]

2 hours ago, Gray C said:

Thanks for the advice, I’m leaning towards 2 x 210s now or a single 410 cab, depending on the size and weight. I’ve always had combos for simplicity in the past but the weight and lack of versatility puts me off that route.

That’s what I did once Ashdown brought out their ABM NEO cabs, got two of the 210s, ABM sound in a lightweight portable cab, plus with the cones being diagonally placed the cabs stand taller, so makes it easier to hear myself.

[JapanAxe]

On 31/01/2021 at 19:48, Jus Lukin said:

... if you're after 'a full range of tone', any decent modern bass cab with a high frequency driver will reproduce the full range of frequencies that a bass guitar will put out. ...

Exactly. I suspect that manufacturers and retailers propagated the idea that if you don’t have both 10s and 15s in your rig, your sound will be lacking something.

As others have said, find something you like, and if you need to be louder, get another one.

[Downunderwonder]

When I properly biamped my 115 and 210 there was a distinct improvement in the clarity of my tone. Powering them from one amp still sounded ok so that is what I proceeded to do. Carrying all the biamping gear was too much work.

The improved tone indicates that the maths is correct. My spine is also correct.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

4 hours ago, JapanAxe said:

I suspect that manufacturers and retailers propagated the idea that if you don’t have both 10s and 15s in your rig, your sound will be lacking something

That actually was valid when 10s went higher than 15s and 15s went lower than 10s, with 12s in between the two. That would have been for the most part before 1980. It may seem odd that so many bass players are still going by what was true 30 or more years ago, but not when you consider that a guitar player could be perfectly happy with a guitar and amp from 1959.

[Muzz]

18 hours ago, pbasspecial said:

I’ve had all the various options over the years. The downside of the modular 115 with a 210 is that when you have a smaller gig/rehearsal and can only take one cab, the sound will be different, either too bright or too bassy. Whereas if you have 2 of the same it will just be quieter and a little bit less depth. I had 2 super compacts (112s) but switched to a single cab solution. Currently have a barefaced super twin which is a 2x12 in a single box. Not much bigger than a single cab. Really light, very loud. In the picture below it is the supertwin (2x12), the compact (1x15) and the super compact (1x12). It’s a great visual to see the size comparisons. Hope this is of help. 

That's a useful pic - I have a Super Twin and a Compact, and yes, I've stacked them on a couple of occasions, but pretty much only for the Stacktastic look of the thing (oh, and the volume/head-height of the Super Twin - eeeeek!), but never really noticed any tonal issues...then again I was on big stages, DI'd and monitored, too. The Super Twin alone will go loud enough for any gig I'm gonna do, and for smaller gigs I have a Rumble 100 with a 'proper' Eminence 12 in it that's really quite startling on the size/weight/volume ratios, so the Compact is falling between stools...I might sell the Super Twin and the Compact and just get two Super Compacts - the added height would make them easier to hear on smaller stages...

[BigRedX]

To the OP. Is the bass also going through the PA when you gig?

If so, it doesn't matter what you have on stage as it will just be for personal monitoring.

However, if you rely on your rig to make the bass audible to the audience, mixing speaker types without using a crossover will result in an inconsistent sound in different parts of the venue.