15" Speakers

[stufunkybass]

Hi All,

 

Over the jubilee weekend I watched a bass player using a Markbass Jeff Berlin combo with a 90s cover band.

 

The volume from the combo was amazing and it got me thinking. 

 

With a lot of bass players moving towards 12s is anyone using a 15 for a single cab solution. 

 

I have seen a 4 ohm Vanderkley 156 cab (15" with a 6") which is tempting to use with my Genzler 350 head. 

 

I've never used a 15 as a standalone before.

 

Welcome your thoughts all.

 

Stu

Edited June 6, 2022 by stufunkybass

[casapete]

I’ve used an Barefaced Compact for years now. 1x15 / 450 watts 8 ohm cab, sounds great with

all the heads I’ve used it with. Prior to getting it I’d used 4x10’s for a long time ( still do for some

gigs ) but haven’t found the Compact lacking in any of the gigs it’s been on. 

Personally I wouldn’t worry about the 4 ohm thing, as cab design / speaker efficiency etc are

probably more important variables. Plenty of people on here who can explain the science!

 

[NAS Bass]

Bergantino NV215. I've used it with SVT's, ABM's, DB750, AD200B, lots of different Pre - power amp rigs. Always sounds great. 600w and always handles plenty of power, no farting out. Plenty of top and upper mids too

Edited June 6, 2022 by NAS Bass

[Downunderwonder]

15's are ok for your monitor but they have poor horizontal dispersion of tone for everyone else. 

[NAS Bass]

9 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

15's are ok for your monitor but they have poor horizontal dispersion of tone for everyone else. 

Never had anyone complain about that. 

[chris_b]

I got a great sound out of a Mesa Boogie 115EV cab for many years and my current 112's exceed anything that cab could put out.

 

My guess is that this is always a preference based choice. Some like 15's some don't. I've been with 112's for about 12 years now. Can't see that changing any time soon.

[Downunderwonder]

12 minutes ago, NAS Bass said:

Never had anyone complain about that. 

I have, in a roundabout way. The lead guitarist with whom I usually enjoyed a great interplay was just too far away and too far back on a particularly shallow stage area to hear a damn note even though I was going for gold and he was 'ampless' through the monitors.

[NAS Bass]

39 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

I have, in a roundabout way. The lead guitarist with whom I usually enjoyed a great interplay was just too far away and too far back on a particularly shallow stage area to hear a damn note even though I was going for gold and he was 'ampless' through the monitors.

Did you not have any bass in the monitors from the FOH/monitor engineer?

[Reggaebass]

I’ve always used 15’s with no problem whatsoever and I still do , but I nervously took the plunge and bought a barefaced big baby 2 , not expecting  it to have enough low end for me, I was completely wrong, for a 112 it really puts out some bass 

[Downunderwonder]

11 minutes ago, NAS Bass said:

Did you not have any bass in the monitors from the FOH/monitor engineer?

Whole different scenario from that, just a bog standard pub gig with a vocal/guitar PA and floor monitors for vox and guitar, drums and bass playing to the room.

 

Same band different pub I was using a borrowed

410. Even worse dispersion than the 215. When I stepped forward I could tell I was blowing up the room but could hardly hear what I was playing when back with the band.

 

No active complaints there either.

[Dan Dare]

I used an Ampeg 1x15 with a Peavey Black Widow in it for years (the original driver died). Sounded great. Sadly, some little scrote nicked it. 

[barkin]

12 hours ago, casapete said:

I’ve used an Barefaced Compact for years now. 1x15 / 450 watts 8 ohm cab, sounds great with

all the heads I’ve used it with. 

 

Same for me.

[BigRedX]

Speaker cone diameter size has no direct bearing on the sound of a cab.

[Reggaebass]

4 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Speaker cone diameter size has no direct bearing on the sound of a cab.

Not sure I believe that 🧐

[BigRedX]

3 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Not sure I believe that 🧐

 

If it did there would be a distinct 15" speaker sound. But there isn't. The final sound of the cab will be dependant on lots of factors and I would say that cab size and porting is more important than the diameter of the speaker cone.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

38 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Speaker cone diameter size has no direct bearing on the sound of a cab.

Yes, it does. The larger the cone the narrower the dispersion angle as you go higher in frequency. The cone size being too large is the reason for midrange and high frequency beaming. We don't notice it as much as do guitar speakers, because we have less high frequency content, but it's still there. If you're only listening to the cab on-axis the driver size doesn't make much difference, but most of your audience isn't on-axis. With fifteens they'll hear the tone change as they go across the sound field. The same applies when multiple drivers are placed side by side.

[fretmeister]

4 minutes ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

Yes, it does. The larger the cone the narrower the dispersion angle as you go higher in frequency. The cone size being too large is the reason for midrange and high frequency beaming. We don't notice it as much as do guitar speakers, because we have less high frequency content, but it's still there. If you're only listening to the cab on-axis the driver size doesn't make much difference, but most of your audience isn't on-axis. With fifteens they'll hear the tone change as they go across the sound field. The same applies when multiple drivers are placed side by side.

 

 

 

TBF I think BigRedX wasn't talking about moving around or off-axis mic'ing etc. Just that you cannot guess what a 15 is going to sound like until you plug it in. It might be deeper sounding than a 10 but just as likely it won't be.

 

Crossed wires a bit I think.

 

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

True, larger drivers don't necessarily go lower, nor do smaller drivers necessarily go higher, as is all too commonly assumed. In a properly engineered multi-driver speaker that's not why larger and smaller drivers, each operating within their own frequency range, are used. Larger drivers are used to provide the necessary cone displacement to deliver the desired output levels in the lower frequencies, while smaller drivers are used in the mids and even smaller drivers in the highs to provide wide dispersion in those frequencies.  

[Skinny]

I would concentrate on quality more than size. Also have plenty of power in reserve from the amp. 

[stewblack]

19 hours ago, casapete said:

I’ve used an Barefaced Compact for years now. 1x15 / 450 watts 8 ohm cab, sounds great with

all the heads I’ve used it with. Prior to getting it I’d used 4x10’s for a long time ( still do for some

gigs ) but haven’t found the Compact lacking in any of the gigs it’s been on. 

Personally I wouldn’t worry about the 4 ohm thing, as cab design / speaker efficiency etc are

probably more important variables. Plenty of people on here who can explain the science!

 

I agree with every word. Sometimes I use two of them but very often just the one and every single head sounds outstanding through it.

[Dan Dare]

9 hours ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

Yes, it does. The larger the cone the narrower the dispersion angle as you go higher in frequency. The cone size being too large is the reason for midrange and high frequency beaming. We don't notice it as much as do guitar speakers, because we have less high frequency content, but it's still there. If you're only listening to the cab on-axis the driver size doesn't make much difference, but most of your audience isn't on-axis. With fifteens they'll hear the tone change as they go across the sound field. The same applies when multiple drivers are placed side by side.

 

That's interesting, Bill. I've noticed the sound of my PJB cabs is very consistent wherever I stand and, having heard someone else playing through them whilst sitting in the audience,  it's also true out in the room. Now I know why.

[agedhorse]

3 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

 

That's interesting, Bill. I've noticed the sound of my PJB cabs is very consistent wherever I stand and, having heard someone else playing through them whilst sitting in the audience,  it's also true out in the room. Now I know why.

With every argument about cause and effect, there is an argument that disputes it.

 

For example, combining multiple point sources creates an inconsistent midrange pattern as you move horizontally and vertically relative to the centerline of the cabinet. This may or may not be a problem in the real world for all players, no different than the argument about beaming in a 15" driver which doesn't result in the uneven sound field but may or may not be a problem with reduced off axis response to all players.

 

Every solution has pros and cons, understanding this will help when making choices between the different options.

[GrowlyBassDude]

I upgraded the 15 in my Marshall cab a few months ago with a Celestion Pulse 15. Its still a bit farty in the low end, and not as 'fast' as I want it to be. I'm sure that it could be great in a better cab enclosure.

 

I've moved to a SVT410HLF and much prefer it.  

[fleabag]

I have both a 15 ( 1x15 Trace Elliot SMX 300 Combo ) and 10's  (  Barfaced 4x10. )

 

I love both, but the weight of the Barfaced with my Ampeg head weighs way less and much easier to move around

 

 

[Chienmortbb]

On 07/06/2022 at 09:53, Downunderwonder said:

I have, in a roundabout way. The lead guitarist with whom I usually enjoyed a great interplay was just too far away and too far back on a particularly shallow stage area to hear a damn note even though I was going for gold and he was 'ampless' through the monitors.

I tried a prototype cab some time ago that had on stage dispersion in mind, and the whole band said they have never heard me so well. They then proceeded list all my mistakes but hey, you cannot have everything.