SlimT Posted May 14, 2001 Share Posted May 14, 2001 I love this forum! I was just reading the 15" vs. 18" cab and it brought up a question I've got. I'm going to be playing outside a bit this summer. So far, the band I'm in has been playing small rooms/clubs and I haven't even come close to maxing out my SWR WorkingMan's 15, yet. I've been thinking about getting a 4x10 cabinet, but, it just seems like overkill for the venues we've played so far. However, it appears that playing outdoors is different - at least based on some of the comments I've seen so far. The tone from the WM is also just perfect for what we play (reggae and calypso). I'll be playing some jazz gigs outdoors, as well. There, I'll need to be able to cut through all those horns. One option I do have is supplementing the amp by running through the board. Is this as good or better than adding a 4x10, or even a 2 x 10 for that matter, to my WM 15? What do y'all think? SlimT It's all about the rumble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Bass Posted May 15, 2001 Share Posted May 15, 2001 A 4x10 cabinet would be nice, but if you are playing outdoors & have the luxury of a good PA system & a sound man. The amp you already have will do the job. I know bass players that totally depend on the sound man for a monitor mix & use no amp at all. Just a direct box. Not me, I've tried it & don't like being up to the mercy of the monitor mix. If the sound guy is also a drummer you're in real trouble. Be nice to the mixer guy. He can make you sound great or really bad even if he turns out to be a drummer. You will need to be in the monitor mix no matter how big or small your amp is. ------------------ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Friedland Posted May 15, 2001 Share Posted May 15, 2001 Hey, going through the PA is a lot cheaper than buying a 410! ------------------ www.edfriedland.com www.edfriedland.com The Bass Whisperer Bass Whisperer TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianrost Posted May 15, 2001 Share Posted May 15, 2001 Outdoors you are fighting the laws of physics. You have no walls to reflect sound and reinforce the low end so you not only lose volume, you also get a thinner sound. To counteract this you need to move more air by adding speakers. Although in theory you could use a more powerful amp, in practice having more speakers is better than having more watts. If you have two cabinets it can help to "split" them, that is put one on each side of the stage so that your bandmates can hear you better. You don't always need to OWN the extra speakers, you could rent them or borrow them. If you play two outdoor shows a year and 150 gigs in small clubs, it seems silly to buy a big rig just to handle those two gigs. Take advantage of the PA system to help you be heard in the audience. Many big outdoor gigs, like festivals, will include a rented backline paid for by the promoter, I always use this if it's provided, why carry my own amp. Most sound companies provide pretty hefty bass rigs for outdoor shows, SVTs are common and work great. I love using one when I don't have to move it http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimT Posted May 16, 2001 Author Share Posted May 16, 2001 Y'all, thanks for all the tips! That helps. SlimT It's all about the rumble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Turner Posted May 17, 2001 Share Posted May 17, 2001 Outdoors is where the advantages of vertical arrays for bass really come into play. If you're going to use 4 10s, you'd be best with them in a column one speaker wide and four tall. Even better, 8 tall! You're then using the laws of physics to help project your sound in a narrower vertical beam and wider horizontal beam. I wrote this up in BP years ago when describing the Grateful Dead's infamous "Wall of Sound". Vertical arrays really work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spankmestudios Posted May 17, 2001 Share Posted May 17, 2001 Hey Rick, haven't thought of that yet. Do you Know if any manufacturers have a vertical cab like that. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badfish Posted May 17, 2001 Share Posted May 17, 2001 Wow I was kind of talking about this in another forum. But I would wholeheartedly recommend a 4x10 cab. I use my Nemesis everywhere (because its the only one I have) and its handles well. I play jazz as well as ska and it cuts through the horns nicely and sounds good in the mix. Get one you will not be disappointed -Fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianrost Posted May 17, 2001 Share Posted May 17, 2001 Originally posted by spankmestudios: Do you Know if any manufacturers have a vertical cab like that. Nope. Best you can do today is buy a couple of 2-10 or 1-10 cabs and stack them up. Vertical arrays used to be popular in PA gear (like the Shure VocalMaster in the 1960s) but noone has ever designed a bass cabinet like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Turner Posted May 19, 2001 Share Posted May 19, 2001 One of those projects I never quite get around to is designing a 4 x 10 or 4 x 8 vertical array cabinet. Stack one on the other, secure it well on stage, and you're going to really start projecting nicely. 4 @ 10" would work well in a 4' tall column; two would give you an 8' column which is one full wave length at 140 Hz. That will really project some nice punch way out there. Of course, if you go taller, then the projected controlled wave front goes out at lower frequencies. Hence Phil Lesh's columns in the Wall of Sound being some 30' tall! Now that pumped some bass a long, long way out doors......I heard it at UC Santa Barbara once, and walked out of the stadium to about a half mile back from the stage. Phil was present as could be.....All it takes is an insane amount of money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Friedland Posted May 21, 2001 Share Posted May 21, 2001 I used to stack my 2 Eden 210 XLTs vertically giving me a 4-10 column. It was about 5' tall. I liked it much better than stacking them horizontal. I think we have our winner for "quote of the week". Rick Turner: "All it takes is an insane amount of money". Rick, you've won a yet to be designed Bass Station T-Shirt! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif ------------------ www.edfriedland.com www.edfriedland.com The Bass Whisperer Bass Whisperer TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Wise Man Posted May 21, 2001 Share Posted May 21, 2001 Originally posted by spankmestudios: Hey Rick, haven't thought of that yet. Do you Know if any manufacturers have a vertical cab like that. Tony I think Bag End do make a vertical 4x10, or at least did at one time. This message has been edited by Mr. Wise Man on 05-22-2001 at 06:11 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.