This is the stuff that makes me geek out. Not even so much the sound differences, but the detail you go through testing and isolating what you're testing is what makes this for me. Thank you for taking the time to be this thorough.

6:14 “Is it enough of a difference to really matter?” That is the million dollar question. I’m gonna sit with that one for a bit.

@kingdeedee

4 ай бұрын

Lol so probably not

@ChristopherRoss.

4 ай бұрын

To my ear, yes, but I'm super picky about my bass tone. The difference between the 15 and the 12s is enough to affect how I'm feeling on stage.

Wow, I just woke up, brewed some coffee, sit on the sofa and opened KZread to update my stuff, and it shows this was uploaded 7 seconds ago 😂 Nice video, I wish I had a big house to create such a place! Now I’m gonna stop writing and actually watch it 😅 Cheers!

excellent comparison! What is obvious is that 4x10s suffer from more cancellation in the midrange (comb filter, several sources generating the same wave at the same time). The 15" is less efficient in the mids and highs (it requires more acceleration, but since the cone it's larger and heavier, it doesn't achieve it as well as a 10" speaker) but it does not suffer from these cancellations, which is why - counterintuitively _ sounds with "more mids". For the same reasons, the 4x10 has more directivity (especially in mids/treble)

Killer video.i loved the 15” the best. A few years ago, I found a microphone that sounds great in front of my cabinet. I like to play with a little bit of overdrive and occasionally a fuzz or an octave and I don’t like the way those sound through a DI. So now I just bring my own mic. FOH is consistently happy at different venues, and I am happy.

Very interesting. I play with 2 1x12 cabs and that's what I liked best from the players perspective mic. I raise my rig up so I have the tweeter close to ear level. So I get a really good full range sound where I'm standing.

I always preferred a 2x15 and 4x10 combined - that is my sound! 🤘

Hey, exactly what I requested on the speaker comparison vid! Thanks Phil, great follow up!

I've been contemplating replacing my 4x10 with a 2x12 (not that I'd part with the 4x10) for some gigs. After seeing/hearing this, I'm good with my 4x10. I pair my trusty 4x10 with a 2x10 or 1x15 quite often, other times I'll pair the 2x10 with the 1x15. I just wish my 4x10 could switch from 8 ohms to 4 ohms. My 2x10 (newer technology, but same brand as my 4x10) has that capability. Thanks for the very informative video.

I just wrote comment about difference room make in speaker comparison video,and there is new video that answers all the questions. Philip, thank you 🙏

Great video thanks - I feel that I always play better when I am inspired by hearing a great tone from my rig. It starts there and hopefully that performance then translates to the listener. Great content as always.

@kiwibass

4 ай бұрын

Couldn't agree more...👍

That was great and Nice work by both of you! Take away…yep, there’re differences but use what you have and make it work for the situation.

Amazing video! I definitely know better now what I prefer cabinet-wise! Thank you so much!

This is the best video I’ve ever seen on this topic. Thank you!

Your channel is awesome - these vids are super interesting

This video is super helpful! Thanks!

I play a 5 string finger style (no slap or pick) in a Praise Band and make far more use of the B string than most players. I nearly never play an open string anywhere, preferring to play an E fretted on the B string for instance, and even a D at times. My speakers of choice have been single 15" as they can capture the low fundamentals easier. I also line out from my bass amp to the mixer board and our mains are twin 15" JBL speakers, but a significant level to the sanctuary is from my cabinet. All guitars in the band are acoustic through the board (no amps) and there is also an electronic keyboard and electronic drums through the board. Our mix seems to work very well. I've never tried a 4-10", but a single 12" has been tried and it is a bit muddy and disappears easily in the mix on certain low notes.

Extra valuable content, i think yours is one of the best YT channels about all the thinsgs "bass" and "Musicianship". One thing i feel i really need to understand better is what makes a particular difference in the sound. I hear you guys talking about Cabinets, Amps, Strings, different basses and so on. Even if i've been now playing for over 15 years, in professional environments of all kinds, i always relied more on my instinct when it came to finding the right sound (not because i have a good instinct or a great ear, but because i feel like i don't have the knowledge to understand what makes the particular difference i'm looking for). I guess the only way to understand this kind of things is trying more and more gear and spending time with it, something i rarely have the chance to do. Sometimes i try to watch reviews and videos on YT but they usually not clarify that much to me. I admit, sometimes i had to rely on the graphic you put in this video to grab some of the differences, wich makes me question the quality of my ear.

That room is an awesome space bro. Really good concept for a video too.

dude this is sick, just got the venture v12 and 410 a couple weeks back and i’ve been really liking it in practice. i’ve got a gig on thursday so excited to see how it performs !

Nicely done fellas, thanks for the info

Awesome episode!!

love this 1X 15 , I need one !

Yet another fantastic, and very informative vid Philip.... At the end of the day, it's what makes YOU want to pick up your instrument and make music. All very interesting perspectives though

A word of warning. The best sound you like on your bass setup eq’d on its own might be sounding full and clear. I can assure you that very rarely works in a live full band mix. You should listen to some of your favourite sounding tracks and see if the isolated bass track is available. It sounds incredibly different on its own and mostly a sound I’d never pick but mixed in with the track it sounds great. It’s took me years to achieve a good live sound in the mix and it’s mostly not a great sound on its own. Just my thoughts and experiences guys. Oh and I’ve tried every speaker size and find my 2 Markbass 12 inch cabs to be more versatile than any other size.

@philipconradmusic

4 ай бұрын

I agree. This video is a follow up to one where I demoed these in a mix. You may find it interesting. Thanks for watching! 10 vs 15 vs 12: Does bass speaker size matter? kzread.info/dash/bejne/nZxhuK6iXby9Y7A.html

@TheJimboe11

4 ай бұрын

@@philipconradmusic checked out your follow up video there. I agree with everything you said. Both brilliant videos. And thanks for making and sharing them. Much respect ✊

Didn't realize my geeky comment (from the first video) would warrant a follow-up video! Amazing stuff man! And just for the record, I totally believe it is about the performance and making yourself feel better as a player. That translates more than anything IMHO. No one is gonna know if a 4x10 sounds better than a 1x15 -- but the player will. But to further my original point: a lightbulb went off for me years ago as to how the room plays so significantly into the sound of recorded music. I had some top session players in and they wanted me to mic up upright bass across the room and a bass amp across the room. I had been equating room mic'ing to just reverb -- but what I found was that the full frequency response was so much different when the environment was captured as part of the process. Your follow up video confirms this. Sometimes bass is treated like the red-headed step child of recording. We will put 27 mics on a drum set, but only run the bass direct. Obviously, it isn't always prudent to record nor request electric bass amp and room mics -- but it can lead to significance in the right situations. Cheers! @philipconradmusic

Such a great follow up! It's very interesting to hear how the cabinets sound as a whole and not just the cone isolated... The bassplayer X audience perspective added a nice touch to the comparison. To me, the 2x12" is the most versatile in sound and transportation, specially if have two 1x12".

@philipconradmusic

4 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching!

This type of content is amazing and not so common amongst bass players (or at least the ones I know lol) love to see more! also I prefer 4x10 with pick & slap and 1x15 for fingers, and 2x 12 if my back hurts that day

Well done video

That Carol Kaye type bass line is so pleasing to my ear.

Wonderful video! 👍🏻❤

The next test is how each speaker set plays in the mix. Can they overcome the bass drum and guitars?

Now, if you can do a comparison with only 1x10” vs 1x12” vs 1x15”…. Multiple speakers sharing airspace causes a coupling effect and sounds different than solo. I love the punch of tens when each has a separate cabinets stacked or clustered. Sounds cleaner and warmer in the midrange like the 15”/12”, but still retains the rhythmic punch of a traditional 4x10” cab. Just an idea of a future video. Love the channel!

@philipconradmusic

4 ай бұрын

This might be closer to what you are looking for: 10 vs 15 vs 12: Does bass speaker size matter? kzread.info/dash/bejne/nZxhuK6iXby9Y7A.html

Great vid - certainly the most interesting one I've seen in a long time. Thanks, Philip (and Andy, of course)! I personally like the 4 x 10, as there seems to be less of a difference between the audience and the player perspective. I also like that cetrtain "tightness". My least favorite would be the 2 x 12, as it seems to produce a rather annoying "nasal" midrange hump (talkin' player perspective!). Ironically, 2 x 12 happens to be my current setup, and I'm about to replace it ASAP for that very reason - even though it sounds okay from a distance. It would be interesting to do a similar video with a full band setting, or at least with drums, instead of "bass only". As important the sound itself may be, a cab's ability to sit in the mix and "feel right" is equally important - espacially from the player's perspective, standing right in front of it.

@badscrew4023

4 ай бұрын

Yeah, liked the 4x10 the best too. Always did, and this video confirmed that. Hate lugging them around though :D If it's me who need to bring one, I will always prefer going with DI + FOH

@billytrance6893

4 ай бұрын

All 2x12's aren't the same. I play a GK Legacy 2x12 and it's a whole other ball game. I agree, the 4x10's sounded distinctly different in a very good way. The 2x12's where the best of both worlds in my opinion. Great video!

@EricT43

2 ай бұрын

I also have a hard time getting to like 12" speakers. They don't have the deep low end of the 15" nor the articulation of the 10". A lot of people say they give the best of both worlds, but I feel like they lack the best of both worlds.

So great to have a genuinely professional comparison like this! Cuts through the tone hearsay out there. Maybe I missed it (my mistake if so) but the reason smaller speakers work better for funk and more technical playing is that the speakers just respond quicker, since there's less material to move. That's maybe also why smaller speakers sound, to my ears, closer to a DI sound; there's far less lag from the speakers themselves.

@Firewalz

4 ай бұрын

True….unless it’s a Mesa Subway 15:) They are exceptionally tight and responsive for a 15.

I'm super into this haha I think it would've been dope to hear within the context of a band. Even just a drum loop layered over would've been really interesting to hear the differences or lack thereof

@philipconradmusic

4 ай бұрын

Hi there! Ask and you shall receive. Here’s the original video this one was a follow up for: 10 vs 15 vs 12: Does bass speaker size matter? kzread.info/dash/bejne/nZxhuK6iXby9Y7A.html

Love the comparison. How did crowd and stage volume compare between the different cabs?

I use a 1x15 for a thumpy sound, with a Burg 2x10 for a hi-fi sound. Best of both worlds.

Very interesting and well done. I agree with the final point, quality equipment is important. In terms of live performance, venues differ so much that the important thing is to try to get a good sound for the room, individually and as a band. I'm sure I could achieve that with any of those cabs and that Ampeg head. There's way more variability that comes from the mix to front of house, which we know can be great or not so great at any given venue. And as mentioned, your sound (as a band) to the back of the room will be very different once there's a solid audience. For the bass player, your EQ is critical, boosting low mids and reducing the low lows helps keep your sound clearer and punchier, that is, less muddy. Boost low highs for slap and pop. One other note, cab tone varies a fair bit from one manufacturer to another.

You can't hear amps off stage in a decent venue. It's all the pa speakers. All 15's. Why I stopped hauling an amp. Just plugged into a D.I. box.🍻

I used to play a 2x12 but they were arranged diagonally in the cab, so the cab was much more square. The low end out of that thing was amazing. I eventually sold it because all of my bass gigs were switching to DI or smaller amp gigs, so I hadn't used the stack in literal years, but I still loved that cab. All of that said, I suspect most of the tone difference could be compensated with a touch of EQ, either in the amp itself or in front of it. The rest will probably not be noticed when not a/b'ing. Quality gear matters. I once was hired for a gig at a theme park and the park asked me what kind of bass rig I wanted them to buy, mostly for stage fill at the outdoor venue. I spec'd out an Aguilar Tone Hammer, because I loved the sound of that amp, and I gave a range of options for a 4x10, depending on which price point they wanted to go with. They bought the amp I wanted, but cheaped out and bought a Kustom 4x10 which we fought with all season. I had to cut a lot of low end from the Tone Hammer just to keep the cab from farting out.

I grew up on solo 15's in studio and 6x or 8x 12's live... but a few years back i picked up a 2x12 Aguilar cab, which i had extremely low expectations of because i don't generally love much from them.... but that thing is easily the most musical bass cab i've ever played.

I've always thought the 2x12s w/a switchable horn is the most versatile speaker set up. You get lows, highs, and mids (especially high mids) all covered.

great video. gimme more bass to the phase place in phrase.

I have two rigs (that I use currently) first one and favorite is a Trace Elliot AH350 with 2x10 over 1x15 1990s SMX setup, the other rig is weird but works awesome - it’s a Trace 250, lesser wattage than the other head, but running a custom 1x10 and a Hartke HyDrive 1x12. The smaller rig is super tight and louder than one would think. I use it more often and in smaller clubs, whereas the bigger rig is for outdoor and concert level stuff. If it’s a really big stage and if someone else is carrying it for me I’ll bring two410s.

i use to have a swr big ben 18" and a swr goliath 3 4x10" cabs, and the difference was always amazing to me, i usually favor the 4x10 because it actually reaches down to 40hz somewhat better and has more punchiness, it feels more alive i guess, but the 18" in a band context was nice because it really projected those low mids and felt louder even though on its own it kinda sounded boxy and the low end was more of a constant rumble than punchy but solid! also the 4x10 is dreadful in its dispersion, the sound right in front is good but as soon as you walk to one side or the other you lose mids and clarity, these tests definitly seem to show the same, the bigger the driver the more low mid projection at the detriment of transient response, and the more smaller speakers in the cab will push more air and have faster transient response but the phase cancelation in the mids makes the cab sound scooped especially using the tweeter

@steverolfeca

4 ай бұрын

IME, dispersion becomes more and more important, the worse the room is. I started getting less complaints about my stage volume after I switched from 4 x cabs to vertical arrays- a pair of 2x10's stacked on end or a pair of 12" FRFR cabs stacked vertically.

Thanks guys.. Off axis would have been interesting too 🙂

For me, 10s have a certain buzz when they resonate. For slap parts they sound way better than 12s or 15s

Great video! Of course it’s all subjective, but for me the 410 sounds best in every example.

My bass rig features Phil Jones Bass 6T/9B cabinets. 15 (fifteen!) 5“ full range speakers, so no crossover dip because no tweeter

HUGELY important information to take into account.

@philipconradmusic

4 ай бұрын

Thanks dudes!

My main rig is a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 combo with a 1x12. For passive P basses I play it’s a great rig. The thing for me is putting the amp on a stand. Most of the time the venue is small enough that I’m standing in front of the rig. Dunno about you but I don’t have ears in my knees! 😂. I love having the speaker up higher closer to my head and zero chance of stage boom.

Historically many rock bass players played through the same 4x12" as the guitar player, or the same cab with different speakers which is almost forbidden nowadays. But if you think about it, that's the sound you hear on a lot famous records. This revelation came to me while watching an AC/DC tribute band and the bass player used a 4x12" Marhall Bass cab and I was like: "Dang, that's the coolest bass sounds I ever heard live."

I grew up playing a Peavey TKO 115 combo, I started playing bass again a few years ago and got a Blackstar 210 combo amp. It sounds good but there is something missing, like when you forget to add salt when cooking. I want to get the 115 powered extension cab, I wonder if that matchup wouldn't be too far off from the 212. I think, or would like to think, that it more gives the best of both worlds rather than a happy medium.

Thanks heaps, personally I liked the 15 for just about every thing in that room. Given a different place, the answer could be different.

I'm thinking of buying an 18, could you please redo this vid with a 18?

Would have been nice to hear with a full range bass with some content above 500 hz. Despite rumors to the contrary many of us don’t play p basses with flats.

@philipconradmusic

4 ай бұрын

I don’t think all bass players play old school; I just play what I like and have access to. I’m not trying to be everything to everyone. Those are nickel round wound strings though, not flats 😉 Thanks for watching anyways!

I want a venue at home too

The 15 sounds muddy, the 212 sounds tinny, and the 410 sounds best

I just bought this rig with the Venture 4x10, do of course the 4x10 is far superior.

Well, I own a “68 Orange Matamp (valves) with the original 2 cabs equipped with 2 X 15” Celestion “spider’ green back each and I love to play it with my “67 Gibson EB2, difficult to explain the satisfaction 🥰 Unfortunately, on stage, it’s really too much, either to transport and for the rest of the band… Finally I’ve opted for my more “human” GK with a 2 12’” with a Jazz and/or a Precision, not even close to the Orange experience but I go to the PA via DI then I just need a good reference; anyways I brought the beast on stage few times and it’s really mind (and guts) blowing 🤣

A great followup to the original studio miking version. Now there's one more question I'd like to see addressed if you have the means: Closed versus vented box speaker cabinets. Closed boxes mean more size and/or power is required. Is it worth it? My bass player friend says "absolutely." My acoustics professor friends says "not audible." Because they measure so differently, especially on tone bursts that resemble modern playing, my money is on "sounds different."

@philipconradmusic

3 ай бұрын

Maybe we’ll have to address that in the future. I’d be interested as well…

It's kind of difficult for me to tell in this video, because, as much as I appreciate what Philip does, the kind of vintage/old school tone he prefers is like the polar opposite to the kind of modern tone that I prefer. Although I have gigged in my career with a pretty wide variety of rigs, I have always preferred a two 1x15 arrangement of cabs, vertically stacked, with no tweeters, and the addition of a fairly scooped eq, like the (in)famous Trace Elliot "Pre-Shape" eq. For my next rig, which is probably going to be the last rig I ever buy in my life, I'm trying to decide between two 1x12s, two 1x15s, a 2x12, or a 2x15 cab (all Mesa/Boogie Subway Ultra-Lite series). If space and money were not an object, I'd get all of them, just to have the different options available, but of course, space and money are an object.

I've become a fan of 15 inch aluminum cone speakers.

Would’ve been cool to include an unported 410

Also higher end cabs will make a big difference

410 sounds the best to me in bass player position. In audience, I like 115 and DI

15" sounds good live but when recording, most engineers would EQ that out to sound thinner like a 10" or 12" in a mix lol. It can be too much in a mix where you need to sit with other instruments.

Well, maybe the question should be: which cab do you want to shlep?

@philipconradmusic

27 күн бұрын

A fair question!

I wish my ears were as good as a QTC40 😂

It's funny how people talk about 15s having so much more sub than 410s. To me the defining characteristic of the 15 sound has always been the honky mid sound they have, and I hear that here too.

18s or 21s? Only the DI is doing anything sub 40Hz. I would be interested in you playing an open E with the B above and comparing the cabs for their capacity to generate the boosted 20Hz E0 harmonic etc. I don't think I'm unique in considering the 20-40Hz band significant in the timbre of 'bassic' sound generation. Interesting experiment. Possibly the second best garage converted to performance space I've seen, nice but a bit too clean for my tastes.

@taylorhilyard8661

4 ай бұрын

Foh is going to cut a ton of that range. Unless you’re playing something like reggae or dub where that’s part of the style it’s just going to be muddy.

@kevinallen4743

4 ай бұрын

If I'm playing a venue that doesn't provide a cab (so often the Ampeg 8x10 these days) I use an 18, a 15 & a 2x10 but I'm tuned an 8ve down starting at E0. Other bassists in the band use a 15 & a 2x10 (for a chorded 8 string) or just a 4x10 but that's the lead bass (5 string but starting at A1 not E1). @@taylorhilyard8661

But, they will all sound different with an audience in the room and the reflections change.

@bradhb73

4 ай бұрын

…and in a mix with other instruments.

I can barely tell the difference - and I'm guessing the audience won't either.

It’s sick to see these kind of “real life” tests that focus on the cab element of the rig which is chronically overlooked. Guitarists/bassists get hyper focus on amp and instrument so much that having the cab/speaker perspective is very practical and useful.

@philipconradmusic

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

To my ears, the di only was far and away better in every single example.

If I'd built a venue in my garage, that couch would take around 85% ot its floorspace.

Worst news ever, now I have to go back to lugging my 10 ton 1x15 around instead of swaggering around with my ultra light 2x12 in one hand . It does sound better in all the right ways. I

Day two of asking for a fenderbird bass build

Next time invite 20-30 friends for the job. Small venues sound totally different with and without human sound sponges.

i came in fully expecting to like 4x10 way less than the other two, but nope! Turns out that’s what i’m looking for? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It’s the 15 all day

Interesting comparison. Yea ultimately the audience really doesn't experience much of a difference once an ensemble is involved. As long as the bass playing is clean and clear, all the gear differences is player experience choice. For my money a 4x10 (or 2 2x10s) is just the general purpose layout that just works for a variety of genres but I wouldn't even give a second thought if I saw someone play a 1x15 or 2x12. As long as the bass grooves

For me its absolutely about getting rid of the onstage cab and having the bass come out only from the PA and letting the sound guy do his thing without spill coming out of the stage. Also, I did sound for my band for about 2 years and that gives you a lot of perspective about giving the sound guy something he/she can work with.

1x15 is too farty / un-focused. 4x10 I'd say would be what will sit better in the mix.

But…..the player perspective mic is way to high. Most bassplayers have their ears on the backside of the knees.

@philipconradmusic

4 ай бұрын

😆

To the drug infested club goer all this makes absolutely no difference.