Ideal Speaker Cabinet for Low Volume, Small Room Playing
Hi Dave,
As an apartment dweller needing to keep the peace with my neighbors, I virtually always have to practice/play at very low volumes when plugging in. My current gear is plenty good - Megatone ME-18 and a couple of nice CR/CM mics - So I can get a generally good tone and break-up at virtually any volume, but I feel like the compact cabinet housing the single 10” speaker is maybe limiting the quality of the tone I am able to get at low volumes. Does that make sense? To put it another way, I’m wondering if a larger cabinet and possibly a second speaker would allow for a “Bigger”, more “Expansive” tone at a given volume level, as compared with a smaller cabinet? Or am I just going to achieve the ability for a bigger sound at higher volumes?
I know you have a ton of experience playing in small spaces through a variety of heads, combos, and cabinets, so my question for you is this:
What cabinet size, back, and speaker size and configuration have you found to give the best overall tonal quality when playing at low volumes in small spaces - say rooms in size from about 10’x10’ to 20’x20’? Essentially, if you were going to have a cabinet purpose built for small rooms and low volume, how would you configure it?
Or, is my thinking completely wrong and I’m unlikely to hear much improvement with the same head and a different cabinet?
Thanks,
Loren
Thanks Dave, yes you got what I am after so it sounds like an open back 2x10 cabinet is the ticket, great. Regarding speakers: While I'd love to get Vintage Jensen P10Q's, but it might be some time before I can track down a couple of those and find the right person to recone them..... What are your current top 2 or 3 alternate picks for 10" speakers?
Thanks,
Loren
Hello Loren. I have not spent a lot of time exploring new speakers, but luckily there are a lot of good choices out there. Since you have a MegaTone amp, it may be a good idea to give Dale a quick call and ask what he recommends... I trust his opinion. He also sells "tenderized" speakers, and the breaking-in process he does really helps the sound of new speakers.
Got it. Thanks again Dave, much appreciated.
Hello Loren. The Megatone ME-18 is a great amp, and the mics you have are good, so I agree that you have a rig that sounds good at all volume levels. Though your amp sounds good, one 10" speaker is not going to have as much resonant sound as a larger cabinet with two speaker (two 10's or 12's... 10's are more common). With two speakers, and a larger cabinet, you get a more complex, resonant sound... at all volumes. I think you're really speaking of wanting to have a warmer, more bassy tone, at lower volumes. So, I recommend (and personally play) with a 2x10" cabinet (open back).