Lets talk about Mesa 2x12s (and more)

[Boudoir Guitar]

Sounds completely wrong to my highly educated flappers.

Do some reading up on 'resonant frequencies' and how they relate to various enclosure sizes and even construction.

@jay mitchell ?

 

[paisleywookiee]

Sounds completely wrong to my highly educated flappers.

Do some reading up on 'resonant frequencies' and how they relate to various enclosure sizes and even construction.

Oh. Well…..I did qualify my statement!

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Sounds completely wrong to my highly educated flappers.

Do some reading up on 'resonant frequencies' and how they relate to various enclosure sizes and even their construction.

Also part of the assumption is that you aren't making the cabinets out of 1/8" plywood. If you think you are going to hear the difference in resonant frequency of the long panel of a 2x12 as compared to the two shorter panels of a 1x12 over the sound coming from the speakers of a decently made guitar cab...go for it. I've got nothing against placebo effect. If it makes you happy, it makes you happy.

The whole point of this side bar, @spawnofthesith was just to note that going with 2 1x12 cabinets vs a single 2x12 is more like choosing between two different 2x12 cabinets...there isn't some special magic to going for a 2x12 vs going for two 1x12s. Hope that information is helpful.

 

[Achilles]

If you think you are going to hear the difference in resonant frequency of the long panel of a 2x12 as compared to the two shorter panels of a 1x12 over the sound coming from the speakers of a decently made guitar cab...

Helpful tip: When you don't know what you're talking about it's best to stop talking.

But you just keep doing you, bruh.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Helpful tip: When you don't know what you're talking about it's best to stop talking.

But you just keep doing you, bruh.

Come on, man.

 

[Achilles]

Oh. Well…..I did qualify my statement!

Good article here.:

 

[Achilles]

Come on, man.

What's the problem?
Woke up in a good mood and the dude gives me the bruh treatment first thing.

Then he comes back here with his condescending snarky crap cause he got caught
talking out his bunghole. My days of taking Watt Co's bullshit are long over.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Just tired of the shit-slinging lately (of which yes, I am also to blame for). Not placing blame. Just sayin'.

 

[jay mitchell]

Sounds completely wrong to my highly educated flappers.

Your "highly educated flappers" could stand to become more "highly educated," then.

Do some reading up on 'resonant frequencies' and how they relate to various enclosure sizes and even their construction.

You should follow your own advice, but do your reading in sources that actually provide correct information.

 

[jay mitchell]

Helpful tip: When you don't know what you're talking about it's best to stop talking.

Take your own tip. Pro tip: awareness of what you don't know is essential.

 

[Achilles]

Take your own tip. Pro tip: awareness of what you don't know is essential.

So are you are saying a single 2 x 12 cabinet will 'sound' the same as a couple of 1 x 12 cabinets set side by side - internal acoustic volumes being equal?

Yes or no?
Simple question Jay.

Even most lay persons can surmise the answer but I'd like to hear your take.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

 

[jay mitchell]

So are you are saying a single 2 x 12 cabinet will 'sound' the same as a couple of 1 x 12 cabinets set side by side - internal acoustic volumes being equal?

There's not enough information in your question. If the two transducers are identical and driven with identical signals, if the dimensions of the two single cabs result from virtually reducing the length of the 2x12 by half, if the cabinets are robustly assembled/braced, and if the two 1x12 cabs are placed together in a match to the 2x12 layout, then you won't be able to hear the difference. The two greatest contributions due to the cab - the increase in the transducers' resonant frequency and the frequencies of internal standing waves - will be the same in both cases.

Even most lay persons can surmise the answer...

Incorrectly, as it turns out, as is the case with so much audio mythology....

 

[Achilles]

On a side note, can't wait to watch Tom Brady doing color this year.
Tony Romo is good but something tells me Tom takes it to another level.

 

[maddnotez]

I don't have much of anything great to add. I've owned 3 different 2x12s and went back to 4x12.

If I were to try one mentioned it would be the vertical diagonal just because it seems cool. Never tried any of those.

One thing I can say to add and why i would absolutely choose a vert 2x12 is because stacking a regular 2x12 on top of a 4x12 or on a stand is nothing less than piercing from my experience and there was zero resonance. Put it on the floor and it is amazing.

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

I love my vertical 2 bys. But, I like them horizontal too ....I have 4.....I will never go smaller....and never need to go any bigger. Perfect for me ...but I can carry one in each hand without any issue ...I am not normal.

Edit....also. You only mic one speaker anyway.

 

[yeky83]

Simple theory: 2 sealed 1x12 cabs, no ports, each of which is exactly 1/2 the volume of a sealed 2x12, assuming that when you place the 1x12s next to one another the speaker centers are pretty much same spot they are in the 2x12...is acoustically the same. "speaker isolated in their own cabs" -- you've doubled the speaker cone surface area but also doubled the volume, so they're going to be feeling the same resistance in both situations. In both instances, having two speakers firing close together is going to allow them to be a bit more efficient in the low end (the closer together the speakers, the higher the frequency cutoff for that efficiency gain) making two speakers louder and having a bit more emphasis on the low end, compared to one speaker. Add 4 speakers and this efficiency gain in the low end is increased even more, giving even more low-end emphasis.

The PRACTICAL side off things is that, unless you're building your own cabs, you're unlikely to ever find a 2x12 and a pair of 1x12s where the total internal volume is same, speaker centers can be put in pretty much same spots, etc. Ported vs sealed and you're WAY outside the simple theory.

Can you check me on all this @yeky83 ? I'm confident in all of this, but maybe having two non-Jay voices saying it will give more weight.

@jay mitchell responded, so

 

[la szum]

Cabs aren't monolithic. All kinds of configurations and details to take into account--as some
have mentioned previously. Vertical. Horizontal. Diagonal. Open back. Closed back. Semi open.
Convertible. Ported. Non ported.

For me they all have a use case scenario that is related to volume, musical style, and the context of
the music/band they are being used in. Love 1 x 12/2 x 12/ 4 x 10/ 2 x 10/4 x 12.

 

[la szum]

My experience with a Recto 2 x 12 is holy fucking low-end Batman. I have a
a Mesa Vert 2 x 12 slanted that slays. I like having a speaker not so close to
the ground and coupling with the floor/stage and inducing a lot of flubbiness.

Also, Casters on a Mesa Vert 2 x 12 help a lot getting it even more decoupled.
I just have felt like the Vert-slanted 2 x 12 is more versatile and less problematic.

 

[Life Eats Life]

I was a 4x12 guy until I started placing a 2x12 on top of that, and really liked the sound of the 2x12 more so started using it by itself. Idk the 2x12 was more focused and less bloated than the quad but still had good thump when needed. Could have been the speakers, the 4x12 was T75's and the 2x12 V30s.

Some years later after those cabs left me I started using a 1x12 (combo) but it wasn't punchy enough so I'm back in 2x12 land where I'm pretty happy.

Two nutz are better then one,it turned out huh?