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Author Topic: Folded Horn or Front Loaded Subs?  (Read 7090 times)

Marty Emerick

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Folded Horn or Front Loaded Subs?
« on: January 01, 2006, 11:07:11 PM »

We're a four piece hard rock band looking to get more out of our PA systems low end.  

We're currently running dual 18" front loaded subs and quad 15" front loaded subs a side.  

We have plenty of volume, but don't seem to be getting the chest pounding punch we need from the low end.  I'd personally like to rattle fillings out of peoples teeth when I hit the kick drum. Smile

I've been doing some research and am considering going with folded horn subs instead.  Any opinions and/or recommendations?

Thanks!
Marty
Seven Years Down

www.sevenyearsdown.com

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Gary Perrett

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Re: Folded Horn or Front Loaded Subs?
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2006, 04:57:48 PM »

For my money, Folded horns all the way! I particularly recomend the LABsubs, especially if you want really bone shaking low end. I have some front loads, some manifolds, some W bins...they are all collecting DUST.

I just finshed a pair of Table Tuba's,( Bill Fitzmaurice) and I must say these are LITTLE but DEADLEY. Small, GO low, and are VERY portable. You need a few to do live but 4 will REALLY shake things up(with the Eminence HL10a)!

The Horns sound different, and some don't think the are as loud as some front loaded types,( I think its all that distortion they create) but they are sooo much cleaner and go so much lower...bass you can FEEL.

I also prefer small driver horns (10" and 12")(why drive a dump truck with a ferrari motor)over the larger driver units like Cerwin vegas.

GARY
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Rick Byers

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Re: Folded Horn or Front Loaded Subs?
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2006, 07:55:48 AM »

If your 18s and your 15s are all running the same frequency range you may be getting some interference between the 2 different drivers configurations that might be sucking some of your bass end out.

Also are they well powered enough?

Some info on the make/model of cabs plus how you're powering them might yield some good info.

I asked a question about the characteristics of different sub types recently and front loaded cabs came back as having reasonable low end extension but watt for watt put out less dbs than a horn loaded cab.

Folded horns are the way to go for real low end and portability, the down side being you need multiples to get the real low end.
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Gary Perrett

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Re: Folded Horn or Front Loaded Subs?
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2006, 10:43:52 AM »

I use My labs in singles occasionally, but usually only need 2 to knock the bottles off the wall behind the bar! It takes 8 of my single 18 manifolds (s181) to even get close to 2 labsubs.

Now, if I want to get into the serious low end..into the 20 HZ area, then I need 4 or more... but believe me they are impressive enough in groups of 2 to make a believer of most anyone doing small scale clubs.

We actually had 6 in a cluster outdoors to support a Lazer show, a local sound company had 12 SRX 4719 (dual 18" JBL's) powered by 6 macrotech 5002 VZ's and you couldn't even tell they were on with the labs kicking!(that guy was SOOO pissed! He wouldn't even talk to us) The system could be felt a mile away...
G
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Duane Massey

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Re: Folded Horn or Front Loaded Subs?
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2006, 11:00:32 AM »

A well-designed horn will give you more ouput and "tighter" response at higher volume levels. If you're going for the "punch" that I suspect you are, you're looking for impact in the 50-80hz range, which most good horns will do a fine job at, especially if you use 2-3 per side. You should notice more gain before feedback and less power requirements. The only downsides are the higher cost and weight of a good horn, but since you should need fewer of them this shouldn't be much of an issue.
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Duane Massey
Houston, Texas, USA
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