2x12 vs two 2x10 cabs 4 LOUD Rock Band

G

GGman

Oct 17, 2008
219
34
4,531
#1
What would be louder between a 2x12" cab vs two 2x10" cabs? I did read another thread here on this topic, but the OP said he was only playing softer, quiet rock at small size gigs. My 3 piece rock band will be playing on 11 :bassist: at small to larger gigs.

I am considering Markbass cab(s) with the Markbass Tube 800 watt amp. The 2x12" cab matches perfectly with the amp since both are 800 watts at 4 ohms. I am wondering if two 2x10", 8 ohms, 400 watt cabs that total to 800 watts and 4 ohms would be louder than the one 2x12" cab for our band. I know it would be easier to move one cab instead of two, but they are not that heavy to carry. I don't like the high cost of Markbass, but after a lot of research, I decided to spend more and get a rig with a large amount of watts and volume in the smallest, lightest package(s) that can also fit in my car trunk.
 
#2
The precise answer is that it depends on which specific cabs. In general, however, a pair of 8 Ohm 210s will be a bit louder than a 4 Ohm 212 if fed the same power. You can stack the 210s vertically which will bring a driver up to near ear level and make it easier for you to hear, and improve dispersion out in the room.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rugrat, SirenSound, Munjibunga and 6 others
#3
The pair of 2x10 would probably be louder than the one 2x12, though that has nothing to do with watts. Watts don't tell how loud a cab will go. The displacement of the speakers limits how loud they go, and four tens will usually have more displacement than two twelves. The problem is that only Barefaced tells you the displacement of their speakers, so you have no basis for comparison with other brands.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GGman
#4
Saying that an amp matches a cab based on the power and impedance ratings has nothing to do with the question you asked.

An amp will produce a certain amount of power, up to its design limits, based on the load applied to it.
A cab can handle a maximum amount of power based on the design of the cab and the drivers.
Those two things alone do not tell you the whole story of how well they will work together.
Under certain circumstances, it would be easy to blow the speakers in your 800 watt cab with your 800 watt amp.
There are other factors involved than just power and impedance.

Power of an amp and power handling of a cab are two of the most misrepresented figures that are thrown around.
And even if all of the numbers are properly reported, there is more than one way to measure power output or power handling.

For instance, you can find two different websites showing the exact same speaker cabinet.
But one site rates the cab's power handling capacity as 300 watts, while the other site says it is 600 watts. And yet both are correct! How can this be?
There are different ways to measure power that is dependent on the type of signal being used during the measurement. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Before you go off chasing watts, you need to understand the parameters of the power you are chasing.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: bassballs27 and Mystic Michael
#5
Taking this in a different direction, are you 100% sold on Markbass? Used one in a live gig? Markbass makes a very nice product. I had a 410HF with the 800W tube amp. Sounded great in the store and I loved being able to toss it in the car and go but, I was constantly tweaking it to find the "right" tone when gigging (70s-80s rock, country). Then I tried a Fender Rumble 410 with the Rumble 500 head. A couple of pounds heavier, plenty loud, a whole LOT less expensive, and amazing tone!-IMO, especially for rock music. Took a big hit getting rid of the Markbass but have never regretted making the change.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bodeanly and johnny_bolt
#6
gsgbass said:
Check out the Ampeg site for the SVT-212AV cab. It may give you some answers on that cab.
Click to expand...
If you want to know how loud a cab will go in the lows it's all about moving air. How much air it will move you can only know if you know the displacement of the speakers. Nothing there tells you that. Displacement with speakers is like displacement with engines. It's not the only factor for sure, but if all else is the same, or even close to the same, you can figure a 3500cc engine is going to be more powerful than a 2000cc engine. If all else is the same, or even close to the same, a cab with 600cc of displacement will go louder in the lows than one with 400cc of displacement. Displacement should be as prominently displayed as watts, since it's an even more important factor than watts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Old Garage-Bander and Bass_Pounder
#8
Old Garage-Bander said:
Before you go off chasing watts, you need to understand the parameters of the power you are chasing.
Click to expand...
I am not chasing watts. I am asking wich rig will be louder using the same amp. Use your ears at 10 feet in front of the rig. It appears from what people have said that the 4x10 rig is a bit louder. How much of a bit is that I now ask everyone? Is it enough worth getting the 4x10 rig?

I appreciate all the replies. Thank you to everyone. Maybe I said too much in my first post cus all I wanted to know is which rig is louder (to your ears) say standing 10 feet in front of the cab(s). I don't have the rigs to A/B them. I understand all about the watts and amps and rated watts of cabs and so on.
 
#10
GGman said:
I thought about 2 2x12 and would like it but I can't afford it and I would probably need another amp to go with it, which would be good for a backup on stage rig. But again, I can't afford that now.
Click to expand...

Another amp to go with it? You can get two 212's from Markbass at 8 ohms each: simple 4 ohm load - stack them vertically and you will hear yourself well. As for volume 10' away from the rig, two vertically stacked cabs will help with hearing yourself, but I honestly could not tell you "how loud" that would be to you. Are you playing shows with PA support or just big stages?

As others have pointed out, make sure you try out the Markbass cabs first and veriify you like how they sound. If you are going to buy sight unseen, make sure you purchase from a place like Sam Ash or Guitar Center with a 30 day return policy. You can also take advantage of Guitar Center's Used section which also has a 30 day return policy.
 
#11
I can only offer that I switched into a pair of 2x10's when my new car was too small to lug around my 4x10. Even though this meant an extra trip loading in and out, I haven't missed the 4x10 at all. My 2x10 cabs aren't even premium boxes - SWR Workingman's line, not Goliath Jr's - and they've been gamers.

I'm looking to maybe upgrade my amp and cab layout if I come across the right gear and I really love being able to go with either a bigger or smaller rig. If I run across a pair of really decent 2x10's, I'll likely be able to buy them with plenty of confidence.
 
#12
GGman said:
I am not chasing watts. I am asking wich rig will be louder using the same amp. Use your ears at 10 feet in front of the rig. It appears from what people have said that the 4x10 rig is a bit louder. How much of a bit is that I now ask everyone? Is it enough worth getting the 4x10 rig?
Click to expand...
To come up with a difinitive answer to your question we need a whole lot more information. It depends on a lot of variables that we don't know. This includes the specifics of the drivers themselves, and how they work in the cabs they are are in. But simplistically, you have, very roughly, a 40% increase increase in speaker diameter. Not displacement, diameter. We don't know the displacement or excursion numbers. So let's say for the sake of argument, we have a ratio of a 2x12 cab to a 4x10 cab of 1:1.4.

Now consider that double the speaker displacement or a ratio of 1:2 which is considered twice as loud, and this is also expressed as a 3 db increase.

It is generally accepted that a 1 db increase is the threshold of being able to detect an increase in sound.
So you are somewhere between "I can barely hear a difference," to "it is twice as loud," and you are closer to the low end of the sound increase than you are to the high end.

It won't be a 40% loudness increase.

Then you asked if someone can tell you how much louder it would be.
The person you ask would have to meet a few requirements.

Their threashold of hearing would need to match yours. They would have to be able to distinguish a barely preceptable increase in loudness the same way as you. Likewise, they would have to think twice as loud matches your sense of being twice as loud. They then would have to experience the same speakers of which you are interested to make a judgement.

Bottom line is that the 4x10 will be a little bit louder than the 2x12.
But we knew that didn't we?

Now, the question is, do you trust someone else's judgement in what constitutes loud enough when you consider all of the other factors that go into a decision to purchase a cab?

The closest you can get to this without depending on someone else making multi-variable judgement calls for you is to A/B compare a 2x12 and a 4x10 yourself. Even if it is not the same two cabs you get, you will eliminate the variables due to the wetware judgement factor of someone who is not you. It's leap of faith time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: monsterthompson
#14
Gearhead17 said:
Another amp to go with it? You can get two 212's from Markbass at 8 ohms each: simple 4 ohm load - stack them vertically and you will hear yourself well. As for volume 10' away from the rig, two vertically stacked cabs will help with hearing yourself, but I honestly could not tell you "how loud" that would be to you. Are you playing shows with PA support or just big stages?

As others have pointed out, make sure you try out the Markbass cabs first and veriify you like how they sound. If you are going to buy sight unseen, make sure you purchase from a place like Sam Ash or Guitar Center with a 30 day return policy. You can also take advantage of Guitar Center's Used section which also has a 30 day return policy.
Click to expand...
I have seen that 2x12 markbass cab only listed as 4 ohms. I have watched a few online used gear like Guitar Center and over the last four months there has been only one Markbass 2x12 cab for sale at $500. As usual, when I want to buy it, BAM, it's sold and gone.
 
#15
GGman said:
I have seen that 2x12 markbass cab only listed as 4 ohms. I have watched a few online used gear like Guitar Center and over the last four months there has been only one Markbass 2x12 cab for sale at $500. As usual, when I want to buy it, BAM, it's sold and gone.
Click to expand...
Good deals go fast when the whole world has access to the store at the click of a mouse. Check often and be ready to pull the trigger when you find something juicy. I bought a used Rumble 200 combo on-line at GC. The shipping was pretty reasonable, less than $25 as I recall. Some other sites seem to have less reasonable rates. Good luck with your search.
 
#16
GGman said:
What would be louder between a 2x12" cab vs two 2x10" cabs? I did read another thread here on this topic, but the OP said he was only playing softer, quiet rock at small size gigs. My 3 piece rock band will be playing on 11 :bassist: at small to larger gigs.

I am considering Markbass cab(s) with the Markbass Tube 800 watt amp. The 2x12" cab matches perfectly with the amp since both are 800 watts at 4 ohms. I am wondering if two 2x10", 8 ohms, 400 watt cabs that total to 800 watts and 4 ohms would be louder than the one 2x12" cab for our band. I know it would be easier to move one cab instead of two, but they are not that heavy to carry. I don't like the high cost of Markbass, but after a lot of research, I decided to spend more and get a rig with a large amount of watts and volume in the smallest, lightest package(s) that can also fit in my car trunk.
Click to expand...
GGman said:
I am not chasing watts. I am asking wich rig will be louder using the same amp. Use your ears at 10 feet in front of the rig. It appears from what people have said that the 4x10 rig is a bit louder. How much of a bit is that I now ask everyone? Is it enough worth getting the 4x10 rig?

I appreciate all the replies. Thank you to everyone. Maybe I said too much in my first post cus all I wanted to know is which rig is louder (to your ears) say standing 10 feet in front of the cab(s). I don't have the rigs to A/B them. I understand all about the watts and amps and rated watts of cabs and so on.
Click to expand...

It depends ENTIRELY on what cabinets you're taking about.

Some 212 cabs will absolute blow a 410 setup away, and some 210 cabs will absolutely blow a 212 setup away.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rugrat, Snowglo and monsterthompson
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back