4 x 210 vs. 810

#24
When someone says just tilt and roll 810, I always wonder if they never faced stairs. On this side of the world where I live, stairs are more like a norm in gigs and rehearsal rooms so usually no tilt and roll for me. I still have one 810 but because no more crew to help me every time I had to choose something I can carry by myself.

OP: I would try first if 3x 210 was enough.
 
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#25
Chickenwheels said:
My thoughts:
Unless you used all 4 210 cabs it won’t sound as good. That’s a lot of mucking around with bits and pieces when you can simply tilt, roll and place an 810 with virtually no lifting, and then plug in one cable.
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My thoughts on that:
It's a matter of crew, car/truck, stairs and curbs. And spine.

I would not fit 810 in my car due to trunk opening size, but 4 210s would be doable. If I had a truck with a winch on a flatbed side, then 810 would be cool. Getting it on and off flatbed without winch becomes a bit of a workout. Plus back pain.
Tilt-and-roll is cool when everything is flat, but not on cobblestone and curbs. I have these around.
Now 210 is easier to transport over obstacles. I'd ditch 110s even but there's neither 16Ohm nor 32 Ohm cabs on the market. I could go only with DYI.
 
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#30
Thegreatzambini said:
The logic of some saying a single 810 is easier to transport and carry than 4 individual 210s is mind boggling….
There’s a reason a lot of the old fridge cabs are selling for pennies on the dollar. Even the 20 year olds don’t wanna move that crap anymore
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i've done it. i'm all set with that!
 
#32
Chickenwheels said:
Stairs?? Get a modern 410 or 212. ONE easy trip, plenty of noise. The only time I use Ampeg is when it’s sitting on stage when I arrive.
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Only time I use 810 is in one rehearsal space and cab won't be moving anywhere. I have Markbass 104HF and 102HF for mobile life and I can combine them when I need 810 performance. I just tried to explain that tilt and roll is not applicable always.
 
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#33
CaptObvious said:
Actually I'd think that the four 210s would be easier to handle. At 23lbs each, two guys could easily each carry two up stairs, around corners, and it would only take one guy to load them into even the smallest car. :thumbsup:
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Not quite the same thing but I use two 2x10 cabinets and stack them vertically. Although it does take an extra trip and some extra hook up, it greatly outweighs handling larger cabinets like a 4x10 or a large 1x15 which I used to do. So I agree with your assessment of the modular approach being easier. But every persons situation is different and depends on the types of clubs you play and what your house situation is like. When I was lugging around bigger cabinets, our old house had a level load from the garage to the basement where I stored them. The cabinets had wheels so it was a simple pulling from the car and wheeling into the house. When we moved, it wasn't that simple and I had more doors and steps to contend with so I opted for a simpler system.

My comments are focused on the logistics of moving these things around. I have no idea how this would sound but if you go with all of the same cabinets, I don't see that being a problem. Add to this, you would have the ultimate modular set up for different rooms/gigs.
 
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#35
As for transporting 4 2x10s vs 1 8x10 (or a "fridge" cabinet), I feel this boils down to YMMV and there being more than one way to taxidermy your animal of choice.

The cab I had the most mileage with was a Kasino 2x15s loaded with original drivers (and later Eminence Legend CB158's). That cab was easily over 100lbs, but had a rear handle and tiltback casters. I could tilt to load into my Honda Element or onto a stage, and when I encountered stairs I could push them up at an angle, or tilt and pull up one step at a time. Sometimes there was an elevator or someone offered to help. If it wasn't going to be a trek up a bunch of stairs, I could keep my Traynor YBA200 on top and my bass in a gig bag, making essentially one trip.

I'll also note that I am NOT a big guy by any means...5'7" and about 140lbs at the time I had the cab.

If stairs are involved, 4 cabs means 4 trips for me. If I wanted to carry two at a time, even a cab with lots of carryness ( :smug: ), cabs jutting out to the sides means I'm very likely to put holes in a wall or bump into someone/something. 4 trips up the stairs is still 4 trips up the stairs...I'd rather get it done in 1, personally, but that's me.


Have to state though, no matter where you go, you're still transporting an 8x10. There's no modular piecing things out (2x10 for small gig, two 2x10s for larger ones, etc..) with the 8x10. If you're frequently playing multiple size gigs, go modular for sure. Unless you KNOW that nothing short of an 8x10 will do for all of your gigs, I'd go modular and get multiple 2x10s. Or if you just wanna look really boss on stage, get the 8x10s and be a happy thumper :D
 
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#36
I had an 810 that I did quite a lot of gigs on (probably around ~600). If your gigging situation ends up involving a lot of stairs I can see why you'd want the smaller modular rig, but otherwise I'm all in on the leverage-rather-than-lift 810 cab life.

Before buying my Ampeg 810, I previously had a pair of Eden 410s. They basically required you to deadlift them almost all the time, I hated dealing with them.
 
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#37
CaptObvious said:
I know the two 410's versus 810 setup has been discussed ad nauseum. BUT...what about four 210s versus an 810?

Specifically, I'm looking at the SVT. The 210 is 200w and 8ohms. Assuming you have a proper amp and can handle 2 ohms, the total wattage would be 800w, would in total weigh about the same, give or take a few pounds. And the cost, retail, would be less than an 810. (4 x $380 < 1 x $1650)

I realize there's other factors like cables, maintenance costs, reliability. And I understand that basic physics would tell me that four 210s would move as much air as an 810. And from a portability standpoint, it's a huge win. But, would it sound as the same?
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I would doubt you would notice much of a difference when the bullets start flying on stage. You would have a little more work to do with 4 210 cabs as I’m thinking one 810 would be easier to move about. On the other hand, there are times you only need 1 210 cab.

Let me add on a last point of consideration. Some cabs are more efficient. It’s my understanding the Fridge is not as efficient as my ported Eden cabs. Each 210 cab 8 ohm cab can put out up to 129 dBs when powered by 400 watts, and each cab is rated @ 500 watts RMS. Being honest I can’t fathom the sound of four of these cabs stacked vertically, not to mention what sort of gig you’d need something like that.

In closing there is a certain magic about the Fridge cab as it relates to one’s anatomy. Simply put, it’s having 210 at about ear level, and 210s at your feet. When tethered by a 15ft instrument cable going to the amp sitting on top puts, you are right in the sweet spot of the tight punch from the top, and nice crushy low end from the speakers at your feet.

I hope you find this useful.
 
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#38
ZachM said:
I had an 810 that I did quite a lot of gigs on (probably around ~600). If your gigging situation ends up involving a lot of stairs I can see why you'd want the smaller modular rig, but otherwise I'm all in on the leverage-rather-than-lift 810 cab life.

Before buying my Ampeg 810, I previously had a pair of Eden 410s. They basically required you to deadlift them almost all the time, I hated dealing with them.
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But, if you have 2x modern 410 (á 22kg) it will be another story while dead lifting that weight is nothing. And I think some 212 are below 20kg. Usually they move nicely with a hand truck and packs tight into car.
 
#39
I do this with 1x12 cabinets (2.7 ohm load). But I only use three cabs because it’s more than enough to compete with my guitar players. And when you need less, just bring one or two cabs. The trick is finding 2-ohm capable amps— that limits your choices.
 
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