Author Topic: Acme Flatwound - Anybody? (Read 454 times)

bassman10096 · « **on:** October 06, 2010, 01:53:16 PM »

Has anybody seen or tried the new Acme 112 new Flatwound cab?

(http://acmebass.com/ -- click Products then Series III)

David Houck · « **Reply #1 on:** October 06, 2010, 05:45:47 PM »

Interesting; reading it now. Thanks for posting about it.

David Houck · « **Reply #2 on:** October 06, 2010, 06:02:28 PM »

37 lbs.

I have a Low B-2; it's a great cab. So I'm guessing this will be a great cab too.

bigredbass · « **Reply #3 on:** October 06, 2010, 11:32:50 PM »

I've just spent the last 20 minutes reading Andy's exposition about this thing, a brilliant idea. Will be terrific integrating this Neo technology into the three-way bins. I've heard of more than one case of Neo cabs turning into firetraps or expensive, mute paperweights. So I'm pleased that Andy seems to have really glommed onto the advances he's found from Eminence. But as usual, an elegantly simple answer to a complex question can take a while to digest.

And as always the question passes through my head, vis-a-vis his excellent three-way bins: Do I really want/need a 20-20k response cabinet for bass, and is my bass putting out anything past the 6k top end of the Q-switch filters that Alembic uses, or anyone else's pickups/electronics for that matter. . . . David Fung, are you out there?

J o e y

bassman10096 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 07, 2010, 06:28:50 AM »

Joey - Your question about the viability of ultra high frequencies for bass is relevant to me, as I function mostly in the midst of a live rock mix (further downgraded by typically enormous, practical PA limitations). In many cases, the most that gets across the noise barrier to an audience is the fundamental voice of the bass itself and the ability of my stage rig to produce lows, low mids and high mids. The ability to punch true high frequencies through the mix is unreliable.

What started for me as a vintage throwback experiment, using a Mesa Powerhouse 115 (with its excellent horn system) stacked with a Mesa Roadready 115 (no horn) loaded with an Eminence Kappalite 3015 has turned out to produce one of the most musical and relatively articulate stage sounds I've ever had. I'm very interested in Andy's flatwound (one-way) 112 to hear whether it would take this concept a positive and realistic step toward better articulation. I've paired 12s with 15s and ironically had results that, while good, were not as musical as my current 2 X 115 array. I'm going to have to get one of the new Acmes to see if it would be a still-better complement to one of my 115s.

benson_murrensun · « **Reply #5 on:** October 07, 2010, 02:08:28 PM »

This is VERY interesting to me as I have 2 of the Low B-2 cabs already. I've had great service from them (except for the time I blew one up by cranking a 1000-watt amp through it). The idea of a lighter one with the sound of a 12 speaker is very appealing.
Glad you posted this, Bill. I think I will have to call Andy Lewis...

edwin · « **Reply #6 on:** October 07, 2010, 03:21:48 PM »

I went down to Denver and played through one for a bit. It was just in Andy's living room, but it was a very impressive little cab. I have a B2 as well. The thing that I noted right away was how smooth the frequency response was. It really felt like I was playing the same bass all the way from the lowest to highest notes (I brought my Modulus Q6 for the test). However, I did miss the high end extension. I think once he gets his coaxial thing together, I might have to get a pair of them, especially now that Euphonic Audio can no longer service my CXL12s if I blow them up.

All in all, a great cabinet! I don't think it will compete with a double 15 but two of them would give it a run for their money!

David Houck · « **Reply #7 on:** October 07, 2010, 04:40:53 PM »

Edwin; what does this mean - now that Euphonic Audio can no longer service my CXL12s.

And thanks for your review. I was feeling the same way, that I would miss the high end extension. So it will be interesting to see what he does with the neos in a two or three way cab.

edwin · « **Reply #8 on:** October 07, 2010, 04:45:51 PM »

The people who make the driver for the CXL-12 either no longer make spare parts for it or went out of business. When I mentioned how robust that cabinet was with a Crest CA9 to the EA guys, they cautioned me not to blow it up, because I couldn't recone it or find a driver that would match the exact tuning of the cabinet. Thus, I'm a little tempted to sell my EA cabs once Andy's new cab becomes a two way. Of course, at this point I kind of have an excess of cabinets, so who knows what the future holds.

David Houck · « **Reply #9 on:** October 07, 2010, 05:05:09 PM »

Thanks Edwin; interesting that they can't replace the drivers.

bigredbass · « **Reply #10 on:** October 08, 2010, 01:54:21 AM »

Dave, the current-day EA with those silly little cabinets with WIZZER(!) cones is a far cry from the bunch that built those transmission line cabinets. Time marches on . . . .

J o e y

bassman10096 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 08, 2010, 04:59:25 AM »

I'm curious what a Flatwound 112 (or a pair) on top of one of my fave 115s would sound like. How 'bout 3 or 4 Flatwounds(!?!)? Hmm. Gotta unload some gear before I can afford to find out.

edwin · « **Reply #12 on:** October 08, 2010, 09:47:45 AM »

Joey- Apparently a lot of people like the wizzer powered cabinets. However, I've never played one of them. But I do think that a lot of the same people are at EA. Gary Gibilisco and John Dong are still there, as they have from the beginning.

Bill, I think a pair of the flatwounds would make a 15 completely unnecessary. 3 or 4 would be wonderful! A nice tall stack of flatwounds would be a great sounding and very loud rig. I would love to do this, probably with the top one being a coaxial and the rest just single driver.

lbpesq · « **Reply #13 on:** October 08, 2010, 10:53:13 AM »

I've heard of more than one case of Neo cabs turning into firetraps or expensive, mute paperweights.

I haven't. So what's the story? I replaced the stock speaker in my Pritchard Sword of Satori amp with a 4 ohm Jensen Neo (the amp uses a 4 ohm speaker stock). It is going to blow up? Set my house on fire? Die? Should I run home and save my family? Is the sky falling?

Bill, tgo

bigredbass · « **Reply #14 on:** October 08, 2010, 10:58:31 PM »

Bill, more than one manufacturer went through several iterations of Neo speakers for bass, before feeling like the technology was far enough along to maintain a supportable warranty rate. As usual, for guitars or other apps, the physics involved were small enough not to matter.
There seemed to have been quite a bit of work to get Neos for bass to that point, and you only see them in cabs for a 200-400 watt range, a lot of combo amps.

No, I don't think your house will burn down. But it's interesting to read Andy's explanantion about how long it's taken him to find something that would work for his application. And like most things bass, when I hear that EAW or TurboSound or the reinforcement guys have adopted versions for live sound work, then I'll feel a little more satisfied that it's a maturing technology. But that's just me. I would not be ready to run an F2B and a big QSC into a small stack of Neo bins.

Edwin, for me the Wizzer cabs speakers are just as bogus in bass cabs as they were in car stereo or home audio. And to me, EA understandably has tried to take a turn to a more mainstream business profile to make more income, and that's fine. But in no way for me does their new stuff replace the startling performance of those little transmission line cabs.

I guess that's all the wildly unsupportable BS opinion I have to spew about this . . .

J o e y