When it comes to buying bass cabinets, modern bass players face a problem. Larger cabinets traditionally have higher power rating and improved tone, but they are inconvenient for transport, how big is the boot of your car? Smaller cabinets are more portable but at higher stage levels a compromise in your tone is usually required (usually rolling off low bass frequencies).
APA bass monitors provide modern bass players with portability, extended power handling and high fidelity. They reproduce your tone and dynamics at realistic stage volumes. The Standard Specification Bass Monitors are rated at 400W RMS ( 4, 8 or 16 Ohm options) and feature cast frame drive units with air cooled former. This provides a stable chassis for the loudspeaker reducing distortion and power compression. The cabinets are both ported and filled with acoustic absorber in order to extend and smooth the frequency response. Cabinet resonances are kept to a minimum by internal bracing and small physical size. Many options are available including choice of connector type (e.g. XLR, ¼ inch locking jack, Speakon, all Neutrik as standard) and cabinet impedance (4, 8 or 16 Ohm). Often these options will be decided by your choice of power amplifier. Most power amplifiers nowadays drive a minimum load of 4 Ohms, for stereo power amplifiers this is 4 Ohms per channel. Depending on the power rating of your amplifier and the maximum number of cabinets you envisage driving the correct cabinet impedance can be selected.
Here are just a sample of the options available...
115/115T (1 x 15" driver, 400W)
118 (1 x 18" driver, 600W)
410 (4 x 10" drivers, 800W)
For many live playing situations two APA cabinets would provide a accurate stage monitor. ( Assuming each cabinet were driven with between 150 to 350 Watts RMS). Larger stages/venues, particularly open air performances, require more cabinets.
So wherever you are performing, whatever your style, whatever your power amplifier, whatever your bass...
...you know the answer.
Andy uses his APA cabinets with his band AIR, check them out.
This page last updated September 13, 2000.