audiomichael
Member
Hi fellas,
I just got a the new Rivera Silent Sister isocab.
http://www.rivera.com/products/silentsi ... sister.php
I’ve been using a Randall “Isolation” isocab for the past 5 years, and have gotten great use from it. However, it has taken some work to milk the kick-assery out of it.
Over the years I’ve the Randall with 3ch Dual Recto, 60’s Fender Bassman head, Marshall JCM800, VHT Deliverance, Diezel VH4.
http://www.randallamplifiers.com/Cabine ... ation.html
So I’ll try to give a brief review, and some clips:
RANDAL ISOLATION:
First of all, I bought the Randall Isolation second-hand. It has the name, “SHAW” painted in stencil on the top, so who knows where it’s been before I got it. The Randall uses a single V30 and has one mic holder. The mic arm is a nice length and you can get an SM57 pretty much anywhere you want. But beware, twice in it’s life, I’ve accidentally dropped the 57 and it fell directly into the speaker cone. Light masking tape works for pulling out an inverted speaker bubble.
There is no acoustic material in the cavity behind the speaker, just an empty box. This caused problems. It would resonate on certain notes, and also sounded hollow to mics.
I’ve added some acoustic foam into the cavity and found a nice balance. Too much and it ate all the bottom end, too little and it was really boomy. Also the lid is essentially the entire top half of the cabinet, so sometimes it’s a pain to open up. But once I get the mic where I wanted it, I’d go months without opening it up.
The handles on the side are big and metal, and rattle when playing loudly. There’s also a big latch that locks the lid down, with a big metal knob that also rattles. I’ve padded them down with acoustic materials. The rattling is so loud that it get’s picked up on the 57 inside the isocab. It also woofs out with Recto chunky muting and lots of bass...at least mine does. I’ve head Dimebag used an Isolation on the Damageplan record, so maybe mine has special woofy problems.
RIVERA SILENT SISTER:
It’s built like a tank, and it has wheels!!! Yay casters! The handles (2 on the sides and 1 on top) are those nice boutique amp leather handles that feel good. The lid is a small whole at the top. Locks down tightly. Both Randall and Rivera seem to cut decibels about the same amount. It has two arms for 2 mics, but the arms are a little short, so it’s hard to get an SM57 up close to the speaker (I’m gonna work more on that). This cab is tight as balls! It doesn’t seem to care how much bottom you throw into it, it’s happy to take it. It uses a single G12T-75.
CLIPS:
https://www.soundclick.com/bands/default ... dID=951506
Disclaimer: I’ve only had the VH4 for a couple days, and this is the first time I’ve used the Rivera, so this is truly a first impression test. I just pulled up some drums, and threw down an idea. I set the tone controls on my amp based on the Randall, then switched over to the Rivera without changing anything, and I eyeballed the single sm57 placement on the Rivera. I tried to remember what I played the first time so it’s easy to compare the tones. This is at a fairly low volume, loud when you open the cabs up, but I had a 2 kids, my wife. and mother-in-law sleeping in different places in my house while I recorded this, and no one knew I was recording. Oh, everything was played on my Les Paul, recorded with a single SM57 into a Chandler Germanium mic pre, to Apogee AD16x converters to Logic Pro.
“VH4 IsoCabs” is Diezel VH4 is Randall on the Left, and Rivera on the Right. I’m going through the VH4’s channels (since I’m experimenting with that too) switching channels every 4 bars. The “solo” is the VH4 ch4. Sorry, I’m not really a ‘solo’ guy, but I couldn’t resist.
“VH4 IsoCabs (nosolo)” is without my solo slop.
“VH4 Rivera Cab” is the Silent Sister track panned up the middle, with the Randall track muted/taken out.
“VH4 Randall Cab” is the Isolation track panned up the middle, with the Rivera track muted/taken out.
“Solo Rivera Cab” is only the VH4 + Rivera Silent Sister
“Solo Randall Cab” is only the VH4 + Randall Isolation
MY OWN THOUGHTS:
I’m gonna mess with mic placement on the Rivera, and try to get it in closer. Also, I’m gonna try cranking up the amp more. I like the V30’s big forward midrange. I’m wondering if a V30 would sound better (to my liking) in the Rivera, combining the cab’s tightness, with the fatter sounding speaker V30.
I’d love to get some speaker replacement suggestions.
I just got a the new Rivera Silent Sister isocab.
http://www.rivera.com/products/silentsi ... sister.php
I’ve been using a Randall “Isolation” isocab for the past 5 years, and have gotten great use from it. However, it has taken some work to milk the kick-assery out of it.
Over the years I’ve the Randall with 3ch Dual Recto, 60’s Fender Bassman head, Marshall JCM800, VHT Deliverance, Diezel VH4.
http://www.randallamplifiers.com/Cabine ... ation.html
So I’ll try to give a brief review, and some clips:
RANDAL ISOLATION:
First of all, I bought the Randall Isolation second-hand. It has the name, “SHAW” painted in stencil on the top, so who knows where it’s been before I got it. The Randall uses a single V30 and has one mic holder. The mic arm is a nice length and you can get an SM57 pretty much anywhere you want. But beware, twice in it’s life, I’ve accidentally dropped the 57 and it fell directly into the speaker cone. Light masking tape works for pulling out an inverted speaker bubble.
There is no acoustic material in the cavity behind the speaker, just an empty box. This caused problems. It would resonate on certain notes, and also sounded hollow to mics.
I’ve added some acoustic foam into the cavity and found a nice balance. Too much and it ate all the bottom end, too little and it was really boomy. Also the lid is essentially the entire top half of the cabinet, so sometimes it’s a pain to open up. But once I get the mic where I wanted it, I’d go months without opening it up.
The handles on the side are big and metal, and rattle when playing loudly. There’s also a big latch that locks the lid down, with a big metal knob that also rattles. I’ve padded them down with acoustic materials. The rattling is so loud that it get’s picked up on the 57 inside the isocab. It also woofs out with Recto chunky muting and lots of bass...at least mine does. I’ve head Dimebag used an Isolation on the Damageplan record, so maybe mine has special woofy problems.
RIVERA SILENT SISTER:
It’s built like a tank, and it has wheels!!! Yay casters! The handles (2 on the sides and 1 on top) are those nice boutique amp leather handles that feel good. The lid is a small whole at the top. Locks down tightly. Both Randall and Rivera seem to cut decibels about the same amount. It has two arms for 2 mics, but the arms are a little short, so it’s hard to get an SM57 up close to the speaker (I’m gonna work more on that). This cab is tight as balls! It doesn’t seem to care how much bottom you throw into it, it’s happy to take it. It uses a single G12T-75.
CLIPS:
https://www.soundclick.com/bands/default ... dID=951506
Disclaimer: I’ve only had the VH4 for a couple days, and this is the first time I’ve used the Rivera, so this is truly a first impression test. I just pulled up some drums, and threw down an idea. I set the tone controls on my amp based on the Randall, then switched over to the Rivera without changing anything, and I eyeballed the single sm57 placement on the Rivera. I tried to remember what I played the first time so it’s easy to compare the tones. This is at a fairly low volume, loud when you open the cabs up, but I had a 2 kids, my wife. and mother-in-law sleeping in different places in my house while I recorded this, and no one knew I was recording. Oh, everything was played on my Les Paul, recorded with a single SM57 into a Chandler Germanium mic pre, to Apogee AD16x converters to Logic Pro.
“VH4 IsoCabs” is Diezel VH4 is Randall on the Left, and Rivera on the Right. I’m going through the VH4’s channels (since I’m experimenting with that too) switching channels every 4 bars. The “solo” is the VH4 ch4. Sorry, I’m not really a ‘solo’ guy, but I couldn’t resist.
“VH4 IsoCabs (nosolo)” is without my solo slop.
“VH4 Rivera Cab” is the Silent Sister track panned up the middle, with the Randall track muted/taken out.
“VH4 Randall Cab” is the Isolation track panned up the middle, with the Rivera track muted/taken out.
“Solo Rivera Cab” is only the VH4 + Rivera Silent Sister
“Solo Randall Cab” is only the VH4 + Randall Isolation
MY OWN THOUGHTS:
I’m gonna mess with mic placement on the Rivera, and try to get it in closer. Also, I’m gonna try cranking up the amp more. I like the V30’s big forward midrange. I’m wondering if a V30 would sound better (to my liking) in the Rivera, combining the cab’s tightness, with the fatter sounding speaker V30.
I’d love to get some speaker replacement suggestions.
