Mixing speakers in a 4x12

  • Thread starter Thread starter homespun
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homespun

homespun

Well-known member
When you mix speakers in a 4x12:

Is it always 2 and 2?

In the stereo capable cabs do you keep one set left and one set right or one of each on each side? Like this:
Code: 
O X       or      O O
O X               X X

If you place one of each on both sides, do you reverse them on the other side? Like this:
Code: 
O X
X O
 
Find out what speaker you like and stick with 4 of the same. It is impossible to make your amp’s EQ work as intended when you have speakers fighting each other. I know people love mixing, but I have never found a mix I prefer over a full matched quad. And I have tried a ton.
 
EyesOfTheSouth! said:
Find out what speaker you like and stick with 4 of the same. It is impossible to make your amp’s EQ work as intended when you have speakers fighting each other. I know people love mixing, but I have never found a mix I prefer over a full matched quad. And I have tried a ton.
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I am with you but the reason I ask is because I really don’t like the G12Cs in my Marshall 425A. However if I use it alongside a cabinet with Vintage 30s it actually sounds nice i was thinking of putting a couple vintage 30s in it to balance the G12Cs out.

The cab sounds great with the Vintage 30s and I did have them in there for a long while but i tried to sell the Vintage Modern half stack and got a bunch of hits on the head and nothing for the cabinet.
 
EyesOfTheSouth! said:
Find out what speaker you like and stick with 4 of the same. It is impossible to make your amp’s EQ work as intended when you have speakers fighting each other. I know people love mixing, but I have never found a mix I prefer over a full matched quad. And I have tried a ton.
Click to expand...
So I agree with this totally. However I have my 4x12 mixed and stereo so I am using it like 2 2x12's. I have Redbacks on the left and Creambacks on the right. I usually just use one side at a time. So I basically have a 2x12 with V30's then the 4x12 with the split.
 
homespun said:
I am with you but the reason I ask is because I really don’t like the G12Cs in my Marshall 425A. However if I use it alongside a cabinet with Vintage 30s it actually sounds nice i was thinking of putting a couple vintage 30s in it to balance the G12Cs out.

The cab sounds great with the Vintage 30s and I did have them in there for a long while but i tried to sell the Vintage Modern half stack and got a bunch of hits on the head and nothing for the cabinet.
Click to expand...
If you were local, I would snag the 425A in a heartbeat. I love that cab and speakers.

In your case, I would start with V30’s on the bottom holes. The efficiency of the V30’s will bury the G12C’s in an x pattern……unless you are playing loud and standing pretty far out in front of the cab.
 
Mc90’s and ev12’s kill in the old metal grille mesa cabs, vintage 30’s and a single 15” eminence legend is a wonderful thing as well. That’s the limit of my experience except for running different 4x12’s together…
 
You can do anything you want, including 4 different speakers. It just comes down to experimentation (i.e. fun) and there are no rules really other than sticking to the same impedance.

Mixing speakers with different sensitivities can work fine, it really just depends on your ears. As suggested you could try a pair of V30's on the bottom. In that position you'll hear less of a change than if you X-pattern them, so maybe the latter would be better for you. Try it and report back.
 
Even when I only mix 2 different types of speakers, I listen to them each individually to see which are the brightest (‘cause speakers vary even when they’re the same make/model) then I put the bright ones on the bottom.

Same goes for higher sensitivity, those go one the bottom to even things out.
 
Once you mix models you have essentially (to your ears) created a new speaker, so I wouldn't worry about not being able to optimally EQ each model to it's best tone individually. Some amps might not sit so well with certain speaker models though, so I would try to pick two models that both can sound good individually with your amp but still have some contrast with each other, or somewhat fill-in each other's "weakness" areas.
 
dave74 said:
somewhat fill-in each other's "weakness" areas.
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This has worked well for me. I don't really like V30's by themselves, and Sheffield 1290's (G12-75T clone of sorts) even less, but I really dug both of them together in a 4x12.
 
homespun said:
Dang. I just sold my 1290s. But I do have a set of 75Ts
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I'd say give it a shot if you have the time to burn. The 1290's have a lower-mid growl/grind, which was what I liked about them, plus that they smoothed and filled the V30, but I'm not sure how similar the 75T is. If the sheffield is just a crappy celestion, maybe the 75T will sound better.
This video gave me the idea of mixing the V30 and Sheffield:

I ended up doing a Marshall G12 mixed with a 1290 with the other two slots open before selling both and moving to EVM's, and that mix was my favorite tone by far up to that point. Not very modern metal sounding though, a buddy described it as "Cream farewell tour tone" when pushed with my Micro Dark.
 
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