The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Bill's Shop: Projects, Mods & Repairs => Topic started by: Happy Face on June 10, 2015, 06:24:15 AM
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I'd like to keep using the old 2x12" cab I put modern speakers into. It only has a phono input.
But two of my amps only have speakon outputs. Some folks swear that you need 'em for high power amps but a couple sound guys I know say they are just an unnecessary PITA.
I have converter jacks but was pondering putting in a speakon input into the old cab.
Question for wiser folks: outside of the locking aspect, what's the difference between putting in a speakon input and using a converter jack? Is the wiring off of the backside of the speakon input jack any different than that on a phono jack?
Hope I'm being clear with my question.
Thanks!
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Is the wiring off of the backside of the speakon input jack any different than that on a phono jack?
No. Speakons are 4 pole for biamping, just use 1 and 2 IIRC.
You can get locking phone jacks if you like that feature. They have a release tab that's easier to use than the twist off speakon IMO.
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+1: Speakon is more chunky, more annoying, and more expensive.
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I think all cabs should have a 1/4'' jack on them. Speakon - fine. But if you're in a bad situation, you're going to have a much easier time finding someone with a spare 1/4'' to 1/4'' than a Speakon of any kind. My custom built cab has a locking 1/4'', and a Speakon.
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I think all cabs should have a 1/4'' jack on them. Speakon - fine. But if you're in a bad situation, you're going to have a much easier time finding someone with a spare 1/4'' to 1/4'' than a Speakon of any kind. My custom built cab has a locking 1/4'', and a Speakon.
I agree. My Genz cabs are speakon but my backup cables are all 1/4", so I carry a couple of speakon>1/4" adapters just in case.
(http://www.fullcompass.com/common/products/lg/28585.jpg)
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I hate Speakons. Does that help? :sad:
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I like speakons.
They are more secure than the wobbly connection of a jack.
Especially when it comes to transferring the hundreds of Watts from a tube amp to a cab, you don't want to take any chances.
I don't see what's so difficult about the slide and twist of a speakon connection. :sad:
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How about the best of both worlds?
http://www.neutrik.com/en/speakon/speakon-chassis-connectors/speakon-combo/
(http://www.neutrik.com/website/uploads/images/04/420x/speakon-combo-1.jpg?v=1)
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I can't get at the cab at present as it's buried in the packing boxes but I used XLR's on mine, but in a different fashion...
As I had a pair of new 75w speakers and a pair of '69 Celestions that still (just about) worked in my 4x12 I wired one XLR for each pair, plus a third with all of them, noting the different ohmage values for each input...
Cut an image from one I had on file...
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How about the best of both worlds?
http://www.neutrik.com/en/speakon/speakon-chassis-connectors/speakon-combo/
(http://www.neutrik.com/website/uploads/images/04/420x/speakon-combo-1.jpg?v=1)
Thanks everyone. Maybe our Antipodean friend has the best solution? I know that adapters love to pick up and hide themselves in the bottom of my gear bag or in a pocket where totally unrelated gizmos hang out.
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I wonder why they didn't design Speakon jacks like that from the outset.
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I wonder why they didn't design Speakon jacks like that from the outset.
I thought they were when I first saw them. Very disappointed when I tried to stick in a phone plug!
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How about the best of both worlds?
http://www.neutrik.com/en/speakon/speakon-chassis-connectors/speakon-combo/
(http://www.neutrik.com/website/uploads/images/04/420x/speakon-combo-1.jpg?v=1)
Forgot about those. Yeah, perfect!
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See my earlier post.
(http://www.fullcompass.com/common/products/lg/28585.jpg)
$10 each.
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I have had 1/4" plugs blown right out of the jack in the speaker cab from the sound pressure waves. I'm sure others have also. Not the best thing for a tube amp. Don't have much experience with Speakons so nothing to add there.
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I have had 1/4" plugs blown right out of the jack in the speaker cab from the sound pressure waves. I'm sure others have also. Not the best thing for a tube amp. Don't have much experience with Speakons so nothing to add there.
Dang! I take it those weren't ported cabs. They also had a lot of speaker excursion going on.
Never had that happen, personally. Impressive. Probably very loud.
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I've never had that happen either. Can't imagine it happening with a ported cab.
OTOH there's nothing that hard about using a Speakon connector.
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Dang! I take it those weren't ported cabs. They also had a lot of speaker excursion going on.
Never had that happen, personally. Impressive. Probably very loud.
No, not a ported cab. Probably only happens with sealed cabs.
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I've never had that happen either. Can't imagine it happening with a ported cab.
OTOH there's nothing that hard about using a Speakon connector.
They're just annoying to wire up and cost a bit much.
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I hate speakons. Over engineered nuisance ! My Orange TB500 uses them, I have adaptors yo run my 1/4" outfitted c as b.
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I can't tell you how many times I have had road crew,sound men or whoever mucking around behind my rig and tip my cables out. Usually easily repaired with a soldering iron. Can't do that with Speakons.
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I have had 1/4" plugs blown right out of the jack in the speaker cab from the sound pressure waves. I'm sure others have also. Not the best thing for a tube amp. Don't have much experience with Speakons so nothing to add there.
I'm not even sure how that's possible unless its a shallow mount (standard bushing jack, vs long so as to be mounted in the cab wood directly) in one of them press fit jack plates (or maybe old, decaying, and low quality wood; I've seen cheap sealed 1x15s made out of such flimsy particle board). Jack plates are horrible for a million reasons. Without a jack plate, just put a larger washer under the nut on the inside and problem solved.
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I can't tell you how many times I have had road crew,sound men or whoever mucking around behind my rig and tip my cables out. Usually easily repaired with a soldering iron. Can't do that with Speakons.
The Speakons that I have can be connected using just a small screw driver. I find that a lot easier to fix when you're on the road. I don't always have a soldering iron at hand.
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The Speakons that I have can be connected using just a small screw driver. I find that a lot easier to fix when you're on the road. I don't always have a soldering iron at hand.
+1
Easiest connection in the world to wire up and make you own cables.
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Assuming that you trust screw terminals on things that move and get yanked/generally abused (I don't) vs static things like the back of patchbays and internals of rack gear (e.g. euroblock).