Lighter Sub

[Alicefan1]

Hello, I play in a three piece band playing Blues Rock,the PA we currently use comprises 2 Mackie SRM450’s and a Yamaha DSR118 sub. Our problem is transporting the Yamaha Sub around as it is very heavy ,My question is is there anything that is lighter and as powerful (800watts) the whole band go through the PA. I have tried a QSC 112 but it just doesn’t do the same job. Thanks for any help/advice. I’m in the UK.

[kerry davies]

Hi Steve, welcome to Blue Room. It isn't as straightforward as it seems so bear with me while I teach grannies to suck eggs.

It isn't just the wattage that makes the difference but the sensitivity in dB and the volume of air being moved. The QSC is actually nominally more powerful in watts but is rated at 128dB while the Yamaha is rated at 132dB. The Yamaha moves over twice the volume of air so even if sensitivity and power were equal the quality of sound would differ. Just about all active 18 inch subs weigh the same to within a pound or so, to get the same results you do now you probably need that size and weight of sub.

 

I don't think you will find exactly what you seek and will leave others to make suggestions from personal experience but my first thoughts were "WHEELS!" then I saw that you're a Jack. For the benefit of others I never found a venue in that neck of the woods that wasn't a nightmare as a get-in when I started out. Many years later in the 90's my nephew's band found it was exactly the same; different venues, same stairs, steps, narrow passageways and suchlike so wheels didn't work on his 4x10 Peavey cab either.

 

Good luck and do use the search function at top right to look for active subs and other such topics we have already discussed.

[Alicefan1]

Hi Steve, welcome to Blue Room. It isn't as straightforward as it seems so bear with me while I teach grannies to suck eggs.

It isn't just the wattage that makes the difference but the sensitivity in dB and the volume of air being moved. The QSC is actually nominally more powerful in watts but is rated at 128dB while the Yamaha is rated at 132dB. The Yamaha moves over twice the volume of air so even if sensitivity and power were equal the quality of sound would differ. Just about all active 18 inch subs weigh the same to within a pound or so, to get the same results you do now you probably need that size and weight of sub.

 

I don't think you will find exactly what you seek and will leave others to make suggestions from personal experience but my first thoughts were "WHEELS!" then I saw that you're a Jack. For the benefit of others I never found a venue in that neck of the woods that wasn't a nightmare as a get-in when I started out. Many years later in the 90's my nephew's band found it was exactly the same; different venues, same stairs, steps, narrow passageways and suchlike so wheels didn't work on his 4x10 Peavey cab either.

 

Good luck and do use the search function at top right to look for active subs and other such topics we have already discussed.

 

Hi Kerry, thanks for your reply. I was afraid that you were going to say what you said so it looks like we carry on with the Yamaha it is a great speaker but weighs a ton. You are pretty much spot on

with most of the loads aroumd us, when and with who did you play around Swansea.

[J Pearce]

You may be able to swap 1 big sub for 2 smaller subs, so maybe more total weight but each lift would be easier.

 

Swapping a big sub for a single smaller sub will (within the same kit level/expense) produce less bass.

[Alicefan1]

You may be able to swap 1 big sub for 2 smaller subs, so maybe more total weight but each lift would be easier.

 

Swapping a big sub for a single smaller sub will (within the same kit level/expense) produce less bass.

 

Thanks for the reply, we found using one sub is better than using two subs it might have been louder but it didn`t have the same punch as the one.I think you

are right about having 2 QSC`s but they are too expensive for us at the moment.

[david.elsbury]

I don’t really like the QSC 181s. We have several QSC K-subs on the other hand and they seem much better. Not sure if you’d get away with a 1:1 swap tho?

[pisquee]

You could split the weight by having separate unpowered subs, and an amplifier.

[Alicefan1]

You could split the weight by having separate unpowered subs, and an amplifier.

 

That might be a solution,thanks.

 

I don't really like the QSC 181s. We have several QSC K-subs on the other hand and they seem much better. Not sure if you'd get away with a 1:1 swap tho?

 

No David you wouldn’t I tried that.

[Simon Lewis]

Subs with neodymium magnet drivers tend to be lighter... but also more expensive!

[Jivemaster]

The enclosure of a sub needs to be very rigid and that uses a lot of material (usually thick wood/ply) so a good sub will weigh a lot.

[vlfaudio]

Hello, I play in a three piece band playing Blues Rock,the PA we currently use comprises 2 Mackie SRM450's and a Yamaha DSR118 sub. Our problem is transporting the Yamaha Sub around as it is very heavy ,My question is is there anything that is lighter and as powerful (800watts) the whole band go through the PA. I have tried a QSC 112 but it just doesn't do the same job. Thanks for any help/advice. I'm in the UK.

Best lightweight subs I've used personally were the KX 1.5s from KV2 Audio. They're 35kg a box, spec says they do 126dB continuous 128dB peak but they completely blow away higher rated boxes I've used. The KX series was an MI range that KV2 brought out circa 2004 and is sadly now discontinued. They rarely come up for sale as folks tend to hang on to them. I saw a pair out on a corporate function just a couple of weeks ago from a very well respected local hire firm. A backline hire firm I work for also has a set that have regularly been out with high end DJ gear for the best part of 15 years and have never required a service.

 

These are equivalents from their current range, they're not cheap though at roughly £2.5 grand a box and heavier than the KX at 43Kg