What's the point of a 4x12 in 2022? - Genuine question

deathbyguitar

deathbyguitar

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I feel like I might be missing something very obvious. - What purpose does a 4x12 serve in this day and age? It seems like if you're playing a tiny place with no PA or only a PA for vocals, a 2x12 would probably give you more than enough volume. For a larger room with a more robust PA, wouldn't a 4x12 be overkill since you'd mic the thing instead of cranking it way up to fill the room?

It seems that just about EVERY nationally/internationally touring metal band is playing through modelers with no cabs on stage. Is this mostly a cost cutting/logistics decision or do bands actually prefer this nowadays? Everything is so loud regardless that I doubt the audience notices a difference. I still see bands playing arenas bring out full stacks and such but I figured that's probably because they'd have roadies and their stuff being carried in a semi. The only nationally touring acts I see are metal bands so I don't know if this approach is popular in other genres.

Really curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this.
 
4x12's aren't only for live/touring use though remember. In the studio a 4x12 is a wonderful tool for multi mic'ing and experimenting. Also 4x12's often seem to be "louder" than 2x12 without any level change. You could argue that a 4x12 is a better solution than a 2x12 as you can run lower stage volume while retaining perceived volume/projection.

For the live use, all but the biggest of touring bands (Arena gigs etc.) are likely going to do away with big or any live backline in favour of the digital/modelling approach as it reduces logistics and cost MASSIVELY (which, lets face it, is what touring musicians need most), is arguably more reliable and less susceptible to environmental changes and offers much reduced stage audio clutter. A lot of bands started making use of iso-cabs years ago and that helps to reduce freight but you still have the amps and their backups to drive them AND all the headaches that go with them. Any big acts that do use them is probably more for the stage presence and look than practical use. Wasn't it AC/DC or someone that used to tour with multiple fake 4x12 amp/cab units that didn't even have speakers in them and in truth had 4 real amps/cabs set up behind stage?

As with a lot of things that have been around for any decent length of time but are reducing in practical application they will still be around and in demand, just probably at a much reduced quantity and the prices will start going up as it heads into 'Boutique' or 'novelty' status. Its like turntables, there is very low practical justification for them anymore but they're still out there aplenty.


If I was still playing live today with all things considered, the reduction of logistics and cost versus the increase of tonal benefits and reliability my Fractal offers, I would absolutely not be using live back line.
 
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Legitimate question. I spent my 80s and 90s surrounded by 4x12’s. Way to loud on stage, a remnant of the pre-PA area one could argue.

Nowadays I have one active 2x12 on stage and I’ve never been happier. Visually it’s a different ballgame altogether, oh well, since the 80s my rig got smaller and I got bigger….
 
From a time where basement practice involved a 4x12, it was discovered that there was just too much volume for such a small room. The fact that although I could have gigged with the 4x12, how would it have been possible to lug the thing up a flight of stairs and into my car? Not exactly feasible.

Time passed. I progressively learned that as we age, we need to be concerned about how we care for ourselves and cherish our bodies. The 4x12 was sold, and 2x12s replaced the 4x12. In time, even the 2x12s were too large for my small vehicle, so either a 1x12 combo or head/cab replaced the 2x12s.

And truthfully, since I wasn't gigging at huge venues with 500+ attendees, common sense told me that a 1x12 cab or combo was adequate for my open-mic gigs. FTR, for home practice or open-mic venues, a 1x12 (mic'd or not) or FRFR with house PA is more than adequate for anyone who gigs in his hometown or owns a Fractal unit.

However, if perhaps you are a touring guitarist who has access to same floor level storage and a larger vehicle which can transport, I don't know why it wouldn't be reasonable for anyone to own a 4x12. Younger men can lift/carry gear with greater aplomb than us older men, though I prefer to think I had a stronger back but weaker mind back then.
 
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1) sounds good
2) looks good
3) combo of 1 and 2 can result in a more positive playing experience.

A 112, 212 and 412 at the same volume will still sound different.

Why are bands still playing vintage spec guitars when we have 16” radius, steel frets, composite bodies and necks? They like them!
 
Romo82 said:
Wasn't it AC/DC or someone that used to tour with multiple fake 4x12 amp/cab units that didn't even have speakers in them
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The first time I became aware of this was in the 80's, when I saw a band at the local club, a pretty decent-sized place, and had a huge draw..., not quite Hammerjacks size, but maybe one step down from them (for those here who remember HJ's in Baltimore), place was called The Sandbar, then Network, then A L Gators. The band had a WALL of Marshall stacks, probably 8 of them, and I asked the guitarist about them. And he was like, dude, only the bottom 2 on each end have any speakers in them..., the ones that are miked up. He was like, There's no way we're carrying all those cabs! Just for show.

But to my 19 YO self, it looked really cool!
 
In addition to the sheer amount of air 4-12 cabs move, there are also phase cancellations between the speakers that create a characteristic mid-range focus. There are certain Marshall tones that can be hard to replicate any other way. Having said all that, I learned during my touring days, that that tone rarely translated to front of house and I was better off using fewer speakers keeping stage volume down and focusing on mic placement and choice and good communication with the sound man.
 
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Absolutely superfluous. In the 80's my 50w 2x12 Marshall combo blew away any 50w with 4x12 cab and I still prefer the sound of an open 2x12 cab.
 
A couple cases off the top of my head:

1) The type of speakers used - Four 25 watt greenback speakers with a 100 watt tube amp is the only way to get that specific sound without blowing up the speakers. It's not like you can bring your plexi marshall to any gig with 1x12 and a 25 watt greenback in there. Doesn't work. This goes for any type of speaker combination that accommodates the wattage of the amp.

Even if you're only micing one of the speakers, it's still the only way to get a setup like that to work

2) Assuming you have the same speaker than can handle the power rating of the amp you're using. Speakers all sound different in different enclosures, regardless of size. A 1x12 Thiele cab sounds way different than a 1x12 open back cabinet even if using the same speaker. If you can hear the differece on stage, a microphone can hear it as well. This goes for 2x12s (closed and open), oversized ones, etc etc.

If there was the "perfect" cabinet, everyone would be using it.

3) Some people use Stereo 4x12 cabinets and mic different speakers. In my early touring days, there were plenty of rigs using Mesa 4x12 Stereo cabinets and they would actually mic both speakers.

4) Some 4x12 users use a mix of different speakers. ie V30s and greenbacks either in a top/bottom configuration or cross pattern to get their tone.

5) Some older cabinets have a mix of open and closed backs for the top and bottom speakers.
 
Muscles, back aches, looks scary, cool (status symbol)? Or if you are lucky enough to have a roadie but don't like him?
 
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