Port City OS2x12 + Matrix GT1000FX - My Thoughts

Sean Ashe

Sean Ashe

Power User
I recently acquired a Port City OS2x12 (loaded with V30s) and all week I've been running my Axe through the Matrix and then the Port City. Here are my thoughts:

There's not much else to say except that I am absolutely blown away and can't fathom 'upgrading' to anything haha. I've been using the Matrix GT1000FX for several months now through a late 70s/early 80s Marshall Cab, and it was wonderful. But my friend (and fellow Axe FXr) Marcus Rezak brought over one of his Port City cabs to my house and I knew I had to have one. The clearest and most articulate guitar tone I have ever heard. This past week I got my hands on my own Port City cab and have been in tonal ecstasy ever since. I have played through various cabs in my short time as a tone seeker, and the Port City slays them all, in my opinion.

The Matrix works just as you'd think, imparting no coloration to the tone and just being well...power! Which is awesome \m/ And then the Port City just brings any and all tones of mine to life. I plan on taking a whole afternoon next week and taking IRs of the cab at all mic positions possible (unfortunately I only have one mic, which is an SM57, but it will do the job of course!) so that way I can get the sound of my cab 'in the box'. If anyone has any IRs of their Port City cabs I would truly appreciate if you could send them my way :)

But yea, these are just my thoughts and I guess a 'review'. I suggest anyone looking for a poweramp to look into Matrix because their stuff is quite excellent, and then if you like running through a cab, I suggest Port City, because they OWN!

Hope you find these words helpful, if you have any questions about my specific setup please don't hesitate to ask!
 
Thanks for the review, Sean! As if Robboman's review wasn't enough to make my G.A.S. pangs bad, this just sends it over the top! MUST... HAVE... THIS... CAB!!! :love-struck::eagerness:

Can't wait to check out the IRs... thanks in advance for doing this!
 
IR's of this cab would be incredible! And if I could request a mic position - it would definitely be the cone edge area :D (fullest and clearest tone imo)

But any position would really be amazing
 
If you know which speaker you like for your tone the Port City is the way to go.....I think...
IR is very welcome. So thanks!
 
Man I want a Port City Cab pretty bad, but i love the look of a 4x12. Plus me being tall, makes adjustment on stage, with a 2x12, akward.
 
Hey Sean, do you find the Port City to be "beamy" like a regular guitar cab is? I know the beamy-ness is mostly due to the speaker itself, but I'm wondering if the porting in the cab, and the way it's designed helps out with that issue or not.
 
Thomas-Hawk said:
Hey Sean, do you find the Port City to be "beamy" like a regular guitar cab is? I know the beamy-ness is mostly due to the speaker itself, but I'm wondering if the porting in the cab, and the way it's designed helps out with that issue or not.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by beamy? Like, directional? I like to think that it is definitely improved, and I think the port has something to do with it. With most speakers though, you're always going to have directional issues just by design. But I do know that with most 2x12s you can't stand directly in front of it (with it pointing at yoru feet) and still hear the tone. With the port city, you can :D
 
Vhalen50 said:
Man I want a Port City Cab pretty bad, but i love the look of a 4x12. Plus me being tall, makes adjustment on stage, with a 2x12, akward.
Click to expand...

The Oversized 2x12 (what i have) is about 3/4 the size of a 4x12. Truly destroys any 4x12 I've ever heard. I can't imagine how their 4x12s sound haha, probably huge-er
 
Sean Ashe said:
What do you mean by beamy? Like, directional? I like to think that it is definitely improved, and I think the port has something to do with it. With most speakers though, you're always going to have directional issues just by design. But I do know that with most 2x12s you can't stand directly in front of it (with it pointing at yoru feet) and still hear the tone. With the port city, you can :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, directional=beamy in my world. :mrgreen

So, it does sound like the port helps somewhat. Ultimately, it still wouldn't matter to me... I WANT ONE OF THESE CABS. :lol
 
Thanks for the review.
Think I'm going to try one here in The Netherlands.

I think I'd be most interested in the regular (not OS) 2x12, vertically.
Easy to transport, and you can hear yourself better I'd guess.
 
Cool! Getting IRs of that amp will be awesome. If you could, borrow a few other different mics and also try to use different positions around the cab. This could provide multiple options which would be great. I guess if you want to go crazy, you could also borrow some "high-end" preamps but that may be to much.

Does it have stereo as well as a single mono connection?
 
yek said:
Thanks for the review.
Think I'm going to try one here in The Netherlands.

I think I'd be most interested in the regular (not OS) 2x12, vertically.
Easy to transport, and you can hear yourself better I'd guess.
Click to expand...

Awesome! I haven't ever played through a vertical cab, but the guy I bought it from was selling the 2x12 to fund a vertical. Just for taste reasons
 
Damn straight Sean!!!

This 2x12 cab really is incredible and special. Like I'd said in my review.. it killed my favorite 4x12 in every way. If cabs can get any better, I have yet to hear it.

I wonder a few things:

1). Can IRs ever really emulate and express what happens when you stand in a room with this cab and play? I don't see how.. there's just this amazing bloom and spread of sound emanating from of this thing, from that wide port mixing with the speaker cone in just the right way. If you try to capture this with mics and play it back through an FRFR speaker, I just can't see how you could get the same effect. I'm gonna try though... :)

2). I have yet to try a vertical PC OS 2x12, mine is the horizontal. I've heard the vertical sounds great, but my eyes and brain wonder how it could work the same way given a much narrower port across the bottom, and the sound from the back of the top-most 12"cone having to travel further down (and past the bottom cone) to reflect out that narrow port. Hmmm...

I agree that this cab is much less beamy/directional than most. I tested this by walking around off-axis.. it beats my Marshall 4x12, Mesa 1x2 3/4back, and Fender combos in this regard.

One other note.. in past I would often tilt back a 2x12, or put it up on top of a roadcase to position it up closer inline with my ears. I even had the tilt-back legs on my old Fender Pro-Reverb 2x12. This Port City cab doesn't seem to need that, in fact it seems to take something away if you try. Maybe the port works best when aligned normally with the floor. Anyway - no need to tilt or prop it, just drop it in the backline, step a few feet out, and it's pure gold!
 
Sean Ashe said:
Awesome! I haven't ever played through a vertical cab, but the guy I bought it from was selling the 2x12 to fund a vertical. Just for taste reasons
Click to expand...

Interesting, the guy I bought mine from was selling only because he'd already gotten another one in tolex\grille colors he liked better, AND he he was planning to order a PC 4x12 OS. Couldn't keep all three. :)
 
Robboman said:
Damn straight Sean!!!

This 2x12 cab really is incredible and special. Like I'd said in my review.. it killed my favorite 4x12 in every way. If cabs can get any better, I have yet to hear it.

I wonder a few things:

1). Can IRs ever really emulate and express what happens when you stand in a room with this cab and play? I don't see how.. there's just this amazing bloom and spread of sound emanating from of this thing, from that wide port mixing with the speaker cone in just the right way. If you try to capture this with mics and play it back through an FRFR speaker, I just can't see how you could get the same effect. I'm gonna try though... :)

2). I have yet to try a vertical PC OS 2x12, mine is the horizontal. I've heard the vertical sounds great, but my eyes and brain wonder how it could work the same way given a much narrower port across the bottom, and the sound from the back of the top-most 12"cone having to travel further down (and past the bottom cone) to reflect out that narrow port. Hmmm...

I agree that this cab is much less beamy/directional than most. I tested this by walking around off-axis.. it beats my Marshall 4x12, Mesa 1x2 3/4back, and Fender combos in this regard.

One other note.. in past I would often tilt back a 2x12, or put it up on top of a roadcase to position it up closer inline with my ears. I even had the tilt-back legs on my old Fender Pro-Reverb 2x12. This Port City cab doesn't seem to need that, in fact it seems to take something away if you try. Maybe the port works best when aligned normally with the floor. Anyway - no need to tilt or prop it, just drop it in the backline, step a few feet out, and it's pure gold!
Click to expand...

this. All of this.

Honestly I have yet to hear FRFR sounding as good as a cab in front of me, especially since I find theres a unique interaction with the cab and the notes. I've become a better guitar player since I've been using a cab again, just because i can feel the notes a bit more if that makes sense.

For recording though, I do go DI and use IRs.

Also Robboman, I heard that some people have actually mic'd the port. Maybe I should take an IR of the port as well and blend it with the speaker? While that sounds silly it kinda makes sense
 
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