1x12 vs 2x12 vs 4x12

M

Matteodem

Member
After testing many many irs, I came to the conclusion that I prefer 1x12 cabs (at least when mic'ed). They seems more organic, compact and focused. Mids are different and I never hear a phone-like tone.
Is it only my experience? If not, why 4x12 are the most popular?
 
Not IR 4x12 is the way, more speakers, more air, more betterer.

IRs are song dependent but I do prefer 2x12 mostly and I don’t know why.
 
Matteodem said:
After testing many many irs, I came to the conclusion that I prefer 1x12 cabs (at least when mic'ed). They seems more organic, compact and focused. Mids are different and I never hear a phone-like tone.
Is it only my experience? If not, why 4x12 are the most popular?
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Multiple speakers in a cabinet affect the individual speakers' sound and their interaction also helps give the cabinet its sound, in addition to the speaker and cabinet construction and design. The 4x12, and probably the other multi-speaker cabs available in Fractal's Dyna-Cab packs have 360º captures around the speaker cones and we can access them using Cab-Lab 4. A while back Cliff said something about the reason was because of that speaker interaction. I thought that was cool.

I suspect people gravitate to 4x12 cabs for many reasons, not least of which are "their heroes use them" and "it's what the advertising photos show with the amp head".

I'm a big fan of 1x12, 2x12, 2x10 and 4x10 cabs and IRs because they are typically in the size of amps I like. One of my tube amps uses a 1x10 in a small cabinet, and it's amazing the sound it puts out.
 
The reason 4x12 exist is because of 100 watt amps.
Back in the 60s when 100 watt heads came around the speakers just couldn’t handle anywhere near that.
So you really needed a stack (2 4x12s) to avoid blowing speakers.
These days you can get a single speaker that can handle that power. It’s just a matter of the tone not being exactly the same as the lower wattage speakers. But that’s more to do with taste than anything else.
 
In the real world more speakers equals more air moving, and has a lot to do with the amount of volume you’re going to experience. In an IR, my guess is it’s more the tonality of the speaker(s) and interaction with each other in the cabinet. Then, of course, the cabinet construction itself is a big factor.

In the end, I’d say it just another “different strokes” thing, and people like what they do in cabs and the IRs made to replicate them. I wish I could say I was more a technician, but my best cab/amp combos in real life have just been a lucky plugging of one into another and a magic that ensued. As you might imagine, I’ve been no more technical with IRs!
 
2204JCM said:
The reason 4x12 exist is because of 100 watt amps.
Back in the 60s when 100 watt heads came around the speakers just couldn’t handle anywhere near that.
So you really needed a stack (2 4x12s) to avoid blowing speakers.
These days you can get a single speaker that can handle that power. It’s just a matter of the tone not being exactly the same as the lower wattage speakers. But that’s more to do with taste than anything else.
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I always heard that it had more to with the lack of PA at the time. Everyone needed a 100 watt back line to get over the noise of the crowds to hear themselves play.
 
Great ideas. I like thick high gain tone, not metal mid scooped.
I found them easier with a proper 1x12.
I read somewhere that on the stage Petrucci uses a 1x12 mic'ed
 
I also have a thing for 1x12’s both physical and in IR form, no idea why either. They just sound right to me.
 
Sixstring said:
I always heard that it had more to with the lack of PA at the time. Everyone needed a 100 watt back line to get over the noise of the crowds to hear themselves play.
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The 100 amp came because of the need to get louder.
But there weren't speakers that could handle the 100watts.
More speakers alone does not increase volume much.
 
Another 1x12 fan here. Easier for me to get the sound I like.

Tom Hanks Hello GIF
 
I think the main reason most people diss 4x12's is because of the weight. I toured / practiced with a Marshall 1960A and then a custom built 4x12 made from solid oak that weighed about 185 pounds. There was never a single moment that I thought, Damn, this is heavy, I wish I had a lighter cab.

The loudness, fullness, and just general massive sound always outweighed my desire for something lighter. Every time I played it was an absolute joy and I miss that custom made one so much. I totally understand the argument of wanting a lighter one, it's just all about what's worth it for you.
 
If a 1x12, 2x12, and 4x12 all have the same speakers and the mic is right up next to the cone, shouldn't the difference in tone be really small?
 
This discussion also warrants a conversation about genre. I feel like playing blues/country through 2 4x12 cabs might be a bit much for most folks playing that kind of music. On the other hand, a heavy metal show with a tiny 1x12 alongside a double-kick drum set might look a bit odd. But I guess it mostly comes down to wattage, as others have stated, and stage/PA volume, etc.
 
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