Question about cab for AD30TC Head

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Gray
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Re: Question about cab for AD30TC Head

Post by Gray » Fri May 12, 2017 6:32 am

fiveightandten wrote:
Thu May 11, 2017 11:00 pm
To make the OB convertible, you have the guy at Home Depot cut down a 3/4" piece of birch plywood. It takes 2 screws to put it on or take it off. You can do that with a screwdriver at a gig in about 30 seconds.

It's more laborious to take the back off the closed back cab. And then what are you going to do with the input jack? You have to keep the back of the cab right next to it after removing a bunch of screws? Then you're tugging at the wires and trying to position the back in a way that you can have the speaker cable plugged into it. That seems silly.

The closed back has a sound that the OB can't do, and vice versa. People who have the open back can easily make it sound closer to the closed back, but not the other way around, IMO. If you like the sound of the closed back, that's not an issue in the least.
Sorry, not trying to be rude but I feel like i'm going crazy while reading this. You're telling me going to Home Depot and paying to have a new back made is easier than removing a dozen screws? Everything you said applies to the CB, if you only want to attach the back with a couple of screws, you can do that. The OB has two plates that run across the top and the bottom and the top has the input jack, so you still have to deal with all that of too. The jacks are only held in place with a couple of nuts around the shaft, just pop them out and plug a cable in there's plenty of slack inside. Or make a top plate for it like the OB, if you want to make something.

I said earlier that the OB wins hands down on portability, I just honestly don't understand how you can say it doesn't "work the other way around" because it does. It's a wood box with speakers inside it, the exact same speakers in both models. The only thing different is that they're parallel in the CB like they are in the 4x12, and offset in the OB to save space inside. I'm not trying to be a jerk, maybe some people like that the speakers are closer together? I don't know.

fiveightandten
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Re: Question about cab for AD30TC Head

Post by fiveightandten » Fri May 12, 2017 11:57 am

Gray wrote:
Fri May 12, 2017 6:32 am
fiveightandten wrote:
Thu May 11, 2017 11:00 pm
To make the OB convertible, you have the guy at Home Depot cut down a 3/4" piece of birch plywood. It takes 2 screws to put it on or take it off. You can do that with a screwdriver at a gig in about 30 seconds.

It's more laborious to take the back off the closed back cab. And then what are you going to do with the input jack? You have to keep the back of the cab right next to it after removing a bunch of screws? Then you're tugging at the wires and trying to position the back in a way that you can have the speaker cable plugged into it. That seems silly.

The closed back has a sound that the OB can't do, and vice versa. People who have the open back can easily make it sound closer to the closed back, but not the other way around, IMO. If you like the sound of the closed back, that's not an issue in the least.
Sorry, not trying to be rude but I feel like i'm going crazy while reading this. You're telling me going to Home Depot and paying to have a new back made is easier than removing a dozen screws? Everything you said applies to the CB, if you only want to attach the back with a couple of screws, you can do that. The OB has two plates that run across the top and the bottom and the top has the input jack, so you still have to deal with all that of too. The jacks are only held in place with a couple of nuts around the shaft, just pop them out and plug a cable in there's plenty of slack inside. Or make a top plate for it like the OB, if you want to make something.

I said earlier that the OB wins hands down on portability, I just honestly don't understand how you can say it doesn't "work the other way around" because it does. It's a wood box with speakers inside it, the exact same speakers in both models. The only thing different is that they're parallel in the CB like they are in the 4x12, and offset in the OB to save space inside. I'm not trying to be a jerk, maybe some people like that the speakers are closer together? I don't know.
I think I see the problem. You're thinking it's more complicated than it is.

On the OB, all you have to do is shave a piece of plywood down to fill the gap between the top and bottom panel. They won't charge you at Home Depot to do this. It's 2 cuts. Then you just drill one hole on each side to hold it in place.

From that, you have an easily convertible cabinet for about $5 worth of wood and screws. I maintain that this is much easier than doing the same thing with the CB.

I can take a picture of mine to illustrate what I'm talking about. It really is very easy, very cheap, and very fast to take on and off.

-Nick
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Gray
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Re: Question about cab for AD30TC Head

Post by Gray » Fri May 12, 2017 12:10 pm

I see what you're saying now. You're not making a new back, just sealing up the gap in the middle. As far as having a cab that's easily converted, i'll concede the point.

I'm still confused by the claim that the OB is a... "louder and above all a better sounding cab in every aspect" which I realise was posted by another member and not by you. I kind of responded to both of those in my reply but only quoted you so i'm sorry if that was unclear.

I'm an open mind here, really. If someone can explain to me how two cabinets, made out of the same material, with the same speakers, with very similar dimensions can sound so different i'd love to hear it. Or more specifically, why the smaller cabinet would sound better. (This is in a scenario where both backs are open, or both are closed. It is not meant as a comparison between closed vs. open because I do not question the fact that there is a large difference in sound there.)

fiveightandten
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Re: Question about cab for AD30TC Head

Post by fiveightandten » Fri May 12, 2017 3:33 pm

Gray wrote:
Fri May 12, 2017 12:10 pm
I see what you're saying now. You're not making a new back, just sealing up the gap in the middle. As far as having a cab that's easily converted, i'll concede the point.

I'm still confused by the claim that the OB is a... "louder and above all a better sounding cab in every aspect" which I realise was posted by another member and not by you. I kind of responded to both of those in my reply but only quoted you so i'm sorry if that was unclear.

I'm an open mind here, really. If someone can explain to me how two cabinets, made out of the same material, with the same speakers, with very similar dimensions can sound so different i'd love to hear it. Or more specifically, why the smaller cabinet would sound better. (This is in a scenario where both backs are open, or both are closed. It is not meant as a comparison between closed vs. open because I do not question the fact that there is a large difference in sound there.)
That's correct. It's just a small strip of wood to "convert" it to a closed back. Personally, I prefer an open back cab, so I never seal mine. But it's nice to have a quick and easy option, for recording or other purposes.

IMO, the OB is not "louder" or "better", but I can address those claims.

"Louder" can be subjective. Where are you standing? Although the speakers are the same, the cabinet design produces different sound spread between the OB and CB. The CB is more focused in the line of fire. The speaker mounting is symmetrical and it's closed back. The OB has better sound spread due to the open back and the fact that the speakers are diagonal from one another. Don't forget, one is higher off the floor than the CB, and not by a small amount.

So while the actual measured SPL will be the same if you put a measurement device directly in front of the 2 cabs, when you're standing off axis, the OB sounds "louder". I deal with this on a regular basis in my band. The other guitar player has the CB, and I have the OB. There's a constant complaint from the drummer and singer that they can't hear him. They hear me just fine. It's not about actual "loudness" (SPL), it's about sound spread.

"Better" is also quite subjective. The OB and CB have different sound. The OB is brighter, more airy, more clear, and more open. It has better sound spread. The CB has more low end, tighter bass response, and has a thicker low mid thing going on. The differences are due to the box size, as well as the design (open back vs closed, and speaker placement).

*Most* of the difference in sound comes from the design, as opposed to the box size. But they are quite different in size, as far as 2x12 cabinets go. Even if you seal up the back of the OB, it still won't sound exactly like the CB. The phase cancellations and coupling between the speakers is different enough to make them sound different (again, from the box size and speaker placement, even if both are sealed). And the spread is still better than the CB because of the right side speaker being like a foot off the floor.

Both are great cabinets and both have their merits.

-Nick
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Mystic38
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Re: Question about cab for AD30TC Head

Post by Mystic38 » Sun May 14, 2017 4:52 pm

I have both cabs, the OB is not better, it is different.. To my ears, the CB has tighter, more powerful bass and the mids sound a lil compressed and the highs are smoother...comparatively, the OB sounds less smooth, the mids are open and more prominent in the mix..

very different cabinet designs, very different sounds..

fwiw, making the OB a CB design will tune the bass a lot higher than the original CB design, so it will not sound the same..similar to the CB yes, but the bass will bloom a little at a higher frequency..
Gray wrote:
Fri May 12, 2017 12:10 pm

I'm still confused by the claim that the OB is a... "louder and above all a better sounding cab in every aspect" which I realise was posted by another member and not by you. I kind of responded to both of those in my reply but only quoted you so i'm sorry if that was unclear.

I'm an open mind here, really. If someone can explain to me how two cabinets, made out of the same material, with the same speakers, with very similar dimensions can sound so different i'd love to hear it. Or more specifically, why the smaller cabinet would sound better. (This is in a scenario where both backs are open, or both are closed. It is not meant as a comparison between closed vs. open because I do not question the fact that there is a large difference in sound there.)
-Ian-

Orange Rocker 30c, PPC212 & PPC112, Fender DRRI, Marshall 2266
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2009 Fender Am. Standard Strat, 1999 Fender Am. Hardtail Strat
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***insert great photos of gear here***

Bensnake
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Re: Question about cab for AD30TC Head

Post by Bensnake » Sun May 14, 2017 7:54 pm

Statement: I like the 212OB better than the 212CB. I apologize.
Statement 2: I like the 412 better than the 212OB.

My opinion. Not fact. Necessarily.
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