Mixed Speakers

[Rich_D]

I never read about people mixing speakers in a cab, like combining green backs and black backs to get the different voices blending together. Does anyone do this? I'm about to add another 1x12 cab to my current 1x12 cab to make a mini-stack. I'm playing them with a Plexi SE PCB kit built on an Epiphone Valve Jr. chassis. I know the little 5w doesn't need a high-wattage speaker, but I'm curious about blending different speakers.
Edit: Meant to say I have the EVHG12 in my 1x12.

[Big Mike]

I've done that for years.

First with celestion G12M/G12H30 and now with Scumbacks.

I like how they offset each others weeknesses for a nice balanced tone..

[BAinFL]

I'm using a pair of WGS ET-65's with a pair of Hellatone 60s (Vintage 30). The ET65 has a really warm and creamy low end and lower mids which plays perfectly with the agressive crunch and bright mids of the Hellatone 60. Not sure how many people out there are mixing Avatar with WGS brands but this combo sounds great to me. I stumbled into the WGS when I got my 4x12 cab and can say I really like the mix, where I wasn't happy at all just running a pair of Hellatone 60s in a 2x12. They're great for VH, GnR and other high gain 80s sounds, but pretty much a 1 trick pony. They don't do late 60's sounds very well imo.

That all being said, I'd rather have a quad of Jim's H55s anyday =)

[Rich_D]

They're great for VH, GnR and other high gain 80s sounds, but pretty much a 1 trick pony. They don't do late 60's sounds very well imo.

Perfect.

[somethin'else]

Black & Green sounds like a bitchin' idea.

But on mixing in general, and at the risk of shooting myself in the foot or pissing anyone off.... the X-pattern thing has been hot for a while now. I did it.

I guess as long as the db ratings of the speakers are the same (like your Blackback/Greenback idea) then you should be good. I like your 2 - 1x12 thing. I'm working on one of those now. It's a handy rig.

But I always wonder why folks like 65*mps would do an Alnico Blue and a G12H30. I love those guys, but...
That's a g*ddamn 15w and a 30w speaker together! Yeah, they're both 100db (as Celestion says) but come on, it's a pretty ridiculous mix wattage-wise, no?
That's an extreme example, but it seems like a great compromise, to the amp, and to the speakers.
The Blue will melt the entire time, which I suppose is the point... and the G12H30 will be half alseep, which I suppose is the point for clarity?
I dunno, the new and improved "Blended Sound".

At least Scumbacks are rated closer (M & H) than Celestions, and that's a good call.

Anyway, even with my killer awesome X-pattern of M75s and H75s, I felt like I wasn't really hearing the flavor of either one but that's 'cause it was a "blended" sound. Like certain things (frequencies?) were sort of not there. It bugged me, so I ended up just picking one flavor and sticking to it.

But I also don't buy coffee "blends". I get a bean right from where it's from so I can taste it!

YMMV, just my .02

Black & Green sounds like a bitchin' idea.

[908ssp]

I have tried many different combos. I once had two different 4x12s with 8 different speakers and they sounded almost exactly the same. That is when I realized I preferred cabinets that sounded like one speaker and not like all speakers. Now the most I'll do is mix say a 55hz greenback with a 75hz greenback still sounds like a greenback.

[BAinFL]

Mixing is probably a good idea if you own a speaker (or pair) that's too far in a patricular tonal range and you want to "reel it back in" some as was the case with my Hellatone 60s. And yes, if you go this route, matching wattage and sensitivity should be a consideration, otherwise one might completely overwhelm the other. I'm matching a 98db 65w pair with a 100db 60w pair. That's probably as far apart as I'd recommend...or maybe a 10w spread max. If you can get sensitivity matched within 1db or less, that's even better. Matching a 96db with a 101db is going to fail no matter what the wattage.

Conversely, if you have speakers that already get you in the ballpark of what you're looking for, then I would certainly stick with a single type per cab as well.

I guess my point is, don't mix unless you have to; meaning - not unless the first speakers you bought dont get you where you want to go and you want to push the overall tone in a different direction. If you can find one speaker that "does it for you", then stick with a full cab of those.