...I will do what you tell me! Three Barefaced bass cabs for you to listen to...

[@coyoteboy7935]

I’ve heard of bass face, but not bass shake! Cheers!

[@Philstaxcats]

Thats s very honest sample of the cabs, Alex. Id imagine that's exactly what people need when choosing a cab. Great to hear you playing too. I'm an old soul guy so the retro 210 is my choice. 👌great stuff. Look forward to the next installment.

[@aklandsolutions2168]

Would love to hear comparisons of the cabs in a full band mix.

[@mattwolff9516]

As a Four10 owner, I thought I'd prefer the Two10S, but I was mistaken. In this demo, I liked the sound of the Big Baby 2 the best. Thanks for the comparison!

[@chomusic]

Super Compact for me. Love the clarity.

[@paulraphael]

Would be cool if you published frequency response graphs of these cabs. Would help us learn to correlate our subjective impressions with what's actually going on.

[@BarefacedAudio]

@@paulraphael I need to make a video explaining why we don’t do this!

[@mildmanneredjanitor0]

I found the BB2 the most satisfying. This is quite gratifying because it's exactly what I have 😀

[@egoncorneliscallery9535]

The 2x10 seemed to go lower in frequency.nice! The most balanced..

[@drewlawrence696]

If you ever want to part with the Sakae D-Pac in the BG ;-)

[@cmcaudiobe]

Great demo! I'd love to hear overdriven tones, RATM obviously, I was working on a festival and met the Prophets of rage team and heard the 610 close up and sounded great! but hearing the super compact now, I'd love to compare!

[@wearetomorrowspast.5617]

Again, for me, the Super Compact sounds the best. A 1x12 cab that sounds like that? Getting nearer to ordering one. Cool vid.

[@aaronl7669]

wow, big baby has some serious lows! do you think it would be possible to make the super compact or big baby sound like the Two10 with a modeling pedal like a Stomp?

[@blindjusticeandcommonsense2786]

Hmm. How exactly was the mic-ing done for each cab? With the Two10 was it close and on axis for the speaker that has the highs or between both speakers? Is there a noticable tone difference from moving the mic around? And is it worth having a mic on the port/resonator? Following from that, how much variation do you get from mic positioning between the Two10 and the One10? With the Big Baby was it close and on axis on the 12 or between it and the tweeter?

[@BarefacedAudio]

The mic was where you see it at the start of the video, quite a few feet away and with the two cabs to the side slightly turned inwards so they’re pointing at it. Obviously the mic itself isn’t on-axis to the left and right cabs of the group but the polar pattern is wide so I didn’t consider that an issue. I was just trying to get a honest representation of the sound in the room.

[@BarefacedAudio]

As with all cabs, once you close mic then the mic position details make a big difference to the sound you hear. For live use I’d only mic one of the full-range drivers in the 10CR cabs, usually just a bit off-axis and close for minimum bleed. In the studio you can do whatever you like to get interesting sounds onto tape.

[@blindjusticeandcommonsense2786]

@@BarefacedAudio Thank you for the reply. I'm severely sight impaired so I couldn't see how the mic was set up at the start of the video. Your explananation that you had set up so the mic was a room mic makes sense of what I was hearing. The Two10 sound is how you have described it in your videos. A bit like having someone set up your EQ for you so you don't have to bother. Nice lows and low mids. Smootheed off the string zing and excessive finger and fret noise from the top end. The Super Compact sounded like a very good 12". A good platform for most regular bass work. The Big Baby sounded like the Super Compact with the extra trimmings on the top and bottom. Might be an odd way of saying it but it sounded like an 88 key cab where the Super Compact is 61 or 73.

[@BarefacedAudio]

@@blindjusticeandcommonsense2786 I think that's an excellent summary, I might borrow that!

[@robdelabassist]

I have the bb2, is it bad that I now prefer the sound of the super compact?

[@alistairscott2011]

Where do you have the tweeter crossover set on the Big Baby?

[@Bassic778]

The Big Baby 2 sounds great. The cab that I'm interested in, the Super Compact(I'm considering the version with the tweeter), sounds considerably thinner with less depth and definition. Is this how it sounds to you in the room? I prefer sound the Big Baby 2 based on this video but I leaning toward the Super Compact T because of its price and lighter weight. I'm sure the eq settings make a difference. I'm really unsure now!

[@BarefacedAudio]

I wouldn’t say the SC sounds thinner but it definitely sounds less deep. We’ll make a video comparing all the 12XN models!

[@Bassic778]

@@BarefacedAudio Excellent! I saw your video "Laying it Down on the Low B. Deep deep bass" and am very impressed with how the Super Compact performed! I'm looking forward to hearing the Super Compact T! Thank you and your staff for your know-how, dedication and hard work!

[@chriscuthbertson]

Alex, Any chance of running a modeler (helix etc) through a BB2, I bounce between a 5 string through a 'modeled' cab and synth with no modeling.... I guess the BB2 would be perfect to handle both applications.

[@funnyhow1972]

Thanks for doing this Alex. The lower mids of the Two10 really suit certain styles I think. More classic rock. My favourite is the super compact. Best balance without the zing of a tweeter. I own both a pair of Two10s and a Super Twin - both have their place but latterly I've used the Super Twin more since I got a Line 6 HX Stomp - I can sculpt the tone in the pedal more.

[@Aerodyne4]

The BB2 is closest to the true sound of my Stingray which naturally has the bright top end which I often have to dial out. I have the Big Twin 2 and the one10. I prefer to have a true cab sound and control the tone from amp and guitar.

[@JoeDinsdale]

How would you compare volume of the 3? I have a two10 and while it's a great setup I think my latest setup would benefit from a less coloured tone. Would a super compact or big baby 2 put out a bit more volume?

[@PooNinja]

Almost 1000 subs .... 🎉subscribers not subwoofers 😂 The super compact is my preference it sounded fuller and clearer to my ears 🤘🏽🤘🏿🤘🏻🤘🏾

[@smrodgered]

Also keen on a demo played with a pick

[@HarryMarctai]

I liked the super compact the best

[@MadMagicPaul]

Very interesting. I have a pair of One10 cabs already and have been thinking about getting a Super Compact, but the BB2 is appealing to me a bit more from this video - and because I see it can be used as an FRFR guitar cab as well. Ideas for other songs to be played: Fingerstyle - "Think" - the Blues Brothers version with Duck Dunn. On a Precision bass ideally. Pick - "Sweet Child of Mine" - or to be honest any of Duff's bass lines. Slap - "Forget Me Nots" / "Men In Black" - good old school slap. That was recorded on a Precision but Precision and Jazz for a comparison would be very useful.

[@chromaticdeath]

Any particular reason you chose these 3? Do they compare to the other cabs like the super twin or big twin 2 or 4x10? If so, which compares to which? I ask because there aren't many retailers here in the US and I've only heard one person use them, ever, and I think I was hearing a DI/PA sound.

[@BarefacedAudio]

Good question! The Super Twin sounds like two Super Compacts stacked - basically bigger and louder sound. The Big Twin 2 sounds like two Big Baby 2 stacked - ditto! And the Four10, Six10 and Eight10 sound like multiple Two10S cabs stacked. And the One10 is basically a half Two10S (so it sounds smaller and quieter) whilst the Super Midget is a miniaturised Big Baby 2 (less depth in the lows, less clarity in the highs). There's basically three different tonal filters available from Barefaced bass cabs (not three sounds because you can get infinite tonal variation from how you play, what bass, FX and amp you're using and what you do with them) - 10CR, 12XN and 12XN with HF element. Then it comes down to how loud you need to be or how small/light you need your cab(s) to be. The 12XN with HF cabs like the Big Baby 2 are designed to sound like a really great PA system, so your DI'd sound is near identical to your stage sound.

[@andrewcasey7023]

What trips me up is that I tend to favor each cab for a different application. There's no 100% clear winner overall.

[@FretlessBassplayer]

Hi, thank you for this comparison. Would be interested to hear the differences between the One 10 and the Super Midget.

[@chrisb48907]

Two10S, wins for me !

[@reggaebass1857]

Nice clear sound, but all a bit bright for me, can you do anything reggae based so I could hear what the lows are like, thanks 👍

[@robdelabassist]

Big baby 2 if you roll the HF horn off, super lows

[@jaymichael7815]

Super Compact. One great 12 in the right cab = DONE!

[@bobatherton2959]

Thanks for this. Very informative. Been playing bass for 50 years and now use a Mesa WD 800 head with two Markbass 2x12 Ninja cabs, or just one for small gigs & recording. The MB cabs are 103db efficiency (IIRC). Would your 1x12 cabs subjectively be as loud & punchy as my MB cabs? FWIW I thought your 1x12 cab was, on balance, the best but a touch scooped compared to the others. I'm sure a nats of eq would sort that out though, loved how present it was, and without a hf unit. Bravo..!

[@BarefacedAudio]

bob atherton We hardly have any customers needing more than one 2x12XN cab or a pair of 1x12XN, and we do seem to attract bassists in LOUD bands. So yes, I think you’d be fine with two 112XN Barefaced cabs. Email us!

[@ewanwilson3694]

Riffs I would like to hear with a pick - Kings X - Black the Sky, Megadeth - Holy Wars, Cactus - Evil (downtuned half a step please), Teri Moisé - Il Sait (palm muting pick) thanks

[@joseantoniodarostormos6942]

Àlex suenas tremendo con Big Baby 2, eres muy grande al bajo electrico, cuidate

[@dans2491]

I've noticed both the BB2 and Super Compact use the 12XN driver but the BB2 is ~2.5" deeper and has a horn. I never thought they would sound THAT different, even the low notes had a whole different characteristic to it. Hard to describe in words but the BB2 sounds so much more articulate without sounding harsh or shrill in the top end, I'm not usually a big fan of HF horns but you might have just changed my mind. Could you explain why they sound so different, even in the lower registers? Is it simply because even the low notes have so many overtones that the HF is doing more work than I thought? Love your old website btw because of the amount of no bullshit info you provide regarding what makes these beasts tick and clarifying most of the common misconceptions around speakers and sound reproduction. You should definitely consider porting all that info onto the new website, it's very well written and easy to understand and just adds to your companies credibility.

[@BarefacedAudio]

Am intending to rewrite that stuff and put it on the new site, just seem to be rather short of time!

[@ronky]

I have 2 two10s and play with a pick. I think finger picking definitely sounds better on the super compact and big baby 2. How about a demo with a pick? EDIT: Obviously I commented before finishing that last minute haha

[@alistairscott2011]

If you want your cab closer to head height, but don't need more volume (by adding a second cab), is it ok to elevate the cab? Or do they need to be in contact with the floor to get the best results?

[@BarefacedAudio]

Our cabs are designed to have much better dispersion so they don't need elevating as much - you hear far more tone off-axis with Barefaced cabs than with most bass cabs. As you lift cabs away from the ground you do lose boundary reinforcement at lower frequencies but not in a simple way - first you lose the reinforcement (extra output) in the lower-mids, then upper-bass, then mid-bass and then deep bass. What do you use now, how close do you stand to it on gigs (and do you have the option of standing a bit further away) and how well does it perform? A

[@alistairscott2011]

@@BarefacedAudio I use a Big Baby - l love it, but am usually stood quite close, and sometimes feel it would be nice to have more height. But I don't need 2 BB's worth of volume, and don't want to spend a second BB's worth of cash to get the height... Maybe a Super twin, or 2 Super Compacts (for some extra height) - I am drawn to the simplicity (and the sound) of the tweeter-less cabs...

[@BarefacedAudio]

@@alistairscott2011 The cheapest solution is to find ways of standing less close to the cab! If you're only using it as a monitor you could use a tiltback stand but we don't make the cabs upwards firing because so many bassists are using them to carry the whole stage and room, not just for personal monitoring, so you don't want them firing at the ceiling normally.

[@beorn76]

This is great video, thank you! One question please: what is the device you are using to switch cabs?

[@robdelabassist]

Another question too, is the switching between 4ohms and 12ohm parallel/series on the two10s

[@Colin_Wait]

Not a fan of the sound of the ten, bit muffled and dull. The other two were great though. Very interesting to really hear the difference between them. I loved the clarity and warmth of the BB2 in every example, it seemed to have a better balance and the biggest bottom end too. Just goes to show how important speaker choice is rather than having to depend on EQ or pedals to get the sound you want. Get the speaker right and then anything else is just tweaking. These videos need to be on the front of the Barefaced website

[@robdelabassist]

Super compact seemed to do well with mids, bb2 seemed great for lows and highs, and the two10 seemed to have a good growl to it. All my opinion like. Jason newsteds a good pick player, geezer butler for downtuned :)

[@arnoggeddon]

No one knows or Millionnaire from Qotsa for C drop. Up the beach or mountain song from Jane's Addiction. Swamp song or Crawl Away from Tool Jésus Christ pose from Soundgarden Sea of destruction from Clutch Hole in the Sky, or War Pigs from Black Sabbath Sabotage from Beastie Boys Shakey Grounds from Temptations, Land of sunshine from Faith no More Walking Distance from Buzzcocks There are so much good stuff!!!

[@studiosalve]

To my ears it seems that when I compare the 210 with BB2 it seems that there are mid and high tones missing while there is some sort of compression in the lows. So is it possible to work with an eq so the BB2 can sound like the 210 if you want? Thanks for your good work!

[@colbasscab2903]

Bumface cabs!!!!!!! Had 2 of em. Poor build no low tone Alex is rude. My 12T was damaged on shipping The odd placement of the tweeter meant at hard drive the woofer was hitting the back of the tweeter. Ended up have big rows and I sold em for what they was worth. Half price.

[@BarefacedAudio]

Sorry to hear it didn’t go well for you - this must have been before 2014 judging by the long-discontinued models you refer to. I do vaguely recall one person overpowering a Midget T so badly that the woofer cone was damaged like that, and at that power level it would be unlikely to sound good.