Bass Gear Issue 7 : Page 68as the front, of the cab, the TC112AF seeks to more accurately reproduce the tonal experience of hearing an acoustic instrument in action. No Scarecrow, here, this loveable character definitely has a brain, and that is the massive crossover. I have never seen a fraction of this much copper inside of a bass enclosure before. The slope of the crossover is approximately 4th order, net acoustic slope, using a combination of electrical and inherent roll-off. One concern I would have with such an extensive – and heavy – crossover is road worthiness, but great care appears to have been taken to secure all the components with screws and zip ties. The added components required to handle the rear-firing tweeter are placed on their own “daughter board.” In a cab which is in so many ways all about being compact and lightweight, this over the top crossover may initially seem to run counter to what the TC112AF is shooting for. But make no mistake, performance and tone come first, and Duke LeJeune is obviously a believer in the benefits of a crossover done right. One listen will confirm that the TC112AF makes no compromise when it comes to tone. Sealable or pluggable ports are nothing new. Trace Elliot, for one, has been doing it for decades. But Duke has put his own twist on the concept – literally. Either or both of the ports can be plugged via use of the two supplied 3” diameter expandable “test plugs,” which may be found in most well-stocked plumbing departments. The rubber sleeve gets shoved into the port, up to a snug fit, and then the orange plastic “plug” gets screwed in, pushing against the sleeve and effectively sealing the port. This has an impact on both the tuning and frequency response (see Fig. B ) and on the relative impedance (see Fig. C ). As you can see, by plugging one, two, or neither of the ports, you can change not only the tonal response of the enclosure, but also the kind of load it presents to your amp. To illustrate one other unique feature of the TC112, Fig. D shows how the high frequency response is impacted by the three settings available via the two switches on the back. This is one well-made cab. It is supremely portable. It has a unique feature set that is well thought-out and which reflects a distinct effort to fill a particular niche (or two). The wiring used appropriate gauges, and all exposed wire had been given a nice solder treatment. There is very little to complain about, but if I were to pick a nit, it would be that the spray-on (roll-on?) finish is not 100% consistently applied. I do like the covering, in general. But the texture is not entirely consistent. All in all, it’s one of the most impressive cabs I have had the pleasure to review. Fig C -Impedance Curve, 0, 1 and 2 ports plugged a; ! %&& $%# Fig D -High Frequency Profiles Publication List Using a screen reader? Click Here |
