Am I missing out not owning a straight 4-12??

[The Polish Hammer]

Like to get a 4-12 for the Rack System.
All I've ever owned/played thru are slants.
The Rack is pretty deep and front heavy so I figured a straight cab with the nice oversized top would keep everything stable.
Before I go ordering a cab (Marshall 1960b) what should I expect sound wise?
More low end? Mush? Less projection? Better sound???
I see a lot of you guys rockin' the straights so I figured why not ask those who know...

 

[cardinal]

To me they are just more directional/sensitive to where you stand. Slant is a bit more consistent as you get close to it. A straight starts sounding more bass heavy as you get close to it. So it you dial in you tone standing near it, you might end up with an amount of treble and presence that just cuts the heads off people farther away.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

If you are using 4x12s, you are already headed in the right direction.

I have had both and prefer straights only because of the stability. They both sound great

 

[Techdeth]

I don’t own one angled cab
Too hollow . Not as thick to me ever
Some are better than others and sound good . But it just has this weird hollowness I can’t get past in the feel coming out

 

[Shask]

Straights sound better to me. A little wider sounding with more depth. The Slants have more of the upper end cut.

 

[DanTravis62]

People are going to say you are missing out, but it's just preference.

Try one, see if you like it.

I don't have a preference TBH because i'm mostly close micing

 

[fusedbrain]

The only slant cab I've owned that sounded any good was a Bogner with that batting they put in their cabs.
A slant baffle messes with the internal resonance of the cab, and the Bogner batting mitigates this somewhat.
Straight cabs sound better, project better and have a more consistent frequency response without any weird phase canceling effects from the odd angle and shallow depth of the top 2 speakers.
Yeah, it can work in a live situation for personal monitoring, and to not kill the people in the first five rows, but that's about the only positive thing they bring to the table.

 

[The Polish Hammer]

Sounds like a straight is the way to go..
Stability and more low end is what I'm going for.
Thanks you guys.

 

[Solarflares]

I like to leave my straight 4x12 in the foam-lined bottom-section of the flight case.
Definitely avoid standing a 4x12 on its feet on a floor. The floor becomes a bass radiator.
Occasionally, I will use the whole case on it’s side as a plinth. Depends where I am.
Rack cases shouldn’t really be perched on speakers. Find a trap case for cables etc, that can double as a plinth for your rack case.
It’s not a fashion show.
Pursue sonic excellence and ergonomics/mobility first.

 

[valve]

you have to differ between a marshall "straight" and for example a mesa traditional straight. one is straight the other one not really.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

I've been liking the straight cabs with a slightly angled baffle. It's kind of a best of both worlds kind of thing. You get qualities of a straight cab, but the entire baffle is angled back about 2 degrees so the speakers are pointed more towards your ears.

 

[The Polish Hammer]

I'm going with a Marshall straight, but considering a Peavey 6505 straight because I like the sound of the Peavey Sheffields with the Rockmaster preamp.
The whole rig will be my "stay at home" practice setup. So having the rack on the cabinet isn't really a worry.

 

[Solarflares]

My last 4x12 was an early 60’s Park straight cabinet with all white fittings and Greenbacks.
The baffle was straight, with no angle.
There is a piece of 2x2 that braces the baffle to the back. The best upgrade I did was to sink a wood screw into this brace from the back.

 

[Solarflares]

Sheffield cabs are now only $100 for a reason. Fair enough if you like ‘em.
You will always want access to the rack rear.
Shifting the whole stack is a pain - even more so in a cluttered bedroom.

 

[The Polish Hammer]

Sheffield cabs are now only $100 for a reason. Fair enough if you like ‘em.
You will always want access to the rack rear.
Shifting the whole stack is a pain - even more so in a cluttered bedroom.

I will go with the Marshall cab. I love the one I have now for my 2205 and the straight will complete the full stack experience lol...
A full finished basement gives me no problems with room or access.

 

[Solarflares]

You gonna perch a front-heavy rack on top of a Marshall Stack?

 

[rsm]

all of my cabs, 1x12, 2x12, 4x12 are straight except one Marshall 4x12 that I use with my Marshall plexi full stack.

 

[Solarflares]

(Quickly removes rack from top of stack before taking photo!) Lol

 

[rsm]

no rack on my full stack.

I still have the power amp in the rack, but this was my "last" rack, though I have a rackmount Mesa JP-2C now too. I sold the preamp. The rack fit fine on top of a pair of Engl E212VHB PRO cabs, which I still have and are now dedicated to my Engl Artist Edition E651

 

[PDC]

To me they are just more directional/sensitive to where you stand. Slant is a bit more consistent as you get close to it. A straight starts sounding more bass heavy as you get close to it. So it you dial in you tone standing near it, you might end up with an amount of treble and presence that just cuts the heads off people farther away.

Straights sound better to me. A little wider sounding with more depth. The Slants have more of the upper end cut.

^^^

I have never owned a slant 4x12. I much prefer the sound of all 4 speakers moving air in the same plane. But Cardinal is right: you either take a big step back from the cab or sit/crouch down in front of it while dialing in your tone. When you stand up with your ears above it, the low-mids really take over.