[iAteBillyMays]

Hey all!  Ran into this yesterday and was wondering if it might proof useful in terms of referencing/level mixing sub bass into DAW based music?  I live in a 800 square foot apartment in Downtown Denver; cranking up my sub woofer isn't the best decision in sake of maintaining my residency.  I have a lot of issues working sub bass into my mixes and was wondering what alternatives their might be.  I currently own a pair of AKG Q701's and can hear the sine waves, but feeling them is a completely different matter.  Thoughts?
http://www.thesubpac.com/

 

[cel4145]

If you just want to feel the bass, why not get some tactile transducers like the buttkickers?

 

[Danz03]

The SubPac is really good in terms of making you feel the bass but to me the experience is quite different from actually mixing or monitoring with full range monitor speakers or subwoofers. The biggest problem I found with it is that the SubPac's headphone out seemed to cut out some of the bass frequencies from my IEMs or headphones, both my SE846 and LCD-2 sounded a bit bright and sibilance and bass light. I'm not really sure if the actual physical feel of the sub bass numbed my listening sense of the sub bass or it was a problem with the pre amp of the SubPac. If I moved my body away from the SubPac, my LCD-2 actually became a bit thin sounding. So I'm thinking of a way to split the sound signal in 2 and feed the SubPac and the headphones separately, maybe that would be a better solution.
 
To me, the Q701 aren't the best headphones for mixing music with a lot of bass contents, just my 2 cents.
 
Quote:

  Hey all!  Ran into this yesterday and was wondering if it might proof useful in terms of referencing/level mixing sub bass into DAW based music?  I live in a 800 square foot apartment in Downtown Denver; cranking up my sub woofer isn't the best decision in sake of maintaining my residency.  I have a lot of issues working sub bass into my mixes and was wondering what alternatives their might be.  I currently own a pair of AKG Q701's and can hear the sine waves, but feeling them is a completely different matter.  Thoughts?
http://www.thesubpac.com/

 

[fogwall]

I have used the Subpac S1 for a few months and it complements my AKG K1000 very nicely, not only providing more of that deep bass, but also providing a real physical sensation, as if being there in the concert hall or on the dance floor.
 
I do not use the in-built audio device (output) since the audio quality is bad (high s/n ratio and other problems). An RCA Y-cable feeds the bass separately to the Subpac's input, and the other end goes to my headphones.
 
Another thing I have noticed is that the Subpac does not necessarily need to be placed behind my back. Instead, I sit on it, which feels much better. The Subpac is too stiff for resting my back on it, especially if sitting on a comfy recliner sofa, as in my case.

 

[MMJ2015]

wondering if anyone that has the subpac could create some test files of sine waves from 5hz up to 125 hz in increments with a slope that of pink noise (equal perception loudness) to see what the frequency response would be?
 
is it less powerful from say 50hz down? is it flat all the way through? etc.

 

[MMJ2015]

i got it and i love it its better than a studio sub IMHO

 

[nephilim32]

Hello all. I've received the latest model from SUBPAC, which is the S2.

It is deadly accurate in transmitting low end bass frequencies from all your favourite recordings. However, as mentioned the console box that supports the LINE IN and headphone output still has some hard signal to noise ratios and is NOT the best quality.

My findings are as follows. Tried to pair this device with my Sennheiser HD 800's and it was a no go. Trying to put the 1/8 adapter for 800's only created more signal degradation and also the 800's have to high of an impedance load, so having your amp turned up to support reasonable listening levels for very high end headphones like the 800's created problems for the subpac control Box. You will get pops and hisses and a ton of distortion cause the amps power flow squeezing through that console box goes beyond its threshold.

But hey. Like most audio devices you just gotta find the right headphones to match with this innovative device (subpac).

My top Recommendation right now for headphone pairing with the SUBPAC S2 model is the SONY MDR Z7's. unbelievably amazing listening experience. It's a lot of fun and the Z7's are match made in heaven with this thing. The Z7's are a absolute breeze to drive (70ohms) and really have beautiful sound characteristics to fit with the subpac. 70mm's drivers. Big and beautiful bass extension that is not bloomy and best of all you can feel it 110% of it with the subpac.
They are detailed and analytical enough to have very nice long-term listening sessions.

A couple of albums I will recommend for a lovely fun bass experience and also a true testament of what the SubPac is capable of. After all, it's not some simple vibrating device.

Fields of the Nephilim---Fallen
Depeche mode--Remixes 81-04 (3disc set)

Masterful. And fun. Happy to answer any questions people might have about the SubPac's unique capabilities.

Happy listening.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Anyone have any experience using a GO's second output (the 47 ohm one) to drive the subpac while using the .47 ohm output on the phones? Anyone think this might work with a relative benign load like Audeze Lcd-x's?

 

[Mistershifter]

Just pre-ordered a Subpac S2. Currently the ship date is July 17th.

Can't wait.

 

[nephilim32]

Just pre-ordered a Subpac S2. Currently the ship date is July 17th.


Can't wait.

That's awesome!! Welcome to bass land!
I think you'll really love it. It's a fun, unique listening experience. Just refer to my post above. Certain headphones with a high impedance level will not match well with the subpac line in control box outlet.

I know these are expensive but the SONY MDR Z7's and the AUDEZE EL 8's (open-back) I would say are the best cans to pair with the subpac.
Have a great time otherwise. I am loving the **** out of mine. I have more respect for the use of bass pedals in the recordings I listen to. Also, don't know how you feel about Industrial Electronic music, but SKINNY PUPPY's latest album, IMMORTAL is bloody brilliant with the subpac. Mainly Cevin Keys (producer/song writer) uses the subpac to reference how much low end and where to really put it with in his music. It's gold!

 

[kenman345]

Anyone got the S2 in NYC area? I would love to compare between the S1 and S2 and see what the difference is.

 

[BassDigger]

Hi all,
 
Just found out about this very interesting bit of hardware.
 
I've got some questions, regarding connection:
 
It seems like the headphone output, on the Subpac unit, isn't very good quality (the fact that it's 3.5mm gives a clue). This doesn't do the marketing much cred, if you ask me; how do professionals use something like this for mastering and mixing, when the phones output is poor quality? But maybe they don't actually use the headphone output.
 
Also (sorry to nit-pick), but choosing your headphones, to match better with the Subpac's dodgy output, is one helluva compromise! Don't you think?
 
Anyway, I guess that the ideal solution is to have a headphone amp with a pre-out; this way the volume will be controlled by the same potentiometer, and the headphone feed is direct (and unadulterated) from the headphone amp. But these are rare.
Does anybody use a splitter (on the dac output), to individually feed headphone amp and Subpac? I guess that you'd need to adjust both the Subpac and the amp volume controls, in unison, and try to keep the volume matched (between amp and Subpac). Is anyone doing this? How well does it work? Or is there a better alternative?
 
Basically, how do you connect yours up?
 
Cheers,
 
Digging (for) the bass.

 

[Mistershifter]

  Hi all,
 
Just found out about this very interesting bit of hardware.
 
I've got some questions, regarding connection:
 
It seems like the headphone output, on the Subpac unit, isn't very good quality (the fact that it's 3.5mm gives a clue). This doesn't do the marketing much cred, if you ask me; how do professionals use something like this for mastering and mixing, when the phones output is poor quality? But maybe they don't actually use the headphone output.
 
Also (sorry to nit-pick), but choosing your headphones, to match better with the Subpac's dodgy output, is one helluva compromise! Don't you think?
 
Anyway, I guess that the ideal solution is to have a headphone amp with a pre-out; this way the volume will be controlled by the same potentiometer, and the headphone feed is direct (and unadulterated) from the headphone amp. But these are rare.
Does anybody use a splitter (on the dac output), to individually feed headphone amp and Subpac? I guess that you'd need to adjust both the Subpac and the amp volume controls, in unison, and try to keep the volume matched (between amp and Subpac). Is anyone doing this? How well does it work? Or is there a better alternative?
 
Basically, how do you connect yours up?
 
Cheers,
 
Digging (for) the bass.

 
Preface: I'm mostly using my gear for production.
 
Personally, I just upgraded my USB Audio Interface from the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, to the 6i6, giving me more outputs. My setup seems like a bit of a cluster**** now, but I'm hoping this helps remedy some of my issues with all of this gear. I just bought a pair of Audeze LCD-X's last week with an Element headphone amp because I didn't think my USB audio interface was ideal to drive the headphones. I also have a Subpac S2 waiting to ship out.
 
My plan is to run the three separate stereo outputs on my audio interface to my studio monitors, headphone amp, and subpac. Everything should hopefully be line level when I tinker with the routing software that comes with the interface. I'll then switch between my headphones and studio monitors based on which I want to use at any given time.
 
I hope this works out. It's been giving me a headache.

 

[zenpunk]

I use a Roland MobileUA, small and transportable with great sound. It has a line out on one side and a headphone out on the other.

 

[BassDigger]

 
Preface: I'm mostly using my gear for production.
 
Personally, I just upgraded my USB Audio Interface from the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, to the 6i6, giving me more outputs. My setup seems like a bit of a cluster**** now, but I'm hoping this helps remedy some of my issues with all of this gear. I just bought a pair of Audeze LCD-X's last week with an Element headphone amp because I didn't think my USB audio interface was ideal to drive the headphones. I also have a Subpac S2 waiting to ship out.
 
My plan is to run the three separate stereo outputs on my audio interface to my studio monitors, headphone amp, and subpac. Everything should hopefully be line level when I tinker with the routing software that comes with the interface. I'll then switch between my headphones and studio monitors based on which I want to use at any given time.
 
I hope this works out. It's been giving me a headache.

 
How (which component) will you adjust the volume? The usb interface? I'm not familiar with the model, but I guess that you're referring to volume adjustable line level outputs. So, you should be able to adjust the volume of all line outs simultaneously. You'll have to preset the volume on your headphone/speaker amps. I'd suggest that you experiment with those, rather than just setting them to the max.
 
Please let us know how you get on with the Subpac. On another thread someone reported a delay in the response of the bass. Another concern might be how well the bass integrates, not just in response time, but with phase matching and frequency humps. There doesn't seem to be any (sub-woofer style) phase adjustment on the subpac. How well does it integrate with the phones?
 
Keep digging.