Roots n Culture Forum - Predominant frequencies in reggae roots songs

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Predominant frequencies in reggae roots songs

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Category: Other Chat
Forum Name: Roots n Culture Forum
Forum Description: Talk about speaker box with other sounds here
URL: https://forum.speakerplans.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=107967
Printed Date: 27 March 2026 at 5:14am
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Topic: Predominant frequencies in reggae roots songs

Posted By: Mightymaximo
Subject: Predominant frequencies in reggae roots songs
Date Posted: 08 July 2023 at 1:20am

Hi fam!

Thank you for welcoming me here, it's been a long time reading the forum, and today I decided to create a profile and create this topic. I did not find any answers to these questions, so I hope I'm not creating a double topic.

Here we go, I'm starting a project with a friend to build a reggae sound system, we are just starting and taking as much information as we can to make things as we would like.

At the moment, we are checking some drivers for the scoops we plan to build. We will play predominantly roots reggae tunes, occasionally some steppers but mainly roots. For this, we are looking for the proper drivers to create the roots bass pop up. There is where I was asking myself which are the predominant "sub-bass" frequencies in reggae roots songs? My intuition makes me think that's between 50hz and 90hz, but would love to have some more accurate details about it.

You think is it a good procedure to look at these frequencies and compare the dB peaks on the driver frequency response charts of them?

Thank you, and sorry for my poor knowledge, blessings.

PD: btw if you have some driver recommendations feel free to post them :)

Replies:

Posted By: sarsen1
Date Posted: 08 July 2023 at 9:43am

Low E on a 4 string bass is 41.2hz so that will be the lowest note of most roots tunes. There will be some harmonic info below there but not a great deal. Peaks and resonant frequencies will vary from tune to tune dependant on how the tune was played, recorded and cut but just due to the nature of the instrument there will be a lot of 50hz as you predict.

Posted By: Jo bg
Date Posted: 08 July 2023 at 11:08am

Hi . Looking at driver published response will be a waste of time as that's free air response and you will put it in a scoop... there are T/S parameters that tell you more about how it will perform but it needs some insight to understand.

I won't dare to recommend a scoop driver here but plenty of chat about it... But not every scoop likes same drivers...

Posted By: luton_soundman
Date Posted: 08 July 2023 at 9:30pm

Every production is different. Alot of the digital music has tons of 30-40hz aswel as everything above it. Why you probably think its mainly 50hz and upwsrds is because most either tune their system to miss alot of the lower notes and emphasise on all the higher ones. Or their cabs arent suitable with their chosen drivers and cannot reproduce the lower notes. Even some of the 18s that alot of the big big name sounds have used dont play anything below 45/50hz whatever cab theyre in. Do as much research and listening as you can before you start spending your money.

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Posted By: sarsen1
Date Posted: 09 July 2023 at 1:03am

All depends on what scoops you plan on using, what amps you have and what tone you want to achieve, someone might be able to suggest some drivers if you can provide that info.

Posted By: King Simeon
Date Posted: 09 July 2023 at 10:18am

You mention wintention to play older tunes, I take it this is the Roots you talk of? A lot of old tunes are also steppers (4x4).

In any case you are wise to research. 50hz+ is about right, but many tunes have a lot of energy higher up, some have more sub in the kick. A lot will depend on what you want to sound like. Most sounds in the past played with a lot of distortion. With a more modern set up you should be careful around 90hz as the music & scoops will give a lot of energy/distortion around this Freq.

Back in the day sounds would talk with a builder to make choices, this would involve the pre amp at the heart of it all. I would suggest making this your first step in making decisions about speakers & boxes, which will present your overall sound.

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Posted By: levyte357-
Date Posted: 10 July 2023 at 11:47am

Any Reggae/Roots/Dub soundsystem, that cannot easily reproduce 40hz, will be conisdered "lacking", by many listeners.

This also rules out 99% of Folded Horns, even the 21" versions.

Scoops have always reproduced Reggae bass notes, witht the best efficiency,

Bass Reflex will play deeper and Smoother, with the cost of needing double the power, as opposed to Scoops.

However, in small to med size venues, (upto 500 people), a pair of decent Scoops at each end, will easily suffice (for regular dance not dub clash), pair 2x18 BR, "may" not match this.

With the price of timber sky high, and so many systems selling off, there is not much point in building your own cabs. Also, almost no free Scoop designs out there, are optimised for modern drivers.

The top 18" 1850 Scoops of previous decade, can be found online, and will play 40hz upward easily:
Wattco 1850 Scoop
SteveB 1850 Scoop
Stravens 1850 Scoop

Consider the option of building 2x21" Bass reflex cabs, Given enough power, they will outplay the above.

I designed my own 18" Scoops, and they effortlessly play smooth 35hz - 100hz, (loaded with modern drivers) even though I prefer tuning them 40hz - 90hz, if really, really powering them.

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Posted By: Mightymaximo
Date Posted: 24 May 2025 at 8:42pm

I never got to answer here on that time! But I really apreciate the great infos provided here in this forum. At the end we made the desicion to build some 18" Eminence Scoop Dirvers, as it was some part of the projcet to build our own boxes. We loaded them with some 18TBX100 and for the moment they are doing good. Alway open to hear some opinions!