Hartke launching new HyDrive bass cabs

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its HyDrive technology, Hartke is introducing the HyDrive HD Series Bass Cabinets in a major update to the HyDrive design.

In 1984 founder Larry Hartke custom-built the very first 8×10 bass cabinet with aluminum speakers for Jaco Pistorius. Ten years ago, Hartke introduced the HyDrive Series Bass Cabinets, which featured a brand-new type of speaker that combined paper and aluminum into a single speaker cone. The patented new design was celebrated for faithfully reproducing the sound of bass guitars without colouring the tone. 

HyDrive speakers feature paper/aluminum hybrid cone drivers. The hybrid makeup delivers a blend of warmth and attack that cannot be attained by traditional all-paper bass speakers. The outside curved, Kevlar-loaded paper cone delivers a smooth, even response with a deep tone, while the inner straight, anodized aluminum cone produces highly accurate, distortion-free output.

The new double-roll, curvilinear surround limits the drivers from over excursion, while providing a smooth mid-band response. The result is a clean, full tone with the clear fundamentals of each note, as well as natural overtones for further defined sound.

The updated and optimised ferrite magnet assembly and steel chassis design deliver a maximum power-to-weight ratio to each of the HyDrive HD cabinets. In addition, the enclosures themselves are constructed of high-quality plywood with extensive bracing and dado joints, making them rigid, yet lightweight for superior projection and true sonic clarity.