Poll: e-bass amp power

Is this amp OK?

How much power from your bass amp?

< 100W
0
No votes
100W - 200W
6
15%
200W - 400W
17
41%
400W - 1000W
13
32%
> 1000W
5
12%
 
Total votes: 41

Message
Author
User avatar
jswingchun
Posts: 1073
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:43 am
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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Re: Poll: e-bass amp power

#16 Post by jswingchun »

Gregory East wrote:Is that because it's missing sub freq or because you have it pointed at your ears so it just isn't turned up as loud as your average bass rig?
I don't know about "missing", but...

I guess it's a little of both, my cabs are plenty loud on stage and are located where I can hear them, but I don't use a lot of lows in my tone. Lows on stage just mush everything up. I run my Ashdown preamp with the EQ shut off. With good strings, good pickups and the clean reproduction of my BFM cabs, I let the natural sound of the bass do the work. My tone on stage isn't very bottom-endy. I get the bottom end on my sound from the PA. When needed without FOH support, I have pushed the bottom end up a tiny bit with the Ashdown's eq, but we don't play without FOH support for the bass very often.

Of course, it helps that this punchy, growly sound fits the style of music we write.

http://www.myspace.com/knubbyrocks
Omni 10
Omni 10.5
OmniTop 12 x 4
Wedgehorn 8 x 3
XF212
T39 @ 18" x 2
T39 @ 20" x 2
T39 @ 28" x 2
Jack 110 x 5
Jack Lite 12
XF210
XF210 (Slant only, no crossfire)

User avatar
Tom Smit
Posts: 7457
Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:24 pm
Location: Sarnia, Ont. Canada

Re: Poll: e-bass amp power

#17 Post by Tom Smit »

jswingchun wrote:
I guess it's a little of both, my cabs are plenty loud on stage and are located where I can hear them, but I don't use a lot of lows in my tone.
Of course, it helps that this punchy, growly sound fits the style of music we write.
http://www.myspace.com/knubbyrocks
Hahaaaa....the man and his gear!
http://knubby.net/Pics/20090829/20090829_2.jpg :)
TomS

User avatar
jswingchun
Posts: 1073
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:43 am
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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Re: Poll: e-bass amp power

#18 Post by jswingchun »

Yep, that's it. No comments on the split radiator cab subs, we hired sound in that night. I will be using my system for the first time in that same venue in two weeks. I will be trying to determine if my three wedgehorn 6's will keep up. If not, I am going to have to upgrade them to 8's. That should be an interesting project.
Omni 10
Omni 10.5
OmniTop 12 x 4
Wedgehorn 8 x 3
XF212
T39 @ 18" x 2
T39 @ 20" x 2
T39 @ 28" x 2
Jack 110 x 5
Jack Lite 12
XF210
XF210 (Slant only, no crossfire)

User avatar
Bill Fitzmaurice
Site Admin
Posts: 28620
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Poll: e-bass amp power

#19 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

jswingchun wrote:Yep, that's it. No comments on the split radiator cab subs, we hired sound in that night.
Why is it that guys who are paid to provide PA don't know how to use one? :noob:

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jswingchun
Posts: 1073
Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2006 9:43 am
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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Re: Poll: e-bass amp power

#20 Post by jswingchun »

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:
jswingchun wrote:Yep, that's it. No comments on the split radiator cab subs, we hired sound in that night.
Why is it that guys who are paid to provide PA don't know how to use one? :noob:
I guess as long as companies sell subs with pole mounts people will use them on either side to hold up their tops.

I did see a guy doing sound at an outdoor show in Des Moines. He was using 4 EAW LA400 subs and they were all on one side, stacked two to a pile, mouth to mouth. He had his tops stacked on top of them. He had his tops on the other side stacked on top of two 15" loaded radiator cabs. I asked him what he had running thru the 15's and he said they were just there to hold up the tops on that side. His system sounded good.

So maybe there is still hope...
Omni 10
Omni 10.5
OmniTop 12 x 4
Wedgehorn 8 x 3
XF212
T39 @ 18" x 2
T39 @ 20" x 2
T39 @ 28" x 2
Jack 110 x 5
Jack Lite 12
XF210
XF210 (Slant only, no crossfire)

User avatar
kynetx
Posts: 172
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:26 pm
Location: Everett, WA

Re: Poll: e-bass amp power

#21 Post by kynetx »

I can run as deep as a kilowatt, but I've never run out of headroom, not even freefield without a backline using my old 1x15 and 2x10 rig. I only have that monster amp because it was what was available and I'm too dumb to keep things simple. Consequently, once the signal leaves my pedalboard and hits the amp rack, I still have a preamp, compressor, and mixer before it even gets to my amp (Peavey PV-8.5C).

moo
Posts: 134
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 11:38 am
Location: Dorset UK

Re: Poll: e-bass amp power

#22 Post by moo »

My Trace eliot AH250 only puts 180w into 1 cab when turned up. Usually the Master vol sits at 2.
I turned it up to 2 + 1/2 once in a big park gig with vocal only P.A. The council arrived after the 2nd song because the people in the flats half a mile away were complaining. :shock:

The joy of efficent cabs!
I live the smell of birch ply in the mornings... Smells like... Victory!

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