2/10 & 4/10 Speaker Cab Question (2 Parts)

[4stringphuzz]

Right now, my setup consists of an Ampeg SVT4-PRO, run through a Ampeg BXT-410 cabinet...

I recently purchased a Carvin Redline 2x10 cabinet off of Craigslist... I have a couple of questions in regard to my setup:

1) It seems that the speakers in the cabinet are no good (something about the coil inside coming apart?)..The cab was equipped with Carvin PS10 speakers (200 watts @ 8 ohms). It's going to cost about $150 to recone these speakers.. Is this worth it? Should I just spend the money on a different, heavier duty series of Eminence speakers? (I know Eminence makes the speakers for Carvin, but I've read that they're voiced differently to the tastes of Carvin's engineers..). Also, when I had the speakers on my 4x10 reconed, they were waaaaaaayyyyy heavier that the speakers that came out of the Redline...

If it's better to get new Eminence speakers, what would be a good recommendation? I was thinking maybe the Delta Series?
Also, I've read that putting different speakers in a cabinet that wasn't necessarily 'voiced' for them might produce mixed results.. Is there any truth to this?

2) Since I have the SVT-PRO as a head, I have the option of running each cabinet in parallel... Would doing so significantly lower the output of the amp overall?(I'm trying to make the sound louder, not lower..). I can't run the cabs in series right now because the 2x10 is 8ohms and the 4x10 is 4ohms.. I don't think the amp can handle a combined load of less than 4 ohms... Is there any way to rewire the 4x10 cab to make it 8ohms total? That way there would be an even series load of 4ohms, correct?


If anyone can offer advice on these matters, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by 4stringphuzz

The cab was equipped with Carvin PS10 speakers (200 watts @ 8 ohms). It's going to cost about $150 to recone these speakers.. Is this worth it?

You can replace them with new for that.

I've read that putting different speakers in a cabinet that wasn't necessarily 'voiced' for them might produce mixed results.. Is there any truth to this?

There is.

Is there any way to rewire the 4x10 cab to make it 8ohms total?

There is not.
Which head do you have? SVT tube heads should be good for 2 ohms. For best results you should run an 8 ohm 2x10 with a 4 ohm 4x10.

[GrowlerBox]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

You can replace them with new for that.

There is.

There is not.
Which head do you have? SVT tube heads should be good for 2 ohms. For best results you should run an 8 ohm 2x10 with a 4 ohm 4x10.

I think the SVT-4PRO is 4 Ohm minimum.

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by GrowlerBox

I think the SVT-4PRO is 4 Ohm minimum.

2 ohms according to Ampeg, and it has dual power amps, making the impedance issue moot.

[4stringphuzz]

Great. Thank you so much for the help/info... I've never used both power amps before, just mono bridged into my 4x10..

So just to be clear, for the best (loudest) output performance I should run each cab in a separate power amp channel?

Will this make any noticeable difference in volume? I just want the 2x10 to supplement the 4x10, I don't expect them to both be outputting the same volume...

Apologies for all of the n00b questions, just don't want to completely F**K up my cabs/amp...

[ThunderousFunk]

Yeah, cause Ampeg's big claim to fame with that head is that it could easily fun 2 8x10's(which are 4 ohm only......that I know of).

[4stringphuzz]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I need some more advice on my situation in regard to the 2x10 Carvin Redline I'm using in conjunction with my Ampeg BXT-410 cab.

I tried to do as much research as possible as I could into the best replacement speakers for my 2x10. I finally decided to go with the Eminence BP102's (These were even recommended to me directly by Eminence).

Unfortunately, I'm really not liking the sound of them at all... They just don't blend well with the tone of my BXT cab. I know this sounds crazy, but the BP102's are just too bass heavy for me. They sound like a subwoofer; no tone definition in the bottom end, just kind of a muddy thump. I've tried to reconcile the problem by using the crossover on my SVT4 PRO, but it's still just not happening for me...

Did I just plain buy the wrong speaker for the Redline Cab? Here are the specs:

http://www.bassemporium.com/pdfs/RL210T.pdf

I'm hoping Mr. Fitzmaurice or someone else equally knowledgeable can help me reconcile this problem. I know Mr. Fitzmaurice has mentioned his approval of the Basslite Series before. But which Eminence speaker might be the best compliment for my BXT-410, tone wise? Here are the specs on that:

http://www.ampeg.com/pdf/BXT115HL410HL.pdf


I really like the sound of that cabinet. And I'd like to simply add some volume reinforcement with the 2x10. I would really like to avoid tirelessly trying to EQ correct loads of deep, unfocused low end muddiness..

If anyone can help, I would be GREATLY appreciated..

Thank you!!!

[will33]

BP102's are designed to be bass heavy, in exchange for all those lows you don't get much mid and upper response, there's your "muddiness" or lack of definition. They're best used with a dedicated mid driver.

Basslites or deltalites would both work well in that cab as it's a fairly typical sized 210 just like everybody elses but neo prices have doubled since you first started this thread. It would be a pretty expensive 210. Whether or not it's worth it is up to you.

An inexpensive way to get it sounding decent would be to load it with a pair of ps10's from carvin. Without getting technical their sound can be described as not really deep but punchy. You can use the 2 separate poweramps in your head to balance the power and output of the 2 cabs.

The best thing would likely be to sell it and get another cab like your other one that you already know you like the sound of and run one off each side of the amp.

The carvin 10's don't cost much and would likely get you closer to where you want to be if your other cab is out of production or hard to find or something.

[will33]

Also you got it backwards in your first post. Series wiring increases impedance, 4+4=8. Parallel wiring decreases it, 4+4=2. Think of your head as 2 separate amps when it's not bridged. You can run a 4ohm cab off each side and/or use the 2 separate channel volumes (or a balance knob if that's how it's set up) to balance the output of 2 different cabs.

[will33]

What the hell were you doing on talkbass at 11:00 at night on valentines day anyway? Shouldn't you have been a little too busy for this?

[ILLINOX]

personally, I'd throw in a mid-level Eminence speaker (because the audience won't hear the difference between a mid and a high quality speaker) and I'd use my 32-band EQ to compensate for stray frequencies throughout the cab.

But that's just me

[will33]

You have a 32 band eq? That must be even more rare than an amp that goes to 11.

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by 4stringphuzz

the BP102's are just too bass heavy for me. They sound like a subwoofer; no tone definition in the bottom end, just kind of a muddy thump.

That's why I only use BP102s along with a midrange driver.

But which Eminence speaker might be the best compliment for my BXT-410, tone wise? Here are the specs on that:

http://www.ampeg.com/pdf/BXT115HL410HL.pdf

Those aren't specs. These are specs:
http://www.eminence.com/pdf/Basslite_S2010.pdf

Compare the SPL chart to that of the BP102 and you'll see why it should not have been recommended. Compare it to that of the B810 and you'll see why the S2010 should have been. The B810 would be ideal, but it only comes in a 32 ohm, which won't work for you.

[4stringphuzz]

Apologies,

I meant to say that the specs presented were for the BXT-410 speakers, and ask which Eminence speakers would best compliment those accordingly...

Probably a dumb question, but I take the chance and ask anyway..

What if I put my pair of BP102's staggered into the BXT cab, and used two of those original speakers in my 2x10 cab? Would it just sound like total garbage? Might the extra space of the 4x10 clean up the lows at all?

I'm slowly starting to understand the science and dynamics behind speakers and cab dimension, so I'm sure some of the stuff I'm asking may sound ridiculous...

If the aforementioned would not work, would the stock Carvin SP10's even come close to the Basslite S2010, or would that just be another waste of money?

Now I'm just really worried about taking another speaker gamble and coming out unhappy again, but I suppose I don't have much of a choice in that matter...

[4stringphuzz]

Originally Posted by will33

What the hell were you doing on talkbass at 11:00 at night on valentines day anyway? Shouldn't you have been a little too busy for this?

This was a far more urgent issue to me at the time. Still is, with surprisingly less headache involved... ha.ha.ha...

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by 4stringphuzz

What if I put my pair of BP102's staggered into the BXT cab, and used two of those original speakers in my 2x10 cab? Would it just sound like total garbage? Might the extra space of the 4x10 clean up the lows at all?

The result when using both cabs together will be the same. Mixing drivers is never a good idea.

If the aforementioned would not work, would the stock Carvin SP10's even come close to the Basslite S2010, or would that just be another waste of money?

Since Carvin doesn't provide SPL charts there's no way of knowing.

[will33]

One other thing you could try, not the technical approach but you could pull a pair of speakers from your 410 and stick them in the 210, see how it sounds. If you happen to like it, order a couple replacements for the bxt and put them in there. ( don't play the 410 with the speaker holes open). Otherwise just get a couple replacements from carvin. I used to have a carvin 410 and 210 years ago. Without any real specs I can just describe them as having decent mid response "punchy" but not much deeper bass like you'd get from a bp102, or a basslite for that matter. Their oem driver is likely a slightly tweaked delta 10 or something like that.

[kringle77]

The carvin ps10-8 has a listed x-max of 4mm where the eminence beta10-a is listed as 3mm of x-max. On paper, the carvin would look better I guess.