800rb into 810e anyone bi-amping?

MK1 · #1 08-05-2011, 02:52 PM

Just bought an 810e for my 800rb and this combination sounds amazing. My cab has an input for the top 410s and then for the bottom 410s. So I've been experimenting and am running Hi-Amp into the top and the Lo-Amp into the bottom. It sounds great and to me a little louder than full range (probably because I'm hearing majority of the upper mids at ear level). I want to know if anyone has gigged with their amp this way? How does it sound in a band mix?
Thanks,
Matt

will33 · #2 08-05-2011, 03:01 PM

It's kinda pointless as that cab has all the same speakers in it but you are changing the balance of lows vs. mids/highs. As far as what it sounds like in a mix, get out front and listen. Have a friend sit in for a song if your cord isn't long enough.

will33 · #3 08-05-2011, 03:02 PM

And remember the high amp on those is an 8ohm minimum. Only the low amp is 4.

jackcheez · #4 08-05-2011, 03:04 PM

Have you tried running the 8 10's with just the 300 watt amp ? If you haven't you might want to try it.

I used to biamp with 2 X 15's and 2 X 10's.

I also ran an 8 X 10 with just the 300 watt amp.

Both ways sounded great.

RickenBoogie · #5 08-05-2011, 05:33 PM

+1 what you're doing doesn't make alot of sense. The "high" out on the GK is also less wattage, and meant for driving tweeters. You have a full range 8x10, it should be run that way for best results.

MK1 · #6 08-05-2011, 07:59 PM

I don't think the x-over on the 800rb is meant to drive tweeters. It's a 100w power amp and had a x-over frequency as low a 100HZ. I'll probably run the cab at full range anyway. I haven't had much time to mess with it I literally just bought it this afternoon. I never understood the whole Ampeg thing (come to find out my limited experience was always with late 90s and early 2k cabs) this one is a whole new ball game.

**IvanMike** · #7 08-05-2011, 08:36 PM

Full range will be louder out front - period.

A good way to use the biamp would be to use cabs designed for lows and mids/highs. Very few are. To be honest, you could probably drive your 8x10 with the low mids to lows and run the high mids and highs into a single 8 (with or without tweeter) and that would sound a ton better than dividing your cab. - Even better would be to use a low end cab designed for it.

woundround · #8 08-05-2011, 10:55 PM

Ran the 800 for yrs with my old fridge sounded killer...full range it s a loud 300 watts esp. with that cab. great combination

MK1 · #9 08-06-2011, 01:46 PM

Yep, full range for sure. Tried both ways from a distance. Bi-amping just takes something away from the feel of the cab.

**IvanMike** · #10 08-06-2011, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MK1

Yep, full range for sure. Tried both ways from a distance. Bi-amping just takes something away from the feel of the cab.

Actually what it's doing is putting a teeny tiny signal into the top half. Try just running the highs into the top half and listen to that signal - sounds like it's coming over the telephone on speaker doesn't it? For the most part, you're gutting your signal by not sending the lows to all of the speakers.

lokikallas · #11 08-06-2011, 01:58 PM

There were some gk cabs designed to bi-amp with the 800rb IIRC. Kind of the like the old ampeg bi-ampable cabs designed to work with the 4 pro bi-amp setup. They had a tweeter input designed for the 150w output of the amp. The new heads and cabs are all designed this way. I never used it when I owned one, but I always considered trying to find a 2x10 to put on top of my 810 to use it for. I don't know if it would have made a huge difference, but it may have.

bring the noise · #12 08-06-2011, 02:00 PM

Will the 800rb drive that 810 well?

lokikallas · #13 08-06-2011, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bring the noise

Will the 800rb drive that 810 well?

It's not the most beefy amp ever, but it certainly does the job. 300w into an 810 a very common back line. I ended up switching to the ampeg 3pro, to get another 150w for about the same price. Plus I just didn't dig the GK sound as much.

**B-string** · #14 08-06-2011, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IvanMike

Actually what it's doing is putting a teeny tiny signal into the top half. Try just running the highs into the top half and listen to that signal - sounds like it's coming over the telephone on speaker doesn't it? For the most part, you're gutting your signal by not sending the lows to all of the speakers.

That would all depend on where you set the crossover control on the 800RB. If you set it at 100Hz you get a lot of the spectrum. The 800RB is the only true Biamp G-K head. Other G-K heads use H.M.S. (Horn Management System)
800RBs High amp is 100 watts at 8 ohms min. HMS is 50 watts at 8 ohms, 75 watts at 4 ohms.

**B-string** · #15 08-06-2011, 03:16 PM

Oops the 2000RB was also a true biamp but not selectable from the front of the amp. The crossover control was on the rear panel on the 2000RB.

will33 · #16 08-06-2011, 06:00 PM

The 800rb makes good sense as a biamp rig. 100 watts is enough to push a midrange to quite good volume with 2 to 3 times that for lows. Problem is the 810 isn't designed for it. Best results are had by setting it to full range and plugging into the low outs.