Ampeg SVT 3 Pro and Hartke XL410, what else do I need?

[Benzineitor]

Hello people!!

I am new to the forum so this is my first topic!!!

I own an Ampeg SVT 3 pro and I'm using a Hartke 410 XL cabinet.

I have some questions that I want you to help me with...

First: I think I am running the SVT at 8 ohm (275 watts)
but in the owner's manual it says that it can handle a power rate of 450 watts at 4 ohm

Now the Hartke 410 XL has a power handling of 400 Watts @ 8 Ohms.

How am i able to handle the 450 watts?

With another Hartke XL 410?s?
or maybe another cabinet of less power?

Second: How I am supossed to connect the 2 cabinets?

I know there are two kind of connections:

in parallel
in series

Which one is the best?

Thanks a lots folks, this is my first thread in Talk Bass!!!

[JimmyM]

To get 450w out of the 3 Pro you will need to hook up a second 8 ohm cab, preferably a matching cab. Do not get hung up on power handling specs on cabs...you don't need to "match" power handling to power, except your cabs should be able to handle more power than your head puts out.

Just about all heads and cabs are sold with parallel wired speaker jacks. The 3 Pro and XL cab definitely do. You can either plug separate speaker cables from the head's speaker outs into each cab, or you can "daisy chain" one cab out of another...there's no difference whatsoever. And of course:

USE SPEAKER CABLES FOR ALL SPEAKER TO HEAD CONNECTIONS!!!

[blackba]

I also have an Ampeg SVT3pro, if you do a search this amp gets discussed pretty often.

To try to answer your questions. The SVT3pro puts out 275Watts into 8ohms and 450Watts into 4ohms. Since you have an 8ohm cab, you are running 275Watts into that 410 8ohm cab. If you want to get the full power out of the SVT3pro, you either have to add another 410 8ohm cab (cool) or get a 4ohm cab and sell your current cab.

Also for the clip light, don't worry if it lights up, you want it lighting up alot when you are playing. Engaging the EQ there is a level slider, so you can use that too to get more power out of the amp.

For the speaker cables you want to run the cabs in parallel and use speak-on connectors on your speaker if possible (cab may not have them).

[Benzineitor]

Wow that was very fast !!!!!!

Thanks a lot for your quick answers.....

Though there comes another question:

Is there a speaker cable with an SPEAK-ON connector on one side and in the other side a PLUG connector?

Thanks again.

[BassmanPaul]

Blackba -

Man every time I see your username my mind interprets it as :Black Bra"! I must be a dirty old fart!!!

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by Benzineitor

Is there a speaker cable with an SPEAK-ON connector on one side and in the other side a PLUG connector?

Thanks again.

Yes but you might be better served if you retrofitted a speakon into your cabinet. It's a simple thing to do.

[Benzineitor]

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

Yes but you might be better served if you retrofitted a speakon into your cabinet. It's a simple thing to do.

Thanks it seems its the best thing to do...

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

Yes but you might be better served if you retrofitted a speakon into your cabinet. It's a simple thing to do.

It is if you know how to do it...not so much if you don't You really don't need speakons till you get over 500w. Speakons are better, but all my stuff uses 1/4" and I've yet to have any mishaps.

[RickenBoogie]

+1 1/4" jacks are just fine, so long as you don't mix up the instrument cables with the speaker cables.