GK and Ohms and Watts and Whatnot?

[Joe Nerve]

HELP!!!!???

I found my holy grail. It's an NV610 w a carvin BX500.

I don't always want to lug that around though so I've been considering the GK MB210. Figured I could add a 15 to it if I want and have 2 awesome rigs. Then it occurred to me... if I buy one of the new little GK 15 cabs, I can use my BX500 (or a backline 600 I also have and love) w it for small gigs, add it to the NV610 for big gigs, and then later buy another 2X10s or the combo and have craploads of amps and combos... since I like buying stuff anyhow.

The main question:

The GK cab comes in 4ohms 200 watts, or 8 ohms 400 watts. The NV610 is a 4 ohm cab. The BX500 is 500 watts at 4 ohms (I'm not sure what at 8 ohms), and has a 2 ohm switch.

To keep it simple... what the hell do I do here? And why.

4 ohms, 200 watts? 8 ohms, 400 watts?

My guess is 8 ohms at 400, but I'm not too sure what happens with the head if I split the 4 ohm and and 8 ohm speaker - and click the 2 ohm switch. I don't like the smell of smoke. And I've smelled it before.

[RickenBoogie]

I wouldn't combine a 410 and 610, for several reasons, but smells like you want the 8 ohm version anyway, and then you're done. 410 and a 15 isn't a good combo, but 210/15 is. Got GAS??

[paganjack]

If you split an 8 ohm and 4 ohm speaker, you get a total load of about 2.67 ohms. More power will go to the 4 ohm cab. With a SS power section that has a minimum load of 2 ohms, you should be OK.
That said, I'm not familiar with that amp's behavior, but I would think it would be fine. I don't know why you'd want to run the NV610 with a 15" speaker though- I can't imagine too many situations (outside of noise/doom) where you'd need more than the berg.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by paganjack

If you split an 8 ohm and 4 ohm speaker, you get a total load of about 2.67 ohms. More power will go to the 4 ohm cab. With a SS power section that has a minimum load of 2 ohms, you should be OK.
That said, I'm not familiar with that amp's behavior, but I would think it would be fine. I don't know why you'd want to run the NV610 with a 15" speaker though- I can't imagine too many situations (outside of noise/doom) where you'd need more than the berg.

+1. adding a 115 to a 610 is not a good move. doubtful you'll even be able to tell the 115 is on, and it's more liable to screw up your 610 than improve on it.

the rest of your dilemma i don't know because i have no experience with the carvin.

[Joe Nerve]

Originally Posted by paganjack

I don't know why you'd want to run the NV610 with a 15" speaker though- I can't imagine too many situations (outside of noise/doom) where you'd need more than the berg.

I probably wouldn't... but just in case it'd be nice to know I could.

I actually wouldn't mind more power going to the 6X10 than the 15.

Not sure what makes RB say a 4X10 and 1X15 isn't a good combination? It's my favorite combination, but not anything I'd ever want to lug around. It also wasnt mentioned in my options unless there's a typo I missed. Lot of words and numbers there thought so I can understand the confusion.

[Joe Nerve]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

+1. adding a 115 to a 610 is not a good move. doubtful you'll even be able to tell the 115 is on, and it's more liable to screw up your 610 than improve on it.
.

I was concerned that that might be a possibility. :/ Perhaps I'll just ixnay the idea of ever adding it to the berg.

my next question then is...

why would anyone choose the 4 ohm at 200 watts as opposed to the 8 ohm at 400. what are the advantages to the the 4 ohm when most heads put out more wattage at 4 ohm than that anhow. more wattage than that at 8 ohms too. what's the point?

[JimmyM]

joe nerve, i just checked out gk's 115 lines. the 200w/4 ohm deal is a combo, and the amp runs at 200w/4 ohms so they can use a smaller head and get the overall weight (and price) down. all the good standalone cabs are 400w/8 ohm cabs.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

Not sure what makes RB say a 4X10 and 1X15 isn't a good combination? It's my favorite combination, but not anything I'd ever want to lug around.

part of it is because the same reason a 610 and 115 isn't a good combination...volume imbalance. not as pronounced with a 410, but the 410 will get twice as loud at the same wattage and will handle more power. also, most 410's go as low as most 115's, so there's no low end benefit. but i think the most significant problem with it is it introduces possible phasing issues where some notes will be very loud and some notes can just plain disappear from the mix. granted, there's not always noticeable phasing, but using matching cabs guarantees there won't be any phasing issues whereas it's a crapshoot otherwise.

plus, on a more personal level, i just don't like the sound of a mixed rig and have never played one that i liked. i know lots of folks use them, including some of the top players out there, but they're just not for me and never have been, and now that i know audio science provides concrete reasons why i don't like them, i like them even less

[JimmyM]

btw, i just checked out that vid you did with bumblefoot from gnr...absolutely great!

[RickenBoogie]

Yeah, my brain is old and wrinkled, and i go all dyslexic with the numbers. A 610/15 is what would be relevant here, but I get so used to saying 410/15, 'cause so many people ask if adding a 15 to their 410 will get them more low end, (which it won't), and I just went with it. Still, an 8 ohm 410 makes sense, because on it's own, it a formidable speaker array, and can be added to with another 8 ohm cab. A 4 ohm *anything* only makes sense if it's a standalone cab, even though your amp will do 2 ohms, most won't. And we all know, no one sticks with the same amp forever, not even Jimmy- even though he has been very faithful to his vintage SVT and B15.

[JimmyM]

now if you wanna do the big mixed rig right, use separate amps and keep like cabs together. then you can cop non-phasing tones that do different things and sound good together. with one amp both cabs get the same signal unless you have separate eq for both.