Help me make my sound!

[kirby911]

All right dudes. So I'm a guitarist playing bass in a ****** hardcore band and I need to figure out how to fix my sound and get the sound I need. I don't know anything about bass, bass amps, cabinets, or Ohms but here's what I have presently...

Schecter Studio 4 bass


Ashdown ABM RPM-1 EVO II Preamp


Using a GK Backline 600 as a poweramp


Into a Acoustic B115


The sound I'm going for is something fairly treble-y, so it has to be punchy, but I don't want to sacrifice too much low end. We're trying to be "heavy" after all. If you've ever heard the bass in the band Deez Nuts, that's ideally what I'm trying to approximate. The problem I'm having is not enough volume to maintain the tone I want and the sound getting pretty farty at higher volumes. My bandmates believe that I need to add a new cab which I'm inclined to agree with. What would be the best way to go? Another 1X15 or a 4X10? Something else entirely? I'm also wondering if I need to buy a real poweramp because my guitarist seems to be drowning me out which seems... wrong. So this is my story. Can I be helped? Thank you in advance for any ideas/advice you all can provide.

Edit: Other musical influences would be Ceremony, Trash Talk, Bracewar, Revenge, so forth...

[RickenBoogie]

If it's volume you want, it's more speakers you need. I'd dump the 15, and get a pair of 410's, or an 810 even. If you like the 15, 2 would be better, but in your case, 4-8 10's is the answer. And- never skimp on your speakers.

[BigOldHarry]

yep a 1x15" won't cut it. Not at all. You need to throw more air, simple as that. Get a couple of 4x10" and bigger head.

[wideyes]

Do you knowledgeable amp folks think the 300w Backline gives enough power for good volume with 4-8 10s?

[heath_r_91]

I think a 4x10 would do much better for what you're going for than a 1x15".

I think the 4-8x10 comment was saying you need somewhere between 4 and 8 ten inch speakers. Not 4 8x10 cabinets.

[interstatejoe]

Add a 4x10 and a bigger, dedicated power amp and see how that works out for you...I don't know anything about that Ashdown pre.

[muddycreek]

Beg/borrow/rent a pile of 10's and/or an additional 15, and try out some speaker combinations. One of them might float your boat. If not, even with a full 810 or 215 stack, then you might be looking at more power. Don't do them both at the same time, they might not be necessary. Don't be afraid to try with and without the Ashdown, again, either the Ashdown or the regular GK backline front end could be best for you.

Then get your volume with your volume knob instead of your right hand. The bottom end will likely fill out tremendously.

[M0ses]

Ok let's talk treble. We all know that the myth that 15s make more bass and tens make more treble is false. But here's where that myth comes from: the higher the frequency, the worse the off-axis sensitivity, and the larger the speaker, the worse off-axis higher frequencies. So though your fifteen may be putting out just as much treble as a ten, unless you are listening directly in front of it, you are missing a LOT of it. And very few people are going to be listening directly in front of your cab, and you probably never will. So, tens have better off-axis high frequency sensitivity, so it's going to sound more trebly to you and most of your audience.

In other words, go for the 4x10, unless you can get an 8x10. It'll be great.

Also, why not sell that GK and it's unused and unnecessary preamp and get a nicer poweramp?

[wideyes]

Originally Posted by M0ses

Also, why not sell that GK and it's unused and unnecessary preamp and get a nicer poweramp?

+1. Very good idea, you could probably some nice $$$ for that preamp especially.

EDIT: You might want to get another GK amp though. They're very clean and will probably sound how you want them to.

[Tim C.]

Make sure you're using strings that, you know, actually have any treble.

The Ashdown RPM-1 is a great preamp, has a ton of sounds. But it's really meant to power a stereo power amp-type of rig. You might consider putting it into the line input of the Backline to bypass the Backline's preamp section, and just use it as a power amp.

[Alex1984]

Originally Posted by wideyes

+1. Very good idea, you could probably some nice $$$ for that preamp especially.

EDIT: You might want to get another GK amp though. They're very clean and will probably sound how you want them to.

All the times I've tried GK's, I've gotten a growl that's quite characteristics of all the GK's that I've heard. Not that it's a bad thing, but IMHO, I don't think it's a "clean" sound.

Originally Posted by Tim C.

Make sure you're using strings that, you know, actually have any treble.

The Ashdown RPM-1 is a great preamp, has a ton of sounds. But it's really meant to power a stereo power amp-type of rig. You might consider putting it into the line input of the Backline to bypass the Backline's preamp section, and just use it as a power amp.

+1, I think preamps normally go into the line in/effects return in order to bypass the built-in preamp.

[kirby911]

Thank you guys for all your input! There is a new development. One of my bandmates apparently has a GK 810 GLX cab but it isn't working and he doesn't know what is wrong with it. His guess is a blown speaker or several... When we hooked it up we were only able to get sound out of one. Does anyone have any idea if it would be cost effective to fix this thing or maybe just forget the whole thing and look for a solid 4x10 instead. Regardless I think I'll go with a dedicated poweramp but if I was to fix the 8x10 it looks like its rated at 800W at 4 ohms. What type of poweramp would I need to match it to?

[suraj]

I would load new speakers into that 8x10..wil a 4x10 be enough for you? maybe, maybe not..But will the 8x10 be enough, hell yes..!!

Any amp should drive it. Even your GK, but you'd be better off buying a loud poweramp, and use your ashdown with it..

Sorted..!!