I feel like my amp should be louder...

Andrew311 · #1 05-25-2010, 01:46 PM

Hey all. I recently bought an SWR Bass 750 and a Goliath Sr 610. It sounds great but I'm a bit confused at practice.

Now I can hear myself, that's no problem, but it seems like I have my amp up WAY too far for how loud I am. The drummer is playing Pearl Reference without any monitors and the guitarist is playing a Les Paul in to a Marshall JCM2000 DSL and a Mesa 212.

My main competition here is the Marshall. I'm sure tubes vs solid state is gonna show up any second now but it just doesn't seem like his 100 watt amp in to 2 12's with the volume at 4 should be louder and more powerful than my 750 watt amp in to 6 10's almost maxed.

(^^Is jealous that the guitarist's E shakes the house just as much, if not more than, his own E^^)

73jbass · #2 05-25-2010, 01:49 PM

I always though SWR amps were underpowered. I prefer the 10 to 1 formula. for every watt of guitar amp,I match it with 10 watts of bass. Might want to tweak the eq settings,specifically mids so you can hear yourself better without the added volume.

Mr. Foxen · #3 05-25-2010, 01:57 PM

It was touched upon on another thread that SWR amps pass a lot more lows than most bass amps, which eats a lot of power that you can't hear. Dunno what the eq is like, but if you can pull down stuff below 50hz you'll probably benefit.

rpsands · #4 05-25-2010, 02:15 PM

Thumpinator!

georgestrings · #5 05-25-2010, 03:51 PM

It's gotta be the amp - I use a 700rb-II thru a Goliath Sr in a loud 2 guitar band, and that setup cranks...

- georgestrings

georgestrings · #6 05-25-2010, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Foxen

It was touched upon on another thread that SWR amps pass a lot more lows than most bass amps, which eats a lot of power that you can't hear. Dunno what the eq is like, but if you can pull down stuff below 50hz you'll probably benefit.

Funny thing is, my 700rb-II gets massive lows and is way loud with the same cab...

- georgestrings

Bob Lee (QSC) · #7 05-25-2010, 04:24 PM

Can you turn your bass up louder?

rpsands · #8 05-25-2010, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgestrings

Funny thing is, my 700rb-II gets massive lows and is way loud with the same cab...

- georgestrings

You're missing the point. The 700 RB II has probably a 35~ish hz high pass filter. The SWR amps have somewhere around 20hz.

So tons of mucky crap on bottom comes through and is amplified, eating your watts and speaker displacement.

Rick Auricchio · #9 05-25-2010, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew311

...it just doesn't seem like his 100 watt amp in to 2 12's with the volume at 4 should be louder and more powerful than my 750 watt amp in to 6 10's almost maxed.

Of course it will, because your ears are more than ten times more sensitive in the upper mids where the guitar is. There is no way around this.

Until you begin losing your hearing, at which point you can't understand speech any more. At that point, the top end is nicely attenuated. All the time.

Use earplugs.

craig.p · #10 05-25-2010, 08:10 PM

It also doesn't help that the -3dB point for that cab is 55 Hz. This is a ported cab, so do the cones unload/flap below the cutoff? I assume they do -- somewhere. If so, where? So I agree -- cut back on the bass on the amp (and on your bass, too, if it has a preamp w/ a bass boost). Also if that amp has Subwave and/or the Turbo function, don't use them.

Munjibunga · #11 05-25-2010, 08:11 PM

How many amp circuit are you guys plugged into? My band practices at an older house, and we're on a 15-amp circuit. The lead guitarist and I are in a constant struggle for our share of the current and, if I crank up my amp, is sucks power away from him. I like it.

megadan · #12 05-25-2010, 08:15 PM

I agree that the SWR is probably to 'blame' here, that cab with one of many common amps should have no problems through that.

Play a rock oriented amp like a GK or a Mesa and tell me it's not loud enough.

Hi pass the amp or try a different head! I always found them shy in the mids anyway.

**B-string** · #13 05-25-2010, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

How many amp circuit are you guys plugged into? My band practices at an older house, and we're on a 15-amp circuit. The lead guitarist and I are in a constant struggle for our share of the current and, if I crank up my amp, is sucks power away from him. I like it.

^ YES I like hearing the guitard complain about the pilot lamp diming on his Marshall. I just grin at him!

Growly Lytes · #14 05-25-2010, 10:49 PM

I had the same problem.The guitarist in the band has a JCM 800 which is 100watts of valve power into his JCM 900 cab.I used a Fender TB-600 which is 600watts & my 2-410 cabs are rated @ 800watts & 8ohm each.I couldnt compete with the JCM it was just way louder but when i got my new amp which put out 900watts a side @ 8ohm it made the world of difference.
Now i had to turn down the main level a little or tone down the bass eq so i didnt drown him.

JimmyM · #15 05-25-2010, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew311

Hey all. I recently bought an SWR Bass 750 and a Goliath Sr 610. It sounds great but I'm a bit confused at practice.

Now I can hear myself, that's no problem, but it seems like I have my amp up WAY too far for how loud I am. The drummer is playing Pearl Reference without any monitors and the guitarist is playing a Les Paul in to a Marshall JCM2000 DSL and a Mesa 212.

My main competition here is the Marshall. I'm sure tubes vs solid state is gonna show up any second now but it just doesn't seem like his 100 watt amp in to 2 12's with the volume at 4 should be louder and more powerful than my 750 watt amp in to 6 10's almost maxed.

(^^Is jealous that the guitarist's E shakes the house just as much, if not more than, his own E^^)

wow, and bowzer complains if i turn up my b-15 up past halfway.

fast slapper · #16 05-26-2010, 12:19 AM

Turn down the bass, and crank the low mids. You'll get a lot more usable volume. I've heard this setup many times. It has plenty of power.

phatbass · #17 05-26-2010, 12:31 AM

Does this amp have a built in compressor? If so how is it set?

aledeville · #18 05-26-2010, 12:45 AM

How do you know that your amp is almost maxed? Did it tell you?
Sometimes you can't just "read" the master volume and then decide that you need 60 percent of the amp-power just because your at the six out of ten.

The SWR really have a lot of bass (deeeep bass). The aural enhancer is (IMHO) really kills the sound.
What bass do you play?

Growly Lytes · #19 05-26-2010, 01:05 AM

Well Yes The BXR-200 & TB-600 Did Tell Me, they said they cant handle it in bass terms !! My new amp doesnt talk much it would rather rumble the ground, doesnt break a sweat when pushed.

pnut166 · #20 05-26-2010, 01:19 AM

i have recently experienced the same thing. I bought my first big amp; all I ever played through in the past were small - med size combos. I most recently have a 150 W combo, and just got a 800W power amp + preamp, and a 410 and 210 cabs. I am really underwhelmed with the rig. It really doesn`t seem much louder than the combo. At least, in my jam room. Both amps will rattle and buzz the room, and the only real difference I see between the two is that the big one just does a better job of this; aurally it doesn`t seem much louder. I wondered if it`s just because it`s a small room ie: would the big amp fill a bigger space with loudness better than the combo. The big amp may not sound louder, it just "feels" more powerful. Instead of just rattling my basement the way my combo does, it rattles my house two floors up, but they really sound similar in loudness. Does any of this make sense to anybody ? I`m definitely gonna play with the EQ settings as some recommended above; in fact, the guy I bought the rig from said he preferred to push the mids in a sort of reverse-scooped pattern. I tried it, but didn`t really like it. I`m used to the mildly scooped sound, maybe because I always used underpowered combos ?