Iam getting rid of my SWR,its just not cutting the mustard

[gary mitchell]

Iam getting rid of my SWR WorkingPro 700 head, it just doesn't have the bottom end Iam looking for. I sold my Aguilar GS210 and 18. Iam going to try to with all you guys help figure out away,to use my Schroeder 310212 and maybe add a cab but the Schroeder has 310s and 212s is rated 2100 watts at 4ohms, I don't care about a horn that much. I thought maybe using something like a Bass preamp pedal are rack and going into a stereo power amp of some kind,one side going to the Schroeder and one side going to a 15. I live in Texas and we are doing a lot of out door gigs,the 18 was just to slow and muddy for me I was using a Peavey Lowrider 1600 watt. Real cool for the people on the back row but you couldn't hear on stage that well. SO help me with some very cost effective ideas if you could please

[bgavin]

One cost-effective thing you can try is borrow/rent a different speaker cab.
I very much doubt the SWR has less "bottom" than any other electronics.

Lack of bottom is nearly always the cab.

[will33]

+1 on trying different cabs.

Also look through this thread. SWR Aural Enhancer Bypass

Not saying you have to mod your amp but the most telling thing is the before and after charts. You're working with the "before" voicing. Takes a lot of the meat and potatoes out of the sound. You can use a healthy 200-300hz boost on your eq to help correct for that. I do on my SM400, it helps it sound stronger/fatter than you think of the "swr sound".

Also note that the enhancer knob is just a gain boost up to 11:00 - noon on the dial, it doesn't turn into a "mid-suck" effect until 12:00 so turn it up to 11 or so, if you have it higher than that, back it down and get some mids back.

Things to try and yes, play it through some different cabs before you sell it. That can have a big effect on the sound.

[yamaha]

I agreee with bgavin, SWR in general are quite warm & rich in the bottom. The workingman's series might have been a touch shy there, but with just a little EQ, all was good. The workingpro (especially the 700) has a lot of low end. However, my limited experience with Schroeder (1210) left me thinking, huge punch from such a tiny cab, but not much warm lows.

[zillo]

Showing my ignorance here, but that SWR / Aquilar rig sounds pretty killer, as does that Schroeder cab if that was used with the SWR head. It seems like either of those would be a ridiculously loud and solid sound. Maybe the gear isn't the problem, but something else in the chain....maybe the mix, maybe pedals?

[will33]

Originally Posted by zillo

Maybe the gear isn't the problem, but something else in the chain....maybe the mix, maybe pedals?

Good point there too. I would add that playing outdoors is a different animal. Actually, you get to hear what your rig really sounds like and it's usually, weaker, smaller, more distant than what you're used to hearing indoors where the sound is contained, reflected, cancelled and enhanced at the same time and God only knows what else.

Sometimes it works to boost lowmids to get a fuller sound where the speakers can actually put it out at volume and dial out deep lows to not waste power on stuff that's not going to add much overall volume. A side benefit is you getting out of the way of your drummer's kick so the 2 of you sound better as a unit.

[gary mitchell]

I don't use any pedals, and vie tried on different cab combos 410s and 15s,210 and 15 my last one was a Aguilar 210 and the Peavey LowRider 18. I forgot on schroeder 310212. Just not there. A guy at the Bass Emp. in Austin told me the lower end SWR just didn't quite have it. I cant afford a SM 900 right now. So thats why Iam thinking of a bass preamp and a stereo power amp, like maybe a Sansamp one side of the amp to the 310212 and one side to a 15 maybe. I don't care either way if I have a horn, never use one. My brother called me from K.C. and told me to try something called a Line 6 750 HD head never seen one know nothing about them do any of you guys.

[bgavin]

When you don't have PA support, playing outside requires all the cabs you can bring,
Plan on a 4:1 speaker ratio compared to your guitar player.
This will get your SPL level up similar to his.

If he plays a 2x12, you bring 8x12 or equivalent.
For a half or full stack, you bring a herd of bass horns and tops.
If you cannot match his SPL level, he will bury you. They don't have sense enough to turn down...

For example, my daughter plays a JCM-800 Marshall half-stack (4x12).
This paltry 50 watts can injure small animals and children.
And this is old 1985 technology. The new stuff is even more brutal.

By the specs, your WP700 can deliver about 53 volts, or 700w into 4 ohms.
Connected to a pair of 3015LF-based boxes (fEarful, O15, etc), this will produce a lot of noise.

As noted above, disable all the tone controls, etc. They might be cutting the power from your signal.

[yamaha]

''A guy at the Bass Emp. in Austin told me the lower end SWR just didn't quite have it.''

We're not talking LA series here. IMHO Workingpro series is just as good an amp as any of the mid-high lines out there. Improvement over the workingman's for certain, and they we're pretty decent to start off with. Workingpro SPEAKERS and CABS are somewhat so-so though.

Line 6 is definately NOT an upscale model to your Workingpro. Again IMHO.

[Ronny49]

You can find an SWR SM 900 on ebay for around $500-600. I'm sure you will spend more than that for a good pre and power amp!

The SWR SM 900 is a BEAST! It will make your house cave in if it isn't built sturdy enough!!
But as others have stated above, the cab has a lot to do with it also.

I own an SM 400 right now which is 500 watts RMS and is very loud and LOW. You can find these going on ebay right now for around $300 and I LOVE mine!

The SM 400 was SWR's premier amp back in the early 90's when SWR was really SWR. ALL SM 400's are the real thing.

Good Luck!

[Rockmusician]

I tried some SWRs in the store and was never able to dial in the sound that I was looking for. I like GK, EBS and Eden

[Ronny49]

Originally Posted by Rockmusician

I tried some SWRs in the store and was never able to dial in the sound that I was looking for. I like GK, EBS and Eden

Well, I have played through an EBS 350 and really didn't see much difference from SWR.
GK and Eden... not my cup of tea. So, the old saying goes... different strokes for different folks.

[chadds]

Bass 750 Redhead pre with mono watts. Brings it too. You gotta leave those tone controls alone and keep the AE below 11 if at all.

[Downunderwonder]

Speakers lack bottom end, not amps.

[Kenner]

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

Speakers lack bottom end, not amps.

+ 1

[chadds]

Schroeders have pronounced mids which gives them their apparent loudness. Just my opinion but the pro series of SWR is great gear. Try a head and cab together. All of this gear is reasonably priced on the barely used/nused market.

Without preconceptions just go play a bunch of gear.