is it just me... (amp wattage content)

[NYCbassist]

Philvanv, Here's the link. Good luck. I hope this helps.
Electro Voice ELX112p My next bass amp

[WhoDidTheElf]

I play in my bedroom through a Mesa 400+ and an ampeg 810.

I play with my master around 7.5-8 depending on how much crunch I want. But my gain is hovering around sub 1. Keeping the volume in check.

There is no set up I've ever played that sounds like it. That's why I play it. Sure at gigs it's overkill for what's needed. But I can get the sounds I want by messing around with the gain structures And still not blow the crowds ears out. It doesn't really matter to me that I'll never really be able to dime the master and gain at once but I'm still in love with the tone

[RadioactiveGuy4]

It all depends on my tonal needs as to what rig I bring and what type of PA support I have. I can truly say that i have only needed 8x10's once and that was when i was playing and outdoor show with no PA support. Most of the time I run with my favorite 4x10 cab because i love the tone I get from it. I am looking to make the Preamp and separate power amp because then i have enough power to run any size venue

[Downunderwonder]

Originally Posted by philvanv

Okay so I was using a SUNN coliseum for many yrs. I recently down sized because I thoughtI was finished playing except in the house. So I found a nice, perfectly priced SUNN stage 115 combo. 50 +watts, 4ohm with a 15" speaker. Well apparently I'm going to be back playing with so old friends that still play at clubs etc. I've never had to worry about sound. I think it's time to worry, maybe not. My question, is there a way to get a little boost in sound by adding ? something to the combo?

You would have been better to have started your own thread.

Your amp could be loud enough for oldies to rock out under control and hopefully you have PA for when it's louder than that. JimmyM does this all the time. I tried a 50W amp and couldn't get enough clean in a big jazz band outdoors.

Maybe your amp has a transformer line out? If not a speaker DI like a Countryman is your best option.

Unfortunately, adding a little bit of PA support or another bit of rig is bound to give a muddied tone in the house. The same argument against mixing cabs, but also you have a big problem with time alignment with the PA being impossible.

Ideally your band would be fully equipped with PA, someone to run it, and no silly old deaf dudes with tube guitar stacks cranked up to "get their tone".

[Warmuth]

I'm pretty inexperienced but I do know that I love and crave headroom. I just do. We run everything through the p.a. so I don't need much power at all technically. However, my rig looks bitchin and lugging a bit of gear doesn't bother me. Do I need 750 watts and 4 12" speakers? No, not at all. Do I want them, yes, yes I do. Overkill is fun as long as the overall package is respected.

[philvanv]

Hey thanks NYCBassist sounds promising....This form is pretty badass...

[NYCbassist]

Originally Posted by philvanv

Hey thanks NYCBassist sounds promising....This form is pretty badass...

You are welcome. There's tons of options but that sounded pretty cool to me.

[obimark]

The real question is how bad is their hearing currently, and how deaf will they be within 6 months.
Your ears aren't made to be subjected to those kind of volumes, neither from your bass or guitards, or "pounder" metal drummers. 1000 watts is WAY, WAY too loud period. Now if you have a 1000 watt amp head and oyu never put it past 3 I guess I can understand, but if you are putting that thing at 8-9 you either are DEAF or you will be making others deaf. (THis inlcudes even if you are wearing ear plugs)
No Thank you! if I need more than 300-500 watts to be heard not the band for me, at all.
If we are playing a huge place by some miracle, they better have PA.
Professionals do not have super high stage volumes, because they want to keep there most valuable tool, their ears. (other than your hands)

[1958Bassman]

One thing that strikes me after reading so many threads and posts about rigs capable of many hundreds of Watts not being loud enough, blown drivers/amps from abuse, damaged hearing, annoyed crowds, trying to out-do band members and trying to use one rig for everything from playing in a tiny club to large outdoor festivals is that a lot of people need to learn about how sound works, how we hear and the difference in what they think they need and what they DO need. Low power can sound loud if it's set up correctly and high power can sound wimpy if set up wrong. It's a matter of emphasizing/cutting the frequencies that are heard most easily, not boosting what we can't. If more low end is needed, dropping the mids will make the low end more audible, without making it louder. It's the apparent volume, not the SPL that makes something come through the mix. If you have a loud drummer AND two loud guitars, AND a keyboard player and/or screaming singers, the bass will either need to be so loud that it will be heard in the next state or the equalization will have to be adjusted so they're not competing for the same bandwidth. This example is one where everyone is bunched up in the mid-range and the problem with that is, human hearing is most sensitive in the mid-range. That means two guitars playing through 20W amps, drums, keys and singer will sound loud without trying if they're playing in a small to medium-sized club. Add good-sounding bass and it sounds even louder because the bass adds impact to everything- without that, the sound is just "blaring". This problem is easy to see in bands who are constantly fiddling with their controls and having a volume war every time they play, whether in rehearsal or onstage. The ones who "get it" know how to get the sound without messing around while they should be playing and if they have a decent sound guy, even better. Low stage volume works much better for getting a good FOH mix, anyway. People need to know when it's time to be loud and when to turn down but it seems that nobody wants to turn down because they think it's like backing down from a fight. These people have lost sight of the fact that they're in a band, which is supposed to have a common direction and goal, rather than have a public musical argument.

Another thing about the equipment failures I read about- people need to know the limits of their gear and, how it fits into their physical surroundings and how to make it work in the event that they bring too much or too little to the gig. An outdoor venue means the sound will leave the stage/FOH speakers and a lot of it won't be coming back in the form of reflections. In a small club, most of what is heard is nothing BUT reflections and when the band is already loud, it makes for a long, noisy gig with lots of audio problems and level imbalances. One loud guy when the mix is already loud means nothing will sound good-turning up the overall level is just going to piss people off, thin the crowd and make everybody's ears hurt. If a band knows what they're doing and has no problem with trying to get the sound right, when a guitar amp isn't loud enough and there's no way a louder one/additional amps can't be there in time, it can be mic'd & sent through the PA to add a bit of level without screwing up everything. If the bass amp isn't loud enough, running it through a small PA is likely to really screw it up. In that case, it would be better to drop the level to that of the bass rig. Much better to have a good gig at a tolerable level than A) not be able to hear the bass, B) crank the snot out of the bass rig and blow it up in the middle of the gig, C) point fingers at the bass player for not being loud enough or D) not have a good gig because of multiple problems caused by people not wanting to back the eff down.

Ever been to a great gig that wasn't really loud? It's kind of nice. Sometimes, the only reason some bands play so loud is that they don't have much to say and, rather than listen and pay attention to the band, people would rather talk while the band plays. I have been to many gigs where people left, rather than put up with excessive volume & a bad mix but I don't think I have ever seen people leave a good gig that was a bit on the quiet side. Also, I have been to gigs that were incredibly loud, but also clean, articulate, balanced and sounded unlike most others because of this. Most of the time, bands get someone they know to work the board, even if that person knows nothing about sound. They spend the whole night frantically trying to fix feedback, make someone heard when the time for their solo comes and makes things worse by using more volume to correct every problem.

[swspiers]

Originally Posted by poorbassist15

There is no why in Rigs of Doom, only I can and I will.

nice!