To my wits end /Ampeg problems - input requested - Page 2

ko stradivarius · #21 11-27-2012, 11:08 AM

Hit me up with the details of your gig. Im gigless this weekend and have some Ampeg cabs and a couple others. Im in St. Louis too.

Gearhead17 · #22 11-27-2012, 11:22 AM

The PR410hlf goes VERY LOW. You have to watch out with Ampeg amp heads - many times the neutral settings have a good amount of low end below 150hz boosted before you even turn a knob.

I am going to guess that you are asking too much from the PR410hlf. It's not a very loud cab since it tries to push a lot of low end. I suggest trying the Ampeg 810e with the 6PRO. That should do the trick. Or, get another identical PR410hlf.

danstefl · #23 11-27-2012, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gearhead17

The PR410hlf goes VERY LOW. You have to watch out with Ampeg amp heads - many times the neutral settings have a good amount of low end below 150hz boosted before you even turn a knob.

I am going to guess that you are asking too much from the PR410hlf. It's not a very loud cab since it tries to push a lot of low end. I suggest trying the Ampeg 810e with the 6PRO. That should do the trick. Or, get another identical PR410hlf.

I had played through a couple 8x10, and although I loved the boom it just didn't seem to have that clarity in the upper registers I was looking for. If this cab is toast I was going to look at possibly playing in the Mesa field for a cab - or just sell the head and change rigs all togther.

craig.p · #24 11-27-2012, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danstefl

The problem seems to also be with the cab and I'm baffeled how I could have a problem with the HEAD AND CAB at the same time. I'm getting only sound out of the horn of the cab, and it's crackly and extremely quiet. I get nothing out of the drivers. I opened the back panel and nothing is burnt and both fuses are intact.

I'm absolutley stumped on what it could be - and what culd have caused it.

Could be when the head went south it put out a few dozen volts DC and that fried all the drivers' voice coils.

If it were my cab I'd do a battery check on each driver separately, with the wires removed on the particular driver I'm testing at any given time. That way I'd know for sure what the status is on each driver. (Well, to the extent the voice coils aren't open, anyway -- and if they aren't, then they should make at least some sound.)

If the drivers respond individually to a battery test but they don't respond when they're all connected back up and you're doing a battery test at the cab's input connector, then I'd suspect a blown crossover. You could rewire the crossover out of the configuration altogether, i.e. wire up the cab as a basic 4x10.

Roadkill · #25 11-27-2012, 03:55 PM

It's not uncommon for a head to put out DC when it fails and fry all your low frequency drivers. The horn is protected against that by its crossover. Sorry, that sucks

.

Many newer heads and power amplifiers have "DC output protection" which should shut down the power supply fast enough to protect the drivers if the head fails - not guaranteed though, especially if you cab is rated at less watts than the head.

Gearhead17 · #26 11-27-2012, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danstefl

I had played through a couple 8x10, and although I loved the boom it just didn't seem to have that clarity in the upper registers I was looking for. If this cab is toast I was going to look at possibly playing in the Mesa field for a cab - or just sell the head and change rigs all togther.

Mesa's newer line of cabs have great upper register details. I totally see where you are coming from though. It's one of the reasons I sold my 810e. I owned two Mesa 410's. Great detail, low end content, and wonderful midrange.

Jerrold Tiers · #27 11-27-2012, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadkill

Many newer heads and power amplifiers have "DC output protection" which should shut down the power supply fast enough to protect the drivers if the head fails - not guaranteed though, especially if you cab is rated at less watts than the head.

The 6PRO, and the related 3PRO for some odd reason do NOT have DC protection, although they DO have a "DC corrector" circuit.......

Other than that. DC protection is fairly standard on most SLM Ampeg SS amps that have an output relay. The 4PRo, 5PRO, B1, B2, B4, B5, B500, BA500, all have DC protection, and so did the SVT-III.

That said, problems with equipment that has been bouncing in a trailer are not unknown..... I even know of a computer that had severe PC board component damage from being hauled cross-country in an 18 wheel trailer, let alone a simple band trailer.

Both the amp and the speaker were in the same trailer, right? So is it really that surprising?

BogeyBass · #28 11-28-2012, 12:09 PM

little late to the discussion
and sure its been covered well

But heads in a trailor dont work to well the will destroy amps
especially on tour and especially a ampeg.

sorry had alot of SVT problems from the trailor

just stick it in the tow vehicle with a heavy blanket or pad

and are drummer always had problems with his bass drum for some reason. it would either make it vibrate to loose or too tight and it was rather random and wierd.

so eventually we carried the bass drum and heads in the car and had no problems. but we did have to get my head repaired on the road which is a pain in the ### and very expensive

danstefl · #29 11-28-2012, 03:27 PM

It's blown drivers. The 3 original drivers are blown, the one I had reconed is fine *per the shop.

I was contacted by a member, that was really cool of him.

I'm looking at an option that may get me through the show Friday and Saturday then we are off for the rest of the year. The ONLY OPTION I can come up with is to check my old 4x10 4 ohm cab and see if there are any Eminemce drivers in it that ARENT blown. Thinking I could put the Eminence speakers in the Ampeg cab and turn it down - just to get through the show. I'll have FOH sound anyway so overbearing stage volume isn't needed, so to speak.

Will that mess more stuff up if the drivers aren't all equally rated on wattage, etc?

danstefl · #30 11-29-2012, 09:10 AM

Last night I was able to pull out the old cab and get the (3) eminence drivers out of it. I touched a fresh 9 volt battery to them and - nothing. To ensure I wasn't doing it incorrectly I pulled out an eminence speakers from my practice 2x10 that I know for a fact works - touched the bbattery - nothing. My only finding is I'm possibly a complete moron and did it wrong (not sure how) on ALL 3 speakers.

I'm taking the two "good" drivers (no tears, rips etc) in and will have the shop test them. This is my last opton before swallowing my pride and taking up the member who offered for help.

Ugh.

D

danstefl · #31 11-29-2012, 10:17 AM

The member that contacted me offering assistance practices in the same building as my band and is a few doors down. Talk about a small world!!!

ko stradivarius · #32 11-29-2012, 10:22 AM

Yeah. No kidding. At least I dont have to go far to get you a cab now!

danstefl · #33 11-29-2012, 02:18 PM

It's all blown.

PR410 is having the speakers reconed and then I'm putting it up for sale.

Tuned · #34 11-29-2012, 06:21 PM

Ampeg amps pound out deep low end, so you should never use more Ampeg amp than the RMS rating of the cab. What you need is a Traynor 8x10, 1600W RMS (for real), 4 ohms, more efficient than Ampegs too. You won't get more bang out of your amp for less.

Jerrold Tiers · #35 11-29-2012, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuned

Ampeg amps pound out deep low end, so you should never use more Ampeg amp than the RMS rating of the cab. What you need is a Traynor 8x10, 1600W RMS (for real), 4 ohms, more efficient than Ampegs too. You won't get more bang out of your amp for less.

You should be able to go to 2x amp vs cab without problems, unless you crank lows..... Nobody can get near the amp rating and stay at all "musical". We tested that at one point, and about 1/3 rated amp power was as good as we got as far as output power with "real music". With nearly pure thrash, almost 50%.