newb-ish question i'm ashamed to ask

willg95 · #1 08-25-2010, 03:46 PM

okay. long story short. i have been gigging with a bassman 250 2 10" speakers and it's been great. but now we're getting into bigger shows and this little guy isn't quite cutting the lows in the bigger rooms. a friend of mine in the band said i should hook up a 15" cab to fill out the lows for live shows since we don't have a good PA system to support my amp. but i don't know if it will split the power evenly between the bassman's speakers and the other cab or if it will just power the extension cab and cut off the amp's speakers like my combo guitar amp does. anybody know what my amp does? the owner's manual didn't explain jack. i'm thinking it does split the power evenly between the 2. given i get a cab with the correct amount of ohms.

please help. i feel stupid for asking this and i couldn't really find anything in the search.

thanks in advance

JimmyM · #2 08-25-2010, 03:55 PM

it will split the power evenly between the two, but unfortunately if you add another cab, it will cut the power down. your combo operates at 4 ohms, which makes it 250w. add another 4 ohm cab and it will reduce the power to about 150w or so. add another 8 ohm cab and it will reduce it even further.

Gintaras · #3 08-25-2010, 03:55 PM

is this your model....if so then it seems to say that you have to unplug the internal speakers to use the external.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item-...45700-010-LIST
here is what it says:
Rear Panel Controls:
Speaker Out (4 Ohm min, full power internal, unplug internal cable for use with external cabinet)

JimmyM · #4 08-25-2010, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gintaras

is this your model....if so then it seems to say that you have to unplug the internal speakers to use the external.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item-...45700-010-LIST
here is what it says:
Rear Panel Controls:
Speaker Out (4 Ohm min, full power internal, unplug internal cable for use with external cabinet)

really? well bearing that in mind, i wouldn't even bother. i'd just use it as is or get a whole new rig.

buddyro57 · #5 08-25-2010, 04:05 PM

I had very much the same problem once a few years back. I had a 1/15 Peavy combo. I needed more power and the ext. speaker route was not an option. I ended up buying another small combo, got a good deal on it (ended up paying just a bit more than if I had purchased a new cab). I had twice the power, lots more flexibility with tone controls and set-up options. I used stereo outs on my chorus pedal to split the signal but there are plenty of other ways to do that (even a "Y" cord). Also, you would have a "modular" rig, only take the 2/10 to a rehearsal, or smaller gig.

If you could find a used 1/15 combo and run it in tandem with your 2/10s.....it might just get the job done.
JS

billfitzmaurice · #6 08-25-2010, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gintaras

is this your model....if so then it seems to say that you have to unplug the internal speakers to use the external.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item-...45700-010-LIST
here is what it says:
Rear Panel Controls:
Speaker Out (4 Ohm min, full power internal, unplug internal cable for use with external cabinet)

If that's the case an extension speaker isn't going to help. You need an amp that can drive a pair of 4 ohm cabs, time to go shopping.

cassanova · #7 08-25-2010, 04:08 PM

If you have a PA just use the line out to run to the FOH. You'll still be pumping out bottom end that way.

willg95 · #8 08-25-2010, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

it will split the power evenly between the two, but unfortunately if you add another cab, it will cut the power down. your combo operates at 4 ohms, which makes it 250w. add another 4 ohm cab and it will reduce the power to about 150w or so. add another 8 ohm cab and it will reduce it even further.

wait. is that really true or not?

JimmyM · #9 08-25-2010, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willg95

wait. is that really true or not?

it would have been true if your combo actually allowed you to add an extension cab. but apparently you can only use the combo cab or an extension, not both.

willg95 · #10 08-25-2010, 04:50 PM

well it has 2 ports in the back. 1 taken up by the speakers that are in it. and an empty one that says 4ohm min total power.

mid_life_crisis · #11 08-25-2010, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willg95

wait. is that really true or not?

I don't know the specifics of bass cabinets, but with speakers in general it would depend on the wiring. Assume for the discussion that both speakers are 4 ohm. If the additional speaker is in parallel with the original, then the impedance seen by the amp would be cut in half, which would increase current output, thereby increasing the output power, assuming (a big, important assumption) that the amp can deliver the required current. If the additional speakers are wired in series, then the impedance would be 8 ohms, reducing the current and total power output.

MikeM · #12 08-25-2010, 04:55 PM

That would be true if the extension cab was wired in series. I have never seen that. Normally the extension cab is in parallel and has to be the same impedance as the internal speakers.

In that case the normal thing would be 300w without extension cab and usually about 450w with the cab added.

It seems like a lot of combos these days are being made so that you cannot add a second cab......

JimmyM · #13 08-25-2010, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeM

That would be true if the extension cab was wired in series. I have never seen that. Normally the extension cab is in parallel and has to be the same impedance as the internal speakers.

In that case the normal thing would be 300w without extension cab and usually about 450w with the cab added.

It seems like a lot of combos these days are being made so that you cannot add a second cab......

right. they do that so they can keep the amps smaller and cheaper.

willg95 · #14 08-25-2010, 05:05 PM

so basically. you guys think i should just abandon the extension cab idea and look into a PA system?

JimmyM · #15 08-25-2010, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willg95

so basically. you guys think i should just abandon the extension cab idea and look into a PA system?

a pa system will be about $4000-5000 on the low end for one that can handle bass in a small-medium club, so no, i'd just look for a bigger amp.

willg95 · #16 08-25-2010, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

a pa system will be about $4000-5000 on the low end for one that can handle bass in a small-medium club, so no, i'd just look for a bigger amp.

well we have a system. our speakers are really only good for the vocals and bass drum. if we throw the bass in it, it sounds like crap. so probably new PA speakers. they'd probably help contribute to that. it's a reggae band. so i'm pretty important.

willg95 · #17 08-25-2010, 05:29 PM

and by "they'd" i meant the rest of the band. would any of you recommend that or should i still get a new setup?

JimmyM · #18 08-25-2010, 05:42 PM

with a reggae band, a nice powerful sub would almost be a necessity, i would think. tough question to answer which is more important to you, but for the band as a whole, it would be a good idea.

willg95 · #19 08-25-2010, 05:49 PM

well thanks everyone! especially jimmym. i'm going to suggest going that route with the band. i'm not very selfish about it and i just want us to sound good live. so thanks everyone for your prompt replies

shakerattleroll · #20 08-25-2010, 08:58 PM

Mmm, if the PA sounds fine w/o you, why mess with it.

You of course could change your speaker set up, but then you'd probably want bigger, more powerful amps. You would need them to help with the increased amount of bass that's going through the system, which will soak up a ton of power, especially if you're pushing a lot of low end.

So, why not search used and upgrade your amplification, at least to a 4x10, 2x15, or 810, and get a nice head to go along with it? That would be my suggestion.