Soooooo dissapointing

Richbass101 · #1 09-07-2010, 03:19 PM

I've been playing bass for well over twenty years now. I thought it was time to get a new head for my rig. I was using the old Hartke 3500 ( bought new in '93 ) along with the SWR goliath 4x10 & son of bertha 1x15. I like the sound of the SWR cabs so I went out and bought the SWR 550x and what the hell. It has no power - none what so ever. I have to turn the volume up to 7 & you can barely hear it. It sounds great down low but it just has no power so I'm still using the old RELIABLE Hartke. It's funny ( not really ) how my hartke volume is normally around 2 sometimes 2 1/2 but any more & I'll be getting yelled at during practice lol. Just makes no sense for a head that is supposed to 550 watts @ 4 ohms isnt as loud or powerful as a head thats 350 watts @ 4 ohms. I think I'll have to try Mesa carbine 9 or the new Hartke kilo. I'm curious though has anyone else had this problem with the SWR heads?

Nurb · #2 09-07-2010, 03:27 PM

Are you sure it's not just a matter of how the controls work on the SWR? I mean, there are amps that give you full volume at 2 and not much increase past that, other may have more linear controls.

Richard Lindsey · #3 09-07-2010, 03:31 PM

Before you dump it, do you by any chance have the Aural Enhancer knob cranked? If you do, try backing it down. That might help (no guarantees, though).

pin_head_47 · #4 09-07-2010, 04:38 PM

SWR is kind of known for being underpowered. How are you running your EQ and other settings? Where are you setting the Gain at? With my pre-fender Bass 750 I like to keep the aural enhancer down (noon or less), the bass around noon, and push the gain until you're just short of clipping - i like the red light to juuuuust light up when I'm playing at my most aggressive (keep an eye on it, but it shouldn't hurt anything by any means). Using the bass boost will suck up alot of your power because it's set to such a low frequency, so don't push it. Also, the natural voice of an SWR amp isn't flat but has a good size dip around 200 hz, so if you boost that area with the variable mid, you'll get some of your volume back.

Problem is that if you follow some of these tips, it doesn't leave you alot of EQ'ing options left, so you might be kind of stuck at that point if you don't like how it sounds. Give it a try and let us know how it works for you.

There's some pretty good info about the SWR's sound and wiring at this thread here: SWR Aural Enhancer Bypass

georgestrings · #5 09-07-2010, 05:00 PM

I love SWR cabs, their amps - not so much...

- georgestrings

hall1k · #6 09-07-2010, 06:40 PM

Maybe the SWR has a linear pot for the volume knob instead of a logarithmic one. That would explain why it would not be a smooth increase in volume over the range of the knob. In that case, 2 to 2 1/2 might actually be 8 or 9 on a normal knob. Its usually accepted that you should use log pots to match the log nature of the decibel scale, but I've seen one other schematic that calls for a linear one instead (namely, the zvex fuzz factory).

NecroticImbecil · #7 09-07-2010, 08:50 PM

900 watt Mo Bass I had def. had less guts than other ~1000 watt heads I've had. Sounded great, but didn't cut the mustard. I've liked their tube preamps though.

Alex1984 · #8 09-07-2010, 10:30 PM

I can't say I've had that problem with my SM-400. As someone state before, bumping the mids up a bit would help a lot, as that's what most of us. If you tweak the EQ a bit, you can definitely get quite a bit of volume out of it.

On second thought, a 550X is one of their later amps which is voiced for rock, and is known to be quite different from their older amps, so YMMV.

AwkwardLoudness · #9 09-08-2010, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richbass101

I'm curious though has anyone else had this problem with the SWR heads?

You are not the only one. I've heard multiple people complain of low power and low volume on newer SWR amps.

Mo' Bass 00 · #10 09-08-2010, 07:32 AM

I noticed the same thing this past weekend, my WP 700 just did not have the volume. How ever I'm just using a WP 4x10 cab @ 8ohms, but still should have more volume with 350 to 400 watts! Ya think?

Myth_103 · #11 09-08-2010, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgestrings

I love SWR cabs, their amps - not so much...

- georgestrings

Couldn't agree more...

BassmanPaul · #12 09-08-2010, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richbass101

I was using the old Hartke 3500 ( bought new in '93 ) along with the SWR goliath 4x10 & son of bertha 1x15. I like the sound of the SWR cabs so I went out and bought the SWR 550x and what the hell. It has no power - none what so ever. I have to turn the volume up to 7 & you can barely hear it. It sounds great down low but it just has no power so I'm still using the old RELIABLE Hartke. It's funny ( not really ) how my hartke volume is normally around 2 sometimes 2 1/2 but any more & I'll be getting yelled at during practice lol. Just makes no sense for a head that is supposed to 550 watts @ 4 ohms isnt as loud or powerful as a head thats 350 watts @ 4 ohms. I think I'll have to try Mesa carbine 9 or the new Hartke kilo. I'm curious though has anyone else had this problem with the SWR heads?

I think that what you are actually comparing is gain structure and not power. The difference in volume between a 350W amp and a 550W amp is not all that much. The relative position of the level control on one amp has no relevance to that of an amp from a completely different manufacturer. In both cases you turn up to where you need to be. If that's 2 on one amp and 8 on another that's just the way it is.

Paul

singlemalt · #13 09-08-2010, 11:59 AM

Check that 10db cut (or whatever) switch on the input. I ran into a SWR amp that was provided for backline last weekend. No joy at all until I noticed the cut switch on the input, once that was switched it was great.

shadowmac · #14 09-08-2010, 12:03 PM

YES!

I had the 750 and got rid of it for similar reasons - no power and limited adjustment potential. I have become partial to rack gear with a dedicated power amp...way more versitile.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richbass101

I've been playing bass for well over twenty years now. I thought it was time to get a new head for my rig. I was using the old Hartke 3500 ( bought new in '93 ) along with the SWR goliath 4x10 & son of bertha 1x15. I like the sound of the SWR cabs so I went out and bought the SWR 550x and what the hell. It has no power - none what so ever. I have to turn the volume up to 7 & you can barely hear it. It sounds great down low but it just has no power so I'm still using the old RELIABLE Hartke. It's funny ( not really ) how my hartke volume is normally around 2 sometimes 2 1/2 but any more & I'll be getting yelled at during practice lol. Just makes no sense for a head that is supposed to 550 watts @ 4 ohms isnt as loud or powerful as a head thats 350 watts @ 4 ohms. I think I'll have to try Mesa carbine 9 or the new Hartke kilo. I'm curious though has anyone else had this problem with the SWR heads?

ursus · #15 09-08-2010, 12:47 PM

That´s strange. I bought one of these a month ago and played a gig in a full tent with at least 150 persons two weeks ago at Malmofestivalen. The soundman came up to me in the middle of the gig and told me to turn down if I wanted to be in the PA. We are a five piece band. We play soul and funk and are one of the loudest bands playing in that tent. Maybe your speakers are not that sensitive? I play thru a Berg AE 410. Just my two c

bville · #16 09-08-2010, 02:47 PM

I had a similar problem with a 550x. Things went from bad to worse when the head developed a nasty transformer hum after half a dozen gigs. I got rid of the thing and went back to my old GK 800RB.

dmusic148 · #17 09-08-2010, 02:53 PM

SWR amps have a particular problem or two which inhibit their ability to get really loud: they go deep, really deep, so if you don't reduce the ultra low bass you'll run out of steam quick and: they are mid scooped, which turning the Aural Enhancer down reduces, but does not eliminate. But this does:
SWR Aural Enhancer Bypass

taurus1 · #18 09-08-2010, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richbass101

I've been playing bass for well over twenty years now. I thought it was time to get a new head for my rig. I was using the old Hartke 3500 ( bought new in '93 ) along with the SWR goliath 4x10 & son of bertha 1x15. I like the sound of the SWR cabs so I went out and bought the SWR 550x and what the hell. It has no power - none what so ever. I have to turn the volume up to 7 & you can barely hear it. It sounds great down low but it just has no power so I'm still using the old RELIABLE Hartke. It's funny ( not really ) how my hartke volume is normally around 2 sometimes 2 1/2 but any more & I'll be getting yelled at during practice lol. Just makes no sense for a head that is supposed to 550 watts @ 4 ohms isnt as loud or powerful as a head thats 350 watts @ 4 ohms. I think I'll have to try Mesa carbine 9 or the new Hartke kilo. I'm curious though has anyone else had this problem with the SWR heads?

I subbed for a guy a montha go and his rig was a Carbine 9 with an Eden 4x10 ontop of an Eden 1x15. I was prepered to be blown away and was hugely disappointed. no nuts at all, I mean none. my old Traynor Mono BlockII would destroy this thing. having said this, I'm assuming there was something wrong with the head. I heard the guy who owns the rig blew the 1x15 at the next rehearsal. so who knows what's up with that particular head. (we checked the routing and impedence, everything was setup properly).