SVT210av cabs sound great but can't take much / farting out with hard string attack?

[sbpark]

I have read about and talked to people who swear by these little cabs. I will admit, they do sound great, but I just don't think they can handle what I am throwing at them. Today I picked up a PF500, and previously was using an SVT Micro VR head. I could even get the speakers to fart out with the Micro VR head as well, so it's regardless of the head, and if I am running one of the cabs or both. It just seems like when I really hit the strings hard, especially the low E I can get the speakers to distort, and this even happens with low gain settings and the master is not cranked. When I play 'normal' these cabs sound great even when I cranked the master volume, but when you start going at it harder, and/or mixing in some pedals (Boss OC-2, vintage RAT as examples) and then have a hard attack they just don't seem to like that.

At one point I thought it might be my pickups, possibly being set too high, etc., but they are fine. Part of me thinks its just the lower frequencies that are making this cab fart out on me, because I can crank it really loud and have no issues, but when I start digging in and playing harder they just seem to fall apart. I have my gain structure set property, dialing it in until the light comes on, then backing it off, and then adjusting the master accordingly to the volume I want.

Not sure if there is something else happening, or if I just need a higher wattage cab like the PF cabs.

[ggoat!!!]

Get rid of the 'lil dwaaf cabinets and get a real bass cabinet.


It's like turning your laptop up in your living room expecting it to fill the room with thick punchy loud sound like a good 70's stereo. It just ain't gonna happen.

[sbpark]

Originally Posted by ggoat!!!

Get rid of the 'lil dwaaf cabinets and get a real bass cabinet.


It's like turning your laptop up in your living room expecting it to fill the room with thick punchy loud sound like a good 70's stereo. It just ain't gonna happen.

Haha! honestly, you sort of hit the nail on the head with that analogy. I don't need a giant rig but want something that can handle some hate thrown at it! As all the other threads have said, these little cabs sound great, but just don't think they can take a real beating. I mean, like I mentioned above, I can crap them out pretty easily, even with a clean signal when running the PF500 at low volume, or with the Micro VR head nowhere near dimed. I'll play everything from your basic 12 bar blues stuff and old school country stuff with my fingers and a light tough to hitting the strings pretty hard with a pick, playing chords, octaves, etc. like strumming a guitar. These speakers love the mellow stuff, but get pissed when you get aggressive with them!

I really like messing around with pedals, and currently have a vintage RAT from the early 80's on my board, along with a Pork Loin, Small Stone phaser, Carbon Copy delay, Boss OC-2 octave pedal, Moogerfooger ring modulator, and Boss tremolo pedal.

I am hoping the Portaflex cabs can take more thrown at them because I really like the design and the look of them, plus the portability and flexibility of taking two cabs with me if I need the power, or just using one cab at home when I am messing around.

[Downunderwonder]

Hate huh. Farting is likely too much subsonic b/s hitting your speakers from your hateful slamming. Get ye to f-deck's website and order up a HPF filter and take out the stuff below 60 or 70hz that your little warriors can't contend with. They will then surprise you.

[sbpark]

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

Hate huh. Farting is likely too much subsonic b/s hitting your speakers from your hateful slamming. Get ye to f-deck's website and order up a HPF filter and take out the stuff below 60 or 70hz that your little warriors can't contend with. They will then surprise you.

Being new to bass (coming from the guitar world) wouldn't that take a big chunk out of my tone by cutting off everything below 60 or 70 Hz? Pardon my ignorance!

[Downunderwonder]

Tone is all above 60 hz with a 5 string. Sunwoofer whump is below. For a 4 string it's 80 hz. The sealed svt 8x10 drops like a stone in response below 70hz, go figure. Don't buy an 8x10 though!

[sbpark]

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

Tone is all above 60 hz with a 5 string. Sunwoofer whump is below. For a 4 string it's 80 hz. The sealed svt 8x10 drops like a stone in response below 70hz, go figure. Don't buy an 8x10 though!

So what would you recommend? Sell the cabs and get a couple PF115 cabs, or a PF210 & PF115, or just get an F-deck HPF and keep the SVT210av cabs? I can easily sell them for more than I paid for them.

[Downunderwonder]

Recommendation stands. I don't know that you would get a heck of a lot more volume out of 2 PF115 or any more sub lows.

Sub lows are way way way over rated. Again, look at the SVT, nothing much going on at 60hz yet nobody calls it a wimpy cab. Not even me and I hate them.

Sealed cabs like SVT and your AV's stand up to a bit of of abuse from lows but there is a limit and you reached it with your hateful stuff. I doubt you really need any more overall volume so the HPF is your solution.

[sbpark]

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

Recommendation stands. I don't know that you would get a heck of a lot more volume out of 2 PF115 or any more sub lows.

Sub lows are way way way over rated. Again, look at the SVT, nothing much going on at 60hz yet nobody calls it a wimpy cab. Not even me and I hate them.

Sealed cabs like SVT and your AV's stand up to a bit of of abuse from lows but there is a limit and you reached it with your hateful stuff. I doubt you really need any more overall volume so the HPF is your solution.

Yeah, those little fu*kers do get really loud surprisingly! The thing is yes, they do crap out with when the 'hate' is thrown at them, but have also got them to fart out with a hard string attack on the low end stuff when it's clean. I will order the HPF and see how it works. It's a much less expensive option to start with.

[Downunderwonder]

Do let us know how it works out for you. I have a graphic EQ down to 30 Hz on my Trace that lets me fine tune the lows in much the same fashion. F-deck should be slipping me commission this week!

[sbpark]

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

Do let us know how it works out for you. I have a graphic EQ down to 30 Hz on my Trace that lets me fine tune the lows in much the same fashion. F-deck should be slipping me commission this week!

So whats the benefit of the F-deck HPF over just getting the industry standard Boss graphic bass EQ?

[Downunderwonder]

Standard graphic EQ pedal may not catch the really low transients that the F-deck eliminates. I don't ever wail on my bass so that stuff isn't a problem for me but it sounds like you are different.

[Jazz Ad]

Ampeg cabs (HLF aside) aren't meant to handle infra lows. You need bigger Ampeg cabs or a different brand.

[sbpark]

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

Ampeg cabs (HLF aside) aren't meant to handle infra lows. You need bigger Ampeg cabs or a differente brand.

or an HPF apparently!

And I thought someone already mentioned earlier in this thread that bigger cabs probably aren't going to solve this issue, since the same thing would probably pop up with an 810.

I read a little on the F-deck HPF. makes sense to use it to 'clean up' your sound so to speak and get rid of the lower end frequencies that don't do anything except muddle things up. The way I understand it (and I may be wrong here) is by eliminating those unwanted low-end frequencies you get benefits. Your speakers will become more efficient because they are not working as hard producing those lower frequencies and will eliminate the low end 'blow-outs' I am getting, which should also improve the overall sound of the speakers by allowing them to use more power on the desirable frequencies and not having to fight with the low-end mud.

[Downunderwonder]

You're learning fast.

[sbpark]

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

You're learning fast.

[Downunderwonder]

Where are you at young'n? NZ is getting late enough for me with work in the morning.

[sbpark]

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

Where are you at young'n? NZ is getting late enough for me with work in the morning.

California, USA!