Unconventional ways to boost combo volume

oldcatfish · #1 06-12-2011, 06:47 PM

I was browsing through some of the other threads and one of them got me thinking. One guy was daisy chaining his combo into another one. How many other bassists need more volume from their combo, but found something other than adding an extension speaker? And for the sake of this discussion, let's assume no PA.

I have a Roland cube-100 bass. It's great, but doesn't have enough volume when there's a loud drummer involved. Instead of buying an extension speaker, I just use the Roland's line out into a powered PA speaker that I already have. It works well.

So combo owner's what do you do?

SurferJoe46 · #2 06-12-2011, 07:04 PM

I put my 600 Watt combo w/210s + a horn on top of a 410 cab and get it on.

Gearhead17 · #3 06-12-2011, 07:44 PM

I had to use a high wattage Ampeg 210 combo on a small stage. It was a slanted cab and I set it so it was facing my ears. I then took the bass knob and turned it completely left while taking the EQ slider at 40hz and turned that all the way to -15db. I even decreased the next slider (80hz I think?) and brought that down a few notches. Sounded like garbage, but it ended up being just loud enough for me to hear it live. In several songs though, my drummer drowned me out in seconds, but at least I could hear myself a little bit.

The other way to hear yourself better is to just sell the combo. Get a small bass head and a separate 210. Done.

EpiRipper · #4 06-12-2011, 07:58 PM

210's don't move enough air to be heard well IMHO. 410 should be the minimum to keep up with a decently loud drummer.

Gearhead17 · #5 06-12-2011, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EpiRipper

210's don't move enough air to be heard well IMHO. 410 should be the minimum to keep up with a decently loud drummer.

My DNA 210 sure does the job against a punk style drummer who has two volumes - normal and slightly quieter. Then again, I am decreasing low end below 80hz quite heavily. It may not be an ideal sound, but stage gear is generally nothing more than a monitor anyway.

To the OP: If you did not understand my logic before, reducing the amount of low end your rig puts out allows you to use more power in frequencies that are more audible and easier to reproduce. It gives you more headroom in the end. Maybe not the most ideal way to do it, but it certainly works for me.

Mcrelly · #6 06-12-2011, 08:32 PM

I am finally a combo owner again and if I need more volume I just grab my head and 12" cabs instead of the combo!!! sorry couldn't resist, but true.

I did think at one time if I still had a 50w 12" B50r ampeg and needed more volume that I'd add a speaker jack that if connected would connect the internal speaker and extension speaker in series so as not to drop the load to the amp. don't know how good that would work for volume, but I'm sure someone could let us know....

bassmeknik · #7 06-12-2011, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mcrelly

I am finally a combo owner again and if I need more volume I just grab my head and 12" cabs instead of the combo!!! sorry couldn't resist, but true.

I did think at one time if I still had a 50w 12" B50r ampeg and needed more volume that I'd add a speaker jack that if connected would connect the internal speaker and extension speaker in series so as not to drop the load to the amp. don't know how good that would work for volume, but I'm sure someone could let us know....

In most cases this won't provide any increase in volume as increasing the impedance decreases the available power output (putting speakers in series increases impedance) unless your combo is tube or has an output transformer and impedance switch, something very few combos have.

Most combos are a compromise in many ways so the amp/speaker are usually matched for best performance. If your combo doesn't cut it volume wise you either need a bigger combo (or amp/speaker) or second amp with speaker run from the combo's line output.

babebambi · #8 06-13-2011, 08:59 AM

Speaker stand.

playerunk · #9 06-13-2011, 09:19 AM

tell the others to turn down

oldcatfish · #10 06-13-2011, 04:18 PM

Oh, maybe I wasn't clear. The issue isn't that I regularly need more volume, most of the time the Roland is fine. For those rare cases, that's where my added power PA speaker comes into play. I could just buy an extension cab, but I don't need the extra volume more than a couple of times a year.

I was just curious as to what non-traditional methods other players were using. Like the guy that was daisy chaining his GK amps. That kind of "out of the box" type thinking.

jnewmark · #11 06-13-2011, 05:03 PM

Volume boost pedal ?

ODDBALL · #12 06-13-2011, 05:28 PM

I use a two different combos which gives me a few options. Peavey Bam 210 (350 to 500watts) and a Peavey 115 Combo (350watts). I use a A/B box to the 210 & 115. plenty loud for me.

The Bam is one of the loudest combos out their.

Shaun

MuthaFunk · #13 06-13-2011, 05:48 PM

If it's solid state power you can squeeze a little more headroom out of it buy adding a cooling fan and ventilation to the power transistors. I've done that to all my SS amps for years.

On my SWR Baby Baby Blue you could actually hear the headroom drop off when the amp warmed up. (160W) Installed the fan and volia, the headroom remained no matter how much harder I drive it. Keep those transistors cool and they'll pay back in dividends. Longer life, more power.

SurferJoe46 · #14 06-13-2011, 08:12 PM

^^ That's why they keep the Cray Supercomputers bathed in liquid nitrogen.

groove pump · #15 06-14-2011, 10:44 AM

I like that idea of using a powered speaker to pitch some extra volume, but I don't have a combo with sound that's so lovable that I want more of it when I'm at a gig... guess I need a better combo?...

I do the preamp/power amp thing to run a pair of 2x10 cabs, but I also like to run that preamp into my combo when I'm noodling around at home. I'll run my pre's output into the effects return on the back of my combo to get that "schmoove" tone that I enjoy with my SVP-BSP. The combo is an older 1x12 M-Line from Genz Benz.

The thing is, when I run my preamp's output into that effects return instead of the combo's instrument input, I can turn it up Godzilla loud. I did this once with an Ampeg BA-112, too, and those combos are downright anemic in the volume department. As far as I can tell, if my pre is running into that effects return on my combo or plugged into my big, strong power amp that's driving one of my 2x10's, the volume levels are pretty durned close. Have to admit that those M-Line combos have impressed me big-time.

rtslinger · #16 06-22-2011, 02:09 PM

I have put together a 60 watt Randall 1*15 and a 100 watt Fender rumble 1*15 pre-amp out of the one into the effects return in of the other nice boost then added one 12 inch ext speaker really nice