I overdrive EVERYTHING..... What cab do I get?

Josh Emmons · #1 12-19-2010, 02:39 PM

so today, whilst playing in my church band, (and from many many weeks of playing) I have been noticing that what ever amp AND speaker I play out of, i clip and distort.... My church literally plays at rock concert volume and my 4x10 will not keep up with the demand.... A few weeks ago, my sound guy said to me that he wanted MORE bass, so I turned my hartke 400watt rig up: soon, I smell something burning, (like burning plastic), and the next thing i know, my amp dies.... long story short, I learned I somehow trashed my amp, so I order a much more powerful amp: a nice Hartke Kilo 1000watt amp. but now I got another problem: my sound guy WILL NOT run a little bit of my bass through our floor moniters. He wants me to use my amp as my moniter. but we play so loud that once I get to the point where I can hear it (to my liking) it starts clipping and distorting. (sorry for the long story) but what cabnet do i go for? and also NO TROLLS!!!!!

IntrepidCellist · #2 12-19-2010, 04:24 PM

Sounds like you need to go easier on the bass and treble knobs, add some mids back in, and play a little more evenly.

bolophonic · #3 12-19-2010, 04:35 PM

Is your sound man running you through the PA? I assume that if your amp is clipping and distorting, then it would be going into the mix that way.

Gearhead17 · #4 12-19-2010, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IntrepidCellist

Sounds like you need to go easier on the bass and treble knobs, add some mids back in, and play a little more evenly.

+1 to that.

What brand of 410 are you playing with? I think it's rediculous to blast your bass tone off the stage at a church - especially at the levels you are all playing at. I don't think the church audience will appreciate the levels you are all playing at. I go to a Lutheran church that goes 100% in-ears and the sound is great and VERY MUCH in control with volume. It's definitely quieter than your average bar. I don't know how big your church is, but definitely try backing off the low end of your rig. Are you playing too hard on your bass to hear yourself? Definitely look into playing a little lighter and turning up your amp for a more even and louder bass tone.

If I was in this situation, I would bring up the insane volume levels to the band leader and figure out a way to get everyone quieter. Is the drummer behind a plexiglass shield? What is going through the PA? The church I mentioned earlier uses an electronic drum set right now - helps keep stage levels low. If you can't do much, grab an identical 410 or find a different church to play. I don't think the audience appreciates the levels you are all playing at.

OtterOnBass · #5 12-19-2010, 07:59 PM

When you have a PA and soundguys, the cabinet is for one person. If you can't hear your cabinet, it's either not aimed at your ears or you are too far away from it. Sound doubles in intensity when you double the distance It will get twice as loud if you get twice as close.

Floyd Eye · #6 12-19-2010, 08:11 PM

Obviously he isn't going into the PA at all. Either that or the sound guy is a douchebag. Actually, it kinda sounds like the sound guy is a douchebag either way.

OtterOnBass · #7 12-20-2010, 10:06 AM

I don't know, Floyd Eye. If the soundman has monitors, they have a PA. The problem comes when the soundman asks for "More bass" and the OP turns up his stage amplifier. To me that means either the PA doesn't have subs (which should come before monitors) or the bassist is putting out so much stage noise that they've given up trying to contain it (which would make sense with his title).

It's mysterious for an amp head to die because of increased volume (at least to me.) Maybe it's really just a fried instrument cable that's been used as a speaker cable to connect head to cab?

Ok, let's clear it up. 1- Does the church have a PA? 2-Does the bass go into the PA? 3-Why or why not?