Need to fix a sound problem: Ever tried running an amp straight into a PA subwoofer? - Page 2

bwardmusic · #21 01-15-2012, 03:16 PM

The problem is that they don't make the Goliath Junior III 2X10's anymore...and I can't seem to see any used anymore either.

So I want to know if I could use a Goliath Junior 2X10 III at 4 ohms with a Goliath Junior 2X10 IV at 4 ohms and be Ok....

tekdiver500ft · #22 01-15-2012, 03:46 PM

A Goliath Junior IV 2x10 at 4ohms is an excellent addition. Subwoofers are not what you want for bass guitar, actually. A two- or three-way full-range speaker is much better. I've often played through an EV 15" three-way, and really like the sound. That knock you off the stage thump is in the 100-300 Hz range, so a sub really isn't necessary. When you add one, it just muddies things up, as it reinforces the wrong frequencies. You're better off with a second 2x10 4 ohm.

LowHz · #23 07-28-2012, 02:49 PM

I know this is way late in the game, but I just breezed through all of your replies and the one suggestion that appears glaringly absent (again, perhaps I missed it) is to perch the G-Jr III atop a Big Ben 1x18 (400 watts). I do this all the time when not needing the "big rock show" setup. The Big Ben has a very quick 18" speaker that is not the least bit floppy -- and can get down to 25Hz effectively (a low B sits on 31Hz).
Your Peavey would be pushing up against 2.67 ohms if you were to tie it to a 4-ohm cab (Big Ben's are all 8 ohms), which by interpolation would cause your amp to produce about 450 watts. The Big Ben does a great job of "back filling" the Goliath Jr. But, as someone above pointed out: if you want to thump chests you have to move air; that requires multiple speakers. But a 2x10/1x18 setup can sound pretty full.
(For the "big rock show" setup -- and more for show than actual volume -- I'll put two Goliath III 4x10s atop two Big Bens. It's a WALL of chrome and moves serious air. I push it all with a Mo' Bass.)

Dantreige · #24 07-28-2012, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LowHz

I know this is way late in the game, but I just breezed through all of your replies and the one suggestion that appears glaringly absent (again, perhaps I missed it) is to perch the G-Jr III atop a Big Ben 1x18 (400 watts). I do this all the time when not needing the "big rock show" setup. The Big Ben has a very quick 18" speaker that is not the least bit floppy -- and can get down to 25Hz effectively (a low B sits on 31Hz).
Your Peavey would be pushing up against 2.67 ohms if you were to tie it to a 4-ohm cab (Big Ben's are all 8 ohms), which by interpolation would cause your amp to produce about 450 watts. The Big Ben does a great job of "back filling" the Goliath Jr. But, as someone above pointed out: if you want to thump chests you have to move air; that requires multiple speakers. But a 2x10/1x18 setup can sound pretty full.
(For the "big rock show" setup -- and more for show than actual volume -- I'll put two Goliath III 4x10s atop two Big Bens. It's a WALL of chrome and moves serious air. I push it all with a Mo' Bass.)

I not going to say this will not work, but in this instance it is the wrong tool for the job. Having sub like lows on the stage is a recipe for disaster. (Maybe not disaster but it causes more problems then it fixes.)

The OPs problem can be fixed by the suggestions from Gearhead and testin1two (and a few others). They did a good job of explaining what needed to be done and why.

For this situation, the FOH needs to be upgraded, not the OP onstage rig.

joelb79 · #25 07-28-2012, 04:30 PM

I've plugged my LMII into a PV118 along with my Fender 210 once at practice. It didn't add much, but I thought that was because the PV118 was a horrible speaker to begin with. To answer your question, depends more on what you do with the EQ and how your bass sounds. A bright jazz bass will always sound like a bright jazz bass. Try flats, use tone control rolled off or use the neck pickup mostly. With my 210, I've had the best results with adding a single 15 run full range or bi-amping, which I find best when it comes to adding 18's for bass guitar is to limit them to under 200hz somehow. Have the 210 take over from there out.

The guys I knew who ran 18's did not need PA support at all. That made them sound worse unless you used a HPF and a bass roll off and used their rig as the subwoofer for the show (as a sound guy, this was my experience.) To me I like the advise that the bands PA should take over if they have a particular sound in mind. Although, perhaps a different bass (precision with rounds) would solve the problem.

TimmyP · #26 07-29-2012, 08:37 PM

So far, the deepest response I've heard from a bass guitar cabinet have been from Hughes & Kettner and AcmeBass.com. Most bass cabs start to die pretty quickly below about 65 (where they have a bit of a hump - most also have a nasty hump about 140 to 160). Also, most sound nothing like the instrument that's being used (run your iPod through your bass rig sometime - dreadful!). For the most part, if you want deeper and smoother lows, you have to put up with low efficiency (Acme) or a BIG cabinet. If you have a lot of bucks to play with, try this :-) http://www.danleysoundlabs.com/produ...horns/sh-100b/

OtterOnBass · #27 07-30-2012, 12:58 AM

I bi-amp into a subwoofer, but my trio doesn't put bass in the PA ever. In other situations, I use it as part of a PA. It's a Bill Fitzmaurice Titan 39 that I built. I installed the passive crossover that was described in the plans I ordered. I love it. When I DJ, it kills. When I play bass, it fills the room and lets me get a lot of boom on my low B string.

OtterOnBass · #28 07-30-2012, 08:21 AM

Sorry for the old picture, that was when it was almost done and I was excited about playing it outside. Here's what it looks like live, mouth to the wall, amp output into the left jack, highs being passed out of the right jack back to the combo's speaker. You can see the venue's small PA up high, and our vocal/snare/kick PA down low.

GregT · #29 07-30-2012, 08:54 AM

One of my bass rigs is a Sansamp Bass Driver into a QSC K12 and a QSC KSub. The KSub doesn't go as low as some serious subwoofers. Each QSC speaker has its own gain knob so I can dial it in. I have had great results with just a K12 also. I don't play big clubs though and never with a soundman.

bwardmusic · #30 11-15-2012, 10:37 AM

I thought I would tell everyone how I solved the problem. I bought a 2X10 cab (I think it was 4 ohms) from Seismic Sound. It cost $169. I was concerned about it because it was so cheap, and similar brand name 2X10 cabinets are almost $600 or more. But I have used it for 6 months for two gigs a month roughtly, and it sounds better than my Goliath Jr. With the Goliath Junior, it gives the low end I was looking for. I was considering getting a 15" cabinet but I couldn't fit it into my little car. So, two, 2X10's work fine and solved the problem. The band stopped complaining about my lack of bass tone.