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How much can an NV215 take?

SwamiRob

SwamiRob

Aug 23, 2007
2,151
33
Scarborough, N. Yorks, England
#1
I just confirmed that my new Laney head puts out 1500W in bridge mode which I'm currently using, and I've been using this to feed my NV215. However I've run it pretty much flat out on a couple of occasions and nothing bad has come of it (so far).

The speakers don't sound like their making any nasty noises to my ear, apart from maybe a little compression, but I figured that's part of the sound after reading something on excursion compression on the forums, and how this is utilised to get certain voices from cabs. I know watts often mean very little or nothing, but I just wanted to make sure I'm not killing my very pretty looking and sounding - and somewhat pricey to replace - cab.
 
#2
I have a new Carvin B1500 landing here tomorrow or next day. Sending about 1200 watts @ 4 ohms, 1900 @2ohms:eek: I'd been posting about adding a 2nd cab to my NV215 but I really kinda bought this cab hoping I could use it stand alone. I'd been running it w/GBE750 and adding a GB Neox 212T cab at my gigs and it works well. Since I ordered the Carvin Thursday I figured I'd try the GBE750 alone with the NV cab at my gig Sunday to compare it to when I use the NV w/B1500 next Friday.

Now recently I asked TBers to help me with some settings on the GB amp cause I was clipping the lite pretty steadily w/2 cabs, no distort, just alot of clip light action. I got some pretty good replies for settings and I used them yesterday at my gig, the big biker room. Well the GBE750+NV215 sounded great using my 2007 MIM Jazz 5 w/flats, electron blue w/mirrored picgard, this bass really plays nicely. So anyway yeah the rig sounded really nice this day, very little clip lite cept when I really dug in but I expected that. Another bassist sat in with his Schector and it sounded great out on the floor.

So now Im wondering if I really need this B1500 afterall. But Im looking forward to trying it out to see what it offers. I'd been looking here on TB CL's for a different amp, for more power, different tone, just gassy youknow. I got close to taking a Ashdown MK or Evo 500 but for about the same price figured I'd try out the big Carvin, does 2 ohms which I need for my 4 ohm cabs. So if it sounds good I'll prolly keep it, dont know what to expect, scored a free footswitch when I ordered it. :cool:

Looking forward to alot of headroom and hoping I dont fry my NV cab with this big amp. So I hope it will handle bunches of power if this amp does what it's specs say it will. Of course I'll be careful with my settings too. :bassist:
 
#3
Yeah it's just a little confusing, the thing is rated at 600W, but I know for a fact I must be putting more then that in. I know watts mean nothing mostly, but putting almost 3 times the power in and it not having any adverse effects seems a little much.

I'm a little confused at the moment though as to whether it's 1500W or 750W, on the picture in the manual, the bridge output is rated at 2ohms, but on mine it's 4. It does 2ohms in dual mono though. I don't know how much I should be deafened by 1500W, if that's what it's really putting out. Maybe I'm not setting up my pre-section as efficiently as I could be doing.
 
#4
SwamiRob said:
Yeah it's just a little confusing, the thing is rated at 600W, but I know for a fact I must be putting more then that in. I know watts mean nothing mostly, but putting almost 3 times the power in and it not having any adverse effects seems a little much.
Click to expand...

Typical program with occasional clipping is about 1/8 power. Severe program with heavy clipping is about 1/3 power. Program material has more average power referenced to a given peak output than typical bass guitar playing. Therefore you'd have to be really abusing your cab to cause thermal damage with a 1500W amp. You could cause mechanical damage if you demand too much bottom but those nasty warning sounds are fairly obvious.

If your amp runs down to 2 ohms on each side then it'll go down to 4 ohms bridged. Bridged output is equal to the sum of each channel driving half the impedance - i.e. bridged at 4 ohms is 1500W if each channel at 2 ohms puts out 750W.

Alex
 
#5
Ah ok man, cheers for the help, it sounds fairly healthy, should be fine as long as rocking the **** outta my bass is still well within what is percevied as "typical bass guitar playing", and not causing an array of ungodly peaks :p My output gauge seems to be running before the red light at the top anyway, and even when it does venture there occasionally, accordingly it's still safe, and the limiter hasn't even engaged until it's staying there rather then peaking there.

I don't use as much low as I used to, but there are a couple of bits where I do crank the bass on my, well, bass, not too much, but enough to rumble your stomach a little. I don't think I do it enough for it to be a problem, and my amps sounded satisfyingly smooth and competent when I have too.

Always thought bridging generally did the opposite, and made the impedance lower, learn something new every thread :D
 
#6
When I was looking for a 2nd cab, I emailed Jim @ Bergantino asking which of his other cabs 210,112 would match well with my NV215. I'm looking for that email reply but in a nutshell he suggested I try a more powerful amp to open up the NV cab. So I'll see how that big Carvin sounds thru my NV and GB cabs soon but again with my new settings on my GBE750 (625 watts @ 4ohms/750 @ 2) it sounded pretty damn nice at yesterdays' gig.

I was gonna just order a Carvin power amp, DCM1500, to run thru my GB head but have read so many good threads about the B1500, so I went that way. Swami, did you ever decide on a 2nd cab? Cause I recall you posting that you were doing that.
 
#7
Yeah I'm looking into it, I just need a bit more of a cutting midrange on top of what I'm getting, the fat bass from the 15s and the highs from the 6" is awesome, just need that little bit extra so it'll work well for heavy rock. Trying to find a place to get some Fane 10s from, cos Fane are awesome apparently AND I get some nice locally made feel good, cos they're made about 20-30 miles from me :p
 
#8
ErnieD said:
When I was looking for a 2nd cab, I emailed Jim @ Bergantino asking which of his other cabs 210,112 would match well with my NV215. I'm looking for that email reply but in a nutshell he suggested I try a more powerful amp to open up the NV cab.
Click to expand...
It's good to know that Jim made the same suggestion I did. I feel a lot better about it now.:)
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6043329#post6043329

It's also very cool that he didn't just take the opportunity to sell you another cab.
 
#9
Not that I'm insinuating he's done it for money or anything, but he doesn't wanna get a bad rep for himself by giving out bad advice by telling people to buy cabs when they don't need them.

I've heard he's a really cool guy though, so he'll have said that because of the love of his trade :p

I'm pretty sure I need another cab though, might try another couple of heads but I'm pretty convinced.
 
#10
Yeah GregC, thanks for that reply back then. I just did not want to have to buy another amp so soon, got the GBE750 a few months back and did not think I would ever need more power than that. But after reading many similar threads with similar replies of "you need more power to that cab" I resolved to start looking for another amp. Heck, with 2 GB Neox 212T cabs I really did not need another cab for that matter, that rig rocks.

But you know how that goes, I walked into a Houston music store cause I had to take my wife to an eye clinic nearby. So I figured kill some time at Rockin Robin Guitar shop, shoulda just went for coffee instead. So I start talking to the bass dude there, very cool, young cat and when I tell him what 410 cab I have at home unused, he offered me a great trade in price to put towards any cab he had. I only tried the NV610/215 cause I wanted a large stand alone cab, the other bergs were 1x12, 210 I believe, but no AE cabs, too bad.

The only other cab I tried and that I loved was a Aggie DB412, awesome cab, just did not want the size or weight. I was able to try out all these cabs with a GBE750 they had in the store. So I took the cab home, tried it at home with my amp sounded fine. First gig I took it to, stand alone, it sounded pretty nice. Another bassist sat in and he digs in hard so the cab just barely got a littel wooly. I just felt I could get more with a 2nd cab, next gig, tried one of my Neox212T's with NV and that went well. But I was still getting too much clip light for my eyes. So that started my search for a 8 ohm, 210 cab which has now lead to my buying this big@zz B1500.

So yeah GregC you were right, now lets see what'll give with this Carvin amp and NV cab, mainly trying to use the NV stand alone. So amp arrives Tuesday, got a gig Friday and Saturday to try it out with the NV then the 2 GB cabs. I should know after that if its a keeper "a hunka a burning love"or a mover "return to sender" OH and Im still curious to see what 2nd cab Swami ends up with, so keep us posted SwamiRob. Peace Y'all.
 
#11
Hey Ernie
You'll be suprised how small the B1500 is for a 3-rack space amp. It's shallow too. I have mine in a Gator 4-space Shallow case with my tuner. Very easy and balanced to handle. Using it Friday!

Also... Jim Berg is a great guy with great cabs and ideas. I had a bunch of excellent Bergs including a NV215. That cab will take a ton of watts like all Bergies.

If any of you are looking for a good NV215 there is one for sale on the classifieds. I know Bigredsix and he's a great guy to deal with. The cab is excellent too.. if I had a way to haul it I'd buy it.
 

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