• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Am I underpowereded?

#21
B-string said:
My only concern is the "power handling" of the 115. 200 watt rating my not like the amount of power you might need to compete with audience killers?
Click to expand...

I though of that, at most it'll take 1/2 the power, so 275w, shouldn't be too bad, but i picked it up for a hundred bucks and it looks like it's never left the house. the swr emblem on it isn't even scratched. so if i have to sell and replace it with a cab that'll take more power thats ok
 
#23
Southpaw5 said:
YES, but they are convinced that it is "essential" in achieving their desired sound.
Click to expand...

Instead of being concerned with THEIR desired sound, they should be more concered about the BAND'S desired sound. If the rest of the band sounds like crap because they're way too loud, then how good their individual sound is really doesn't matter at all.

Unforunately, many guitards fail to understand this concept.
 
#24
Are you trying to push too much extreme lows?? They gobble up power and don't project too well. Maybe cut back a bit on the bottom end. Try to tighten up the sound with a little compression or more staccato type playing. I've really gone old school lately, putting a little foam under the strings of my P-Bass near the bridge to cut the power hungry sustain. Of course that's a matter of style and personal preference, It may not help you get the sound you want.
 
#29
Your 1x15 is rated for 200 watts.

When you use an amp to power two cabs, both of which are 8 ohms, the power is split equally between both.

While the amp can put out 550 watts, and the 4x8 can take 500, the most power you'll be able to actually use for an extended period of time is 400 watts. This is because any more will be pumping more than 200 watts into the 200 watt cab.

That said, you'd have to be fairly loud to actually be pumping out 400 watts continually. Also, the speaker might crap out due to overexcursion before that. The 200 watt rating comes from when it will fail due to continuous heat.

Hopefully, you have enough speaker area, and the speakers are sensitive enough so that you won't need to be turned up that much to get plenty loud.
 
#31
Sartori said:
Your 1x15 is rated for 200 watts.

When you use an amp to power two cabs, both of which are 8 ohms, the power is split equally between both.

While the amp can put out 550 watts, and the 4x8 can take 500, the most power you'll be able to actually use for an extended period of time is 400 watts. This is because any more will be pumping more than 200 watts into the 200 watt cab.

That said, you'd have to be fairly loud to actually be pumping out 400 watts continually. Also, the speaker might crap out due to overexcursion before that. The 200 watt rating comes from when it will fail due to continuous heat.

Hopefully, you have enough speaker area, and the speakers are sensitive enough so that you won't need to be turned up that much to get plenty loud.
Click to expand...

that is my hope, that i won't have to go all the way up on the power. does anyone know if the power coming from an amp is linear? I mean, as i turn up the gain on the amp, does it always increase in the same increments? or is it variable, with a surge or surges at certain points? :confused
 
#32
The volume knob is not a wattage regulator in that direct a way.

How much power it puts out at any given setting depends partly on how much signal is being fed to it from the preamp section. Obviously if you are not playing, it isn't putting out much power. If you have a bass with a hot output, and have the gain turned up high and lots of stuff boosted in the EQ, it will put out more power than if you have a quiet bass, or don't have the gain turned up very high, and/or have the EQ set flat.

But no, you can't just put a label by the volume knob saying what position equals what amount of power.
 
#33
the input gain and output gain knobs set potential.

overall output is variable, dependent on input signal strength at the time.
play softer, get softer. dig in, get more.

with swr stuff, you want to set input gain so that the clip light is just barely lighting once and a while on your loudest playing.
then, set master volume to your desired overall output level requirements.
 
#39
Sartori and Chef thanks! that's exactly what I was trying to find out. I may have been playing bass for 15 years, but when it comes to anything other that the bass itself I'm kind of a noob, but i'm learning. it was just not my focus until i started playing gigs again. I probably will wind up selling the 1X15 but i'd like to see how it sounds running the full rig first.

I wouldn't want to be under-powdered at a show, i might fall asleep then :D
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back