Ampeg Micro VR new cab

[Derrick Shaney]

I love my Ampeg Micro VR head however I need something with a little more power for the cab. I have tried using 2 matching 2x10 cabs and it did not work well. I ended up selling one off so I am left with 1 cab I would like to sell this cab and possibly replace it with a good 1x15. Is this a lateral move? I need more power. I have to crank the gain to hear myself at jams and it messes up the levels when we record with my direct in. I will take any recommendations. Thanks!

 

[mbelue]

I love my Ampeg Micro VR head however I need something with a little more power for the cab. I have tried using 2 matching 2x10 cabs and it did not work well. I ended up selling one off so I am left with 1 cab I would like to sell this cab and possibly replace it with a good 1x15. Is this a lateral move? I need more power. I have to crank the gain to hear myself at jams and it messes up the levels when we record with my direct in. I will take any recommendations. Thanks!

To get louder with the same amplifier you need more speaker area.
Louder than 4x10s?
That's 6x10s and 8x10s and 4x12s
Some 2x15s, but your talking about more expensive speakers.
Might also consider bfm Jacks. A jack 2x12 is reported to be stupid loud per watt.
You also need to consider tone goals.
What do you want to sound like?

 

[Derrick Shaney]

Something that is loud and punchy would be perfect. I want to be able to play gently and be able to hear myself. Is 200 watts going to cut it?

 

[bassman5000]

200 watts for what your wanting to do is probably about 200 watts shy of what you want. If your band tends to play loud, keeping up is not what you want to be doing as the bass player. My suggestion would be to find something more in the range of 400+ watts with a 4x10 cab. if money is an issue try something like a behringer 450 or 550 bvh head and if you dont already have one get a tech21 sansamp bass preamp/di. trust me you cant go wrong with a sansamp.

 

[B-string]

I don't agree. I played a decade or better with a V4-B (100 watts) and another decade with a G-K 800RB with a 8 ohm 215 (800RB is 200 watts at 8 ohms). At least two guitars, drums, vocals and even added keyboards. Never a problem with maxing out. It isn't amp power that gets you there it is how the speakers use those watts.

The 210AVs are medium duty sealed cabs, if you had trouble hearing lowend that would be an expected concern.
Ported cabs are a better bet with the SS Micro VR.

 

[sloppy_phil]

Those 2x10 cabs for the VR are really low-end light, and not too powerful. If you get either a decently powerful single 4 ohm cabinet, or two 8 ohm cabs, you can probably make it work. Obviously speaker sizes are massive generalizations, but that said, I would think something like a 2x12, 2x15, or 4x10 be good for the single cab. And I'd think at least a pair of 15s if going for the double.

Honestly, I think it's just those cabs you're using. Try basically any other 2x10 or larger with that head, and you'll probably be surprised. It was a revelation plugging that little VR head into a couple big rigs (8x10, 4x12, and I think 4x15)!

 

[Derrick Shaney]

Those 2x10 cabs for the VR are really low-end light, and not too powerful. If you get either a decently powerful single 4 ohm cabinet, or two 8 ohm cabs, you can probably make it work. Obviously speaker sizes are massive generalizations, but that said, I would think something like a 2x12, 2x15, or 4x10 be good for the single cab. And I'd think at least a pair of 15s if going for the double.

Honestly, I think it's just those cabs you're using. Try basically any other 2x10 or larger with that head, and you'll probably be surprised. It was a revelation plugging that little VR head into a couple big rigs (8x10, 4x12, and I think 4x15)!

I picked up an acoustic 1x15 tried it out today with the 2x10 and the 1x15 still not quite putting out the volume I need to hear myself over the drums without cranking the gain. Does it cut the wattage when I use 2 speakers?

 

[High Camp]

With two speakers, you'll get more volume (and more watts: 200 Watts with two 8 ohm speakers and 150 watts with one 8 ohm speaker).
Be sure that you take two 8 ohm speakers and not two 4 ohm speakers.

I really dig the sound of the SVT210AV cab and the Micro VR, but I think you need a bigger head and cabs for you volume needs.
Maybe something from the Ampeg Portaflex series?
>> What also helps by the way is putting the cab on a table or something, so it's closer to your ears.

 

[Bassfiction]

I put a presonus tube pre in front of my vr. It gave me tons more head room. I found the micro vr to sound great at lower volumes, but was a bit lackluster when you wanted it loud. I play it through a svt210av sealed and a 410he sealed with the tube pre and I have no complaints. I've also played it with the 410he and my b15n cab with good results. Guitarists always need to turn down...

 

[jumblemind]

I picked up an acoustic 1x15 tried it out today with the 2x10 and the 1x15 still not quite putting out the volume I need to hear myself over the drums without cranking the gain. Does it cut the wattage when I use 2 speakers?

If by speakers you mean 2 cabinets, no: you get the full wattage when running two 8ohm cabinets...that is to say you get the full amount of headroom, which is different from volume. As mentioned the above posts, more speakers means more volume. The gain on the MicroVR is half the power...I don't know if that is literally the case, but from a perception standpoint you have to crank the gain to get any real gigging volume (and to get the most awesome tone!).

If you don't have enough clean headroom for the tone you want, you need more speakers. Like someone said, this thing will sound great through an 810 and give you way more oomph and volume than what you've tried so far. The only other option for more clean headroom is more power. Try a PF500 maybe.

As for the problem of too hot a signal to DI when you crank the gain, I use a Radial JDI instead of going straight from the head. Sounds much better than that amp's DI, even when the gain isn't cranked.

 

[GoLeafsGo]

I run a PF500 through the Portaflex 115, don't know how I would need more than that, but if I did I would just add another 115.

 

[mbelue]

I picked up an acoustic 1x15 tried it out today with the 2x10 and the 1x15 still not quite putting out the volume I need to hear myself over the drums without cranking the gain. Does it cut the wattage when I use 2 speakers?

That's another cheap, medium duty speaker.
Better speakers, better result.
More speakers, better result.

Try to find something used, that should make your money do further.

 

[middy]

So, when you say you have to crank the gain we're assuming the volume is already at 100% and the midrange is at least at 50% to 75%, is this correct?

 

[sloppy_phil]

So, when you say you have to crank the gain we're assuming the volume is already at 100% and the midrange is at least at 50% to 75%, is this correct?

No, I would say that isn't necessarily correct, at least vis a vis the midrange. When I owned and gigged my VR, I would keep the volume turned up 100%, and then bring in the gain as I needed it (which was always pretty much between 2 o'clock and max!), although this was problematic when running the DI out my head to the PA system, since having the gain any higher than 10 o'clock made the DI sound awful.

As for mids, those are all down to personal taste. I tended to keep my mids a little beyond noon, but that's pretty much too subjective a thing for us to give meaningful commentary. I know lots of guys who like either a mild or severe scooping of their mids, and it works for them. That said, it is understood that in dense/loud/heavy band mixes, liberal use of mids will certainly help cut through.

 

[middy]

Yeah ok, thanks phil, I was asking Derrick to make sure we weren't missing anything obvious.

 

[Derrick Shaney]

Thanks for the input guys. I think the answer is just a head with more wattage. I like the tone on the micro VR but anything that requires volume tends to make it sound way different anyway. I am looking at an acoustic B300H or maybe a PF350 or 500.

 

[Derrick Shaney]

Pretty set on the Acoustic B300h with the matching Acoustic 1x15 cab. Is this a reasoable rig for playing medium sized gigs?

 

[sloppy_phil]

It'll probably work, although you never know. 300 isn't all that many more watts than 200; you'll be getting some more clean headroom, but not a ton in the way of increased volume.

If you like the tone of the VR, the Ampeg PF series is very, very similar tonally. There were lots of horror stories about the PF-500 when they came out, but my understanding is that Ampeg has addressed that issue in full. In your shoes, I'd probably opt for the PF-500 with either a 115 or 210, and then get a second, matching cab if/when it's needed

 

[skunky33]

I have an Acoustic B300h and I rarely turn it up past 4. Its way louder than your average 300 watt amp. It's way louder than my old SWR 400. A lot of hate on em. I've been playing it with no problems for 2 years. It has one of the most usable grinding overdrive if you're into that.

 

[Eschaton]

I'm looking into one of these at the moment. Lightly used
Ampeg Micro VR / SVT 2x10 - $450

Should I try to talk the guy down or what?

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