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Ampeg PF350/500 Part VI

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#641
PF-350 will be here Friday. Bought it "used" from a dealer out in L.A. They said it was a unit used by an Ampeg artist during the NAMM show so I'm hoping it wasn't abused too much. They knocked $50 off the price AND it's still under factory warranty so we shall see. Plan on running it through a 4ohm, 500w cab. At first I was a little worried 350watts wouldn't be enough to push the cab but with further research I've concluded it should be fine. Can't wait.
 
#642
Ya, this business about a cab needing a certain amount of watts to push it is an old wives' tale. For example, the Heritage B-15 has a speaker rated for 450w, but the head only does 30w. Works fine.
 
#645
I believe the most important factor is speaker efficiency aka sensitivity. If speaker a is 3db lower in sensitivity than speaker b, a will require an amp with twice as much power to sound as loud as b.

Also how much midrange output the speaker has makes a subjective loudness difference.

Wattage Max is only an indication of it's maximum rating before breaking or sounding wrong.
 
#650
Good news you guys. My used 500 has 'blinked' a couple times, when I've hit a string very hard and apparently overloaded the input briefly. Went back on, no further issue. Does this happen normally, or is it indicative of the problems you all may have had?

I didn't even use it at a gig the other night, I just didn't want to be thinking about it... I used my backup head (Peavey Megabass) instead.
 
#651
Count Bassie said:
Good news you guys. My used 500 has 'blinked' a couple times, when I've hit a string very hard and apparently overloaded the input briefly. Went back on, no further issue. Does this happen normally, or is it indicative of the problems you all may have had?

I didn't even use it at a gig the other night, I just didn't want to be thinking about it... I used my backup head (Peavey Megabass) instead.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you hit the limiter. Try backing off either the gain or master depending on what was higher/causing trouble or dialing up the compressor a bit.
 
#654
Played a gig over the weekend with the PF-500. No PA support, louder than expected, and had to push it harder than I previously had. It seemed like there was still some headroom. I had the master close to 12:00 but not beyond. Sounded fine, no cutouts or any other problems. I have to say, though, that if it ever starts cutting out significantly or stops operating properly, I will probably get a GK and never look back. You have to be able to trust your amp.
 
#656
Scott549 said:
Played a gig over the weekend with the PF-500. No PA support, louder than expected, and had to push it harder than I previously had. It seemed like there was still some headroom. I had the master close to 12:00 but not beyond. Sounded fine, no cutouts or any other problems. I have to say, though, that if it ever starts cutting out significantly or stops operating properly, I will probably get a GK and never look back. You have to be able to trust your amp.
Click to expand...

You can run the master up past 3:00 without issue, the gain is where the trouble starts. I just picked up a GB rig and the directions contain the same methodology for setting the level as Ampeg recommends - with the additional proviso that if you turn up the EQ section you should go back and check that you aren't overdriving it - lower the gain again.

Then again who trusts such recommendations from such a 2nd rate company...
 
#657
dkelley said:
By blinked do you mean a light blinked or do you mean the sound cut out for a split second? Because no limiter mutes the Sound, it just prevents it from getting any louder in a rather brutal and audibly attack-compressed way.
Click to expand...

Blink as in no sound for a second or so. Came back on right away. Like a 'gate' closing and opening again.

I think it's not limiter in the classic sense, but more like Peavey's DDT compression idea.
 
#658
that blink is the issue for most of us. Some have had it go on stay on but thats the extreme. The blink is unacceptable to me. cutting out and my bass dropping out to reset doesn;t work.. it is clearly the protection kicking in to save the class d from damage which is good but doesn't cut it for me. Forced me to go the SVT 7 route where the extra headroom doesn't take me to the stress point (so far anyway) at anything less than would never play that loud anyway volume. and forced me to rediscover some sweet old tube amps for smaller bars/clubs that the class d amps would have found a way into my racks...

i think for me it is a class d amp thing but it appears tat with the volume of the pf500 sold that ampeg is at the front of the class so to speak.
 
#659
Time for some good news. Within 3 weeks, I got the PF500 head back. Turned out the power amp was the culprit, which was repaired and modified (an interesting detail). Got the amp back in a new box from another PF500, firmly in the foam, with new power cable and a spare set of owner manual and stuff. Plus - in Europe, Ampeg guarantee is 2 years as well. Keep up the good work, Loud T.!
 
#660
PF-350 arrived today. Can only listen through headphones for the time being. Cab will take some more time/work. Sounds good though. Nice and punchy with some good deep bass.
 

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