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Its like chocolate on cheese. Two great flavors, but not together.
- Oct 18, 2012
- 6,683
- 5,538
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Fender, Spector, Ampeg, Curt Mangan, Nordstrand Pickups, Korg , Conquest Sound
A PF 800 can run at 8 or 4 ohms. The 410 HLF is 4 ohm cab. If you add the 115 HE you will be running a load of 2.6 ohms and fry the amp.
My taste buds love chocolate and cheese, my ears don't often like mixing 15s and 10s together.
I don't think the PF410HLF is 4 Ohms like the old classic line 410HLF was. Also, he isn't going to add an HE it is the PF115LF he is thinking of adding.
That said, the single 15 inch driver is going to be receiving 400 watts RMS (up to 800 Watts peak, which will cause it to blow!) while each 10 will only be receiving 100 watts RMS. I strongly recommend using either 2 PF410HLF cabs or 2 PF115LF cabs but not one of each. If you insist on it, put the 115 on top so it is closer to your ears ... You may be able to hear it complain before the silence, if you burry it on the bottom of the stack you will blow it without knowing and the next time you take just the 115 to a smaller gig, test it before you go as blown drivers make no noise. Cheers.
The PF 800 with a 410HLF AND a 115LF is my exact rig right now and the original 15" speaker did blow on me.. I ended up re-coning it, but buying a 800 watt Eminence Omega Pro to use in that cab.
I like the combo of both cabs rather than one or the other but if I had to choose one or the other i'd go with the 4-10"..
Jeff
I like the combo of both cabs rather than one or the other but if I had to choose one or the other i'd go with the 4-10"..
Jeff
It's one of the things I love about Talkbass.
The cult of P-basses, tort guards and flats; The best ______ for metal puzzles; betting on what day Nobody gets banned next; and a brand new mixed cab thread every week!
OX MJC - Are you really going to listen to an Ampeg SALESMAN over actual gigging bass players? Mixing cabs can be good but usually isn't. All the affects of doing this are a real thing. It's not some sort of conspiracy or a load of crap. I heard it first hand when mixing an Eden 212 and 410. The resulting tone was cool but I could not alter it much because of phasing issues. I had to heavily increase tone knobs to get a change in tone. The 212 gave up well before the 410 started to sweat too. I had a stereo amp so it was manageabe on the power, but what a terrible rig.
Buy two identical cabs you like and be done with it.
Buy two identical cabs you like and be done with it.
Sorry, but it won't. If you want to add SPL, matching cabs is the way to go. With a ss head, you get a theoretical 5~6dB increase. But mixing with cabs of different efficiency ratings, like the PF410 and PF115, don't expect much of an SPL increase.
Here's why Ampeg and other manufacturers push mixed cabs. Marketing guys have figured out that most bassists will not buy two of the same cab, but will buy one of each of two different cabs. The bassist concludes that I can buy this cab for this style of music, and buy that cab for that style of music. That is a valid assumption, we all do it, that's why most of us have lots of cabs laying around.
Here's the kicker: You have identified you want more headroom as the reason for a full stack. It is not outside the realm of conventional wisdom to assume that one can just 'stack' the two they already own, and presto, it will be louder. However, that is a false assumption as science often contradicts what we assume to be so. The answer to more headroom, or added SPL, is a match set. Now, if you want 'different' tone, then mix away. Just don't expect it to be louder.
Here is the general rule of thumb for making a full stack:
If you want more SPL, add a second of the same cab.
If you want different tone, mix them.
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In the end, Dino is trying to sell Ampeg. If he wasn't, then he would be fired. The cabs you want to combine were not engineered to work together. No matter what Dino says.
Wow, that's strange that a company like Ampeg would give out information that would damage their product and produce unhappy customers. In all honesty though, I have had issues with a 410 and 115 in my own experience that's why I'm changing up my rig and asking advice and other people's experiences here on TB, I am also a "newbie" here. Ohms law is ohms law, so now I'm totally at odds with this. I guess from my own experience and the comments from this thread, I will just have to stick with 2 matching cabs and give up the versatility of having a 115 flip top for small gigs but still, two 8 ohm cabs equates to a 4 ohm load.
No dont give up your versatility for posters who think you are doing an injustice for mixing cabs. If a 115 & 410 combo works for you then great. Those two cabs you specified will work fine together at 4 ohms. Yes two matched cabs can work together more efficiently but sometimes the versatility of having two variations of cabs is whats needed. Some people forget that most of us are not running our stacks at full throttle without FOH support. Do whats in your best interest.
EXACTLY! That's what I thought. Thank you! Of course we all know 2 matched cabs is the best but a mix set up as long as you stay within the load should be fine. I can't imagine a company rep risking his reputation and the companies reputation by giving out bad information that will fry their own products.
The only way the mixed cab thing works is if you have an amp with a crossover (such as my old Peavey TNT-150) where you could buy a powered 210 for the highs and send the lows to the 15. It was a great sound but now days engineering has come a long way that you do not need to do this. I do ocasionally mix a 15 and a 210 with good results but Now I mainly use my Ampeg Micro VR & 2x210 stacked the long way and am quite pleased.
It's not that it's bad info, as if levels are kept low, you can get away it.
But back to marketing, Ampeg (or any company for that matter) exists for one reason. Selling as many cabs and amps as possible. And how they do that is to convince people that they need their products by any legal means possible. Keeping their reputation top flight is only one of many things they have to juggle. A top flight reputation can sure help by attracting new customers, and making a customer a repeat customer, but a company has to do more by suggesting this, and suggesting that, etc., etc.
Here's why I visit these and other forums. It's an exchange of ideas, practices, and as such more factual than a trade show or a barroom conversation. I have no vested interest in sharing one method over another.
Ox....If this is the case, then why did they continue to sell the PF500 head and the SVT 7Pro?
And there it is! Versatility is nice, and you can believe Dino all you want, but in the end, its a big ol' crapshoot
D
[QUOTE="samson3382, post: 18419698, member: 144673"
I really don't know, different applications, needs, taste, tone I guess.
