Hello everyone. I am here to get some feedback on an amp that doesn't weigh a ton and is highly portable. I am guessing a 2-10" (with horn) and a 1-15" to get a 'Full range sound." Where I get confused is a head that will power both cabs adequately. I need something loud. That can handle anything from small to med/large clubs. Let's see what kind of advice I can get.
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Best loud/portable bi-amped bass rig
- Thread starter cdseverance
- Start date
There are actually about 10,000 threads that apply to this question. Two active threads right now:
Mixing full range speakers of different sizes is covered here among other things.
Beating Bi-amping to death once again.
The search function does work.
That said, dont bother. Find a cab that you like the sound of. then get two.
Mixing full range speakers of different sizes is covered here among other things.
Beating Bi-amping to death once again.
The search function does work.
That said, dont bother. Find a cab that you like the sound of. then get two.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,350
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Do you have a 2x10 that's designed as a mid/high box, and do you have a 115 in mind that's designed specifically as a sub box?
And yes, that is a loaded question.
Because unless you do, you're just using full range speakers and biamping is pointless.
And yes, that is a loaded question.
Because unless you do, you're just using full range speakers and biamping is pointless.
what are the ohms? I don't know too much about bi apmimg but if the ohms dont match couldn't you blow your amp?
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,350
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Sorry I mean your speackers. Again I'm not too sureif thats correct.
It's not necessarily a concern, if the OP knows what he's doing in terms of having either a power amp with multiple channels, or an amp head that is designed for proper bi-amping. The first stop on this journey is for the OP to consider what speakers he is in fact using. A standard issue bass 2/10 and 1/15 are designed as full range speakers, so they're not really intended for biamping, and you're not getting the most out of your rig if you do so. If you're working with a dedicated sub and a dedicated mid/high that are designed as such, then he could be in business. The first tip off is that a 210 isn't really a great mid-box as such, since 10's don't have great off axis dispersion.
I think that the OP would be best served with finding an amp that sounds good, and not trying to biamp one to make it better.
You should be aware though, that a good deal of Live Sound power amps contain crossovers now. Look at some Crown XTi's, or XLS's. You could feed them a signal from any bass preamp and designate frequencies to your sub of choice and your other speaker of choice.
But the suggestion about 210's being bad for mids is true. They also comb filter like a mother too. Bi-amping will best be done with speakers that are most efficient in the pass band areas that you are asking them to produce, and powering them appropriate power and limiting. Trying to fit full range bass guitar products into this is rather fruitless most times.
Check out the Fearful design threads where they were talking about speakers and the reasons for choosing what they did. It will open your eye to what I'm talking about here, and will help you understand how to design speakers. The rest you will have to read on your own. Education and experience is going to make you a good speaker system designer. Most of the time, a decision to bi-amp is a decision to design a speaker system for an application. All cabinets involved become one system.
You should be aware though, that a good deal of Live Sound power amps contain crossovers now. Look at some Crown XTi's, or XLS's. You could feed them a signal from any bass preamp and designate frequencies to your sub of choice and your other speaker of choice.
But the suggestion about 210's being bad for mids is true. They also comb filter like a mother too. Bi-amping will best be done with speakers that are most efficient in the pass band areas that you are asking them to produce, and powering them appropriate power and limiting. Trying to fit full range bass guitar products into this is rather fruitless most times.
Check out the Fearful design threads where they were talking about speakers and the reasons for choosing what they did. It will open your eye to what I'm talking about here, and will help you understand how to design speakers. The rest you will have to read on your own. Education and experience is going to make you a good speaker system designer. Most of the time, a decision to bi-amp is a decision to design a speaker system for an application. All cabinets involved become one system.
Ok thats makes sense, Im new too amps/ caps, Ive allways used combos and in a basic manner. Is there a point to bi-amping? Would buying a a 4x12, or 10 handle the job. or dose bi amping just sound better? In terms of sound levle, and range that is.
There is a point to biamping but very few bass cabs are designed to take advantage of it. If moving up from a combo to a gig rig, it may be best to just find an amp and a cab or two you like the sound of and are loud enough. If you want to keep yourself open to biamping in the future, get an amp that has the capability, then spend some time learning about speakers, sound, acoustics, etc. in order to make the most of it later. Several amps have biamp capability built in, doesn't mean you have to use it. Some SWR's, Carvin, Ampeg, GK's, Peaveys, etc. have the crossover and 2 amp channels to use.
There is that markbass 112 combo with bi-amping built in. It has a 200w amp for the horn and an 800w amp for the 12" speaker. You can dial in the volume on the front for the tweeter. The combo has a TON of headroom in the tweeter because of this design. I've only heard it on video demo'd in a NAMM booth, but it sounded much more dynamic than the other amps next to it. There are lots of reasons for this, as markbass builds a limiter into their 500w amps that they had next to it.
That's a good example of biamping done the right way. Just scale it up to gig level volume.
I came VERY close to pulling the trigger on one of those about 5 years ago. Great design!
Now theyre gone, right?
I came VERY close to pulling the trigger on one of those about 5 years ago. Great design!
Now theyre gone, right?
Don't know. This is the first I've seen of it. Seems to be a scaled down, self powered take on their 1832 type cabs.
I've seen somthing like this before. The old bass player from my old church had somthing like this. It had some nice high and solid lows. Could tell if the mids were nice. Do they still make these types of combos?
Don't know about that particular amp but a few folks do make 2-way cabs that are proper for biamping. Nearly all of them use passive internal crossovers so you don't "have to", but biamping them still offers much more control over what's going on.
I've played through one of those Ampeg's recently. Didn't know it was biamped. Sounded just fine actually, but it needed some pot cleaning and it was not loud enough to handle the gig because the PA was in full clip all the time. For those wondering, Thump TH-12's, Peavey PV118D's (not clipping), and a horribly gained Mackie FX mixer. it was gross, worst hour of my life on stage (sound wise).
