General amp question

[LukeMan970]

when doing gigs what do you guys do, i only have a 300 watt amp so what would i do to get the sound out to a bigger audience, like i want to get a ampeg svt 3 but i don't know if thats enough power to do bigger gigs.

 

[coldtrain]

If you just want to increase volume, you'll get farther by adding more speakers. 300W can get loud.

 

[LukeMan970]

so it would be split to 150 watts or so to each cab? i'm a noob when it comes to amps and cabs and such.

 

[GetLow]

If you just want to increase volume, you'll get farther by adding more speakers. 300W can get loud.

+1 more speaker surface = more volume

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

so it would be split to 150 watts or so to each cab? i'm a noob when it comes to amps and cabs and such.

Thing is, im betting you have a solid state amp, and with a single cab its probably not running the full 300 watt

And if its an all tube 300 watt, you dont need louder

 

[LukeMan970]

would you still get the same tone by running it through a PA, i've always wondered if you loose tone because of a PA.

 

[BurningSkies]

You definitely get a different sound running DI without an amp through a PA...But plenty of people like the sound that way too.

I prefer to use the DI on my amp, which outputs after the preamp/EQ stage, so I get some of the amp tone into the house.

The SVT 3 doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to being loud. In fact, it's known to be a tame 300w.

I play a 300watt amp for my rig...no problems. I use either 2 or 3 12 inch speakers.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

the SVT 3 Pro isnt 300 watts, i take thats what your meaning, dont know about the original SVT 3 (which i think existed)

 

[Bluesbob]

Wattage ratings are a good place to start, but they seldom tell the whole story. You may be getting confused by ratings into a certain load (known as the impedance). A solid state amp, such as the SVT 3 is rated at 350 watts into 4 ohms. But into an 8-ohm cabinet, the SVT 3 only puts out about 200 watts. Another thing that can make a big difference in output is the efficiency of a cabinet, rated in Sound Pressure Level as sensitivity to a certain input. For instance, a lot of cheap cabs, whether 4X10, 2X12, 1X15 or whatever, can only manage an output of around 97 to 99 dB (decibels), so the SPLs are way lower than an Eden or SWR cab at 107 or 108 dB. And then there's the tube amps. An SVT tube amp can put out 300 watts into 8, 4, or even 2 ohms, and yet is still going to be way louder then the SVT 3, even at 350 watts into 4 ohms. This is a classic "apples to oranges" comparison. If you're going solid state, start with 500 (or more) watts into 4 ohms, unless you play quietly or through a big PA. Don't rule out a rack set-up with pre and power amps. Sometimes this can be the most economical way to get lots of power. And check the efficiency rating of any cab you buy. Of course, it still has to please your ears also. Good luck with your research and shopping.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Wattage ratings are a good place to start, but they seldom tell the whole story. You may be getting confused by ratings into a certain load (known as the impedance). A solid state amp, such as the SVT 3 is rated at 350 watts into 4 ohms. But into an 8-ohm cabinet, the SVT 3 only puts out about 200 watts. Another thing that can make a big difference in output is the efficiency of a cabinet, rated in Sound Pressure Level as sensitivity to a certain input. For instance, a lot of cheap cabs, whether 4X10, 2X12, 1X15 or whatever, can only manage an output of around 97 to 99 dB (decibels), so the SPLs are way lower than an Eden or SWR cab at 107 or 108 dB. And then there's the tube amps. An SVT tube amp can put out 300 watts into 8, 4, or even 2 ohms, and yet is still going to be way louder then the SVT 3, even at 350 watts into 4 ohms. This is a classic "apples to oranges" comparison. If you're going solid state, start with 500 (or more) watts into 4 ohms, unless you play quietly or through a big PA. Don't rule out a rack set-up with pre and power amps. Sometimes this can be the most economical way to get lots of power. And check the efficiency rating of any cab you buy. Of course, it still has to please your ears also. Good luck with your research and shopping.

If its the SVT3 Pro its 450 watts into 4 ohms and 275 into 8 ohms , you'd probably be better looking at the SVT 4, 5 (and maybe the 6 ? )

 

[coldtrain]

so it would be split to 150 watts or so to each cab? i'm a noob when it comes to amps and cabs and such.

Think 'speakers' not 'cabinets' per se. 300W into a 4ohm 6x10 is going to be a whole lot louder than 300w into a 4ohm 2x10, and a bit louder than into a 4ohm 4x10. You'll get to a point though where you're maxing out your head at those 300W and you'll lose headroom, dynamic range, etc. Always good to have more power than you think you'll need.

If you need the skinny on impedance and power ratings, I think there's an excellent sticky on it.

 

[Bluesbob]

The SVT 3 "Pro" may come close to 450 watts into 4 ohms at 1kHz, but at 40 Hz., which is where my SVT II (non-Pro) puts out 307 true RMS watts (on a scope) at the onset of clipping, I think my numbers (for the SVT 3) are more accurate.