Not Union Square... That's actually Everett I think... Behind Costco's parking lot. Or was it BJ's? There's a huge green area there, where they setup stage and everything else...
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Help - Ampeg vs GK volume issues
- Thread starter iandi.bass
- Start date
Not Union Square... That's actually Everett I think... Behind Costco's parking lot. Or was it BJ's? There's a huge green area there, where they setup stage and everything else...
unfortunately, the laws of physics would not agree with you. if it sounds louder from 20 ft away than in front of it, it's because of reflections bouncing off surfaces reinforcing it.
Well then, the laws of physics do support my position (physics does account for reflection, no?). I'm actually trained as an organic chemist, but I do give physics/acoustics their due. Point is, I don't care why it sounds louder 10-20 feet away, I just know it does, at least in the situations I've checked for it (generally in smallish rehearsal rooms). In clubs, I've got no time to do it.
The way I see their respective approach of tone, GK tries to stand out while Ampeg wants to blend in.
In other words, I sound better on a GK but the band sounds better if I play an Ampeg.
In other words, I sound better on a GK but the band sounds better if I play an Ampeg.
jazz, i must admit i don't see that at all about either one. it's been my experience you can do either on both.
Yes you can for sure if you know how to use your EQ. I just find that they make it easier to sound this way.
That's not what you said.
You made a gross exaggeration to support your opinion, and you have little credibility with me because of your various claims and unequal comparisons.
I have a very well serviced '70s SVT and I it's no louder than any well serviced Classic. Maybe they cut a bit better if you want because of the slightly clearer mids but even that is open to debate.
GKs generally cut through very well because of their strong high-mids voicing at common settings, it's apples to oranges. I like both brands and have owned an '80s 800RB for a while and loved it.
Ampeg SVT 4Pro a 150w amp? Get real.
Jimmy was a lot kinder to your opinions but I have trouble with people that claim they can't say anything negative about a certain brand due to user loyalty, and then go on to trash the brand entirely using poor comparisons, anecdotes indicating probable user error, and extreme exaggeration.
I have little credibility with you? Oh, gosh, won't even sleep tonight...
Listen, I played two gigs at NY's SOB's, not sure if you know the place. Same band, similar crowd.
In one of the gigs, a friend insisted that I used his SVT4-Pro. He owns that head for a few years and tells me he knows how to use it. House cab is an Ampeg fridge. The sound was dull, weak and intelligibility was low. I had a hard time hearing myself through that gig.
In the other gig, I setup an older 200W 400RB that they have over there. It's the house amp. The sound was full and I could hear myself through the entire gig.
I'm sure you get my point: 200W alright, SVT4-Pro less than alright, I threw a figure of 150W. If you play an SVT4-Pro and it makes you happy gig after gig, I'm happy that you have encountered an amp that does it for you. After several bad experiences with this amp it doesn't work for me and it sounded like a 150W to MY ears every time I tried it. Did I have measurement devices at the gig? No, so take what I say with a grain of salt.
That's correct, you have trouble... That's fine with me... I prefer to believe in my ears than yours that are a bit too far away...
I know that rig at SOB's, the old tattered early '70s cab that is shot to hell and sounds like crap. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same cab that I saw there the first time I went in the '80s. Last act I saw there was Culture a few years ago and the bass tone was the worst of any reggae gig I've been to. It's probably my favorite little club in NYC but the worst house rig I've heard bands of the caliber they attract play through. The stage is low and I'm used to dancing up in front so I can easily hear the cab from close. You borrowed a friend's amp you have no experience using and you say he knows how to use it, but is his way necessarily correct or suited to your instrument and style? For all I know you were pumping 1200w bridged into a cab with old CTS speakers designed for 250w max. power, or only running 300w from one channel in which case there isn't much difference to the 400RB power-wise. Do you remember how you set the gain and the bridge mode?
I'm not arguing about your ears. I'm happy you found what you like, I expect no one to have the same experiences with gear as I have. I wouldn't have a clue how many watts an amp is putting out at any given time but I know a 400RB will run out of gas long before a 4PRO in any situation. I'm just extremely wary about extreme claims; I've heard them about the 4PRO very often and I'd bet most are due to user error. Ampeg is very scrupulous with wattage claims, better than most manufacturers IMO.
Yeah, my friend insisted that I used his amp. I did have previous experience with this head. Played with it 6 or 8 times before... Never did it for me... At SOB's I decided to give it another chance since the house amp was the weak 400rb.
Yes, that's an old fridge they have there. Looks like crap, I know... Funny that I managed to hear myself using that old cab and old, beaten 400rb they have there. Go figure...
I never said the SVT4 puts out 150W. I only said it sounded like a 150W amp to me, like when you get one of those Hartke HA2500, plugs in an 8ohm cab and plays all night barely hearing yourself...
Yes, that's an old fridge they have there. Looks like crap, I know... Funny that I managed to hear myself using that old cab and old, beaten 400rb they have there. Go figure...
I never said the SVT4 puts out 150W. I only said it sounded like a 150W amp to me, like when you get one of those Hartke HA2500, plugs in an 8ohm cab and plays all night barely hearing yourself...
Not funny, normal. The high midsy character of the GK meant you could hear yourself better on stage at low wattage (higher wattages and that cab would be dust; as it is probably spit and dirt are the only thing holding it together). Try pumping some decent lows into a cab suitably rated to handle higher power and the GK will fall by the wayside long before the Ampeg breaks a sweat.
Are you really comparing the 4PRO to a HartkeHA2500? Do you not suspect that maybe there was something wrong with Ampeg or the way it was set? C'mon...
I apologize if my experiences with the SVT4-Pro are different from yours or everyone else's...
I have played SVT4-PRO + Ampeg Fridge several times (between 8 and 10) as Backlines for BIG sound companies. I mean, 50KW PA's, 10K people kind of gigs...
Also used to own an HA2500 and played that with a Bergantino HT212 many many times...
The Hartke/Bergantino rig was fine every time. Always could hear the notes I was playing. Ampeg's big rig always left me down, most times I even turned it off and put bass on monitors.
That's my experience with the SVT4-Pro head, new and used, medium and large stages, never a happy camper... It's just fine if you think I'm lying...
