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HELP ... MAJORLY CONFUSED

i am so confused...i've read things and still NO HELP...

ok heres my question... if i am buyin a new head and cabinets....do i buy a 4 or 8 ohm??? like i'm buyin a head and then 1 cab for now with hopes to upgrade to more cabs in the future....so should i buy 8 ohm or 4 ohm??? should my head be 8 or 4 ohms??? please help...what would be a good setup for this right now...like what brands ... i was looking at the Ashdown Mag 300h.....but idk if that will work...and i want a 2x10 for now....please help :help: :help: :help:
 
Basically any head you buy will cover both 4 and 8-ohm speaker loads. Cabs are rated at various impedances (4-ohm, 8-ohm, etc.), but heads are listed at what impedances they are stable at. Simply put, you couldn't put an Eden WT-400, for example, with a 2-ohm speaker load, because the WT-400 only goes down to 4-ohm loads. There are heads that will accomodate 2-ohm loads, if that's what you're after. The way to compare heads is to look at what power they produce at differen impedances. Then look at your speaker options.
 
dustklose said:
that was the first thing i thought of buyin....haha thanks man

I would think that you'd look for 8ohm cabinets. Most solid state/hybrid amps can work with either 4 or 8 ohm loads...That way, you can use 1 8ohm cabinet, or 2 8ohm cabinets (giving a total of 4 ohms when used together). There are a few solid state/hybrid amps that can work with a two ohm load...

This way, you can get one cab to start and a second later on...or you can buy 2 and choose to use one or both depending on the situation.


-B.
 
dustklose said:
i am so confused...i've read things and still NO HELP...

ok heres my question... if i am buyin a new head and cabinets....do i buy a 4 or 8 ohm??? like i'm buyin a head and then 1 cab for now with hopes to upgrade to more cabs in the future....so should i buy 8 ohm or 4 ohm??? should my head be 8 or 4 ohms??? please help...what would be a good setup for this right now...like what brands ... i was looking at the Ashdown Mag 300h.....but idk if that will work...and i want a 2x10 for now....please help :help: :help: :help:

Here's the deal:

If you buy a head that goes down to 4 ohms (that will include MOST heads: get an 8 ohm speaker and then you have the option of adding another 8 ohm speaker later.

If you buy a head that goes down to 2 ohms (more rare), then buy a 4 ohm speaker, and you can add another 4 ohm (or 8 ohm) speaker later.

It's most likely what you want is a head that goes down to 4 ohms and an 8 ohm speaker to go with it.

The mag300 goes down to 4 ohms.

A mag300 + an avatar 2x10 B210 is a good start. Just make sure to order the avatar 2x10 as an 8 ohm model.
 
dustklose said:
thanks...you've helped alot...i'll prolly end up goin to the avatar site and buyin the mag300 w/ the 2x12 or 2x10


Sounds like a good, economical rig --- if you get the 2x12, make sure to get it in 8 ohms if you want to add another cab later.

Personally, I'd be tempted to get a 4 ohm 2x12, then all your MAG power will go into that single cabinet. If you think a 2x12 is all you'll need, then this is the way to go.
 
how much sound would the the mag 300h put out through a 2x12 would it be enuf to beat out my guitarists and a drummer? in a small auditorium...we have no pa system as of yet...but were tryin...while i'm talking about it...does anyone know what i all need to get to have a good pa system...i have no clue how they work!!!
 
dustklose said:
how much sound would the the mag 300h put out through a 2x12 would it be enuf to beat out my guitarists and a drummer? in a small auditorium...we have no pa system as of yet...but were tryin...while i'm talking about it...does anyone know what i all need to get to have a good pa system...i have no clue how they work!!!

Depending how loud they are, I would say:

- 2x10 will be borderline

- 2x12 will be enough, unless it's a loud metal band

- 4x10 (or two 2x10's) best of all
 
PA's are very tricky to get right, much less sound good.

At the present, we play through some powered Mackie mains, with 2 12"s and a horn. For larger places w/out PA's, we usually rent a set of powered JBL subs and we never have any problems. We also have a Mackie 16-channel mixer that we use. No power amps, no thick Speakons to deal with, only enough surge protectors and extension cords to plug everything in! This has worked like a charm for us. I would suggest something similar. Until you start doing large venues that require thousands of watts of power (which most medium/large venues have their own PA and soundguy), you should get by with a set of powered mains and a 10 or 12 channel mixer.
 
dustklose said:
ok...what about PA systems...is this the right place to talk about them too?? and what about the SB112 instead of the B212....its avatar...but SB is specialized for LOW B....and i play alot of Low B

I have the SB112, and while it is a great cab, I wouldn't want to pit it against a loud drummer and guitarist. I use mine underneath a 4x10 live and use it alone for practice (plenty loud if'n yer not practicing at stage volume). I don't think the drivers in the 2x12 are any different than the 112. I also would be leery of pushing low B through it super loud by itself.