How do overpowering symptoms sound?

[tony_clifton]

Hey,

To start with; I've read the FAQ and used the search, but I couldn't really find something like this;

Tonight I pushed my GS112 cab to it's limits with a 500 watt amp. Off course I didn't play more than a few notes to not damage anything, but I'm wondering what I actually have been hearing.

At rehearsal level: everything fine; no lack of bass and no other weird sounds.

A little louder: less bass, low notes go along with some 'rattle'. To be honest, it kind of scared me - our guitarist/singer accidentally plugged a microphone in a headphones out once - the sound coming out of the mic was kind of similar, but less loud.

Didn't go any further at that point and turned it down. Also, I didn't play continiously and long enough to overheat the voice coil.
What kind of thing was the rattle? I'm 95% sure it was the cab (speaker, not the handle), and not the room either...

Was this farting out? Thought farting out more as a 'clangy' sound?
I don't think I damaged anything, nothing changed at volume levels before that point...

Thanks!

 

[billfitzmaurice]

Was this farting out? !

Yes, though not a severe case. When you hit the excursion limit additional power gives no more output, but that occurs first in the low end, so the first symptom is the mids get louder while the bottom doesn't. The second symptom is increased harmonics, which can be perceived as rattle. With extreme overpowering the sound gets nasty, thus the description 'farting out'. You weren't there yet, but probably close.

 

[JimmyM]

ya, don't try to push a little cab to its balls out limit with insane wattage. big bass = big cabs and there's no way around it. unless, of course, you like buying new speakers.

 

[tony_clifton]

Okay, thanks!

 

[RickenBoogie]

+1 if you need more volume, use more speakers. A single 12 will only go so far.