• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

How much is too much for a bedroom amp?

I've had more of a challenge in small rooms because low freq wave forms do not fully form and are truncated, plus phase cancellations etc etc such that a good focused sound is hard to achieve. I'd love to hear solutions if my impressions are misguided! E.g., someone mention studio monitors, so maybe smaller drivers would help??
 
The waveform not fully forming statement never made any sense to me either, considering headphones can have deep bass. The problem in small rooms are resonances caused by the distance between two walls where some frequencies cancel out or are amplified. A way to lessen the resonance issue would be open back boxes (open baffle in the hifi world). A commercial example would be a Fender 59 bassman, note, the speakers chosen for this amp have too high of a cone resonance (I believe about 90 to 100hz) to sound good on bass though, but are perfect for guitar. A good open box woofer will have a high qts parameter around 1, and an the fs of 35-45hz (cone resonance) such as the Eminence Alpha 15. I have used another woofer, Link Removed
at least In a stereo application, 2x per side, at least 3 feet away from the wall. Ignore the stated qts value listed though. Open box speakers will not vibrate walls as much, due to the inabity to pressurize the room. The speaker output pattern is a figure 8 vs omnidirectional of a conventional box. Another option would be making a cardiod setup combining an open box and a regular sealed or vented box. This is just out of the box thinking to consider. For gigging I would probably just stick with the standard gear, I personally find tube amps to be more satisfying to play through as the sound is fatter.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JMV
I don’t pretend to be an expert about wave forms forming, but I believe there must be something to it based on an experience I once had. I was playing a gig back around ‘83 or so on a stage in a large room with a provided backline, that being an old Acoustic 360 folded horn enclosure. I could not hear myself at all on stage, but the soundman kept telling me through the monitors to turn it down, “you’re killing us with bass out here.” How does this happen? I don’t have the faintest clue, but there’s some kind of voodoo majick going on. I was told the waves don’t develop until they’re twenty feet out from the cabinet, but what do I know?
 
  • Like
Reactions: bknop
I don’t pretend to be an expert about wave forms forming, but I believe there must be something to it based on an experience I once had. I was playing a gig back around ‘83 or so on a stage in a large room with a provided backline, that being an old Acoustic 360 folded horn enclosure. I could not hear myself at all on stage, but the soundman kept telling me through the monitors to turn it down, “you’re killing us with bass out here.” How does this happen? I don’t have the faintest clue, but there’s some kind of voodoo majick going on. I was told the waves don’t develop until they’re twenty feet out from the cabinet, but what do I know?
Yea, room acoustics can be wierd. I feel that I've only grasped the basics of acoustics, after that it's my ears or a measurement mic. Another possibility could be, if the amp was miked and you were midway in-between the amp and the pa, if the polarity of the signal was reversed coming out of the PA speakers, one would get cancelation. I mention this instance as a possibility as not all amps maintain the input polarity. On a side note, this probably why home theater subs often have a polarity switch. Sorry if I drug this thread too far off topic.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NitroBobby
I would follow your quest/hearts desire for the GK. You'll never know unless you try.
Upgrading one's amp/sound can inspire one's playing AND motivation. Certainly did for me when I moved from Rumble 15.

Cant comment on how the GK performs at low volumes, but I'm sure it will be pleasing. Might lead to more band stuff? Can always sell on if needed.

All the best
 
Have you ever seen waves on the beach or ocean come from 2 different directions ?
When two peaks meet the height nearly doubles and the dips are nearly twice as low, the wave has increased in power.
If the waves are out of sync and the peak of one meets the dip of the opposite wave they cancel each other and the water becomes flat.
Sound wave will bounce on walls and return towards the source sometime, if you are in the wrong place you get the sound-waves cancel each other, or you might be just where they double and its loud.
It is sort of like that but sometimes the sound gets funneled in certain places and get louder that way, like a tsunami grows as it approaches shore.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NitroBobby
I don’t pretend to be an expert about wave forms forming, but I believe there must be something to it based on an experience I once had. I was playing a gig back around ‘83 or so on a stage in a large room with a provided backline, that being an old Acoustic 360 folded horn enclosure. I could not hear myself at all on stage, but the soundman kept telling me through the monitors to turn it down, “you’re killing us with bass out here.” How does this happen? I don’t have the faintest clue, but there’s some kind of voodoo majick going on. I was told the waves don’t develop until they’re twenty feet out from the cabinet, but what do I know?
Had soloist experiences back in the day when I gigged regularly with an Acoustic 371, similar folded horn cab.
 
1724388843166.png

One of my bedroom amps.


Also have one of these.
1724389023388.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kenny056