How much power is enough?

[eleveniseven]

i have been looking recently at schroeder cabs, they seem to be exactly what i have been looking for. however, looking at the 410 or the 210212,
looks like they call for either 1400 watts or 1700 watts rms...
is it recommended to send that much rms power to those cabs, is that even friggin necessary? i mean really, how many watts do you need to produce good sound that is clean, clear and loud?
how long will these cabs hold together at these kinds of power levels?
what are you guys doing?

 

[bgavin]

They can call for a winning lottery ticket too. No cab with a couple drivers is going to get close to that power consumption before bottoming out.

10s and 12s have a modest excursion, which becomes quite limited at specific low frequencies in the bass band. Typically these drivers hit the Xmax limit anyway from 25 to 75 watts.

 

[rodl2005]

The Schroeder are rated highly-RMS!!! But it wouldn't matter if U were powering 'em with a 200w amp, they'd still sound GREAT. Some 've powered the old -now discontinued 310212(2400w) with the Fender 300PRO-300 w all tube - worked REAL well!!! Won't matter- as long as U dont clip( overdrive) the amp.

 

[A9X]

I love the disparity between understanding and enthusiasm.

 

[ga_edwards]

Are you intending to play with or without PA support?

If you are, you only really need enough volume for you and the band to hear on stage. I personally prefer with PA support to keep stage volume as low as possible and have everything going through the PA. The mix is more controllable, detailed and is less fatiging (sp?) on the ears.

I have a Markbass LMII with one 1x12 cab running at 300w. I haven't had to turn in up over halfway yet, even in pub gigs without going through the PA. As I know the cab can cope with 400w and the head can output 500w I know I've got headroom to spare without fear of pushing too hard and crapping out.

I do think wattage is over-rated IMO. Cab design, speaker size and amount have more to do with perceived volume that wattage.

My current setup running at 300w sounds so much more powerful than my old Warwick CCL 1x15 250w combo. Mainly I think due to effeciency.

 

[sublime0bass]

most metal can take up to 3 gigawatts before it starts to break down (melt)

im not sure of the equation, but thats quite a bit of watts

 

[billfitzmaurice]

The listed power figures for most cabs indicate how much power they can take without damage. How much they require to deliver maximum undistorted output may be half that figure or less. How much they may require to go as loud as you need it to may be considerably lower still. There's really only one way to find out.

 

[A9X]

most metal can take up to 3 gigawatts before it starts to break down (melt)

Like a fuse.

 

[wiro]

These figures can put you on the wrong track easily.
For your eares twice the volume equals ten times the wattage!

So a 1000 watt is only two times as loud as a 100 watt rig....
So the difference between 1000 and 1700 watt is not as much as it looks like.

The listed power figures for most cabs indicate how much power they can take without damage.

This is called music power or peak power. Mainly used by budget stuff. Cause it doesn't indicate anything.

How much they require to deliver maximum undistorted output may be half that figure or less.

This is called RMS power. Mainly used by high end stuff.

 

[theshadow2001]

Like a fuse.

you bet me to it!

I don't know where your getting metal can take 3 gigawatts before melting.

Maybe you're getting mixed up with the fact that you need at least several gigawatts to play metal.

 

[EastCoastThump]

is that even friggin necessary?

no.

i mean really, how many watts do you need to produce good sound that is clean, clear and loud?

depends.

what are you guys doing?

I have a 2K watt Stewart to pair with my Schroeder, but most of the time I run it with a 400 watt Thunderfunk, with the input gain set just before clipping and the volume b/w 3 & 4.

In other words, for stage volume even on large stages, I don't find I need to get anywhere near the Schroeder's stated max handling limits.

 

[netbot]

135 watt full tube is enough.

 

[eleveniseven]

its 1.21 jigawatts, i also intend to travel time with my rig...
what i was getting at was how much power do you really need to send to say a 410 schroeder, and i am pretty much on the same wavelength as you guys, i dont really need to supply 1400 watts, im thinking my current rigs will probably make it,
im also extremely amused at some of the comments on here, im crackin up, thanks guys!

 

[theshadow2001]

If you feel you have enough power with your current rig then there's no need for a power upgrade. I believe the main point of having more power is allowing high transients to pass through cleanly or unclipped ie headroom. You only use the power when you have those peaks that last momentarilly. So you get a clean signal constantly as opposed to a clean signal most of the time.

The schroeders are known for their efficiency and loudness. So if you feel your current amp is supplying enough power then you should be fine. Just because it's rated 1400 watts doesn't mean you need to supply 1400 watts.

 

[A9X]

These figures can put you on the wrong track easily.
For your eares twice the volume equals ten times the wattage!

So a 1000 watt is only two times as loud as a 100 watt rig....
So the difference between 1000 and 1700 watt is not as much as it looks like.


This is called music power or peak power. Mainly used by budget stuff. Cause it doesn't indicate anything.


This is called RMS power. Mainly used by high end stuff.

You are not understanding Bill at all. There is a vast difference in many cabs between what the specs for the drivers say re thermal limit, and what they can actually use in their specific cabs in terms of displacement limits, or Xmax.