How to power 3 cabinets

[swink]

true. I just love these Aggies. and having 3 is super modular. so I can use 1 on super small gigs, 2 on medium gigs, and 3 on big stages without changing amps.

Have you considered this setup?
1x12 cab + 2x12 cab:
1x12 cab => small gigs.
2x12 cab => medium gigs.
1x12 cab + 2x12 cab => big stages.

 

[alotabass]

I still think going with two amps is a better and lower cost idea. If one amp ever fails you now have a backup on top of being able to ramp up or down based on the needs of the gig. Just add to what you already have no need to replace anything.

 

[Tom Magri]

…or you could just plug in the mixer and use one 12 for all of your gigs.

 

[alotabass]

…or you could just plug in the mixer and use one 12 for all of your gigs.

And for those gigs with no mixer, you now have the option of ramping up.

 

[Standalone]

4 ohm minimum load.

This will certainly be the only time I'll ever be able to post a correction, but the 800RB has two amplifiers, one that puts 300 Watts into 4 ohm min load and one that puts 100w into an 8 ohm min load. The crossover is switchable to full range, which would send a relatively equal amount of juice to each 8 ohm Bag End as long as the operator understood what they were doing. A lot of those 800RB "hi" outs failed when two 8ohm speakers were plugged in…. But the 3 up arrangement is entirely doable and appropriate, especially with sensitive speakers like the S15

 

[Standalone]

That's not what he is trying to do. GK's biampable amps were 50 watts on the HF channel.

There are some amps that have DUAL power amps, if that's what you mean?

The more recent 700 and 1001 rb, yes. The 800, as I now see others have also pointed out, could run full range to each.

 

[agedhorse]

This will certainly be the only time I'll ever be able to post a correction, but the 800RB has two amplifiers, one that puts 300 Watts into 4 ohm min load and one that puts 100w into an 8 ohm min load. The crossover is switchable to full range, which would send a relatively equal amount of juice to each 8 ohm Bag End as long as the operator understood what they were doing. A lot of those 800RB "hi" outs failed when two 8ohm speakers were plugged in…. But the 3 up arrangement is entirely doable and appropriate, especially with sensitive speakers like the S15

I still wouldn't recommend it, that concept ended up not being very robust and even GK abandoned the idea in their follow-up models.

 

[FenderMeBass]

I run 3 Aguilar SL112 with an Aguilar AG700 head and love the sound. As you said, it is a super modular setup.

How exactly? Does it drop to two ohm?

 

[Lonnybass]

Bravo, what a rig. Folks who've never played a preamp/ commercial power amp rig will never have a sense of that effortless power, tone, and how clean they can be. Of course, some potential customers can be put off because of that. . . .

Have a friend who runs a very similar rack, driving four of the single-10 Acme cabinets, 2 in each channel of his QSC.

You never know if lightweight power amps and neo cabinets might revive racks : Your front end could go in a bag.

Nice.

Thanks! The best thing about this setup is the ability for it to sound absolutely huge, full and rich without it being loud. I realized awhile back that there is a very real difference between a smaller cabinet that is absolutely blasting away, and a taller one that easily fills in a mix without overpowering anything. Just lots of controlled presence. Coincidentally, I used to have two of the Acme cabinets (2x10s) that I would stack in the vertical "4 in line" config. I liked a lot of things about them but kept blowing up drivers due to overexcursion...I kind of got to a point where the need to baby them was always on my mind whenever I would gig with the things.

And the rack revival, YES! I used to have an 8-space rack with all the usual stuff...EQ, power conditioner, tuner, etc. Over the last 10 years or so I migrated everything to pedals - my board has a programmable graphic EQ and parametric, plus all the other toys...combined with the DSP on the Crest, I can save EQ settings for my Genzler rig AND my Fearful rig, then fine-tune from there...I wish I had all of this stuff 20 years ago when I was gigging 4 times a week!

 

[FenderMeBass]

The D-800 will give you everything you need (and more). Super easy to dial in the tone you want. I have one running through a Subway 115 and 112. No worries about being heard, or hearing myself. Good luck

So the d800 will be able to daisy chain the 3 caba togerher ? Half the conversations here go over my head

 

[J Wilson]

Thanks! The best thing about this setup is the ability for it to sound absolutely huge, full and rich without it being loud. I realized awhile back that there is a very real difference between a smaller cabinet that is absolutely blasting away, and a taller one that easily fills in a mix without overpowering anything. Just lots of controlled presence. Coincidentally, I used to have two of the Acme cabinets (2x10s) that I would stack in the vertical "4 in line" config. I liked a lot of things about them but kept blowing up drivers due to overexcursion...I kind of got to a point where the need to baby them was always on my mind whenever I would gig with the things.

And the rack revival, YES! I used to have an 8-space rack with all the usual stuff...EQ, power conditioner, tuner, etc. Over the last 10 years or so I migrated everything to pedals - my board has a programmable graphic EQ and parametric, plus all the other toys...combined with the DSP on the Crest, I can save EQ settings for my Genzler rig AND my Fearful rig, then fine-tune from there...I wish I had all of this stuff 20 years ago when I was gigging 4 times a week!

You know, however technology advances, for those that know what they're doing, it's still very intoxicating for bass to have capable cabinets and a great big amp . . . turned up to '3' with all that headroom and reserve torque for solidly forming the low C's and D's in particular. I'm not a pedal guy, but I'd never considered 'outsourcing' rack effects to a pedal board to shave the rack size.

Brilliant rig, in no doubt aided by an Alembic pre.

 

[stingray78]

How exactly? Does it drop to two ohm?

The AG700 and TH700 can run at 2.67 Ohm. Three 8 Ohm cabs in parallel = 2.67 Ohms.

 

[FenderMeBass]

If you want to keep it in the family, you could run 1, 2 or 3 112 cabs with the Aguilar AG700.

An AG700 has been my main amp for about 6 years now. It is one of the best sounding amps I've used.

Guess it drops to two ohms too

 

[Wasnex]

So the d800 will be able to daisy chain the 3 caba togerher ? Half the conversations here go over my head

If the cabs are 8 ohms each, yes. The D800 is rated for 2 ohms minimum, so it can run up to four 8 ohm cabs.

As I mentioned previously, assuming 8 ohm cabs:

One cab = 8/1= 8 ohms
Two cabs = 8/2 = 4 ohms
Three cabs = 8/3 = 2.67 ohms
Four cabs = 8/4 = 2 ohms
​

The D800 has an impedance switch on the back. I put a read rectangle around it.

If the load is under 4 ohms, set this switch to the 2-ohm position.

 

[agedhorse]

So the d800 will be able to daisy chain the 3 caba togerher ? Half the conversations here go over my head

Yes, in 2 ohm mode. You can download the owner's manual from the website.

 

[chris_b]

Guess it drops to two ohms too

2.67 ohms.

 

[Standalone]

I still wouldn't recommend it, that concept ended up not being very robust and even GK abandoned the idea in their follow-up models.

Mostly because they had two outputs on the 8 ohm amp. As we see in this thread, many point out the issue because too many did this to their 800 RB. The quality of the GK amp was surely stable and well designed. I can't see any evidence that it was not robust.

I just gigged an 8ohm min GK Backline 112 combo hard in some summer heat. It was completely happy.

A stack of three 15" Bag Ends with an 800RB is an absolute dream rig.

I would guess the move GK made for the 700/1001 was partly to maybe drive proprietary cabinet sales, and partly because of changes in cab tech and tastes overall.

We Owsley Stanley Wall of Sound fans weren't the ones buying up 410's in the 90's and neo cabs in this Millennium.

 

[agedhorse]

Mostly because they had two outputs on the 8 ohm amp. As we see in this thread, many point out the issue because too many did this to their 800 RB. The quality of the GK amp was surely stable and well designed. I can't see any evidence that it was not robust.

I just gigged an 8ohm min GK Backline 112 combo hard in some summer heat. It was completely happy.

A stack of three 15" Bag Ends with an 800RB is an absolute dream rig.

We are entitled to our own opinions, I happen to disagree with yours and stand by mine based on what I have seen.

 

[Standalone]

We are entitled to our own opinions, I happen to disagree with yours.

I've never once been right about something you've corrected me on. But this seems different.

That a quality USA built GK 100 Watt amp rated for 8 ohms and designed for full range can drive an 8 ohm cab shouldn't be a matter of opinion, should it???

 

[FenderMeBass]

Just bought an ag700! And i have a gs112 on the way too! Super stoked!! Now i just need to unload an amp.