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I STILL fail at getting volume!!!!

OK, so you're pushing 1,600 watts into speakers rated at ... ? To get volume, you need lots of speakers. Good speakers. It doesn't matter how many watts of amp you have if you don't have speakers that are capable of handling the power.

The rule of thumb is 10 watts of bass per watt of guitar. So you need 1,000 watts of power at the speakers. A D-410XST is rated at a kilowatt, so start there and go up.

+1

Furthermore, having 1000 watts is only (theoretically) capable of making twice as much loudness as 100 watts.

The OP needs some serious cabs if he wants to get his amplification to make really sound. The Eden Munji recommends is great, the SVT 810e, Bergie 2x15, and the SWR 6x10 Goliath Sr. can all make a lot of sound. If one of those is not enough, simply get a second one.

Being certain that each stage of the signal chain is functioning properly, including gain level at every step is also essential.
 
So, a bass player is pushing a ton of sub low out of a 2x12 +2x10...
And he's getting crushed by a 100w Marshall with 2 4x12 cabs???

I would have never guessed that :rolleyes:


2x12 + 2x10 bass against 2 4x12 guitar will get that result every time.
I don't care who makes the bass cab or if the amp has more watts than a lightning bolt.

That kind of guitar rig in a standard room can get so loud it's hard to breath.
 
Admit defeat and tell the guitar player your rig just isn't as loud as his and ask him to turn down.

That sounds like a winner right there.

Also, have you tried flipping the absolute polarity on both speaker cabinets? Flip + and - on both cabinets.
 
Something is defintely wrong here. I'm using a B1500 with an Edens D410XLT 8ohms and can't stand anywhere close to it. I also have two guitar players one with a Fender Twin and the other with a Mesa Combo and not only can I hear myself but they love the volume and tone my rig produces. Lastly, don't easily discount that idea of your hearing being compromised especially if you're playing in a basement setting with a loud guitarist and drummer.

1) What rig have you tried playing through lately that gave you the sound/volume you're looking for?
2) I also noticed that you never answered the EQ question as though amp settings weren't a variable in tone/volume shaping.
3) What type and brand of speaker cable are you using?
4) What Bass are you playing and are you sure the pickups aren't bad?
5) Do you have the same volume problem playing outdoors or on a large stage?
6) Are you using effects and if so what the difference in volume with no signal chain?
 
The room shouldn't be an issue.

It's probably not the whole room that is the issue.

It is YOUR location in the room.

Have tried moving your rig to a different place in the room ?

Sometimes a matter of a couple of feet makes a huge difference in removing acoustic cancellation

Yes - don't be so quick to discount the room. With bass it is easy to create standing waves in a small room and those waves will cancel out some of the bass frequencies that you are wanting to hear. Also, consider where you are in relation to your speakers. I used to sit just a couple of feet in front of my rig and I couldn't hear myself while others were telling me that I was too loud. I found that when I set my speakers back just a few more feet I could hear myself a lot better. Bass frequencies have long wave lengths and need some space to develop.

Agreed completely....

Standing waves and/or a node point can have the exact cancellation effect you describe....
If your problem is due to standing waves: well basically, the reason you can't hear it ("it's not loud enough") is because it's already too loud.....and you can't fix it by turning it up, that just makes it worse....
Node points are a well known phenomenon too....

Try placing the amp/cabs in another area of the room, and don't stand near it.....perhaps spreading your cabs, putting some distance between them will do the trick....it certainly won't hurt to give it a try !
 
I think Steve has it right : this guy is expecting to throw a thunderous dub sound out of his rig against our generic nemisis, the Marshal Stack.

Me, I assure that I'd cut right through that Marshal, but I'd have my mids cranked UP. If he's got the trebel/mids rolled off to get the big dub sound, then he's gonna need more drivers - and big ones. I've always figured that being a successful dub bassist has got to be a pain in the butt, given the rig you'd need to bring de thundah, mon...
 
Seems so simple to me. Guitar player: eight 12" cones, Bass player two 12" cones plus two 10" cones.

OP think about it! How do you expect to ever keep up? Look at a music video of the old rock bands. Guitar two full stacks, bass six or even eight full stacks. In your case I would think not even a 8x10 would suffice. You'll need two or even four!

I hope your hearing protectors are of the highest quality!

Paul
 
There's very little in bass world that can compete with a full stack if the guitar player is bent on being a butt head and you're standing on anything smaller than a festival stage.

What would you do if you had a rig that big?

What about your drummer? Does he then have to go out and dump 15 grand on a PA big enough to mic himself to that level?

I don't think in my entire life that I've ever said I was sorry for a drummer but, I'd be sorry for that one.
 
There's very little in bass world that can compete with a full stack if the guitar player is bent on being a butt head and you're standing on anything smaller than a festival stage.

What would you do if you had a rig that big?

What about your drummer? Does he then have to go out and dump 15 grand on a PA big enough to mic himself to that level?

I don't think in my entire life that I've ever said I was sorry for a drummer but, I'd be sorry for that one.

As a drummer, let me just say that I'd be packing up before the first song was done. There's loud and there's stupid loud. I don't work with stupid loud either as a bassist or a drummer. It's pointless. You get issued one set of ears when you're born and they've got to last you for life.

KO
 
Tell your guitar player to disconnect the second cab! He can still keep it for looks. A full guitar stack in a basement is the most insane thing I've ever heard (well, not THE most, but you know what I mean). Then he will run his head at 16 ohms and approximately half the power, which makes it a lot easier to reach the sweet spot. win/win, you know.

it won't reduce his power at all, but it will have alot less volume (by about 50%). marshall tube amps have an impedance selector and put out the same power at 4, 8 or 16 ohms.
 
I think Steve has it right : this guy is expecting to throw a thunderous dub sound out of his rig against our generic nemisis, the Marshal Stack.

Me, I assure that I'd cut right through that Marshal, but I'd have my mids cranked UP. If he's got the trebel/mids rolled off to get the big dub sound, then he's gonna need more drivers - and big ones. I've always figured that being a successful dub bassist has got to be a pain in the butt, given the rig you'd need to bring de thundah, mon...

You rang?

The reality is most reggae guitarists don't play that loud. I've played Jamaican music now for about 18 years and never had to use extreme cabinets or huge huge power amps to get there. Its mostly because guitars are clean and while they can push volume, they don't push too much in the low/low-mid range, it's all high and sparse. I've been louder and lower and cleaner with my single 15/6 than I was with a 2/12+15 rig.