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max volume

#21
It's all relative. Running a head wide open has no detrimental effect provided the speakers can handle it.

In the old class A/B days, the amp was wide wide open. The master was basically a line attenuator of sorts. Not sure how SMPS and Class D heads work.
 
#24
reggie hall said:
Interesting!!
Click to expand...
In pro audio world cabs are often "overpowered" by factors >2 just to provide headroom.
That means to provide a "clean" signal FOH even with all kinds of transients/dynamics.

Clipped transients and dynamics are only audible as a somehwat subtile compressing effect.
Lots of musicians like this subtile "coloring" effect but do it mistake with headroom potential.

If you want to avoid any kind of clipping.
Try to find the master setting with hard striking open low E/B string till the amp signals clipping to the ears,
then turn down the master appro 2-3 scale markers which should be around -6..-9dB.
Then you can be sure your amp does not push full power with transients and still provides some (real) headroom
 
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#27
ThisBass said:
In pro audio world cabs are often "overpowered" by factors >2 just to provide headroom.
That means to provide a "clean" signal FOH even with all kinds of transients/dynamics.

Clipped transients and dynamics are only audible as a somehwat subtile compressing effect.
Lots of musicians like this subtile "coloring" effect but do it mistake with headroom potential.

If you want to avoid any kind of clipping.
Try to find the master setting with open low E/B string till the amp signals clipping to the ears,
then turn down the master appro 2-3 scale markers which should be around -6..-9dB.
Then you can be sure your amp does not push full power with transients and still provides some (real) headroom
Click to expand...
Thanks
 
#30
reggie hall said:
Hi guys I'm going to keep this short and sweet , just curious on if any of you have really cranked your bass amp to max or close to it?? Throughout my years playing I've never went past 4 on my amp and it's extremely loud even at 4, last week I used my hartke rig and I started at about 3 but ending up turning it up to 4 and I was able to keep up with the whole band.
Click to expand...
Depends on the situation. I try to keep my rig as small as possible for the gig so yeah I'm typically pushing it pretty hard. crown xls 1500 wide open master volume on my sans amp RBI at 11 o'clock. At 12 o'clock it clips the crown. My 4x10 has new 200w 10s and seems to handle anything I can throw at it. The power amp is what reaches its limits forst.
 
#31
reggie hall said:
Hi guys I'm going to keep this short and sweet , just curious on if any of you have really cranked your bass amp to max or close to it?? Throughout my years playing I've never went past 4 on my amp and it's extremely loud even at 4, last week I used my hartke rig and I started at about 3 but ending up turning it up to 4 and I was able to keep up with the whole band.
Click to expand...

"4" is about right ;)

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#33
This is an interesting question. I never have turned any amp all the way up. I've never even gotten any amp turned half way up. Not my 300 watt Ampeg SVT, not my 150 watt Acoustic 150B, not my 100 watt Ampeg V4B and not even my 55 watt Ampeg B25B. The loudest I've ever played is the SVT with the master dimed and the pre at 11 o'clock. That's loud.
 
#34
I played a benefit show once, and in the interest of time, they asked everyone to use the same backline. A buddy of mine had set up his Hartke HA3500 with two 410s , so I plugged into it. I cranked the volume, and people still couldn't hear me in a relatively small bar. I was really surprised at how bad that thing sounded. I have to think there was something wrong with it.
 
#35
Worldeeeter said:
I played a benefit show once, and in the interest of time, they asked everyone to use the same backline. A buddy of mine had set up his Hartke HA3500 with two 410s , so I plugged into it. I cranked the volume, and people still couldn't hear me in a relatively small bar. I was really surprised at how bad that thing sounded. I have to think there was something wrong with it.
Click to expand...
Had to be because the 3500 is very loud,i had one years ago and that thing pumped seem more like3500w instead of just 350
 
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#37
When I had combos with limited power I had to turn them up to max pretty frequently. I played an swr workingman's 12 combo for my first year of rehearsals and gigs, and then 'upgraded' to a 15" speaker, 150 watt ampeg combo.

Those require cranking up to be heard over a drumset!
Now I use in ears and ask the other folks on stage if my amp is loud enough for them to hear me. :D
 
#38
I go for max headroom....
MaxheadroomMpegMan.jpg
 
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#39
yep, it was at an outdoor festival and for whatever reason I had brought my fEARful 12/6/1 but not my usual preamp/power amp setup, so I borrowed my bud's SWR 350x. I ended up maxing it out for most of the show, and the protection finally kicked in during the last few minutes of the last song. Luckily I was still coming out of the PA...
I apologized for running his amp so hard but he thought it was pretty badass :roflmao:
 

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