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More low end needed with ampeg micro-vr stack

T

thepoint

Feb 17, 2013
3
0
montreal, canada
#1
Hi everyone,

First of all this is my first post here. I have been playing bass for over 3 years and lurking on TB for about as long. You have been an awesome source of information so far and I'd like to thank you for that! Here is my issue:

I bought the ampeg micro-vr stack few months ago and I love it. I am not gigging currently as I'm only playing with guitard and drummer friend. We play mostly rock, blues and some funk. Recently I have met a reggae band looking for a bass player and they might have gigs opportunities pretty soon. We had some rehearsals together and this is when I found myself really lacking low end (not just me, the entire band). They hear me that's not the problem, but I do need more reggae boom. I know this stack is not really designed for this but I wanted to ask you guys if there was something I can do to help my problem. I don't want to change everything since 1) I love the rig and 2) $$money$$, but I'm more than willing to upgrade.

It seems like the cab might be the limiting factor here. This is what I found in the instruction manual:
Frequency Response (-3dB): 58Hz-5kHz (for the SVT210AV)
Does that mean the cab isn't pushing anything under 58hz? Correct me if I'm wrong I'm far from being an expert.

So what can I do? Get another SVT210 to add volume in general? Use the 210 for rock and a new 15'' for reggae? Or is it the head? Would buying a pre-amp pedal and boosting the lows be enough? (a second 210 and/or a pre-amp are the option I'm considering the most)

Thanks again for your support and make sure to tell me if I'm missing a new user ritual!
 
#3
Hi thepoint. I have the Micro-VR head, and sometimes run it with a 2x10 cab (not the ampeg one). This is the rig I use for small clubs backing acoustic/electric acts. I like the Micro-VR head and my friends look at it and say things like "what does that little thing want to be?" I've found that the "bass" knob does a good job adding that good low-end content, but I think the 2x10 cab can't really give you really deep deep tones.

Here's the settings I generally use on my micro-vr:
Gain = maximum
Bass = 2 o'clock
Midrange = a hair less than 3 o'clock
Treble = a hair more than 1 o'clock
Volume to taste
Limiter engaged

good luck. -ym
 
#4
Doesn't mean that's all it pushes since the lowest it can go is usually referred to as the -10db point, not -3db, but it's a little higher tuned than a lot of cabs. I love those cabs too and have two of them...probably wouldn't be my first choice for reggae.

But you may have better luck with them if you crank your bass knob. It does add a lot of that area back. Would probably try it with just the one cab first. 50/50 on whether it'll work out for you to do that, but if not, you might want to check into one of the PF cabs, since going very low is their stock in trade.
 
#8
I have the Micro VR stack as well....IMO that little 210 cab can take a hell of allot more than the micro vr amp can give. There is a very noticeable difference in the bass when I use my Little Mark into the 210. It seems much fuller and deeper. You could add a second cab and crank the bass knob a little on the micro vr amp.
 
#9
B-string said:
You need different cabs. Maybe look at PF series cabs to keep it all Ampeg. -3db is the half volume point.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you meant there with the half volume point. Would you care to explain?

I tried eq'ing more bass but you quickly realise this cab isn't built for reggae. My long term plan when buying this rig was to eventually get a second 210 for more volume and to run the head at 4 ohms but based on your answers I might start looking at a different cab with a voice more suited to my needs. Unfortunately, my wallet doesn't have enough headroom left to have different cabs for different sound so I kinda need a rig that does-it-all :hmm:

And yeah I use this amp for practice and rehearsal purpose as I'm not gigging at the moment. Thanks again for the support
 
#10
In short, Micro VR stack + reggae is not a winning combination for most bass players.
And you would probably need to replace both cab and amp to get loud and deep enough. The amp is no powerhouse if hooked up to some other speaker and the 210 will never be very loud even if you power it with a more powerful amp.

If you like Ampeg, the SVT-410HE ("regular 410") or SVT-410HLF ("very deep 410") will be better for you unless you go for "the fridge". The SVT-7 PRO amp will be loud and flexible.
 
#11
I would consider your setup to be a problem.
Low end eats power like crazy, (that's why most people don't boost 30Hz on a graphic EQ) so I doubt the Micro SVT head is gonna cut it.

Also, a 2x10 Ampeg cab isn't very loud, either.
I'd recommend that you look into getting an Ampeg Portaflex stack, or at the very least, adding an Ampeg 2x10 or maybe a 1x15. (Make sure the ohms match up!)
 
#12
I knew I was asking a bit much from this setup but I was hoping for a cheap way (around 300$) to help it. It is still useable since we are not playing super loud (drum/ 1 guit/ bass / no singer and NO crowd) but I think I'll wait and see where this is going before throwing a big amount on a new rig. I might be tempted to get a second svt210 cab since I love their sound and I still have other buddies I love rocking with.:bassist:

Thank you all for your input!
 
#16
It's not a very powerful head. The Micro's are really good but the reality is that you're probably asking too much from it if you expect massive clean lows.

More cab is always a good option, regardless of the power rating of the head, but I wouldn't expect this to provide you with a perfect solution.
Is there some way you could MacGuyver a sub into the mix somewhere? That's the kind of thing I would try if I wasn't getting enough brown around my ankles.

I'd suggest however that you're probably at that annoying point in your career where your bands start to outgrow your gear.
 
#17
AlexanderB said:
That 210 still remains one of the lowest-output 210 in the market, regardless what you power it with.
Click to expand...
It's not made to be a 210 you can pummel with 1000w, not that there are any out there you can. Definitely designed as a medium duty cab. But since it doesn't waste a lot of time with sub lows, I think it puts out a pretty good amount of sound until you reach its limits.
 

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