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Need help with bi amping!

Abrahampost

Abrahampost

Feb 22, 2013
307
99
Vermont
#1
Looking to shift my rig around and could use some advice. As of now i am running a mesa 600 at 4ohms into an aguilar 2x12 and looking to add a second cab. This would mean replacing the head for an ashdown bi amp or something that runs at 2 ohms. For cabs my thoughts are either a 2x10 paired with the 12s or going big with an 18 for low end with the 2x12. Any thoughts?
 
#5
Clarification time:

"Bi-amping" means splitting a preamp signal with a crossover into two separate power amp sections, one for the highs and the other for the lows.

Doing this does not mean going to a 2 ohm total load, because each of the two power sections has its own separate minimum load. You can use two 4-ohm cabs because they are not connected to each other, they are connected to individual power amp channels.

If all you want to do is run two different speaker cabs, without buying a preamp with a built--in crossover and a two-channel power amp... or a head that is capable of bi-amped outputs... then you are looking at a 2 ohm load... but NOT bi-amping! :)
 
#8
Rickenboogie that is the dilemma I am facing. My only worry is I feel like I get better sound out of the cab at 4ohms than the 8 ohm alternative. For clarification sake my current rig is a mesa m pulse 600 running at 4ohms into an aguilar 2x12 at 4ohms. I love the sound out of the cab but at times I feel like i have great low end and high end but muddiness in the middle. A simple solution, at least in my eyes, is to expand to two cabs and use a crossover to "open" up the sound more. The restriction I have now is that I can't run 2ohms on my head if I were to expand to another cab. I am mostly looking for advice on whether is it worth going the bi amping route or if a more powerful head that can run at 2ohms on a full range rig that say is my 2x12 and an 18 or my 2x12 and a 2x10 would be a better option?
Thanks for the responses so far... everyone on the forum rocks
 
#12
bassgod0dmw said:
Do you like the M Pulse? If yes, I would sell the 4ohm cab and find two identical 8 ohm cabs.

Speaker size doesn't equate to EQ, so getting an 18 isn't going to give you more lows.
Click to expand...
I do like the m pulse, I have the first generation of it. Certainly has plenty of power/headroom. I was running an aguilar tone hammer and I really love the tube warmth from the pre amp/the open space the headroom gives my tone.
 
#15
Abrahampost said:
Rickenboogie that is the dilemma I am facing. My only worry is I feel like I get better sound out of the cab at 4ohms than the 8 ohm alternative. For clarification sake my current rig is a mesa m pulse 600 running at 4ohms into an aguilar 2x12 at 4ohms. I love the sound out of the cab but at times I feel like i have great low end and high end but muddiness in the middle. A simple solution, at least in my eyes, is to expand to two cabs and use a crossover to "open" up the sound more. The restriction I have now is that I can't run 2ohms on my head if I were to expand to another cab. I am mostly looking for advice on whether is it worth going the bi amping route or if a more powerful head that can run at 2ohms on a full range rig that say is my 2x12 and an 18 or my 2x12 and a 2x10 would be a better option?
Thanks for the responses so far... everyone on the forum rocks
Click to expand...

How did you determine you like the four ohm cab better than eithg ohm? If you played them back to back in the music store, what you heard was the four ohm cab being about 3 dB louder. It's fairly well established that we tend to hear louder as better. You'd have a little more bass because of the Fletcher Munson curves and you'd get more detail and punch. If you turned up the 8 ohm cab to match you might find it identical .. .

OTOH if you don't like the mids and can't EQ it into submission then a different cab is probably wht you need. Depending on what your ear responds to as mids, it's generally accepted that a 6 inch driver will carry mids and highs better than a larger driver or combination of larger drivers. It's plenty loud to match a fifteen or two, typically, and because it's smaller it covers the room better ("beams" less).
 

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