• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Ok...tired subject, but I need advice.

I've been running 6x12's with my Mesa d800+, and although the volume is there, I find I'm not throwing much sound... I'm wanting plenty of low end extension and punch through the mix.... I play in a metal band, but I don't care for the bright modern bass sounds... We play in drop b, and I have an always on mxr m85 adding grit but nothing crazy...kind of an overdrive grind... I want to be able to run sans foh because I have something like a 50/50 ratio of shows that don't put bass in the mix... Been thinking about the ampeg 810e, but honestly I'm on a beer budget. Keep in mind both of my guitarists run full stacks with 300 watt krank tube amps..
Tired of chasing a sound I can't seem to catch...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pbassmanca
I've been running 6x12's with my Mesa d800+, and although the volume is there, I find I'm not throwing much sound... I'm wanting plenty of low end extension and punch through the mix.... I play in a metal band, but I don't care for the bright modern bass sounds... We play in drop b, and I have an always on mxr m85 adding grit but nothing crazy...kind of an overdrive grind... I want to be able to run sans foh because I have something like a 50/50 ratio of shows that don't put bass in the mix... Been thinking about the ampeg 810e, but honestly I'm on a beer budget. Keep in mind both of my guitarists run full stacks with 300 watt krank tube amps..
Tired of chasing a sound I can't seem to catch...
Have you checked to see if all of your speakers are the same polarity?
What cab(s) are you using?
What are your EQ settings?
Gotta be something wrong for half a dozen twelves with that amp to not be darn loud.
 
If you are up against two 300w stacks and are actually playing at significant volume without FOH support, then anything less than two 810s or 215s being driven hard is not going to make a damn bit of difference.

If you are satisfied with the volume but not the tone, then EQ is the issue. Cabinet voicing can be an issue as well, what cab are you using?
 
It's loud, but it's just missing something...I step out front and all of the sudden it's got zero balls...
Do you know how to do the battery test to check polarity?
If you have speakers that are reversed from each other, that will act to cancel each other.
If you have a pair of twelves of the 6 that are backwards, it would be kind of like only running 2 twelves total.
Is this one 6x12 cab, or 3 2x, or a 4 X and a 2x?
 
Do you know how to do the battery test to check polarity?
If you have speakers that are reversed from each other, that will act to cancel each other.
If you have a pair of twelves of the 6 that are backwards, it would be kind of like only running 2 twelves total.
Is this one 6x12 cab, or 3 2x, or a 4 X and a 2x?
ok...I'm not really schooled on these things, so explain how I do this..
I'm running a 2x12 and a 4x12...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pbassmanca
Have you checked to see if all of your speakers are the same polarity?
What cab(s) are you using?
What are your EQ settings?
Gotta be something wrong for half a dozen twelves with that amp to not be darn loud.
My eq is as follows...hpf at 3hz, voicing at 1:00, bass at 12:00, low mids at 11:00, freq at about 250 Hz... High mids at 10:00, freq at about 1000hz, treble at 12:00...
 
ok...I'm not really schooled on these things, so explain how I do this..
I'm running a 2x12 and a 4x12...
You'll need to be able to see the speaker cones move.
With all of the cabs connected together as normal, touch a 9 volt battery to the plus and minus.
Each speaker cone should move in the same direction at the same time. If one of the cabs has speakers moving in while the other is moving out you got a polarity reversal.

One other thing to try, but may not be as conclusive, is to play through both cabs, and without doing anything but unhooking one cab, see if it gets louder with just one cab operating.

Having a 4x and a 2x, in and of itself could be problematic, but try the other two test before we get into that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stumbo
You'll need to be able to see the speaker cones move.
With all of the cabs connected together as normal, touch a 9 volt battery to the plus and minus.
Each speaker cone should move in the same direction at the same time. If one of the cabs has speakers moving in while the other is moving out you got a polarity reversal.

One other thing to try, but may not be as conclusive, is to play through both cabs, and without doing anything but unhooking one cab, see if it gets louder with just one cab operating.

Having a 4x and a 2x, in and of itself could be problematic, but try the other two test before we get into that.

And to correct polarity reversal in a 4 x 10 cab what do you need to do?
 

Latest posts