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Question from a new bassist.

Broadstbully22

Broadstbully22

Dec 5, 2011
678
46
#1
I have been a singer for years and have been playing bass for only two. I have been buying stuff this past year mostly on a tight budget and without much direction. Now I have been getting alot better and been down sizing but upgradeing my equipment to get a better tone. My band plays cover songs in smaller bars right now.

So here is my current set up. I have a Ampeg SVT3 powering a Ampeg BXT210m and a Crate BX410E. I just got the Ampeg and am very pleased with it. My idea is getting rid of the Crate 4x10 and Buying a Ampeg 1x15 B series. My thought is that with less speakers I would have more power to them and the combination of the two 10s and a fifteen would give me punch and low range and would be about perfect for the amp. The other reason I am thinking about changing the Crate out is that is sounds muddy compared to the Ampegs.

So what would happen to the tone, volume, and punch if I did this. I am buying all this Ampeg stuff by the way because my local store has them on sale. I got the two 10s for 199 and the 15 is only 199.
 
#2
I would go with another identical 2x10 cabinet. It will sound much fuller because the 1x15 cabinet, contrary to belief, will more than likely "fight" the 2x10 because it responds differently to your amp than the 2x10. By having matching cabs they will produce identical sound waves therefore making better use of your amplifiers power and sounding less "crowded".
 
#5
Broadstbully22 said:
Why do I see stacks with both?
Click to expand...

Two reasons:
  • It's common to mix cabinet types in bi-amped rigs. For example, a bi-amp head would use a crossover to send high signal to the 2x10 and low signal to the 1x15.
  • Some people just like they way they sound mis-matched. The consensus on TB seems to be that full-range rigs should use matching cabinets.
I can see this both ways. My main rig for many years was a bi-amped 2x10/1x15, and I loved it. But I also ran a full-range rig with a custom-built 2x8/1x15, and that sounded pretty good, too.

But again, the conventional wisdom has been posted above. Folks who really know this stuff recommend matching your cabs.

--Steve
 
#8
I have a 2X10 and 1X15 set up and love the versatility. The 1X15 has great punch/thump with my fretless and the 2X10 sounds best stand-alone with my fretted bass.

If ever in the future you are playing a smaller venue, you could choose to bring either the 2X10 or 1X15. If you had 2 sets of 2X10 cabs, you could get a good sound by just using one of the cabs, but the 1X15 could give you a different sound.
 
#9
Ok, so another 2x10. Makes sense, plus I love the one I already have.So the amp would evenly split 400 watts to 200 watts at 4ohms to each cab and then split 100 watts to each speaker making everything even. Should I put one on each side of the stage so everyone can hear or dose it matter?
 
#11
Broadstbully22 said:
Ok, so another 2x10. Makes sense, plus I love the one I already have.
Click to expand...

That's your decision right there. If you love the sound of the 2x10, then get another.

Oh, and to save you some searching, the folks who recommend getting matched cabinets also recommend stacking them vertically.

Personally, I would not split them up on either side of the stage. Think of them as a single unit.

--Steve
 
#12
Is your sound going to also go through a PA? Is MOST of your sound going through a PA? Or is NONE of your sound going through a PA?
If mostly you'll be playing through the PA, you need just one smaller cab. Less to load-in and load-out.

You say "My band plays cover songs in smaller bars right now."

Are you seriously lacking for power with the one 210? I play even mid-size bars and can EASILY use just a single 210 without PA support.

No need to stack up a bunch of cabs that you can't open up anyhow.
 
#14
Foamy. We play smaller crowds I guess I should have said, sometimes we play outside and in open vfws. I do a direct to the pa, but it is a smaller pa so we don't put much bass though it. Its two mackie thump powered mains.
 
#15
Outdoors, in my experience, you'll want the PA support even more. Unless you plan on bringing several thousand watts with you anyhow. So in that case, ya bring the smallest amp you can aim at your head for a monitor and a decent DI box.
Indoors, small to medium bars and clubs, you can almost always easily do with a single 210.
But, it is not as impressive to look at.
Has anyone ever come up to you and said you're no loud enough?
:-)
 
#16
After reading the ohms post I shouldn't put anything with this 2x10 because its 4 ohm and so is my head. Why would they make a 2x10 monitor speaker at 4ohms because now I can't use it with anything else. This sucks.
 
#18
Broadstbully22 said:
After reading the ohms post I shouldn't put anything with this 2x10 because its 4 ohm and so is my head. Why would they make a 2x10 monitor speaker at 4ohms because now I can't use it with anything else. This sucks.
Click to expand...

OK, this is getting a bit OT, but....
You "could" get another cab and wire it in series. I posted plans here a couple years ago to build a cable for this. BUt I would not recommend it. It was more of a for-the-heck-of-it thing.
But yeah, if your head and cab are both 4-Ohms, that's generally all you can do.

Back to a question I asked before....

Has anyone ever told you you're not loud enough?
 
#19
Sorry, this is why I'm on here is to not be ignorant about these things. I think im going to only use the 2x10 and see how it is. Just kinda stinks because the guy at the store sold me on it because it would be good by itself and could also be used if I ever wanted to go bigger or use it as a monitor. Should have came here first before I bought it.
 
#20
Broadstbully22 said:
Sorry, this is why I'm on here is to not be ignorant about these things. I think im going to only use the 2x10 and see how it is. Just kinda stinks because the guy at the store sold me on it because it would be good by itself and could also be used if I ever wanted to go bigger or use it as a monitor. Should have came here first before I bought it.
Click to expand...

Hey, nothing you can do about it now. Just enjoy it, and now ya know.
And my guess is that you already are loud enough. ;-)
Good luck!
 

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