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THE LOUDEST SPEAKER IN THE WORLD IS...

P

Pandafist

May 6, 2008
512
8
Portland, OR
#1
?
You tell me.
I KEEP blowing speakers. I know why, or at least I think I do.
The culprit, I believe, is my Sansamp driver and Fulltone overdrive.
When gained out fully, as I insist on playing (it's my TONE mannnnn), it's just TOO much for my Ampeg 410 and 115. It was TOO much for my Sunn 215B, and WAY TOO much for an old four twelve I had for about three seconds.

PLEASE :help: ME!
I'll pay you back in sexual favors. Or instead, how about just a few kind words. ;)

I'd like to keep my Ampeg 350 head and the cabinets I have, but replace the speakers with drivers (and maybe horns too) that can handle crazy gain/ decibel jumps and spikes.
I'm not sure how to proceed.
My cabs (SVT410HE & SVT115E) are rated 8 ohms.
My head is 200 watts @ 8 ohms
and 350 watts @ 4 ohms

Please please please help me out here. Once again, I'd like to keep my head and cab enclosures if possible. What is the one driver that won't melt under my intense solar bass rays?!
 
#4
That 410 and 115 should have no problem handling your tone and delivering it at a volume that could easily get ridiculously loud (or as I like to call it UNUSEABLE).

I think there's a larger, or more central problem here that you need to locate and address before you spend untold amounts of money and time that may very well end up in additional blown speakers.
 
#6
Pandafist, you're going about this the wrong way - and a compressor isn't going to save your speakers, given what you're doing. Your overdrive pedals already compress the signal when on, anyway... and in fact, that compression is contributing to your current problem (however, that doesn't mean compression is bad).

Your amp isn't designed to provide enough power to get the best out of your speakers. You're pushing your amp to the point of some seriously bad clipping - at this point, you're getting more power out of your amp than it was ever designed for, and that's dangerous for your speakers. You can't treat an SS Ampeg head like an all-tube SVT-CL - it's not designed to be pushed like that.

Your primary problem is headroom. You're trying to get more out of your amp than it's capable of.

Your secondary problem is you.

Unless you're playing large venues without PA support, you shouldn't even be pushing your speakers that hard. I gig and practice with a single 2x12 cabinet and drown out our drummer!
 
#7
I think the problem is probably your amp. 500 watts is not going to blow a 410+115 UNLESS its clipping the output of the amp.

You need more wattage AND a compressor limiter!****edit : I agree your pedals are compressing well as it is::::::::
 
#9
MysticBoo said:
Pandafist, you're going about this the wrong way - and a compressor isn't going to save your speakers, given what you're doing. Your overdrive pedals already compress the signal when on, anyway... and in fact, that compression is contributing to your current problem (however, that doesn't mean compression is bad).

Your amp isn't designed to provide enough power to get the best out of your speakers. You're pushing your amp to the point of some seriously bad clipping - at this point, you're getting more power out of your amp than it was ever designed for, and that's dangerous for your speakers. You can't treat an SS Ampeg head like an all-tube SVT-CL - it's not designed to be pushed like that.

Your primary problem is headroom. You're trying to get more out of your amp than it's capable of.

Your secondary problem is you.

Unless you're playing large venues without PA support, you shouldn't even be pushing your speakers that hard. I gig and practice with a single 2x12 cabinet and drown out our drummer!
Click to expand...


As a matter of fact, I do often find myself playing venues without PA support.

I'm also competing with my keyboard player who uses a Sunn Colesium 500 watt head and a 215 with PA speakers in it. She is devastatingly loud, and I HAVE to compete or I'm just lost. I can't ask her to turn down, I've tried.

I still need to replace these speakers. Can anybody answer my question? Are there speakers that can handle my abuse?
 
#11
i agree the main prob is likely the head, if it is solid state ( is it ?)

an all tube SVT (or other brand), should have no probs taking authority

but 350 weeny solid state watts aint gonna dominate at all

just frustrate ya

schroeder have pretty strong speakers, the regular series are prob closest to ampeg

but a hot running solid state power amp will kill them too
 
#12
Your head is either not powerful enough for your cabinet, or there's something with too much of a certain frequency causing speaker failure.

From what I understand... the number one source of speaker/amp failure is having too little power.

Headroom is a beautiful thing. Knowing how to EQ will help out immensely, too.

I recommend the sad face EQ... but of course I don't mean drop out all your low and top end and boost the hell out of your mids.

I'm sure you understand.



So what kind of head are you using to push your cab?
 
#13
Pandafist said:
I still need to replace these speakers. Can anybody answer my question? Are there speakers that can handle my abuse?
Click to expand...

Look into Eminence Spkrs website www.eminence.com . Some good ones there.
BUT 2nd part- Ppl correct me if I'm wrong.... I don't think there ARE spkrs that CAN handle that abuse. U need to get yo'self a more powerful amp. THAT amp is known for being fairly quiet compared to others with similar wattages- I had a B2R- same amp in a rack unit. I while U R probly getting pretty loud-especially with THAT keys set up, IMHO U need either the SVT tube amp(300w all tube) or at LEAST 500w S.S. amp....then those Spkrs cabs U got will really sing-with NEW spkrs of course
 
#15
Dude............even if you throw in a bunch of Eminence Kilomax speakers (rated at 1250 watts) you are STILL going to tear them up.


Listen to the collective wisdom that is telling you that you need a more powerful amp.

I have not run an amp less than 1,000 watts for the past 15 years. Currently I am using a Carvin B1500................I have never blown a speaker.
 
#17
Bass_Pounder said:
Dude............even if you throw in a bunch of Eminence Kilomax speakers (rated at 1250 watts) you are STILL going to tear them up.


Listen to the collective wisdom that is telling you that you need a more powerful amp.

I have not run an amp less than 1,000 watts for the past 15 years. Currently I am using a Carvin B1500................I have never blown a speaker.
Click to expand...

+1. I'm working on jumping up to a bigger amp for this very reason.
 
#18
Bass_Pounder said:
Listen to the collective wisdom that is telling you that you need a more powerful amp.
.
Click to expand...
Just because it's collective doesn't necessarily make it wise.:eyebrow: For the gazillionth time, though I'm sure not the last, there is no such thing as underpowering.
If the OP is happy with the amp he can use drivers that will handle it, clipped or not. For the 15 use an Eminence Definimax 4015 LF, for the tens Kappapro 10s. Neither cheap nor lightweight, but they'll take whatever is thrown at them.
 
#19
billfitzmaurice said:
Just because it's collective doesn't necessarily make it wise.:eyebrow: For the gazillionth time, though I'm sure not the last, there is no such thing as underpowering.
If the OP is happy with the amp he can use drivers that will handle it, clipped or not. For the 15 use an Eminence Definimax 4015 LF, for the tens Kappapro 10s. Neither cheap nor lightweight, but they'll take whatever is thrown at them.
Click to expand...

THIS... people, THIS is what I was asking You are the man Bill.

But I'll probably buy a more powerful head as well. I'll call it 'insurance' when I throw in the more powerful speakers.

So my final questions of this thread would be, can anyone recommend a site where I could buy these speakers on the cheap(est possible, not holding my breath)? and ... Preferences on a good, high wattage solid state head?
 
#20
Pandafist said:
So my final questions of this thread would be, can anyone recommend a site where I could buy these speakers on the cheap(est possible, not holding my breath)?
Click to expand...
www.partsexpress.com. On the amp. I'd just add an additional power amp to drive the 15 if you like the tone you have.
 

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