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Using a 4x10 driven by tiltback combo amp

N

nojj

May 20, 2013
1,100
52
#1
I was wondering how things would work if I were to use my GB 4x10 XB (wired at 4 ohms) and drive it with an Ampeg BA115 tilt back.
The 115 puts out 100w at 4ohm, and I rewired it a while ago so I can use it as either a head, cabinet or as the original design.
Was originally planning on using it as a (sorta) biamped sub
The other amp involved is an SWR 4004 into a GB 4x10 top cab. (also wired to 4 ohms)

Would it work better as planned, or better served by using the SWR for the low amp, it puts out 400w into 4 ohms.
and use the Ampeg to drive the mid/highs.

The rest of the equation is a LINE6 floor pre, DI sent to low,
and the modeled sent to mid/high.
(I know the Line6 has a biamp output setting, not happy with the sound of that option)
Generally play a 6 string.
 
#3
I'm a bit confused by what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to use one 410 for highs/mids and one 410 for lows?

Why not ditch the Ampeg and just run both of your 410s full range with the SWR?

Or, sell the SWR and buy a power amp: bass > Line 6 as preamp > poweramp > 410 cabs at full range or biamped
 
#4
Glad to tell ya.
The 115 *only* likes 4 ohms.
What I did was first, was to put the fusepost of the outside (hate internal fuses)
Then I wired a jack to the speaker out on the circuit board,
and mounted it on the chassis.
(used an isolated jack)
Then wired another wire from the speaker to a cab jack outside.
Made a little speaker cable (right angles) and leave it plugged in to the chassis speaker jack,
tucks in nicely behind the power cord.
Made a little cord wrap in the back using washers and 2) 4" screws, using a spacer to keep the power cord from abrasion.
(I cut down a gutter spacer, worked fairly well)

I'd like to wire a fan onto one of the vents, but haven't done that yet
(have to see if there's a 12v tap on the trans.)

Dunno about an ext cab, the internal speaker is 4 ohms.
But if you bypass the spkr, it could run 2) 8 ohm cabs.
 
#5
Warpeg said:
I'm a bit confused by what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to use one 410 for highs/mids and one 410 for lows?

Why not ditch the Ampeg and just run both of your 410s full range with the SWR?

Or, sell the SWR and buy a power amp: bass > Line 6 as preamp > poweramp > 410 cabs at full range or biamped
Click to expand...

I'm trying for some flexibility with what's on hand,
most of which is in the truck for backup. 4x10 mid/hi and 4x10 for lows is correct.
Tried the 4004 with the Ampeg added as a sub, and it sounded really nice at the venue.
Wondering if I could better the sound.

The cabs are 4 ohms, and the SWR runs hot enough already.
I could rewire the cabs back to 8 ohms,
but can't get enough ommph out of a single cab w/ the 4004.
Can't always fit 2 4x10s on stage..............
Plus there's a wattage diff, and the top cab is rear ported, the bottom one is front.

Tried the line 6 as a straight pre into power amp, didn't put out enough to drive the amp.
(may have not been set correctly, I'd just gotten it at the time)

I'm planning an eqp upgrade, but can't do much till I get back from tour at the end of July
(I'd posted a thread about a 1RU bass head that I could mount below the 4004 in the space provided by the manu)

The power amp idea of yours is already in the works, for my BBE biamp pre.
 
#8
BassmanPaul said:
But at the end of the day it will still only be basically a 100W practice amp.
Click to expand...

Yup.
That's why I was wondering if the Ampeg could be used for a mid/high amp,
giving me 400 into the lows, and 100 into the highs.

The bigger 4x10 only goes out for larger venues or outdoor shows w/o tie-ins to FOH
Smaller venues work OK with the smaller system.

Might be better just to take the biamp rack with the heavy-azz Crown,
and run that into the 2 GBs, instead of mucking about with odd ball lashups, eh?
 
#11
nojj said:
I'm trying for some flexibility with what's on hand,
most of which is in the truck for backup. 4x10 mid/hi and 4x10 for lows is correct.
Tried the 4004 with the Ampeg added as a sub, and it sounded really nice at the venue.
Wondering if I could better the sound.

The cabs are 4 ohms, and the SWR runs hot enough already.
I could rewire the cabs back to 8 ohms,
but can't get enough ommph out of a single cab w/ the 4004.
Can't always fit 2 4x10s on stage..............
Plus there's a wattage diff, and the top cab is rear ported, the bottom one is front.

Tried the line 6 as a straight pre into power amp, didn't put out enough to drive the amp.
(may have not been set correctly, I'd just gotten it at the time)

I'm planning an eqp upgrade, but can't do much till I get back from tour at the end of July
(I'd posted a thread about a 1RU bass head that I could mount below the 4004 in the space provided by the manu)

The power amp idea of yours is already in the works, for my BBE biamp pre.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I now understand your intentions, but I'm not sure that the execution will work.

How exactly do you have cabs that can be 4 or 8 ohm? To my knowledge, that's impossible.

It seems to me that you are trying to force a single rig out of random components. Instead of focusing on making something out of pieces/parts, have you thought of what you would actually like to have in a stage rig? You may find that your best course of action is to sell some gear and buy other components. Just my $.02 - best of luck! :)
 
#13
nojj said:
My ohm-meter says they're 4.
Don't remember off-hand what the individual driver imps were.
Click to expand...

It's one or the other, cannot possibly be both.

If the individual speakers are 4 ohm, then you have a 4 ohm 4X10 wired series/parallel

If they are 8 ohms individually, then it is an 8 ohm cab.

A 4 ohm cab cannot be re-wired to 8 ohms, and vice versa.

Maybe whatever wiring you did is why your amp is running really hot.
 
#14
Warpeg said:
Thanks. I now understand your intentions, but I'm not sure that the execution will work.

How exactly do you have cabs that can be 4 or 8 ohm? To my knowledge, that's impossible.

It seems to me that you are trying to force a single rig out of random components. Instead of focusing on making something out of pieces/parts, have you thought of what you would actually like to have in a stage rig? You may find that your best course of action is to sell some gear and buy other components. Just my $.02 - best of luck! :)
Click to expand...

More like an ad-hoc quasi-biamp rig out of gear on hand.
Already have a fairly hefty stage system, but it won't fit (in it's entirety) in many of the venues here.
(Plus my back doesn't take kindly to moving all that stuff around)
When I have a couple nickels to rub together, planning on some upgrades that will allow the same rating/coverage in a smaller and lighter package.
There's always hope and options, right?


Just went and put a meter on both of the cabs, they're 4 ohm per cab.
 
#16
Warpeg said:
Do your cabs have tweeters? If so, did you have their respective volumes turned all the way up when you took their readings?
Click to expand...

Good call, overlooked that. Usually they're off or barely on.

Have to wait though, just finished hulking all that [DEL]junk[/DEL] incredibly complex gear into the truck.
Now I'm curious..........
 
#18
So, basically, the reason I can't assemble a 400w/100w biamp rig on the spot to run my genz 4x10s is because nobody can agree on cab impedance?
O-K
I'll just have to try it out live and see how it works.
 

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