+1 and it's why I recommended the VT pedal, as most who have used it for the " Ampeg " sound, have said it gets pretty close. I mainly use a power amp to, well, get more power.
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using a power amp as a bass head w/ a pre amp
- Thread starter jaredcarman
- Start date
+1 and it's why I recommended the VT pedal, as most who have used it for the " Ampeg " sound, have said it gets pretty close. I mainly use a power amp to, well, get more power.
This poweramp that I'm selling would be WAY better for you than that Samson ...
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=711615&highlight=
Also, if you _really_ want the SVT sound, you might consider the Ampeg SVP CL preamp. I have one and it is a really good one although the Tech 21 Sansamp RBI preamp is an excellent choice as well.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=711615&highlight=
Also, if you _really_ want the SVT sound, you might consider the Ampeg SVP CL preamp. I have one and it is a really good one although the Tech 21 Sansamp RBI preamp is an excellent choice as well.
sansamps into power amps make great rock and roll bass rigs! the preamp is plenty compressed and grindy, so clean power doesn't have to sound "sterile" at all.
avoid "toy" amps like that samson, though. crown, QSC, crest, even peavey will be way more reliable. (think hard about buying new, though; the latest generation of class D amps are light, loud, and cheap!)
more power is better than less; a smaller solid-state amp driven into clipping can be more damaging than a bigger amp that stays clean. (not from the distortion itself, but from the clipped amp creating too much power, way more than it's rated for. tons of threads about this.)
plus, solid-state amp clipping isn't "musical" like an SVT head being driven hard.
if a 300 watt tube head was loud enough before, then even a 1000 watt-per-side power amp would be just fine. you'd just use one side and turn the amp up til it was the right volume for the gig, which should be well below all the way!
avoid "toy" amps like that samson, though. crown, QSC, crest, even peavey will be way more reliable. (think hard about buying new, though; the latest generation of class D amps are light, loud, and cheap!)
more power is better than less; a smaller solid-state amp driven into clipping can be more damaging than a bigger amp that stays clean. (not from the distortion itself, but from the clipped amp creating too much power, way more than it's rated for. tons of threads about this.)
plus, solid-state amp clipping isn't "musical" like an SVT head being driven hard.
if a 300 watt tube head was loud enough before, then even a 1000 watt-per-side power amp would be just fine. you'd just use one side and turn the amp up til it was the right volume for the gig, which should be well below all the way!
Someone else going the route I want to go. I'm doing the floor preamp/precessor thing rather than a rackmount preamp, but this is a great setup. As for power amps, QSC, Crown, Carvin, and even Peavey all offer a plethora of great power amps from modest output to stadium-contending beasts. Check the websites out, you can find specs there. If you are looking at older/discontinued models, most companies have the manuals available for download, so you can still get a close-up look at the specs.
That's my understanding as well, at least as far as my QSC goes. According to the manual. Better to dime the power amp and control volume through the strength of the signal you give it. Apparently, the volume knob doesn't boost the power, it cuts it; and if you cut the power too much, while feeding it a hot signal, you are a little bit overloading the amp, or something.
One a you big brains, help me out here!
--Bomb
I use a Carver PM 1.5 amp (light) and a BBE 383. I also have a Furman PQ3. Both preamps work very well. I use the BBE now because I biamp...(single 18, single 10). If anyone is interested I have a mod for the 383 to move the lowest crossover point to 70hz. If I had the money....get a Crown Xti 2000...450w into 8 ohms 26 lbs or XLS 2500...11 lbs. Both amps have processing built in...(input EQ, limiter, crossover output EQ, delay for the XTI) (basic limiter and crossover on XLS) Please remember that the vol controls on power amps really controls the input vol...ie..the power amp can still be driven to full output with a higher input gain...doesnt matter where the amp control is...
That's my understanding as well, at least as far as my QSC goes. According to the manual. Better to dime the power amp and control volume through the strength of the signal you give it. Apparently, the volume knob doesn't boost the power, it cuts it; and if you cut the power too much, while feeding it a hot signal, you are a little bit overloading the amp, or something.
One a you big brains, help me out here!
--Bomb
Not always the best route as your gain structure will vary from combination-to-combination and may result in a lower signal / noise ratio. This concept is easier to demonstrate with a PA rig where you have lots of neat things like mic trim pots, bargraphs, and clip LED's to actually show you where you are. Keep in mind that the input attenuators on a power amp adjust input sensitivity but do not cut power. Given a hot enough signal, a 1400 watt amp with the attenuators set @ 50% will still produce the full 1400 watts. Ideally, all pre amps would have signal & clip indicators so you could match / adjust components but that's not the case. Can't tell you how to best set your pre / power configuration of choice but I will tell you this: if you have your preamp volume set @ 3 (0-10) and your power amp is clipping, turn down you attenuators. This is an experiment best undertaken with the speakers disconnected.
Riis
soundguys will have the amps all the way up because the amp rack is on the other side of the room and they won't have to run over there to turn them up.
for bass players, think of the power amp's knob as your master volume control. use it to adjust your stage volume rather than the volume on your preamp; otherwise you'll also be changing the level of the bass out front in the PA.
(the same power amp i use for monitors is on "10" for that, while it's on about "3" for my bass rig. not that the monitors are louder, it's just how the gain structure of my board and EQs work.)
for bass players, think of the power amp's knob as your master volume control. use it to adjust your stage volume rather than the volume on your preamp; otherwise you'll also be changing the level of the bass out front in the PA.
(the same power amp i use for monitors is on "10" for that, while it's on about "3" for my bass rig. not that the monitors are louder, it's just how the gain structure of my board and EQs work.)
Soundguys will also run the amps wide open if they haven't taken the time to set the gain structure properly.
A handful of preamps have dedicated XLR output controls which allow you to manipulate signal > board independently of the onstage volume. Two that come to mind are the SansAmp RPM / RBI and Gallien Krueger...I have both. As Walter pointed out, those with dependent line level DI outputs are subject to the preamp's volume setting.
Riis
I've ran a Sansamp RBI and Ampeg SVP1600 for a while now. I've been able to get that thick tubey SVT tube tone very easily, a few knob turns later, boomy and bassy for reggae/dub. A little extra mid, and roll the tone away from the tube side, and that hi-fi modern metal tone is there if you dig that sort of Ryan Martinie stuff, that is...
My end-game plan was to add a second 4 ohm stack, and a two-channel 15 band eq to really have complete tonal control. (One channel for the 4x10's, one for the 1x15's.)
However, that wont be happening anytime soon as a career change/move is forcing me to sell my rig. (Well, trying to at least. :roll: )
Basically, a big +1 to running a pre w/ power amp. If I'm ever in a gigging band again, that'll be the route I take then too. And another big +1 for the Sansamp RBI preamp, love love love it!! I actually thought id never sell it, but things change, and I can't find a power engine anywhere.
As per volume control, I set my preamp volume at 9 o'clock, and run my SVP at full tilt. Never knew if that was the right way or not, but it made sense to me, haha!
My end-game plan was to add a second 4 ohm stack, and a two-channel 15 band eq to really have complete tonal control. (One channel for the 4x10's, one for the 1x15's.)
However, that wont be happening anytime soon as a career change/move is forcing me to sell my rig. (Well, trying to at least. :roll: )
Basically, a big +1 to running a pre w/ power amp. If I'm ever in a gigging band again, that'll be the route I take then too. And another big +1 for the Sansamp RBI preamp, love love love it!! I actually thought id never sell it, but things change, and I can't find a power engine anywhere.
As per volume control, I set my preamp volume at 9 o'clock, and run my SVP at full tilt. Never knew if that was the right way or not, but it made sense to me, haha!
I don't think there is a right or a wrong way regarding setting the volume knobs on a poweramp... some preamps sound better dimed so you may need to cut back on the poweramp volume knobs and vice versa for a more clean sound from some pre's
It's all a matter of how the particular gear you have matches up with each other and what sort of sound you want to get from it.
It's all a matter of how the particular gear you have matches up with each other and what sort of sound you want to get from it.
