power amp/pre amp??

[DTG]

I have been thinking long and hard about this and I am going to get a power amp run it through a pre amp and then into a 4x10 (for bigger gigs use two 4x10's)

its not just that i want to be louder but i want clarity.my SWR rig (2x10 redhead combo and 1x15 cab)sounds amazing but when i need to crank it up i get the poping and farting that i dont want.i keep the eq set flat apart from a bit of low mid boost.I love the sound of my SR5 when its not plugged into anything and want to get the same sound through my amp,which at low volume the swr does a fine job of doing.

If anyone has advice on power amps or pre amps i would love to hear it i am looking at a Mackie power amp and maybe a swr pre amp,i love the swr gIII 4x10
but i am going to try the mark bass 4x10.

thanks guys
Dave

 

[Kirby]

Hello DTG,

I have ran separates for years and love the sound. I have have two rigs which I really like. I used to run an Alembic F-1X preamp through a Crown K2 power amp, but now mainly run an older modified Demeter VTBP-201 through the Crown K2. I love the Crown, it has so much power that it barely has to work and that added a huge amount of clarity to my low end. I put some really nice Mullard tubes in the Alembic and the Demeter and that really brought out the warm tone that I love.

I do love the Markbass stuff for small shows though. That little Mark II sounds incredible for it's size.

 

[mynan]

Just make sure that your amp has enough power to really drive your cab/cabs or you will be sorely disappointed. If your 410s are rated for 400 watts @ 8 ohms, then make sure your amp can deliver. In my experience, it's better to have more amp than your speakers are rated for and back the amp down than to not have enough amp to drive the cabs.

 

[Rick]

I'm running a Demeter VTBP-201s to a QSC PLX 1601 to a Bergantino NV215. That's 1600 watts into a 600 watt cab. Like mynan said, make sure you have the watts to drive the cab.

 

[Fraxture]

I am getting ready to design a rig, so if you have a 1600w head(preamp/poweramp) config. You can have no more than 1600w total in cab wattage?
So...
1600w head
600 w cab
400 w cab
600 w cab
is the proper out look rather than...
450 w head
300 w cab
600 w cab

 

[strummer]

@frax: You can never have too much power, so no don't make your cab and amp wattages match.

 

[mynan]

If I had a 300w cab and a 600w cab, I would want a 2-channel amp so that I could run each cab on a separate channel. That way I could run 600w to my 600w cab without worrying about toasting my 300w cab.

If you have a 600w cab, you want to be able to run at least 600w into it. Otherwise you my be able to get a decent sound, but it won't have any balls. I've even heard that not running enough power to your speakers is bad for them. I can't confirm that though.

 

[Fraxture]

So it's cool to have higher Cab wattage, but not the other way around?

 

[mynan]

Heh???

 

[Rick]

It's better to run a high wattage amp into a low wattage cab (as long as you're not overdriving the cab). If I ran a 600 watt amp into my 600 watt amp could turn the amp up to max. But then I'd be sending a very distorted signal to the cab (very farty). If I use my 1600 watt amp and turn it up to the same "loudness", if that is a word, then I'm sending a clean signal to the cab. I'm just as loud but my amp isn't clipping. That's what head room is

 

[Aussie Mark]

I run a Demeter VTBP-201S pre into a Yamaha P4500 power amp. Just about any decent power amp will do a good job, the key is getting a nice preamp. So, buy a good preamp, then look for a power amp that meets your needs in terms of power output, cost, feature and weight.

 

[bdgotoh]

I agree with Mark, I've found that the preamp is a crucial link in the tone chain. I've tried many of the preamps out there (Read, Alembic, SWR, Aguilar, etc), and the only one I kept is the older Demeter VTBP-201. Really simple controls and awesome tone with the right tube - I use a Telefunken in mine. I've run it with a few different power amps and it always sounds great. EBs sound terrific through it!

 

[DTG]

thanks guys,this is great

so the pre amp is the most important part to get the right tone,and if i use a 800w speaker then make sure the amp will be higher as in 1200w.i am looking at a Mackie power amp and still have to try out a few pre amps,and speakers i think will be a swr gIII 4x10 or a mark bass 4x10 ( i really do like the idea of a light cab!!) but i still have to find a supplier in Ireland that has the mark bass in stock.

thanks again,its great to have you lot here for info

 

[SLUGGO]

A power amp that has more wattage than the cab will give you better tone at higher volumes,

Example: If your cab is rated at 200 watts and your power amp is rated at 400watts, you would not want to turn past 1/2 volume(theoretically), but you would get the full performance and puch out of the cab. A clean "200 watts" to your cab, rather than a max-ed out dirty signal. This is where the term "headroom" fits in.

And headroom is good.....

 

[mmaibohm]

My set up of choice is A line6 Bass podxt live run into a qsc rmx850 power amp. Being used to drive a vintage peavey 215 cabinet. I personally like the pod becuase it gives me effects and models right there on the floor. I run the power amp at 4ohms briged mono. I also have the clip limiter set on it also. But since the cab is rated at maybe 600 watts at the most. I really dont run into clipping situations but still have the limiter on. Just my 2 cents on my nifty little road warrior rig.

 

[thunder]

i guess we can agree that more power is best. when i played with a goth/industrial band, i used a art night bass, peavey dpc 1400x into 4x10 and 1x15 trace elliot cab. when i play in bands that i don't need effects i use my avalon vt 737 sp (amazing sound). later in life i discover all that was unnessary. the venue you playing at has more to do with how good you sound. the size of the room, the amount of people,the skill of the sound guy,the acustical qualities the venue (room)itself adds and the equipment he use is just as important. unfortunately my rig became more of stage monitor (because the sound guy wanted to use his direct box). and honestly do the people really notice and understand the quality of sound your putting out? 75% probly wouldn't notice.

 

[mmaibohm]

Thunder you are correct. My rig has become one big stage monitor also. For who knows what reason. I allways opt to DI becuase my bass gets to muddy when it has been mic'd. Then I am at the mercy of the sound guy. I was a little miffed last show I did. For some gosh awfull reason he cranked my high end. I sounded like Fieldy doing his clack clack with brand new strings. My normal sound is a tightly compressed low end with a hint of overdrive. Darn sound guys I should have walked off stage back to the both and smacked his fingers lol.

 

[SLUGGO]

I get a kick when the sound guy wants to run a $50 DI box instead of the XLR out on a top level amp! I have had to explain that to a few of them that I paid damn good money for this amp and this sound....so please give that sound to the audience. After dodging a few bird fingers and dirty looks, they usually use my XLR.

 

[Bill]

Yeah, I hate it when a sound guy plops a DI on top of my amp, even though my XLR line out is right on the front panel of the amp. That renders my tuning mute useless.

 

[Mu5icM@n]

I've been running an Eden WP-100 through an old QSC MX-1500 (1500 watts bridged into 4 ohms) driving 2 Eden 4X10s in parallel for about 11 years. Since I set that rig up, I've never wanted anything else. I've only once, accidentally, gotten the QSC's input attenuators turned all the way up and run my bass through it. Damn near peeled the paint off the walls, and left my ears ringing after only one note. The SR 4 hooked up to that rig definitely gets people's attention.

The best part about it: the old QSC's input attenuators really do go to 11! Somebody at that company back then had a sense of humor.

td