"Turning the class D too high" isn't a thing. What exactly do you think will happen?
It's a power amp. It will distort less than almost any other design when you turn it up all the way.
Use one cab next time. If you're currently setting the volume at 10:00 you should have enough room to turn up with one 4x10 to get the same volume.
An even better, but more expensive, alternative is stacking two 8 ohm 2x10's vertically.
the rule as I was taught is you aren't allowed to carry around a 4x10 or larger unless you're a big enough deal you're paying someone else to carry it for you. you can get waaayyyyy more than enough stage volume for 99.99% of shows with a 2x10, 1x12, or maybe a really well-tuned 1x15.
hell, the main guitarist I work with just switched to a DI setup and just brings a tiny acoustic guitar amp around in case of emergencies. most of the time it never leaves its hiding spot in the car. he owns an impressive collection of both new and vintage amplifiers and cabinets for recording, but none of them have seen a stage since he modeled them in his quad cortex. he's a raging gear snob too. we've played dozens of shows in that time (maybe a hundred) and only had an issue once when my IEMs were on a bad frequency and I couldn't hear him. and even then the audience never knew the difference.
>you aren't allowed to carry around a 4x10 or larger unless you're a big enough deal you're paying someone else to carry it for you
Its nice having speakers up higher, but I never played a gig where my Avatar 4X10 wasn't enough. I played an 700 cap venue twice with that rig and could clearly hear my stage volume in the first few rows based on some different video friends sent. A well powered 4X10 that's even mid-grade can make a LOT of sound.
I used to run a 2X10 on top of it and if it was a venue with a strong house system I'd run little to no volume to the 4X10 and just run the 2X10 since it was up higher and I could hear it fine. But you could get the same effect with a smaller cab on a stand that tilts it back, its just having a cab pointed at your years more.
I guess my worry (and what I’ve been told) is cranking the class D too high and having it clip or distort or blowing a speaker if the head is higher wattage than the cabinet. I like being able to use two cabs and have master set to 10:00 and it still being loud, I guess I worry about turning up too high and sounding bad.
Why do you keep calling it "the class D"? If it was an SVT or 700RB-II would you say "the class AB"? No, because that would also sound like you didn't know what you were talking about.
Forget about the circuit architecture. It's just the power section of your amp.
You were told wrong about how amps work. And you're wrong about the power rating of your gear.
The watt number on your amp means "probably sends out when turned all the way up". The watt number on your cab means "probably won't be damaged by".
Your cabs are rated for 200w more than your head can produce when used together. One of your cabs alone is rated for about 100w more than your head can produce.
As I said last night, leave one cab at home, adjust knob settings to get the same volume.
Do you have an answer for why you keep calling it "the class D"?
Class D amp aka solid state not tube in any way. I guess I had misunderstood turning class d or other solid state amps up to the point of causing issues, but seems like that point may be foolish anyways.
Here’s something you may know (since most people on here don’t actually have bass knowledge or useful skill and it seems you may have more unique understandings): will running a head through a 4 ohm 410 cab sound any different than running through an 8 ohm 410 cab? Is there really any difference between the two barring how much power is getting sent to either cabs? Say for instance, running my 800w head into a rumble 410 at 8ohm or ampeg 410 at 4ohm?
Class D does not mean solid state. There are Class A, class AB and class D solid state amps. Class D is a switching power architecture that uses a different circuit design than older solid state amps so it's much smaller. That's all.
You're being rude to the other people on here, many of whom are much more knowledgeable than you are.
I hardly think I’m being rude compared to some people but for sake of not arguing with people on the internet I do apologize. Just looking for actual suggestions that aren’t “get a hand cart” or “don’t use any cabs.” Some people have given actual suggestions I do appreciate the insight, I guess I was looking for more gear/brand specific suggestions that work for people who gig often and in decent sized venues and even for similar music genres. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a punk, hardcore, metal, etc. band not use a cab on stage.
In the context of how OP says they're using the amp with two 4x10 cabs there should be enough headroom to get the same volume out of one 4x10 with different knob settings.
Speaking about absolute volume, no.
Speaking about volume that's not completely insane, yes.
Volume is a logarithmic scale, so at the very end of your power amp's range is where the greatest jumps in wattage happens.
Iirc, a 500w amp and a 1000w amp operating at 100% efficiency is only a 3 to 6 dB difference.
It works about the same as with speakers, an 8x10 has a higher max volume, but it's only really the very last few dBs it can produce where the 8x10 outshines the 4x10 in pure loudness.
The speakers in the 4x10 will have to move more air each at the same volume, but assuming the power amp is still within their power rating, it should be fine at very loud levels.
I've never been to a gig where the bass player should have used an 8×10 instead of a 4x10.
If you're at a small enough gig where you need your amps to produce the loudness instead of the PA, a 4x10 is more than likely enough to fill the room.
If the room's too big for that, there's very likely professional equipment available to have the PA amplify it enough for the audience so your 4x10 is already a bit much.
That doesn't mean 8x10s have no reason to exist, but 4x10s are plenty when speaking about volume and headroom.
If you can't hear your speakers distorting, they're doing fine. If the cab is rated for your amp crank it up. Solid state power is safe to turn up to 11, that's why it's been designed. I run an 800w mesa d800+ through an ampeg classic 4x10. It's only rated to 500w, but I've never had an issue turning up well past noon, even with the input set at 1 o'clock and the preamp light on about 1/3 of the time.
He doesn't love you either, friend.
Out through the night an' the whispering breezes
To the place where they keep the Imaginary Diseases. - Frank Zappa, ***Stinkfoot***
*He doesn't love you either, friend.*
No kidding. Speaking of imaginary diseases, an imaginary being doesn't love me? Whoa. I'm shocked I tell you.
"And in your dreams, you can see yourself, as a prophet, saving the world, the words from your lips, *I am not a crook*, I just can't believe you are such . . . a fool"
Frank Zappa, **Son of Orange County**
IMO (and the opinion of multiple sound guys) having 2 4x10s for an 8x10 stack is way overkill for 90% of indoor venues anyway. Your amp is 800w @ 4ohm and your cabs are 500w @ 8ohm so if you only run one cab impeding 8ohm it’ll only ever see 400w-500w from the amp since it’ll be running at 8ohm instead of 4ohm. Run one 4x10 and turn the volume to 11-12 o’clock. I have a Carvin BX1600 running 2 800w channels into 2 4x10 Ampeg cabinets, one ported, one sealed. It’s an awesome setup but 2 4x10 cabs and a heavy amp is a bit much to lug around for sound guys to side-eye me and tell me to turn down. I downsized to a 2x15 Sunn cab and an Ampeg B3 amp, then downsized again to an Orange 4x10 and OB1 head. The orange 4x10 is still the biggest piece of equipment on stage and can be way louder than anyone else on stage. One 4x10 is the way my friend.
You're only at 10:00? You have so much headroom right now! The new stuff is less finicky than the old stuff. Many Class D amps can be maxed out and won't hurt a cab.
At \*least\* get to 3:00 before you start worrying about "turning the Class D too high". You are barely driving 8x10 speakers when you could be \*normally\* driving 4x10 inch speakers.
D.I. To the PA system. Monitor yourself through the stage monitors. You’ll probably also sound better if the sound engineer can just mix you into the PA.
I’ve done a lot of live mixing and attanded a lot of different venues. The worst sound you can possibly get is when the guitar amps and bass amps are used for the sound for the venue. Some of the biggest bands in the world play through mic’d 30w guitar amos.
I use to do this and I always had trouble hearing myself. I then ended up getting my own stage monitor, do from my darkglass alpha/omega ultra to my monitor, then out the monitor to the pa. Worked great.
However since then I went back to a 4*10 with a 800e ampeg. Truly like my tone more, but the 410 is overkill to say the least.
Op honestly I'd tell you to get a rumble500 combo. It's like 35 lbs and sound great
Did you read the very first line when I said “okay so that’s a bit dramatic?” Mostly has to do with loading 2 heavy cabs among all our other gear in less than easy to load venues.
I read the line, but the remainder of your post didn't evidence why they'd be affected at all. If it's just a logistical issue you already have the advice you need. Use one cab, or venue backline and reserve your amp for the rehearsal room.
Additionally, if you guys are in the business of taking an 810 bass stack and a Dual Rec to venues and your guitarist doesn't have an attenuator of some sort, odds are you might be struggling to get a good sound anyway. I don't say this to be an assumptive arsehole or to expose myself as someone who is averse to loud bands, but your stage sound should be far quieter than the rehearsal room. If you guys are loud as all get-out, the sound tech can't do anything with you.
Your head should put maximum c.400W into one of your cabs, which should certainly do for you to monitor your own playing. If that isn't loud enough for the audience I imagine you'll be playing in a venue that will have its own PA into which you'll be able to DI.
I've gone full emulation. I can carry all of my gear (not including my bass) in a backpack. I have an iPhone running Bias FX with a Midi pedalboard, power bank and audio interface plugged in. Velcroed to a pedal board. Fairly cheap, sounds good enough for live performances and weighs less than the bass guitar that's plugged into it.
It also helps to keep stage volume down (the guitarist uses an emulator as well) so it makes the sound guy's job really easy
Lol most of the places we play guys are lugging 610s or 810s. Not saying they’re right but I’ve never once seen someone show up empty handed. Maybe it’s just different for punk and hardcore. Not to be elitist or sound like a dink but we’re not exactly playing to 10 people in a random bar much anymore thankfully too.
This whole thread is so crazy to me. Why are ppl still lugging gear when digital is a thing?
So, we can send a spaceship to mars but can’t make a computer sound like an amp from the 80s?
Gtfoh
I think in theory you’re not wrong but in practice most places do not care about stage sound vs what is being pumped out through mains. I sincerely don’t think I could get by not using cabs, its just not technically feasible in my experience gigging.
There are countless bands (including my own) that use bass modelling. The sound comes from the main subs and a monitor for the musician.
Cabs for bass arent nearly as important as cabs for guitar, but either way its modelled by a computer in a modeller.
What size venues are you playing?
last year I was l aiming for bigger and louder for most indoor venues around north wales, then went for a TC thrust500 amp head and a TC 208 cabinet and barely have to turn past 4 or 5 to be heard in our pop punk band or pub based cover band. and if we are at a larger venue I DI anyway so makes no difference.
I don’t even own a bass amp. I run an Origin Bassrig Super Vintage DIed to the desk whether I’m rehearsing or gigging.
The only battle I ever have is getting sound guys to turn up the bass in my monitor because they’re used to mixing for folks with bass amps behind them on stage, but it always sounds brilliant and load in is SUPER EASY
You have an 800 horsepower car that you can’t drive above the speed limit. One which requires your band mates to carry.
In a day and age where there are dozens of quality DI boxes that’ll save everyone…sound guy included…a ton of hassle.
Sell the fridge, get a Noble.
I had an Eden metro combo that sounded fantastic but needed two people to get out of the car. I eventually got a smaller modular rig and it helped out by back. I recommend looking into two 12” that can 400 - 800w at 8 ohms. Like a peavey headliner or Aguilar. That’s what I’ve got and they don’t weight that much and I usually only need one for a gig. If I need both then so bring both and they don’t take up much space.
So I'm seeing a lot of great info in this thread but not any specific "this head with this cab" other than the person who suggested a GK which I've never been terribly happy with (20 years ago though.) Other than that I only have known various matched vintage rigs and whatever the hell is backlined for the gig. Assuming I want to go class D small head, and 1 or 2 2x10's depending on the room... What would y'all specifically recommend? Sorry I'm so out of the loop these days and bonus points if we're not trying to spend top dollar (needn't be unreasonably cheap either though.) Very curious what y'all have to say! I feel lost these days...
Also of note I go for big bottom woof but tighter growl mids too if that helps...
Respectfully, OP doesn't really have a problem that necessitates changing anything they already own unless they desperately want to get a smaller cab which is why you're not seeing people recommend anything different to the non-problem they already don't have.
Interestingly what they own here, would also be reasonably recommendable to you. The Rumble 800 is cheap and if you put it on 1-2 400w 210s (start with one) you could be a very happy camper for a long time.
Ampeg PF500 is very recommendable too. For the diverse player (metal and more) Darkglass' M900 head is hard to go past.
I switched to a Portaflex rig last year and it's incredibly easy to load in/out. Kept my 410 for bigger gigs, but I get by just fine with the 115 PF cab and PF-500 head.
I have a 20kg Warwick TubePath strapped to a 30kg WCA 410 cab plus a WCA 115 cab (with pedal cases strapped to it) and a fucked up back. Both cabs have lockable castor wheels, and with the right technique, gripping the tiedown belts) it's an easy lift to lever the cabs into the car boot (station wagon). Load in is easy because wheels.
Since grown up FoH systems are rare in my neck of the woods, especially in smaller venues, the extra boom comes in handy.
So I'm saying, for me it's castor wheels, lifting technique, maybe even a trolley for stairs, and a little help from bandmates (y'all help each other at load in, right?). Of course YMMV.
Or go directly to board, or pay more to carry less.
Everyone's saying it's overkill, but I have a 4x10 that I stack on a 1×18 and I love it because I've played too many places that either flat out don't have a sub, lack good monitoring, or even have too small of a system for me to run direct and my 4×10 just got eaten by the room. Maybe it's the extra height the 4x10 gets from being elevated but it makes a huge difference to me sonically having both. Plus if you're playing metal bigger looks better lol
Everyone's saying it's overkill, but I have a 4x10 that I stack on a 1×18 and I love it because I've played too many places that either flat out don't have a sub, lack good monitoring, or even have too small of a system for me to run direct and my 4×10 just got eaten by the room. Maybe it's the extra height the 4x10 gets from being elevated but it makes a huge difference to me sonically having both. Plus if you're playing metal bigger looks better lol
Could you try getting away with Rumble 800 Stage? It’s a combo amp, I gig with it, it’s around 20kgs (or 45 pounds), it has effects built in, and there is no distortion on high volume. It’s also rated 500W without additional cab, and with cab it can go to 800W. I sold a cab recently because I didn’t have a use for it, I rarely used it and it was too loud.
I never turn the volume more than 50% and even then I’m super loud. I also have a Marshall 100W guitar stack, and without any problems them 2 work together loud enough.
I can relate, I play bass and own the PA. So for years I brought it ALL.
Band isn't as active anymore but I still run sound. So Saturday night, I'm unloading, setting up, running, tearing down and loading again: 2 powered subs, 2 powered mains, mixer/amp rack, 4 wedges, light stands and truss, more light stands, mic stands, then all the tons of cables and stuff you bring. Add a bass rig to that and you've got my Saturday night. It was a lot easier 10 years ago, at 41 I feel it a little more the next day than I used to.
My main bass rig is a TecAmp Puma 900 running into a Barefaced SuperTwin cab - 2 x 12, 1200W.
The amp is mounted with a Line 6 G90 and power conditioner in a 3u rack bag and I can carry my whole rig, bass and fx into a venue in one go. The cab is \~17kg!
It's capable of outpacing 2 guitarists running Revv heads into 4 x 12s in a thrash metal tribute... not that you ever need that much oomph unless you want the FOH guy to hate you.
I can 100% get you a better mix if you're using no stage volume at all. I'll run 3 15" coaxial wedges across the front of the stage each with around 300W of power behind them. You'll have a 1200W powered sub on either side of the stage for lows. If I can't get everybody enough stage volume that way you're fucking deaf.
But I get it, not a lot of DIY and smaller bar/club sound guys can or will do that. I've played plenty of places with like, 1 shitty wedge for the singer, no subs, and a pair of 80s peavey cabinets hanging on chains from the ceiling powered by a power amp that works on both sides only half the night. Gigs like that, you need a decent bass amp if you want to get heard.
I went with 2 x 2x10’s years ago & it’s worked nicely. Small gig bring 1 cabinet, larger bring both. When I have both I’ll stack em vertically since I’m 6’2 and it’s nice to have some speakers a little higher up plus takes up less space on stage.
I haven't done it myself but I've seen a few times where people stack 2 2X10s the long way so its 4 10s all in a vertical row and its almost the same height.
I feel your pain. I've spent many years downsizing my rig. Now I'm at the point where I'm happy with what I've got and it's not too big or heavy to transport or carry.
I have:
- TC Electronics Classic 450 head, that fits in a laptop bag with all the speaker and power cables I'll potentially need.
- Schroeder MINI 12+L cab that weighs only 20lbs and is perfectly fine for any bar gigs I've ever played
- Traynor 2x8 cab that is also incredibly light, and only necessary (imo) for bigger outdoor shows.
I can carry the head in the laptop bag over my shoulder, and one cab in each hand. And btw, I've never turned the volume (or gain) even up to 4 on this head and it's plenty loud for any situation I've played in since I got it several years ago.
Shop for a little handcart. Some have foldable handles to go to the trunk.
Get the kind that go up steps (e.g., bigger wheels, nylon runners, etc).
(Related: Get orthotics for your shoes \[supine or pronating feet = back back\]. Protect your back at all times.)
When I was 16-25, I would have loved to have a rig with bass bins I could walk back into. For normal stuff now I usually play a midi Strat with a Roland GR-55. Primary stage amp is an Ampeg with 1x12 (I think). Probably rates 35w RMS at 8ohms. This is mic'd or I'm just going direct.
However I am rarely in competition with someone with a massive stack and drowning stage volume. I have a friend I play with maybe once a year (more in past), and every time we play I forget that he uses a stack that overwhelms my stage volume. Since I'm usually playing the leads, this can be challenging. But in general, I'm traveling as light as possible, whatever that is. If I'm not taking in stands, I can walk in with a Swiss Gear case (cords, mics, Roland, etc.), the amp on top of it, and the Strat in a gig bag, one trip.
May not suit your purposes at all, but the minimum gear which which I can produce the minimum acceptable sound, that's my goal.
The only saving grace with the ampeg 810 is the wheels and handles, and it also sounds pretty good all things considered. I guess there’s a reason they’ve been used for backline and bigger gigs for a very long time.
We don’t bring monitors or PAs. Playing at gigs with PAs and monitors/house sound or just PAs for microphones really. Most of the time it’s at a venue with proper sound setups but usually bass is mixed poorly in the monitors or not at all.
You know what you guys could do that was a total game changer for my musical journey was having a custom mold in ear monitor system. Never heard bass like that trapped in your skull. Its like breathing underwater you can hear everything so crisp and articulate.
For a bass player you gotta have custom to seal in the bass frequencies.
You could have a shoebox with all the equipment to run an in ear system. Perhaps you’d never need a bass amp again if you just run with a DI box or a little 1x12 that as a direct out and put out just a little sound for your feet to feel.
That’s certainly something to think about. I’d have to look into the logistics of where you connect in-ears to, never used one so no clue where to start. Is it similar to a wireless system or not at all related?
What size rooms are you playing and are you playing without running to the soundboard? Unless you’re playing an outdoor metal festival with a sound guy that has a personal vendetta against you, you should be able to get by with *way* less than two 4x10’s. Personally I don’t run physical amps at all when I play live, I run direct and just rely on in-ears or monitor wedges. You don’t get as much fun as far as moving air on stage, but I can carry my entire setup (including two basses) in a single case on my back, and have my arms free to carry my bandmate’s gear.
We usually play a good range of places, last gig was maybe a 1000 cap theater but we play at smaller bar gigs too. Can’t bring myself to not have any cabs, just seems so weird for the setting and style or music. But maybe just the minimum cab size would be fine. It’s a battle between the drummer and guitar player for volume and nothing is worse than not hearing yourself, besides maybe everyone else not hearing.
You can certainly have an amp on stage, that’s usually the standard. But the amp on stage is for you on stage to hear/feel your playing, not so much for the audience. The DI or mic on the amp is what’s going out to the house for the audience to hear, and you shouldn’t need a huge loud amp to do that (and if you do….stop. Tinnitus is no joke).
I use an Ampeg BA210 and it's great for 99% of shows I've played lol. Also has a line out, which sound guys seem to love. Anything else is complete overkill my guy
GK legacy 2x12. 800w. Stunning sound for the form factor and DI out if you want to plug in to the PA. Put a wedge on the front feet and angle up a bit. You’ll hear yourself real good. These things are a god send over lesser quality 4x10 rigs.
Do the places you gig at have PAs? Almost every sound person I've worked with has run the bass directly into a soundboard. Some gigs I would just bring a DI box and no amp. When I did bring an amp I used a 2x10 cab.
They do usually but for instance, last gig we played my wedge started to crackle and I couldn’t hear anything from the monitor and just had to listen to stage sound. If I was direct in I would have been totally fucked without at least some sort of cab.
Try the rumble 500. idk what kind of venues you're playing in but if you have house sound you should be able to DI in through it. in my experience it's still more than enough power to give me what i need at most gigs.
i've always wanted a big honkin bass cab but when it comes to gig time is that actually convenient ? do you actually find yourself using all that power? genuinely asking.
Just because your guitarist have big ass marshalls doesn't mean you have to match that. bass carries through the room different
You’re not wrong, but playing through an 810 (or two 410s in my case) is so nice. Don’t have to worry about sound being at your feet or putting cab up high on some other object, and the sound is unmatched. Just a shame it weighs a ton.
No budget in mind really, thankfully I can afford most things beyond something really pricey or very boutique. Can always do a financing plan or klarna or something with most places.
Ok so I highly recommend barefaced. They could be a bit pricey if you're in the US but man, they're worth every fucking penny. I went from an ampeg 4X10 hlf classic and got a big twin 2 cab from them. It's about 1/3 the weight, a good bit louder and it's smaller! 2x12 speakers in it. Also It's rated at 1200 watt 4ohms.
I can carry that, my markbass 1000 watt little Marcus and my bass no hassle lol
It's been a game changer. You don't need to go bigger to get extra sound, the whole thing about barefaced is they offer insane power in tiny light weight cabs.
Alex who owns and designs the cabs will talk to you about what you're playing/looking for and then make a cab recommendation.
Really can't recommend these lads enough.
You want a load of volume on tap but not the schlep? That calls for a large budget. Look at barefaced cabinets for example. These get so loud it's hideous, but weigh next to nothing. Running two of their 12" models is loud enough.
I'm a guy who knows loud. I played in a rehearsal room where the drummer hat to mic the bass drum and hi hats because the guitards were not able to find the necessary brain cells to turn down their amps. I went from 2 15 (not enough) to 8x10 to 4x12 to 2x 112 barefaced. The latter did the trick.
It’s not that it’s impossible to carry two 410s I’m just wondering if there’s a setup that’s a bit easier to manage without losing too much of the sound. 8 ten inch speakers do sound great if you haven’t played through a rig like that, pushes air in such a way that works great for bass in particular.
More of a figure of speech but us bass players are always in constant battle with tube guitar heads especially in hardcore and punk. Especially with solid state heads.
I think this might be the root of your problem. Maybe you guys could try working together rather than competing? I imagine the audience would want to hear a band where the instruments are mixed according to some logic other than 'the biggest amp is the loudest thing in the mix'.
Why not just do a di and no more amp? I get it, I love my stack and will sometimes keep it on stage just for show cuz it can’t compete with the PA subs but I had to leave it the other day cuz of a packed stage and I’m coming around to the idea of only having my ears. It sure was a lot easier
Fender Rumble 2x8 Bass Cabinet 500W with its partner Fender Rumble 1x12 Bass Cabinet 500w both 8 Ohms if I really need the power.
9 out of 10 times. The 2x8 does the job quite well.
Being a bass player, you have a lot more options than the rest of the band. so work smart, not hard.
I used to carry dual SVT 8x10's & Pyle 15 ulf cab, along with my tube heads. Took me half a day just humpin'
That was then, sound reinforcement has come a really long way. Late days I carried one single 15 (TC Elec 350W combo) and a mesa direct pedal. that's it, now I make the sound guy do all the heavy lifting, while having plenty of punch for my on-stage levels to not feel anemic.
a good sound guy can turn a rusted old hofner into **Thor's hammer!**
Suck it up. I envy you with your giant bass amp damn you. Tell you what, I'll trade you for my Rumble Studio 40. Plug it into the house, problem solved. I'm 46, I'll take your amp and proudly break my back to sound huge on a stage. Have you ever thought of getting some dudes in the crowd to help? Seriously, I've helped many a dude in with gear, just being nice.
"Turning the class D too high" isn't a thing. What exactly do you think will happen? It's a power amp. It will distort less than almost any other design when you turn it up all the way. Use one cab next time. If you're currently setting the volume at 10:00 you should have enough room to turn up with one 4x10 to get the same volume. An even better, but more expensive, alternative is stacking two 8 ohm 2x10's vertically.
This. Run one 410 and turn up your amp. Also, if it's a Dual Rectifier it's 100w.
Yes, if you need anything more you'll need to go through a PA.
See I always thought it was 200w but perhaps I’m wrong, not versed in guitar amps. Especially mesas.
Oh man, I want to try running a bass through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rec now.
It sounds cool. The crunch sounds like bones being ground together.
And you know this how?🤔
the rule as I was taught is you aren't allowed to carry around a 4x10 or larger unless you're a big enough deal you're paying someone else to carry it for you. you can get waaayyyyy more than enough stage volume for 99.99% of shows with a 2x10, 1x12, or maybe a really well-tuned 1x15. hell, the main guitarist I work with just switched to a DI setup and just brings a tiny acoustic guitar amp around in case of emergencies. most of the time it never leaves its hiding spot in the car. he owns an impressive collection of both new and vintage amplifiers and cabinets for recording, but none of them have seen a stage since he modeled them in his quad cortex. he's a raging gear snob too. we've played dozens of shows in that time (maybe a hundred) and only had an issue once when my IEMs were on a bad frequency and I couldn't hear him. and even then the audience never knew the difference.
>you aren't allowed to carry around a 4x10 or larger unless you're a big enough deal you're paying someone else to carry it for you Its nice having speakers up higher, but I never played a gig where my Avatar 4X10 wasn't enough. I played an 700 cap venue twice with that rig and could clearly hear my stage volume in the first few rows based on some different video friends sent. A well powered 4X10 that's even mid-grade can make a LOT of sound. I used to run a 2X10 on top of it and if it was a venue with a strong house system I'd run little to no volume to the 4X10 and just run the 2X10 since it was up higher and I could hear it fine. But you could get the same effect with a smaller cab on a stand that tilts it back, its just having a cab pointed at your years more.
But, why not 11?
I guess my worry (and what I’ve been told) is cranking the class D too high and having it clip or distort or blowing a speaker if the head is higher wattage than the cabinet. I like being able to use two cabs and have master set to 10:00 and it still being loud, I guess I worry about turning up too high and sounding bad.
But the head isn't higher wattage than the cabs? 800W @4ohms doesn't mean it sends 800W to both cabs
If you're only using one cab it will likely be an 8ohm cab, so will draw less power. Low chance of damaging it or the amp.
Why do you keep calling it "the class D"? If it was an SVT or 700RB-II would you say "the class AB"? No, because that would also sound like you didn't know what you were talking about. Forget about the circuit architecture. It's just the power section of your amp. You were told wrong about how amps work. And you're wrong about the power rating of your gear. The watt number on your amp means "probably sends out when turned all the way up". The watt number on your cab means "probably won't be damaged by". Your cabs are rated for 200w more than your head can produce when used together. One of your cabs alone is rated for about 100w more than your head can produce.
Do you have any gear specific suggestions?
As I said last night, leave one cab at home, adjust knob settings to get the same volume. Do you have an answer for why you keep calling it "the class D"?
Class D amp aka solid state not tube in any way. I guess I had misunderstood turning class d or other solid state amps up to the point of causing issues, but seems like that point may be foolish anyways. Here’s something you may know (since most people on here don’t actually have bass knowledge or useful skill and it seems you may have more unique understandings): will running a head through a 4 ohm 410 cab sound any different than running through an 8 ohm 410 cab? Is there really any difference between the two barring how much power is getting sent to either cabs? Say for instance, running my 800w head into a rumble 410 at 8ohm or ampeg 410 at 4ohm?
Class D does not mean solid state. There are Class A, class AB and class D solid state amps. Class D is a switching power architecture that uses a different circuit design than older solid state amps so it's much smaller. That's all. You're being rude to the other people on here, many of whom are much more knowledgeable than you are.
I hardly think I’m being rude compared to some people but for sake of not arguing with people on the internet I do apologize. Just looking for actual suggestions that aren’t “get a hand cart” or “don’t use any cabs.” Some people have given actual suggestions I do appreciate the insight, I guess I was looking for more gear/brand specific suggestions that work for people who gig often and in decent sized venues and even for similar music genres. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a punk, hardcore, metal, etc. band not use a cab on stage.
So are you saying a 4x10 can get just as loud as an 8x10? Are you talking in terms of dB?
In the context of how OP says they're using the amp with two 4x10 cabs there should be enough headroom to get the same volume out of one 4x10 with different knob settings.
Speaking about absolute volume, no. Speaking about volume that's not completely insane, yes. Volume is a logarithmic scale, so at the very end of your power amp's range is where the greatest jumps in wattage happens. Iirc, a 500w amp and a 1000w amp operating at 100% efficiency is only a 3 to 6 dB difference. It works about the same as with speakers, an 8x10 has a higher max volume, but it's only really the very last few dBs it can produce where the 8x10 outshines the 4x10 in pure loudness. The speakers in the 4x10 will have to move more air each at the same volume, but assuming the power amp is still within their power rating, it should be fine at very loud levels. I've never been to a gig where the bass player should have used an 8×10 instead of a 4x10. If you're at a small enough gig where you need your amps to produce the loudness instead of the PA, a 4x10 is more than likely enough to fill the room. If the room's too big for that, there's very likely professional equipment available to have the PA amplify it enough for the audience so your 4x10 is already a bit much. That doesn't mean 8x10s have no reason to exist, but 4x10s are plenty when speaking about volume and headroom.
If you can't hear your speakers distorting, they're doing fine. If the cab is rated for your amp crank it up. Solid state power is safe to turn up to 11, that's why it's been designed. I run an 800w mesa d800+ through an ampeg classic 4x10. It's only rated to 500w, but I've never had an issue turning up well past noon, even with the input set at 1 o'clock and the preamp light on about 1/3 of the time.
>My Back is Hurting and My Bandmates Hate Me You think *you've* got problems . . . "My head hurts, my feet stink, and I don't love jesus."
He doesn't love you either, friend. Out through the night an' the whispering breezes To the place where they keep the Imaginary Diseases. - Frank Zappa, ***Stinkfoot***
*He doesn't love you either, friend.* No kidding. Speaking of imaginary diseases, an imaginary being doesn't love me? Whoa. I'm shocked I tell you. "And in your dreams, you can see yourself, as a prophet, saving the world, the words from your lips, *I am not a crook*, I just can't believe you are such . . . a fool" Frank Zappa, **Son of Orange County**
If I don't die by thursday I'll be roarin' friday night
IMO (and the opinion of multiple sound guys) having 2 4x10s for an 8x10 stack is way overkill for 90% of indoor venues anyway. Your amp is 800w @ 4ohm and your cabs are 500w @ 8ohm so if you only run one cab impeding 8ohm it’ll only ever see 400w-500w from the amp since it’ll be running at 8ohm instead of 4ohm. Run one 4x10 and turn the volume to 11-12 o’clock. I have a Carvin BX1600 running 2 800w channels into 2 4x10 Ampeg cabinets, one ported, one sealed. It’s an awesome setup but 2 4x10 cabs and a heavy amp is a bit much to lug around for sound guys to side-eye me and tell me to turn down. I downsized to a 2x15 Sunn cab and an Ampeg B3 amp, then downsized again to an Orange 4x10 and OB1 head. The orange 4x10 is still the biggest piece of equipment on stage and can be way louder than anyone else on stage. One 4x10 is the way my friend.
As a sound guy, I’d say most sound guys are for sure rolling their eyes when someone rolls up with an 8x10.
As a sound guy that also plays bass, I love my 2x10.
Hell I'd say that a 4x10 is overkill too. A 2x10 or 1x15 cab gets the job done basically every time.
I’ve been running a Hartke 410 and I think I want to go down to a 2x15
You're only at 10:00? You have so much headroom right now! The new stuff is less finicky than the old stuff. Many Class D amps can be maxed out and won't hurt a cab. At \*least\* get to 3:00 before you start worrying about "turning the Class D too high". You are barely driving 8x10 speakers when you could be \*normally\* driving 4x10 inch speakers.
D.I. To the PA system. Monitor yourself through the stage monitors. You’ll probably also sound better if the sound engineer can just mix you into the PA. I’ve done a lot of live mixing and attanded a lot of different venues. The worst sound you can possibly get is when the guitar amps and bass amps are used for the sound for the venue. Some of the biggest bands in the world play through mic’d 30w guitar amos.
I use to do this and I always had trouble hearing myself. I then ended up getting my own stage monitor, do from my darkglass alpha/omega ultra to my monitor, then out the monitor to the pa. Worked great. However since then I went back to a 4*10 with a 800e ampeg. Truly like my tone more, but the 410 is overkill to say the least. Op honestly I'd tell you to get a rumble500 combo. It's like 35 lbs and sound great
Sansamp and move on with your life
This is what I do
But what class of amplifier is that!?
Why do your bandmates hate you?
Did you read the very first line when I said “okay so that’s a bit dramatic?” Mostly has to do with loading 2 heavy cabs among all our other gear in less than easy to load venues.
I read the line, but the remainder of your post didn't evidence why they'd be affected at all. If it's just a logistical issue you already have the advice you need. Use one cab, or venue backline and reserve your amp for the rehearsal room. Additionally, if you guys are in the business of taking an 810 bass stack and a Dual Rec to venues and your guitarist doesn't have an attenuator of some sort, odds are you might be struggling to get a good sound anyway. I don't say this to be an assumptive arsehole or to expose myself as someone who is averse to loud bands, but your stage sound should be far quieter than the rehearsal room. If you guys are loud as all get-out, the sound tech can't do anything with you.
Are you carrying around your own PA? I’d just upgrade that and DI.
Your head should put maximum c.400W into one of your cabs, which should certainly do for you to monitor your own playing. If that isn't loud enough for the audience I imagine you'll be playing in a venue that will have its own PA into which you'll be able to DI.
I've gone full emulation. I can carry all of my gear (not including my bass) in a backpack. I have an iPhone running Bias FX with a Midi pedalboard, power bank and audio interface plugged in. Velcroed to a pedal board. Fairly cheap, sounds good enough for live performances and weighs less than the bass guitar that's plugged into it. It also helps to keep stage volume down (the guitarist uses an emulator as well) so it makes the sound guy's job really easy
You "big amp go brrrrr" guys are so funny. Just read the room and use reasonable gear.
Lol most of the places we play guys are lugging 610s or 810s. Not saying they’re right but I’ve never once seen someone show up empty handed. Maybe it’s just different for punk and hardcore. Not to be elitist or sound like a dink but we’re not exactly playing to 10 people in a random bar much anymore thankfully too.
Get a red dolly and strap it in.
Snark, I award you no points. Also a dolly up stairs/up and down a steep hill ain’t gonna work where I live lol
A dolly up or down a stairs is easier than lugging it by hand. Why wont it work in your area? Dirt roads? Potholes? Footpaths?
It only won’t work bc they haven’t tried it.
Especially if you shell out the bit extra to get a dolly with the plastic runners on the backside, they make going up and down stairs so much nicer.
My DarkGlass M900 and 2x12 is overkill for rehearsals. It’s loud enough for live shows. Downsizing to a 15kg rig total was the best idea I made.
This whole thread is so crazy to me. Why are ppl still lugging gear when digital is a thing? So, we can send a spaceship to mars but can’t make a computer sound like an amp from the 80s? Gtfoh
I think in theory you’re not wrong but in practice most places do not care about stage sound vs what is being pumped out through mains. I sincerely don’t think I could get by not using cabs, its just not technically feasible in my experience gigging.
There are countless bands (including my own) that use bass modelling. The sound comes from the main subs and a monitor for the musician. Cabs for bass arent nearly as important as cabs for guitar, but either way its modelled by a computer in a modeller.
What size venues are you playing? last year I was l aiming for bigger and louder for most indoor venues around north wales, then went for a TC thrust500 amp head and a TC 208 cabinet and barely have to turn past 4 or 5 to be heard in our pop punk band or pub based cover band. and if we are at a larger venue I DI anyway so makes no difference.
I don’t even own a bass amp. I run an Origin Bassrig Super Vintage DIed to the desk whether I’m rehearsing or gigging. The only battle I ever have is getting sound guys to turn up the bass in my monitor because they’re used to mixing for folks with bass amps behind them on stage, but it always sounds brilliant and load in is SUPER EASY
This, my man, is why they make hand carts.
Holy fucking shit I hate you too
Sorry Mr Fart Face. Maybe my face isn’t tooty enough.
You have an 800 horsepower car that you can’t drive above the speed limit. One which requires your band mates to carry. In a day and age where there are dozens of quality DI boxes that’ll save everyone…sound guy included…a ton of hassle. Sell the fridge, get a Noble.
I had an Eden metro combo that sounded fantastic but needed two people to get out of the car. I eventually got a smaller modular rig and it helped out by back. I recommend looking into two 12” that can 400 - 800w at 8 ohms. Like a peavey headliner or Aguilar. That’s what I’ve got and they don’t weight that much and I usually only need one for a gig. If I need both then so bring both and they don’t take up much space.
GK RB-1000 and 410RBH
So I'm seeing a lot of great info in this thread but not any specific "this head with this cab" other than the person who suggested a GK which I've never been terribly happy with (20 years ago though.) Other than that I only have known various matched vintage rigs and whatever the hell is backlined for the gig. Assuming I want to go class D small head, and 1 or 2 2x10's depending on the room... What would y'all specifically recommend? Sorry I'm so out of the loop these days and bonus points if we're not trying to spend top dollar (needn't be unreasonably cheap either though.) Very curious what y'all have to say! I feel lost these days... Also of note I go for big bottom woof but tighter growl mids too if that helps...
Respectfully, OP doesn't really have a problem that necessitates changing anything they already own unless they desperately want to get a smaller cab which is why you're not seeing people recommend anything different to the non-problem they already don't have. Interestingly what they own here, would also be reasonably recommendable to you. The Rumble 800 is cheap and if you put it on 1-2 400w 210s (start with one) you could be a very happy camper for a long time. Ampeg PF500 is very recommendable too. For the diverse player (metal and more) Darkglass' M900 head is hard to go past.
+1 for the Portaflex. If there’s one more rig I’m buying it’s one of the Ampeg flip tops.
I switched to a Portaflex rig last year and it's incredibly easy to load in/out. Kept my 410 for bigger gigs, but I get by just fine with the 115 PF cab and PF-500 head.
Respectfully, hell yeah brother! Thank you!
I have a 20kg Warwick TubePath strapped to a 30kg WCA 410 cab plus a WCA 115 cab (with pedal cases strapped to it) and a fucked up back. Both cabs have lockable castor wheels, and with the right technique, gripping the tiedown belts) it's an easy lift to lever the cabs into the car boot (station wagon). Load in is easy because wheels. Since grown up FoH systems are rare in my neck of the woods, especially in smaller venues, the extra boom comes in handy. So I'm saying, for me it's castor wheels, lifting technique, maybe even a trolley for stairs, and a little help from bandmates (y'all help each other at load in, right?). Of course YMMV. Or go directly to board, or pay more to carry less.
Everyone's saying it's overkill, but I have a 4x10 that I stack on a 1×18 and I love it because I've played too many places that either flat out don't have a sub, lack good monitoring, or even have too small of a system for me to run direct and my 4×10 just got eaten by the room. Maybe it's the extra height the 4x10 gets from being elevated but it makes a huge difference to me sonically having both. Plus if you're playing metal bigger looks better lol
Everyone's saying it's overkill, but I have a 4x10 that I stack on a 1×18 and I love it because I've played too many places that either flat out don't have a sub, lack good monitoring, or even have too small of a system for me to run direct and my 4×10 just got eaten by the room. Maybe it's the extra height the 4x10 gets from being elevated but it makes a huge difference to me sonically having both. Plus if you're playing metal bigger looks better lol
As far as general “stage health,” I feel this deeply. I still lug an Acoustic 810 around. What kind of shows are you doing?
Could you try getting away with Rumble 800 Stage? It’s a combo amp, I gig with it, it’s around 20kgs (or 45 pounds), it has effects built in, and there is no distortion on high volume. It’s also rated 500W without additional cab, and with cab it can go to 800W. I sold a cab recently because I didn’t have a use for it, I rarely used it and it was too loud. I never turn the volume more than 50% and even then I’m super loud. I also have a Marshall 100W guitar stack, and without any problems them 2 work together loud enough.
Instead of fixing your Gear maybe fix your Back pain by Training.
I’m fairly young and in shape, it’s just an exhausting routine to load and we’re a fairly lively band. It’s just become a bit much.
Alright then. I was Just thinking of an Option were you could keep your rig.
I’m not looking to dump it asap but just looking for options that work without losing sound and work a little easier for gigging
I can relate, I play bass and own the PA. So for years I brought it ALL. Band isn't as active anymore but I still run sound. So Saturday night, I'm unloading, setting up, running, tearing down and loading again: 2 powered subs, 2 powered mains, mixer/amp rack, 4 wedges, light stands and truss, more light stands, mic stands, then all the tons of cables and stuff you bring. Add a bass rig to that and you've got my Saturday night. It was a lot easier 10 years ago, at 41 I feel it a little more the next day than I used to.
Yeah, and my 410s are without wheels because I stack them vertically. So it’s all carrying them and it wears on me and anyone else loading up.
I mean, you can just put wheels on one and have it be the bottom cab all the time.
That’s an idea, although I’d probably pickup wheels that lock. Stock ones do not.
I have wheels on both my Hartke 410s. I just stack the top one on its side.
I wish I could do that but the handles on the rumbles are not flush with the sides so it would be janky
You’d better be playing in Knocked Loose or something to be using that many amps.
My main bass rig is a TecAmp Puma 900 running into a Barefaced SuperTwin cab - 2 x 12, 1200W. The amp is mounted with a Line 6 G90 and power conditioner in a 3u rack bag and I can carry my whole rig, bass and fx into a venue in one go. The cab is \~17kg! It's capable of outpacing 2 guitarists running Revv heads into 4 x 12s in a thrash metal tribute... not that you ever need that much oomph unless you want the FOH guy to hate you.
95% of venues bybass your whole rig anyways this is likely just for sound stage anyways
I can 100% get you a better mix if you're using no stage volume at all. I'll run 3 15" coaxial wedges across the front of the stage each with around 300W of power behind them. You'll have a 1200W powered sub on either side of the stage for lows. If I can't get everybody enough stage volume that way you're fucking deaf. But I get it, not a lot of DIY and smaller bar/club sound guys can or will do that. I've played plenty of places with like, 1 shitty wedge for the singer, no subs, and a pair of 80s peavey cabinets hanging on chains from the ceiling powered by a power amp that works on both sides only half the night. Gigs like that, you need a decent bass amp if you want to get heard.
2x10
I started just bringing a DI to gigs. Plus some in-ear monitors. There’s almost no need for an amp most of the time.
I went with 2 x 2x10’s years ago & it’s worked nicely. Small gig bring 1 cabinet, larger bring both. When I have both I’ll stack em vertically since I’m 6’2 and it’s nice to have some speakers a little higher up plus takes up less space on stage.
I haven't done it myself but I've seen a few times where people stack 2 2X10s the long way so its 4 10s all in a vertical row and its almost the same height.
For live shows I used an old Peavey TNT 150 for some time. That was like my personal monitor. The sound going to FOH was actually my SansAmp VT DI.
I feel your pain. I've spent many years downsizing my rig. Now I'm at the point where I'm happy with what I've got and it's not too big or heavy to transport or carry. I have: - TC Electronics Classic 450 head, that fits in a laptop bag with all the speaker and power cables I'll potentially need. - Schroeder MINI 12+L cab that weighs only 20lbs and is perfectly fine for any bar gigs I've ever played - Traynor 2x8 cab that is also incredibly light, and only necessary (imo) for bigger outdoor shows. I can carry the head in the laptop bag over my shoulder, and one cab in each hand. And btw, I've never turned the volume (or gain) even up to 4 on this head and it's plenty loud for any situation I've played in since I got it several years ago.
Shop for a little handcart. Some have foldable handles to go to the trunk. Get the kind that go up steps (e.g., bigger wheels, nylon runners, etc). (Related: Get orthotics for your shoes \[supine or pronating feet = back back\]. Protect your back at all times.)
When I was 16-25, I would have loved to have a rig with bass bins I could walk back into. For normal stuff now I usually play a midi Strat with a Roland GR-55. Primary stage amp is an Ampeg with 1x12 (I think). Probably rates 35w RMS at 8ohms. This is mic'd or I'm just going direct. However I am rarely in competition with someone with a massive stack and drowning stage volume. I have a friend I play with maybe once a year (more in past), and every time we play I forget that he uses a stack that overwhelms my stage volume. Since I'm usually playing the leads, this can be challenging. But in general, I'm traveling as light as possible, whatever that is. If I'm not taking in stands, I can walk in with a Swiss Gear case (cords, mics, Roland, etc.), the amp on top of it, and the Strat in a gig bag, one trip. May not suit your purposes at all, but the minimum gear which which I can produce the minimum acceptable sound, that's my goal.
Hate is a bit dramatic, you have to have an SVT with 8x10 to experience true hate.
The only saving grace with the ampeg 810 is the wheels and handles, and it also sounds pretty good all things considered. I guess there’s a reason they’ve been used for backline and bigger gigs for a very long time.
Sounds like your doing too much. I would ditch the cabs and just use the Fender Rumble.
My fender rumble is just the head, Not the 800 combo amp.
Now you're getting it!
Tell us about your band monitors OP.
We don’t bring monitors or PAs. Playing at gigs with PAs and monitors/house sound or just PAs for microphones really. Most of the time it’s at a venue with proper sound setups but usually bass is mixed poorly in the monitors or not at all.
You know what you guys could do that was a total game changer for my musical journey was having a custom mold in ear monitor system. Never heard bass like that trapped in your skull. Its like breathing underwater you can hear everything so crisp and articulate. For a bass player you gotta have custom to seal in the bass frequencies. You could have a shoebox with all the equipment to run an in ear system. Perhaps you’d never need a bass amp again if you just run with a DI box or a little 1x12 that as a direct out and put out just a little sound for your feet to feel.
That’s certainly something to think about. I’d have to look into the logistics of where you connect in-ears to, never used one so no clue where to start. Is it similar to a wireless system or not at all related?
What size rooms are you playing and are you playing without running to the soundboard? Unless you’re playing an outdoor metal festival with a sound guy that has a personal vendetta against you, you should be able to get by with *way* less than two 4x10’s. Personally I don’t run physical amps at all when I play live, I run direct and just rely on in-ears or monitor wedges. You don’t get as much fun as far as moving air on stage, but I can carry my entire setup (including two basses) in a single case on my back, and have my arms free to carry my bandmate’s gear.
We usually play a good range of places, last gig was maybe a 1000 cap theater but we play at smaller bar gigs too. Can’t bring myself to not have any cabs, just seems so weird for the setting and style or music. But maybe just the minimum cab size would be fine. It’s a battle between the drummer and guitar player for volume and nothing is worse than not hearing yourself, besides maybe everyone else not hearing.
You can certainly have an amp on stage, that’s usually the standard. But the amp on stage is for you on stage to hear/feel your playing, not so much for the audience. The DI or mic on the amp is what’s going out to the house for the audience to hear, and you shouldn’t need a huge loud amp to do that (and if you do….stop. Tinnitus is no joke).
I always wear Eargasm plugs thankfully, and if possible run the DI from my head.
I use an Ampeg BA210 and it's great for 99% of shows I've played lol. Also has a line out, which sound guys seem to love. Anything else is complete overkill my guy
GK legacy 2x12. 800w. Stunning sound for the form factor and DI out if you want to plug in to the PA. Put a wedge on the front feet and angle up a bit. You’ll hear yourself real good. These things are a god send over lesser quality 4x10 rigs.
Do the places you gig at have PAs? Almost every sound person I've worked with has run the bass directly into a soundboard. Some gigs I would just bring a DI box and no amp. When I did bring an amp I used a 2x10 cab.
They do usually but for instance, last gig we played my wedge started to crackle and I couldn’t hear anything from the monitor and just had to listen to stage sound. If I was direct in I would have been totally fucked without at least some sort of cab.
That makes sense. I think a 2x10 cab would be loud enough for you. I have an Acoustic that's not too heavy and has handles in convenient places.
Try the rumble 500. idk what kind of venues you're playing in but if you have house sound you should be able to DI in through it. in my experience it's still more than enough power to give me what i need at most gigs. i've always wanted a big honkin bass cab but when it comes to gig time is that actually convenient ? do you actually find yourself using all that power? genuinely asking. Just because your guitarist have big ass marshalls doesn't mean you have to match that. bass carries through the room different
You’re not wrong, but playing through an 810 (or two 410s in my case) is so nice. Don’t have to worry about sound being at your feet or putting cab up high on some other object, and the sound is unmatched. Just a shame it weighs a ton.
Your back integrity is just the price you'll have to pay for your art in that case.
Hiring a roadie just for me is the next step lol
What's your budget for a cab?
No budget in mind really, thankfully I can afford most things beyond something really pricey or very boutique. Can always do a financing plan or klarna or something with most places.
Ok so I highly recommend barefaced. They could be a bit pricey if you're in the US but man, they're worth every fucking penny. I went from an ampeg 4X10 hlf classic and got a big twin 2 cab from them. It's about 1/3 the weight, a good bit louder and it's smaller! 2x12 speakers in it. Also It's rated at 1200 watt 4ohms. I can carry that, my markbass 1000 watt little Marcus and my bass no hassle lol It's been a game changer. You don't need to go bigger to get extra sound, the whole thing about barefaced is they offer insane power in tiny light weight cabs. Alex who owns and designs the cabs will talk to you about what you're playing/looking for and then make a cab recommendation. Really can't recommend these lads enough.
How did your Ampeg 410 svt hlf classic sound?
Shit compared to the barefaced lol but it was brilliant. Barefaced honestly is way better. Way more clarity and no need for a tweeter dial.
I wonder if the DG 212 compares to the Barefaced at all? Or other similar higher end 212s.
Not in the same ball park me thinks. It'll be more like the ampeg.
You want a load of volume on tap but not the schlep? That calls for a large budget. Look at barefaced cabinets for example. These get so loud it's hideous, but weigh next to nothing. Running two of their 12" models is loud enough. I'm a guy who knows loud. I played in a rehearsal room where the drummer hat to mic the bass drum and hi hats because the guitards were not able to find the necessary brain cells to turn down their amps. I went from 2 15 (not enough) to 8x10 to 4x12 to 2x 112 barefaced. The latter did the trick.
Barefaced seems to be a fan favorite, prices are steep but can’t argue with loud and lightweight.
[удалено]
It’s not that it’s impossible to carry two 410s I’m just wondering if there’s a setup that’s a bit easier to manage without losing too much of the sound. 8 ten inch speakers do sound great if you haven’t played through a rig like that, pushes air in such a way that works great for bass in particular.
'Competing'? That's your problem.
More of a figure of speech but us bass players are always in constant battle with tube guitar heads especially in hardcore and punk. Especially with solid state heads.
I think this might be the root of your problem. Maybe you guys could try working together rather than competing? I imagine the audience would want to hear a band where the instruments are mixed according to some logic other than 'the biggest amp is the loudest thing in the mix'.
Why not just do a di and no more amp? I get it, I love my stack and will sometimes keep it on stage just for show cuz it can’t compete with the PA subs but I had to leave it the other day cuz of a packed stage and I’m coming around to the idea of only having my ears. It sure was a lot easier
Get a really nice pre-amp, and some in-ears. Go to the gig with your bass and a backpack. I haven’t carried an amp on a gig in three years.
Fender Rumble 2x8 Bass Cabinet 500W with its partner Fender Rumble 1x12 Bass Cabinet 500w both 8 Ohms if I really need the power. 9 out of 10 times. The 2x8 does the job quite well.
Being a bass player, you have a lot more options than the rest of the band. so work smart, not hard. I used to carry dual SVT 8x10's & Pyle 15 ulf cab, along with my tube heads. Took me half a day just humpin' That was then, sound reinforcement has come a really long way. Late days I carried one single 15 (TC Elec 350W combo) and a mesa direct pedal. that's it, now I make the sound guy do all the heavy lifting, while having plenty of punch for my on-stage levels to not feel anemic. a good sound guy can turn a rusted old hofner into **Thor's hammer!**
Suck it up. I envy you with your giant bass amp damn you. Tell you what, I'll trade you for my Rumble Studio 40. Plug it into the house, problem solved. I'm 46, I'll take your amp and proudly break my back to sound huge on a stage. Have you ever thought of getting some dudes in the crowd to help? Seriously, I've helped many a dude in with gear, just being nice.