#1942160 - 05/14/08 01:22 PM
Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an idea
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5 string Mike
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Registered: 08/23/07
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The Tim Taylor in me is coming out. While I was driving home, I was thinking about the old monster Kenwood ~800W home stereo in my basement that hasn't seen the light of day in 5 years, and got an idea 
What If I used the preamp out on my bass amp or my Digitech, got a 1/4" to RCA converter, ran it in to one of the the Kenwood Line In channels, and play through that? (Not that I need the power right now, but it would be nice to know if it would work if I did)
My thought, not knowing a great deal about this aspect of it, is that the preamp out signal is a line out, similar to a TV or CD player, so the Kenwood should be able to handle it without blowing stuff up, right?
Any help or advice is appreciated, even if it's to tell me it's the dumbest idea you ever heard 
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#1942162 - 05/14/08 01:29 PM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an idea
[Re: 5 string Mike]
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jeremy c
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That should work. You'll also need adapters to connect the speakers.
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#1942167 - 05/14/08 01:42 PM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an idea
[Re: jeremy c]
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Rocky MacDougall
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You said it was a stereo amp. Some stereo amps can be bridged, some cannot. You could run the two L&R channels into two seperate speakers if it cannot be bridged. Some amps have a mono switch that would run the same input into the seperate outputs. I do question the 800 watt output, that sound pretty high for an older amp.
Rocky
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#1942180 - 05/14/08 02:19 PM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an idea
[Re: Rocky MacDougall]
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5 string Mike
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Thanks. As far as stereo v. mono, I think I can do 2 different things; I think I have seen a single 1/4" to 2 RCA converter at Radio Shack, or I could take an RCA splitter, whack the end off and attach a 1/4" jack and run RCAs to the Kenwood. Then I could use both channels, both speakers, and not have to bridge anything.
My Digitech has 1/4 stereo out, so if I had a 1/4 stereo cable, split that off into 2 RCAs, abd have a true stereo. That would be nice because some of the Digitech delay type effects can be run stereo to alternate between speaker cabs.
I don't remember what wattage it is, but it runs 2 cabs that have a 15" sub, 6 or 8" mid and a small tweeter. It is LOUD, I remember that. I think I got the 800W number from the speaker cabs, I remember seeing it on there. I know that doesn't mean that is what the amp puts out, but I'm sure it's somewhere close.
I shouldn't have to adapt speakers, because the speakers that came with it are still there. They are just the standard clip on style home speakers coming out of the power amp.
Some rainy day I will have to experiment.
Thanks again
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#1942187 - 05/14/08 02:36 PM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an idea
[Re: 5 string Mike]
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WCriley
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I've used home stereo power amps to power PA monitors. I don't see why it wouldn't work for an instrument amp. The only problem I've had is that "home" gear isn't built to withstand frequent transport.
One thing to remember is that all "line levels" are not the same. Consumer electronics often use a lower "line level" than professional gear. You might need to keep the preamp output low.
I'd hardwire my own cables instead of using Radio Shack adaptors.
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#1942193 - 05/14/08 02:51 PM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an idea
[Re: WCriley]
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yourlord
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It will work. I seriously doubt it's an 800W amp (maybe peak on a good day).. I also doubt your home stereo speakers are 800W. They may be able to tolerate 800W for a nanosecond before the voice coils melt into a mass of slag and that's how they justify putting that on there. Home consumer electronics gear has MUCH looser definitions for everything to make the marketing people happy.
200Wrms!!*
*at 50%THD
Also, don't try to play your bass through home stereo speakers. You'll kill them quickly.. Back in the day my dad had a set being driven by a 200W/ch stereo receiver (awesome stereo) that we beat into the ground playing everything from country to death metal at ear bleeding levels with no problem.. I blew the woofers out of both cabs by playing my bass through it at an astonishingly low level.
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#1942214 - 05/14/08 03:58 PM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an idea
[Re: yourlord]
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Bumpcity
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Using a car stereo amp to drive a bass guitar rig will work fine. All you need is the AC/DC converter, an adapter for the 1/4" to RCA inputs, and a converter/adapter of some sort for the speaker connections.
Your preamp documentation should tell you what the output signal is. I'd guess it is either 0db or +4db which are both perfectly acceptable input signals for a car stereo amp that was built in the last ~10 years.
I blew the woofers out of both cabs by playing my bass through it at an astonishingly low level.
AAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!
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#1942245 - 05/14/08 05:05 PM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an idea
[Re: Bumpcity]
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jeremy c
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I wouldn't use a Y cord between the two stereo power amp outputs and one speaker. That sounds like it could do some bad things.
I blew up my stereo the first week I had my first bass guitar.
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#1942277 - 05/14/08 06:21 PM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an idea
[Re: Bumpcity]
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DJR_Bos
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I blew the woofers out of both cabs by playing my bass through it at an astonishingly low level.
AAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!
Schadenfreude
Neat word. Ugly trait.
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#1942291 - 05/14/08 07:12 PM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an idea
[Re: WCriley]
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5 string Mike
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I wouldn't use a Y cord between the two stereo power amp outputs and one speaker. That sounds like it could do some bad things.
I blew up my stereo the first week I had my first bass guitar.
Blowing stuff up is cool. I wasn't planning to y out, but y the line out from my amp to both line in channels. It sounds like I had better tread carefully. I will find out what signals my amp is putting out and compare that to what the stereo likes to see, and go from there. If I blow it up, it's not like I am out anything. It's just collecting dust right now.
I thought about doing the car stereo thing several years ago. I had a smaller Rockford Phosgate car stereo amp, but I got rid of it. Someday I might come up with some Frankencab setup.
... The only problem I've had is that "home" gear isn't built to withstand frequent transport.
One thing to remember is that all "line levels" are not the same. Consumer electronics often use a lower "line level" than professional gear. You might need to keep the preamp output low.
I'd hardwire my own cables instead of using Radio Shack adaptors.
Yeah, the home stuff isn't built to move very much, and this probably wouldn't. I could hardwire my own adapters, too. I have enough leftover parts to do it. The million dollar question is how the line level signals compare.
There is some good fod for thought, thanks a lot for the tips
Mike
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In my experience, I have found that opinions are a lot like noses. Most people have one, they stick it in where it doesn't belong, and they usually pick their own.
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#1942386 - 05/15/08 04:06 AM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an idea
[Re: 5 string Mike]
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WCriley
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I wouldn't worry too much about the line levels. I doubt you'd damage anything...just get distortion if you crank the preamp. I only mentioned it so you'd be prepared. When I used a home stereo amp to drive a monitor, I just kept the fader down at the board. Basically, the consumer-grade amp (that wants a lower "line level") will reach full power from a weaker input.
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#1942451 - 05/15/08 07:44 AM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an id
[Re: Bumpcity]
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yourlord
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I blew the woofers out of both cabs by playing my bass through it at an astonishingly low level.
AAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!
It was funny in hind sight.. I had to replace the speakers for my dad over it though. It was right when I started playing bass and had no amp to play through so I figured I would just play at low volume through my dad's stereo.. NOT!
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#1942549 - 05/15/08 11:27 AM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an id
[Re: yourlord]
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Bumpcity
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I blew the woofers out of both cabs by playing my bass through it at an astonishingly low level.
AAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!! It was funny in hind sight.. I had to replace the speakers for my dad over it though. It was right when I started playing bass and had no amp to play through so I figured I would just play at low volume through my dad's stereo.. NOT!
If you compressed the ever living shizzle of out it and put a limiter in there for good measure that would have probably been a safe practice.
Most home audio speakers are just not designed for that sort of use... as a young yourlord found out the hard way.
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#1943386 - 05/17/08 08:13 AM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an id
[Re: Bumpcity]
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Paul K
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I use home stereo components in my home studio/practice area. I recently swapped the regular old Yamaha $100, three way, ten inch woof with a sub-satelite setup that allows me to aim the satelites right at me. Either setup is loud enough to make the wife ask me to turn it down. I never use compression. Never blown a speaker except for the tweeters that blew when I still had the microphone connected to the computer; but crazy wild feedback will do that to any speaker.....I ditched the cheesey P.C. mic years ago, and the tweeters have remained intact.
Granted, I'm not bringing the rawk \m/ like Yourlord does , but I think that the VU meter lights on my mixer help me to keep from putting too hot of a signal into the receiver. No smoke, no blood, no foul.
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#1943400 - 05/17/08 09:24 AM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an id
[Re: Paul K]
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yourlord
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Mind you this was back around '92 when i first started playing, so I wasn't bringing too much rock.. In fact my lack of skills probably contributed to the damage as I beat the snot out of the bass..
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#1943531 - 05/17/08 04:53 PM
Re: Question for the technical/ electrical people- Got an id
[Re: yourlord]
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5 string Mike
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Sounds like I might be in for the creation of a good story. The consensus seems to be that the home speakers are the weakest link in the chain. Those, I can swap without a lot of green.
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In my experience, I have found that opinions are a lot like noses. Most people have one, they stick it in where it doesn't belong, and they usually pick their own.
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