atlnikko Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 Hello everyone, I recently acquired a great used Peavey T-MAX amp. This unit provides more power than my current amp. With this change I need to consider a more powerful cabinet. My current cabinet is a Nemesis 2X10 that handles 225 watts at 4 ohms. The Peavey output is 200 watts at 8 ohms, 350 watts at 4 ohms & 500 watts at 2 ohms. I play mostly blues and jazz in small quiet wine bar venues and a 4 x 10 is too much. I have thought about going with Ampeg's 2 x 10 because it handles 400 watts at 4 ohms. Before I make a decision, I would like to hear recommendations from community. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 Hmmm...I don't think you need a different cab. If the Nemesis 210 cab handles lows as well as the Nemesis NC-210 combo, I'd expect it to sound pretty darned good. Overpowering the cab is better than underpowering it and clipping the amp (which sends potentially damaging DC voltage through the speaker coils) as long as you don't drive the speaker cones into over-excursion (you'll hear it rattle and fart). The amp power output and the cab RMS rating don't have to be matched...think of the extra 125 watts as headroom. What's the actual problem you're trying to solve, btw? I doubt it's "not loud enough" since you said you play quiet wine bars. Since the amp supports a 2-ohm load, you could add another cab (a 210, 115, 212, whatever) if you're just itching to spend money. Adding a 2nd cab would give you a lot of flexibility if you added something that was different but still capable of standing alone, like perhaps one of the better 212 cabs...you could mix-n-match for a small, medium, and large setup! Or, Nemesis has a 2x8 cab now don't they? I wonder how that might sound... HTH, Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanD Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 I play through an ampeg bxt210m and I love it. I would also suggest getting another small cab if you need more power. The bxt210 would be good for that. But if your cab was loud enough before you should be just fine now. IMO your cab and head do not need to be matched. Just test out how far you can push each when you are playing by yourself so you can listen for any trouble, remember that setting and never go back:) good luck. the tilt back of the ampeg is great for getting your sound up when you have to set it on the floor. you can also set it on its side, but you have to set it on the handle, its recessed so thats no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 You could also consider a 4x10" cabinet that you can bring to bigger gigs and keep your 2x10" for smaller gigs. What is your budget? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thanny XIII Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 or you could buy two 8x 10's that would be fun.... I knew a girl that was into biamping,I sure do miss her.-ButcherNburn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 Thanny, I used an 8x18 on my last gig but never was invited back. I did get a bill from the venue for structal damage to their building. Some people just don't know good music when they hear it. Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 Cool amp. When I had one, I used it with Peavey 210TXF and 115BX BW cabs. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 Sounds like the T-Max is a perfect match for the Nemesis - although the amp has a higher power output rating than the cab, it is impossible to get full power from it without using massive compression and distortion to get a sustained note on the edge of clipping. In reality, the most average (which is what matters to the cab) power that the amp will put out in typical playing situations will be significantly less than 100W - not enough to trouble the Nemesis in the slightest. The only reason I can see to change your cab is if you don't like how it sounds. If you'd like to buy another cab anyway, consider one of the many 1x12" or 2x10" cabs available. FWIW, I use a 900W amp into a 350W cab, and seeing the clip lights on the amp is not an uncommon occurence. I used to use a 425W amp into the same cab, and it sounds cleaner, clearer and significantly fatter with this much extra amp power. And no, I've never blown a speaker. Alex P.S. Dave - clipping doesn't cause an amp to output DC. The only thing that'll do that is if the amp is knackered. Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 Originally posted by C. Alexander Claber: P.S. Dave - clipping doesn't cause an amp to output DC. The only thing that'll do that is if the amp is knackered. Are you sure? That's what I've read many times...that clipping the power amp causes it to output DC currents which in turn overheat the speaker coils. (Or, maybe it causes it to output square waves which have a similar effect as DC???) Granted, I don't recall the source of the info... Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted June 12, 2006 Share Posted June 12, 2006 Originally posted by Dave Sisk: Originally posted by C. Alexander Claber: P.S. Dave - clipping doesn't cause an amp to output DC. The only thing that'll do that is if the amp is knackered. Are you sure? That's what I've read many times...that clipping the power amp causes it to output DC currents which in turn overheat the speaker coils. (Or, maybe it causes it to output square waves which have a similar effect as DC???) Granted, I don't recall the source of the info...100% sure. It's one of those strange myths that have been picked up on as fact. Clipping a power amp causes the output signal to approach a square wave (though even under extremely heavy clipping it will never get that close to a square wave) which increases the average to peak power ratio. A fully square wave has average power equal to peak power, whilst a sine wave has average power equal to 1/(root 2) of peak power. Consequently an amp in heavy clipping could put out up to about 50% more average power than its RMS rating. But realistically when playing bass how likely are you to create a sustained long-term full power note which forces an amp into clipping? Maybe with a high gain high output rig and a hollowbody bass with crappy pickups and a terrible tendency to feed back, whilst playing in a band that's so loud that you can't hear yourself. But surely if you heard that racket then you'd mute the strings or turn your amp down! Speakers don't care what the waveform shape is. All they care about is the average power (that's what affects the thermal power handling - the only commonly quoted rating) or the peak LF power (which to be honest, often causes Xmax to be exceeded, if not Xmech/Xlim, because the excursion limited power handling is a fraction of the thermal power handling of most bass cabs in the sub 100Hz region). Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlnikko Posted June 12, 2006 Author Share Posted June 12, 2006 Thanks for this feedback. I will wait on replacing this cabinet. I have read that you should try and match whilst others said go for the head room. I will experiment a bit more before making a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.