2x10 for metal gigs?

[Protium]

[quote name='bassmachine2112' post='1340858' date='Aug 15 2011, 04:45 PM']oops forgot to say Ashdown 300 watts are not the loudest amp goin and it may only give 300 watt with the extension cab at whatever ohms,I might be wrong but without the extension it may only put out 180 watt.
someone will correct me if I,m wrong,just goin off the top of my head.
You might be better off getting something round the 500 watt mark as you don,t have to turn all the way up,but you will have plenty of headroom and some extra muscle if needed.[/quote]

Through the same cab, the difference between 300 and 500W is negligible. Your overall volume is limited by the fact you only have two 10" speakers.

[Protium]

[quote name='ironderby' post='1339131' date='Aug 13 2011, 09:57 PM']Im getting an ashdown mag 307w 2x10 bass combo. I will probably be adding a 1x15 cab to it, but my question is. How far could a 2x10 take you for metal gigs? before it gets to the point where i just HAVE to use the extra cab [/quote]

IME the ashdown 15" speakers are not great - a little on the quiet side. Having a pair of 210's will leave you with volume to spare

[TomTFS]

I used to run an ABM300 and a MAG410 in a hardcore/metal band tuning down to A. It just about kept up but I generally had the head close to maxed out, even at band practices. That was competing with two guitar amps into 412 cabs (a solid state peavey and a Marshall DSL).

You'll definitely need the extra cab, if not even more. A 410 to go with it would keep you sorted with some headroom, you can get the MAG ones very cheap now and they're decent cabs.

[xgsjx]

But wouldn't it be wiser to buy more efficient 2x10 cabs than inefficient 4x10s?
It comes down to how much air you can move. Yes, the more speakers you have the more air you can move, but if those speakers are not very good at moving air & next to 0 effort has gone into the acoustic design of the cab, it's not just about the amount of drivers.
A cab that has decent drivers & well designed cab to house them in but with 1/2 the amount of drivers is probably going to be a lot louder & sound a lot better.

[bassbluestew]

Buy my Basson B210b 500w 2x10 and you'll never need another cab !!!

I used it with a Mesa Boogie 400+, not a quiet amp, and it handled it ( with a 5 string too ) no bother at all.

Ask Ped if you don't believe me !
Stewart
p.s. PM me if you want more details.....

[ojplaysbass]

I used to use my mag 2x10 combo all the time with a (3 guitarist) post-hardcore type band and although i'd sometimes need to crank it a little higher than I was comfortable with (never further than about 2 o'clock), it never failed to give me a decent volume level/ overall sound - usually, but not always, having PA support.
If you've got the room in the van and the energy to lug it about, an extra cab is always better - but I'm lazy so never have

[Bigwan]

I'd be forgetting about a 2x10 altogether if it were me. 2x15/4x12 would be my preference, although a good 2x12 would probably do ok. For maximum umph I'm in total agreement with Alex @ barefacedbass - don't mix driver sizes.

My current metal band I could probably get away with a 4x10 as we only tune down to D and we aren't that heavy. Any lower and I'd be struggling to make a 4x10 (or 2 2x10s) work for me.

Note: This is just for gigs without PA support and practise. Gigs with PA support you're usually at the venue/soundman's mercy as to how loud you can get on stage so it varies wildly in my experience.

Edited September 21, 2011 by Bigwan