More Top or More Bottom?

[Pete Turton]

I have a Marshall MB 4210 combo which I rate really highly, but I want to add a little bottom end in the respect of a 15" cab and to get it up to the 450 watts that it can deliver. Having said that, how would I control the amount of volume from each cab. Could a volume pot be inserted somewhere to either bring the bottom cab up or down in output? ( the things you think about in antisipation!) Pete

[icastle]

[quote name='Pete Turton' timestamp='1326823288' post='1502461']
Having said that, how would I control the amount of volume from each cab. Could a volume pot be inserted somewhere to either bring the bottom cab up or down in output? ( the things you think about in antisipation!) [/quote]

The long and short of it is that you won't have any control over the power going to each cab using the method you've described - the amp will just spread it's output equally across all the drivers it can see, and that's generally seen as acceptable.

It's generally not the 'done thing' to stick a volume pot into the amplified path for two reasons.
The first is that the standard pots that are generally available are only rated at 0.5W so you'd have to try and source an industrial rheostat to cope (the sort of thing you'd use to operate industrial machinery).

The second problem is that you're going to change the impedance that the amp is seeing - I haven't tried it but I'd guess that trying to control the bottom cab would also affect the combo on top.

Seems to me that your best bet would be to find someone with a 1x15 and give it a try before you buy one to put your mind at rest..

[warwickhunt]

Hi Pete.

Don't get hung up on the ext cab being a 1x15 for more bottom end; a 2x10 or 1x12 could just as equally give you the extra bottom end; in fact just adding an ext cab of ANY description will move more air, give you a lower load on the amp and increase the perceived bottom end.

As to how you control the volume from each; there is no reasonable means to do this, you'd have to just suck it and see but just out of interest why would you need to attenuate one cab or the other. If your internal combo/cab is 8ohms and the ext cab is 8ohms you'd divide the load between them and only speaker sensitivity would dictate which sounded louder. All the more reason for getting a cab with the same size drivers as are in the combo.

[ikay]

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1326825644' post='1502494']
Don't get hung up on the ext cab being a 1x15 for more bottom end; a 2x10 or 1x12 could just as equally give you the extra bottom end; in fact just adding an ext cab of ANY description will move more air, give you a lower load on the amp and increase the perceived bottom end.
[/quote]

+1 I have two separate 1x12 cabs, use one in small venues and add the second for larger rooms. The extra cab (even a 12) adds a massive amount of depth to the sound. Cabs that are matched and tuned to work in combination probably give best results.

Edited January 17, 2012 by ikay

[Moos3h]

Am on the mobile version so don't know your location, but if you're anywhere near me in Hertfordshire then you're welcome to borrow one of my 15" cabs on a night I'm not using them, to test for real?

[Lozz196]

I had that exact same rig Pete, and adding in the 115 gave more depth and size to the sound, and luckily, I didn`t need to alter the eq when I did this. The MB115 to me, on it`s own, isn`t that good a cab as it is very lowwwwwww (get the idea) but added to the 4210 the pairing really works, or at least did for me. I do like the classic felt not heard bass though.

Saying that though, I also, for a while, had a Peavey TVX 210, and sold this to my mate, who I also sold the MB4210 to, and he loves the two together, so a 210 will give more depth to the sound too, plus in all likelyhood, the result will be more defined than adding a 115. So it`s a case of whichever fits best with your sound. Shame Marshall don`t do a 210 cab in that range.

[Pete Turton]

[i]WELL.........Wot a great bunch of Mates we've got on here! Plenty of info. and bass players ready to let me try-out there gear.[/i]
[i]Would love to take you\up on that Moos3h but afraid i'm a little too far away. [/i]
[i]I used to have an Ampeg 8x10 with a Trace Elliot [/i][i]AH 250 going through it. All 10's, and yes, loads bof bottom in that set-up. Thought about a 15" cab - firstly for the bottom end bit and secondly to get the rig to 3/4 size. The combo, as it is now, sat on the floor throws all the sound thru my legs, and sat on a stand, looses the bass chamber effect of a stage or floor.[/i]
[i]So if a 2x10 could be OK, would a 4x10 do the same thing,- and that would get it to the height I would be looking for?[/i]
[i]If this sounds good, which should I go for - the Peavey 4x10 or the Marshall MBC 4x10 cab? These two are the only ones that seem to be in my second hand price range.[/i]

[TRBboy]

I always like to have 10"s and a 15". I've currently got a Markbass 2x10" combo and 15" ext cab, and used to have a Trace head with a 4x10" and a 15". I agree that any extension cab of the right impedence will give you more depth and headroom, but in my opinion you can't beat the combination of the 10"s for tightness, definition and punch, and the 15" for out and out guts and rumble.