Anyone plugged bass amp straight into subwoofer?

[Davo-London]

I've always wanted to but I've never tried it.  Has anyone given it a go?  Did your face melt?

Peace

Davo

[bazzbass]

I think you are gonna have to be the one to try it and report back hehe

[paul_c2]

I've seen plenty of full-range active speakers with a socket which accepts XLR and 1/4" jack; and switchable from line to mic level - so it could take an instrument input and the controls be adjusted to amplify it adequately. But I am not so sure about subwoofers having a mic-level input. I quick survey shows some can accept 1/4" jack (but not many).

So your first challenge will be to find a subwoofer it can physically connect to.

I imagine the very non-linear frequency response will be the next challenge.

[Beedster]

Yes, I've done it, and it sounds like mud. Imagine a '72 Telebass with the tone rolled off, played though a head with the treble back and the bass up, then into an 18' cab, and you're ball park. To my mind no usable tones even for reggae/dub. 

[Davo-London]

Wow, I'm guessing that for most subwoofers the only input is XLR as stated above.  My Aguilar 500 XLR output should connect to the subwoofer.

I imagine palm muting and playing with the thumb will knock the walls down.

Davo

[Bolo]

Subs generally filter off anything above 110-130Hz. It wil sound like hotsnakes.

[Mottlefeeder]

I was looking for a full-range plate-amp, and thought a sub amp would do the job, but I could not find one that did not have a filter that took out everything about 200 Hz. As Beedster said, it will sound like mud if all you are getting is the fundamental and the first harmonic.

David

[godathunder]

I used to run a sound system some years ago and occasionally used one of the subs (either a 2x15 or a single18) and a mid cab as a 2 way bass rig.

Even without a crossover filtering the highs the subs on their own sounded attrocious. inarticulate with a very peaky response. however, with a 120hz crossover and a 2x12 above it sounded really good, just not something you'd want to have to cart around regularly.