Amps, heads, cabs, combos....... ??

[asingardenof]

23 hours ago, Rayman said:

So as the head is 500W, is it likely to damage a 350 rated cab? According to reviews, what TC claim is 500 is probably more like 400 in reality with this unit. It’s all mumbo jumbo to me to be honest 

If you're not going to be playing with gnarly distortion at full volume you'll probably be fine.

[asingardenof]

8 hours ago, Rayman said:

I went with this for now…..

 

Good choice

[Rayman]

2 hours ago, Rusco said:

 

Sounds like the well loved Markbass CMP121 combo + NY121 cab would be a perfect size/weight/volume/flexibility fit.... it's not very Ashdown-y though.

Yes, I had that exact rig. About 10 years ago, bought it new from Promenade Music In Blackpool. I sold my beloved Ashdown EVO2 stack to buy it. I regretted it soon after. The Markbass was a beautiful thing, light, great build quality etc…… but my “grunt” had gone. I hated the sound and sold it all a few months later.

[Downunderwonder]

You're going to need another one to get to "grunt" satisfaction level.

[Rayman]

We’re only doing bars and pubs these days, the big venues are behind us, so this should do the trick….. but yeah, upgrading next year is always an option 

[Rayman]

Well, by way of an update….

 

Rehearsed the rig last night, and as I feared, the horn blew. Not a massive issue, new one ordered, no problem.

 

The amp was set flat (EQ all at 12 o’clock) with the gain and master volume around 1 o’clock, so not driving it that hard in my opinion, the horn was also set at 12 o’clock. Two songs in, the horn goes. 
 

New horn on the way.
 

So my questions now are……if I turn the horn level down, is it still going to overload? ….. and should I just be looking for 2x 8ohm cabs that can handle 500W at 4ohms…… or should this 4ohm cab rated at 350W be able to handle it?

[chris_b]

You might not be abusing the cab but a previous owner might have. The new horn should be OK.

 

IMO 2 8 ohm cabs are always preferable to 1 4 ohm cab. Each driver is doing half the work and they combine with each other to produce more volume and more tone than a single cab can.

[gjones]

26 minutes ago, Rayman said:

Well, by way of an update….

 

Rehearsed the rig last night, and as I feared, the horn blew. Not a massive issue, new one ordered, no problem.

 

The amp was set flat (EQ all at 12 o’clock) with the gain and master volume around 1 o’clock, so not driving it that hard in my opinion, the horn was also set at 12 o’clock. Two songs in, the horn goes. 
 

New horn on the way.
 

So my questions now are……if I turn the horn level down, is it still going to overload? ….. and should I just be looking for 2x 8ohm cabs that can handle 500W at 4ohms…… or should this 4ohm cab rated at 350W be able to handle it?

It really depends on the cab, as not all cabs are equal.

 

I have an old Barefaced Compact and it is extremely loud considering it's only one 15 inch speaker.

 

I've played cheaper 2x10 cabs and they struggled with a loud drummer.

 

If you're economising then the more speakers the better.

 

 

[Downunderwonder]

Try bypassing the horn attenuation and all, ie input direct to the woofers. You may find there is enough top end albeit not very shiney. If you do go down the route of doubling up on cabs the 2nd one will have plenty of sparkle for both.

 

In case you are still wondering, the attenuator turns down the amount of power going to the horn, by turning it into heat. Blasting the attenuator with distortion and attenuating it can cook the attenuator. Better to EQ it before sending to the power amp.

[tubbybloke68]

On 19/12/2023 at 17:10, Rayman said:

Also in the mix, is that I’m an Ashdown guy, have been for years, and we’re a loud original heavy rock 3pce. So I need grunt……..light, grunty and affordable , not asking for much like.

 second hand genz streamliner 900 and a SH barefaced BB2 if you can find one. Job done x 

[Rayman]

New horn is arriving today, so the cab will be good as new later.

 

I think, that this isn’t the cab I need for this band. I definitely think that 2 x 8ohm cabs will be the way forward, but I have to find something affordable and light ish weight.

 

The amp is great, happy with that, so it’s just cabs I need. I think this Eden would be better in someone else’s setup.

[Merton]

What is it about the can that makes it not right? Can prob point you at other options with that info

[Rayman]

2 hours ago, Merton said:

What is it about the can that makes it not right? Can prob point you at other options with that info

I’ve made the move, after decades playing combos, to a 500W D class head. I was hoping that this 350W Eden cab would be ok with the wattage, as long as it wasn’t cranked up full. Unfortunately the horn blew at rehearsal. I literally just fitted a brand new one, so the cab is as good as new. However as it’s 4ohms, I can’t add another cab to spread the load.

 

So, my assumption is that selling this cab and getting 2 8ohm cabs will give me the headroom I want without overloading anything.

[Merton]

Does the Eden sound good? If so maybe you can find two 8 ohm versions of that cab, assuming Eden made them of course…?

[Rayman]

Yeah it sounds fantastic. I’ve always liked the growl of a 2x10 with a horn. My Ashdown EVO II 500 combo is exactly that, but too heavy these days. 
 

Problem is, I want power, volume, grunt….. but light ish and affordable too.