Bero Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Whats the difference between a cabinet giving output power as ??? watts rms then ??? watts program. The RMS is always lower than the program, which should i take as the output power so that i dont get the wrong cab for my amp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 RMS is the one to go by. The criteria for determining "Program Power" is so widely varied as to be pretty much meaningless. It would be nice if manufacturer's could actually stick to one of the standards developed for testing RMS power, instead of inflating their specs all the time....but I won't rant about it now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umph Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 rms should be clean power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='Bero' post='528955' date='Jun 30 2009, 06:38 PM']Whats the difference between a cabinet giving output power as ??? watts rms then ??? watts program. The RMS is always lower than the program, which should i take as the output power so that i dont get the wrong cab for my amp[/quote] I hate to be pedantic but your cabinet has no 'output power'. The power that it is quoted as being able to handle is likely as not MM* rated anyway BUT if you must look at a figure to compare/put your mind at ease then look for the RMS. I'd also advice looking at the Wiki on the forum and doing a search relating to the whole business of matching the ratings of cabs and amps. * MM = Mickey Mouse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuseMatt Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 (edited) RMS is the constant power handling of the amp, and the other (also called peak) tells you what peaks it should be able to handle at peaks. My trace elliot amp has 150 watt rms / 300 watt peak; meaning it has 150 watt constant output, and it will withstand up to 300 watt in peaks. Peaks can be prevented by using a power amp which provides you with a constant output; something that's not always guaranteed when hooking up your cab to a power socket. (Think about noob techies hooking up a powersocket for stage use to the same group as the stage lights) Edited June 30, 2009 by MuseMatt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 [quote name='umph' post='528979' date='Jun 30 2009, 06:55 PM']rms should be clean power[/quote] but at what THD? and with what bandwidth? into what kind of load? peak power is important too, as it tends to reveal other aspects of the amp -- and these are the things manufacturer's play with to get the results they want, hence why some manufacturer's "watts" seem to go a lot farther than other's "watts". these are the things that annoy me! hehe sorry, said i wouldn't rant, keeping it to myself now.... [quote name='MuseMatt' post='529120' date='Jun 30 2009, 09:40 PM']Peaks can be prevented by using a power amp which provides you with a constant output; something that's not always guaranteed when hooking up your cab to a power socket.[/quote] so many things there don't make sense - what did you mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 [quote name='Bero' post='528955' date='Jun 30 2009, 01:38 PM']Whats the difference between a cabinet giving output power as ??? watts rms then ??? watts program. The RMS is always lower than the program, which should i take as the output power so that i dont get the wrong cab for my amp[/quote] RMS is what engineering departments use, for the purpose of technical accuracy. Peak, program, peak program, music power, peak music power and all that rot is what marketing departments use, for the purpose of generating sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuseMatt Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 [quote name='escholl' post='529167' date='Jun 30 2009, 11:24 PM'] so many things there don't make sense - what did you mean?[/quote] Well... in my experience the powersupply on stages are not always very good... but I think I messed up with my English vs Dutch here; I think it's called a power distributor in English... at least: unit that guarantees a constant electric current to your amp ... does that make any sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 [quote name='MuseMatt' post='531225' date='Jul 2 2009, 11:11 PM']Well... in my experience the powersupply on stages are not always very good... but I think I messed up with my English vs Dutch here; I think it's called a power distributor in English... at least: unit that guarantees a constant electric current to your amp ... does that make any sense?[/quote] yes, haha, i know what you mean now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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