810 v.s 2 410's

[bigevilman]

Hey guys

Going back to my roots, I went to the Slam Dunk fest @ Leeds uni to listen to a good bit of pop punk and ska. As expected, there was a lot of skinny jeans and tattoos, but there was also a lot of top acts!

All the bands I saw used various 810 cabs. Whether they be Ampeg, Mesa or Orange, they all had a great sound to them, especially the combination of a Orange AD200b with the Mesa Powerhouse 810. Joe Weiss from Four Year Strong used this combination with a 75' American RI jazz....amazing tone! I've now decided I want to go back to a big rig, get that massive sound without having to constantly DI.

So heres my question....810 or 2 410 cabinets? What are peoples preferences

[Beedster]

What's the difference between a 810 and 2x410s? Bragging rights. You got a big van and a roady, get the 810 and brag!

[acidbass]

I think purely from a practical perspective, that I'd go for the 2x410s if I were in your predicament. Easier to shift and wouldn't really sound much different!

[Mr. Foxen]

Often 8x10s are sealed, and often 4x10s are ported. That makes most difference. Sealed has less lows, and corresponding tighter sound. The have a lot of speakers for efficiency, whereas ported cabs use other tuning trickery to be efficient (or don't).

Mad bargains on 8x10s to be had, such as much Ashdown ABM, but the pair of SWR 4x10s are also a mad bargain.

[urbanx]

...or TWO 8x10's

[basshead56]

Really wanted an Ampeg 8x10, but lack of roadies and not being the biggest chap in the world meant two 410´s
Went with two Ampeg BSE410HLF´s.
Cracking USA-made 4x10 cabs! and the beauty of them is that they are 4 ohms each, meaning that they combine two a 2ohm load-getting the most out of SVT series amps and most valve amps I´ve come across.
8x10s are typically 4ohm and leave little room in a van for a second cab.

They are infinately more portable than an 8x10 too and have those cool silver grilles and SVT PRO logos.

Only problem is I got a 610HLF yesterday, so now they are taking up space ...

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='urbanx' post='852956' date='May 31 2010, 08:58 PM']...or TWO 8x10's [/quote]

or 6

[mazdah]

After a year of using great SVT-410HLF I went with the Ampeg SVT810E.

This is THE sound I always wanted but I couldn't achieve. I don't have a roadies, I don't play a lot of gigs, I don't play loud.
I just love the sound of classic 810 cabinet without ports, hi-fi drivers and crossovers. The cab is not that heavy, but too heavy to lift by myself, so my back is saved! Because most of the times I had to lift 410HLF by myself and now I just roll & slide this monster.

At home and smaller jams I use wonderful G-K Backline 112 combo, but I'd also love to have a '15 cab for 'medium' gigs.

[tayste_2000]

1 8x10 is far easier to move than 2 4x10's

Most of the time you roll the 8x10 around, it's a 1 person lift into a car I use to get one in a Toyota Avensis.

My 4x10 is a comfortable 2 person lift, it's a bugger one your own and going up stairs the 8x10 is much better as it's carried parallel to the stairs at an angle.

Hope this helps

[dan670844]

[quote name='bigevilman' post='852918' date='May 31 2010, 08:26 PM']Hey guys

Going back to my roots, I went to the Slam Dunk fest @ Leeds uni to listen to a good bit of pop punk and ska. As expected, there was a lot of skinny jeans and tattoos, but there was also a lot of top acts!

All the bands I saw used various 810 cabs. Whether they be Ampeg, Mesa or Orange, they all had a great sound to them, especially the combination of a Orange AD200b with the Mesa Powerhouse 810. Joe Weiss from Four Year Strong used this combination with a 75' American RI jazz....amazing tone! I've now decided I want to go back to a big rig, get that massive sound without having to constantly DI.

So heres my question....810 or 2 410 cabinets? What are peoples preferences [/quote]

He he......... I never need to be that loud........ with monitors house sound etc. A good full range high SPL 410 such as a Berg or Eden is more than enough for me. I used an Eden 410XST a while back flipping eck they are loud esp if you pump a few watts in. I value my hearing these days, esp as a few mates, esp drummers (my age, i aint that old!) on the circuit are starting to get the ole tinnitus. Even a High SPL 210 can be enough if you get it off the deck. True it doesn't look cool though and you can't get the sealed cab sound. But I never liked it anyway. Whatever floats your boat. I have my own stuff, but i tend to hire if I need more fire power, that way you haven't got to move it and its not so expensive if you go to the right place.

[Conan]

I guess it depends what you want it FOR... Purely from a volume point of view, I would go with (and did) the two 410s. I don't fool myself that any old 410s will sound like an SVT810 though just by linking two of them together! On the other hand, I can separate them if I only need one cab - which obviously I can't with an 810.

If 810s didn't offer some kind of advantage (other than egotistical ones!) then surely they would have disappeared from product ranges decades ago? Having said that, if they are so great, how come there are so many of them available for peanuts on ebay etc?

It's a dilemma, right enough! I think it's maybe one of those things you've just gotta try. Get it out of your system/find the rig you've always wanted - delete as appropriate.

[Beedster]

[quote name='Beedster' post='852925' date='May 31 2010, 08:32 PM']What's the difference between a 810 and 2x410s? Bragging rights. You got a big van and a roady, get the 810 and brag![/quote]

So that post might have been a bit flippant but I always assumed it was true, that is, if you have two boxes with four speakers that have the same build and characteristics (ports, materials) as one box with eight speakers, there will be little difference, is that not the case? Is it the case that 410s tend to be designed/built with different characteristics to 810s?

Interesting points about an 810 being easier to move, but that's most certainly not my experience having used a couple. OK, it might be easier if you can slide or roll it, but not if you have to get it around tight corners down the stairs into a basement bar.

I'd love to have an 810 by the way

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Beedster' post='854439' date='Jun 2 2010, 08:28 AM']So that post might have been a bit flippant but I always assumed it was true, that is, if you have two boxes with four speakers that have the same build and characteristics (ports, materials) as one box with eight speakers, there will be little difference, is that not the case? Is it the case that 410s tend to be designed/built with different characteristics to 810s?

Interesting points about an 810 being easier to move, but that's most certainly not my experience having used a couple. OK, it might be easier if you can slide or roll it, but not if you have to get it around tight corners down the stairs into a basement bar.

I'd love to have an 810 by the way [/quote]

I have an 8x10 going, cheap do to impractical (Doom). Some Ampeg 4x10s are built like half a 8x10, and should be fully equivalent, they are a bit quiet, the 8x10 had that many speakers for a reason.

[matski]

[quote name='Beedster' post='854439' date='Jun 2 2010, 08:28 AM']Interesting points about an 810 being easier to move, but that's most certainly not my experience having used a couple. OK, it might be easier if you can slide or roll it, but not if you have to get it around tight corners down the stairs into a basement bar.[/quote]

I used to own the Ampeg fridge 8x10 and at one point was living in a first-floor flat which was only accessible via a metal fire-escape type staircase with corners.... Getting that cab in and out of that place required Herculean strength and an ability to powerlift in the style of an Olympic weightlifter.

Sounded bloody excellent though...

[casapete]

[quote name='Beedster' post='854439' date='Jun 2 2010, 08:28 AM']So that post might have been a bit flippant but I always assumed it was true, that is, if you have two boxes with four speakers that have the same build and characteristics (ports, materials) as one box with eight speakers, there will be little difference, is that not the case? Is it the case that 410s tend to be designed/built with different characteristics to 810s?

Interesting points about an 810 being easier to move, but that's most certainly not my experience having used a couple. OK, it might be easier if you can slide or roll it, but not if you have to get it around tight corners down the stairs into a basement bar.

I'd love to have an 810 by the way [/quote]

My old SVT 8x10 (and presumably others) was built with 2 speakers in each one of four sealed 'compartments' in the cab.
Apparently this configuration helps with the unique sound of these beauties. Not sure if any 4x10's are built the same way,
mine certainly are n't! Have used two 4x10's and they dont sound as good as the SVT 8x10 to my ears anyway.
Just wish I still could manage one, but would rather take a couple of lightish 4x10's on a gig these days-handy to be able to
use just one cab on smaller venues etc, and with a wheeled case/trolley a lot easier to cart around IMO.

[Crikey!]

My 810 is the best thing ive ever bought. Doing the gigs i do, the sound is always awful and its always loud. without the 810 id hardly ever hear myself. its easy to move cos like everyone else said, you can roll it or its a 2 person job. unless you're a solo act, you'll have another person.

I keep mine in the van... just because its the only space i have to keep it.

But you wont regret getting one, having that power behind you just makes gigging so much easier. saves your fingers too cos you dont play so hard trying to hear yourself. the drummer loves it cos hes got bass right at his head.

it looks amazing too. and people get our your way. its easy to life in and out of the van/ car by yourself and if you get an old, beaten one it wont even matter, throw it around, drag it upstairs. it'll just take it and keep on blasting the back of your head everynight.

do it.

[Guest johnzgerman]

ampeg 6x10 all the way, its easier to move than an 8x10, nearly as loud and it has the horn:)

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='johnzgerman' post='855223' date='Jun 2 2010, 07:07 PM']ampeg 6x10 all the way, its easier to move than an 8x10, nearly as loud and it has the horn:)[/quote]


Big fan of those 6X10's, with a 15" underneath WIN!!!

[thisnameistaken]

With 8 tens on stage doesn't it get a bit... well, loud?

I don't see the point in having a lot of volume at the back of the stage, it just swamps the stage in noise and makes it impossible to hear vocal monitors etc.

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='855263' date='Jun 2 2010, 07:38 PM']With 8 tens on stage doesn't it get a bit... well, loud?

I don't see the point in having a lot of volume at the back of the stage, it just swamps the stage in noise and makes it impossible to hear vocal monitors etc.[/quote]


A lot of gigs we play you only get vocal PA and no monitors so when you have a loud drummer and 2 Marshall stacks to deal with you need to be loud.

[Ian Savage]

I'm firmly in the 'love my 15"' (fnar) camp, I've experimented with a fair few configurations over the years and never seemed to have the low-end 'wallop' that I love without a 15" in the mix somewhere.

That said, I prefer my bass to rumble under rather than cut through, and I imagine if you were in a three-piece rock band or something you'd want a bit more mid-range, so more 10"s. But for 99% of gigs, I've never found that a 1x15" and a 2x10" with a fair few hundred Watts driving them couldn't give me what I needed.

[howieee]

how about 2 ampeg 15" 8ohm cabs with an 8x10 on the top powered by an svt VR! i think that would be pretty dam sweet! or 4 15" cabs..... 4x15... hmmmmmm

Edited June 3, 2010 by howieee

[tayste_2000]

[quote name='howieee' post='856150' date='Jun 3 2010, 02:38 PM']how about 2 ampeg 15" 8ohm cabs with an 8x10 on the top powered by an svt VR! i think that would be pretty dam sweet! or 4 15" cabs..... 4x15... hmmmmmm [/quote]

You seen the SVT VR and 8x10 on sale here for £1500 I saw it and thought of you.

[tayste_2000]

I'd be interested to know who of the 2 4x10 people have actually used an 8x10 and more importantly moved one.

[howieee]

awwww steve. thanks! i literaly lept on that post! haha


well actualy. i have a 410 and 115..... im not sure if that counts me out on this one tbh....

however!.....


i moved an ampeg 810av around a shop (im suprised they let me, it was full of gibsons and fenders and others) and it was really hard getting it thru a tight space. and when we lifted it (as if to go up a flight of stairs) the only thing you could hold onto was the rubber feet on the bottom of the cab. (that hurt!) dont get me wrong. i would LOVE an 810. but it was quite hard in the tight spots to move around. it was fairly easy to wheel around. and it did still weight quite a bit when i was rolling it.

BUT

everyone who owns a valve amp will know how hard they are to carry or move around. (especialy if youv taken in steves flightcase to a gig! ) but the wieght is worth that valve amp, is it not? (i certainly think it is!)

so therefore is the awkwardness not worth an 810......

Edited June 3, 2010 by howieee