Ampeg SVT 2 PRO - will it be fine?

Dec 26, 2018
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Hey Guys,

my Band is all about the physical aspect of music and we play very monotonic long songs.
So at our practices we also play very loud (we all have ear protection (-26dbs) no worrys). So out Drummer just hits as hard as he can, the guitarist has his 100w tube amp cranked all the way like really all the way + several boosting pedals into a full Stack consisting of a 4x10 bass cab and a 4x12 guitar cab.
And me the bassist, im running my SVT 2 Pro into an svt 810e with the master set to max and the gain to about 75% to max and I also use a Woolly Mammoth or a Mountainking Megalith sometimes combined witht he Boss OC-2.

i have an additional cooler built on the backside powered with a moible powerbank because of the lack of ventilation on these amps.

It still gets Pretty hot but it seems to be fine. The thing is, i dont have the money to buy an additional 810e atm, so will the Amp and the Cab be fine if i turn the gain all the way to max and the master also stays at max? I think ampeg amps must be built that they can handle their own max output, or can i harm my beloved Amp by doing this?

thanks in advance
matzinger
 
the speaker are made to handle 800W RMS and the output is 300W so it should be finde numberwise as far as i understand. Turning down is always possible but that is not my question.

but i want to know if somebody has experinced problems with this "max gain max output" into this 810 cab with an 300w svt amp
 
I think you’re just inviting trouble. Driver limits are not based solely on wattage handling. Transients, boosted mids and/or lows, and long durations at high volume also play roles in driver wear. In terms of the amp, excessive heat is never good and can create all sorts of issues over time.

Turn the band down and rely on a high-output PA system for volume.
 
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First, see if you can get your guitarist to ditch the bass cab. I imagine he's also pushing a lot of low end, which is crowding your space, making it hard for you to be heard.

Second, what's your EQ settings? If you're using ultra lo or ultra hi stop doing that. If you're otherwise scooping mids, stop doing that.

I use a 2PRO in a sludge band against a JCM800 and loud drummer. Thankfully the guitarist doesnt crowd my space by pushing lots of low end. Because of that I keep the mids selector on the second to the left setting, push lows and low mids and we coexist just fine. It's loud as balls and everyone can be heard. I rarely get the master above 2:00.

If you're guitar player is crowding your sonic space, which it sounds like he is, and you can't convince him to back off the bass knob, then set your mid selector to the middle or second to right position, boost the mids knob and take over some of his space. You'll be heard and you won't need to push your amp as hard.

To answer your question, the 2PRO can probably handle it, but you risk damaging your speakers (even with the 800W rating) or cooking your power tubes prematurely, which gets expensive.
 
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I think you’re just inviting trouble. Driver limits are not based solely on wattage handling. Transients, boosted mids and/or lows, and long durations at high volume also play roles in driver wear. In terms of the amp, excessive heat is never good and can create all sorts of issues over time.

Turn the band down and rely on a high-output PA system for volume.
Eh, the 810e can take it :D Does 800w without fartout and an SVT is only capable of like 600w peak.

HOWEVER...

At those kinds of volumes, expect to do full tube replacements pretty often. Running them like that shouldn't blow anything up right away but you will thrash your tubes.
 
Hey Guys,

my Band is all about the physical aspect of music and we play very monotonic long songs.
So at our practices we also play very loud (we all have ear protection (-26dbs) no worrys). So out Drummer just hits as hard as he can, the guitarist has his 100w tube amp cranked all the way like really all the way + several boosting pedals into a full Stack consisting of a 4x10 bass cab and a 4x12 guitar cab.
And me the bassist, im running my SVT 2 Pro into an svt 810e with the master set to max and the gain to about 75% to max and I also use a Woolly Mammoth or a Mountainking Megalith sometimes combined witht he Boss OC-2.

i have an additional cooler built on the backside powered with a moible powerbank because of the lack of ventilation on these amps.

It still gets Pretty hot but it seems to be fine. The thing is, i dont have the money to buy an additional 810e atm, so will the Amp and the Cab be fine if i turn the gain all the way to max and the master also stays at max? I think ampeg amps must be built that they can handle their own max output, or can i harm my beloved Amp by doing this?

thanks in advance
matzinger

Make sure the case the amp is in is big enough to allow adequate cooling. Also, make sure the added cooler is actually assisting the amp's built in fan.

A second 810e will give you only 3dB. The sound will be a bit fuller though. Before dropping the cash, see if you can borrow or rent another 810e to see if it's worth it.

As @JimmyM said, expect the amp to require frequent service if you push it this hard. Often when a power tube fails in an SVT, it will take out a screen resistor, so you may need to take the amp to a tech instead of simply replacing the tubes. FYI the screen resistors are designed to act like fuses in this amp to protect it from more extensive damage.
 
First, see if you can get your guitarist to ditch the bass cab. I imagine he's also pushing a lot of low end, which is crowding your space, making it hard for you to be heard.

Second, what's your EQ settings? If you're using ultra lo or ultra hi stop doing that. If you're otherwise scooping mids, stop doing that.

I use a 2PRO in a sludge band against a JCM800 and loud drummer. Thankfully the guitarist doesnt crowd my space by pushing lots of low end. Because of that I keep the mids selector on the second to the left setting, push lows and low mids and we coexist just fine. It's loud as balls and everyone can be heard. I rarely get the master above 2:00.

If you're guitar player is crowding your sonic space, which it sounds like he is, and you can't convince him to back off the bass knob, then set your mid selector to the middle or second to right position, boost the mids knob and take over some of his space. You'll be heard and you won't need to push your amp as hard.

To answer your question, the 2PRO can probably handle it, but you risk damaging your speakers (even with the 800W rating) or cooking your power tubes prematurely, which gets expensive.
This right here is dead on!
 
I think you’re just inviting trouble. Driver limits are not based solely on wattage handling. Transients, boosted mids and/or lows, and long durations at high volume also play roles in driver wear. In terms of the amp, excessive heat is never good and can create all sorts of issues over time.

Turn the band down and rely on a high-output PA system for volume.

Eh, the 810e can take it :D Does 800w without fartout and an SVT is only capable of like 600w peak.

HOWEVER...

At those kinds of volumes, expect to do full tube replacements pretty often. Running them like that shouldn't blow anything up right away but you will thrash your tubes.

I agree with both of these statements. I'd suggest having a PA do the heavy lifting. However, have a rainy day fund set aside to address any maintenance issues you will run into down the road.
 
hi matzinger :)

my Band is all about the physical aspect of music and we play very monotonic long songs.
So at our practices we also play very loud (we all have ear protection (-26dbs) no worrys). So out Drummer just hits as hard as he can, the guitarist has his 100w tube amp cranked all the way like really all the way + several boosting pedals into a full Stack consisting of a 4x10 bass cab and a 4x12 guitar cab.

You guys are crazy! :D

Get a second cab! It' s great for the physical aspect :laugh: (twice the schlepp! :hyper::hyper::hyper:)

And will be cheaper than changing fried tubes in the long run!

When you still aren 't loud enough, get a louder amp and these!

full-12207-119224-earthquake_pills.png



may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass
 
Specs aside a 2nd 810 cab makes a huge difference, for one thing the soundstage is twice as wide and they reinforce each other, you get more bottom also so you'd need less power to duplicate the sound you got with one cab. Why risk your cab and head when all you have to do is spend a little dough to improve your sound a lot? Back in the day a lot of us used two cabs all the time. You won't need earthquake pills with a second cab.:laugh:
 
If you're going after the sonic wave bath, then another 8x10 will help lots more than dime-ing the volume knob on your head, since you're already at 75%, especially since getting your guitarist to stop using his bass cab is probably something that he is not going to want to do.

Get another 8x10 and you'll have some killer gut punch.
 
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Hey Guys,

my Band is all about the physical aspect of music and we play very monotonic long songs.
So at our practices we also play very loud (we all have ear protection (-26dbs) no worrys).

My response is simple: if you're wearing that much protection, what are you doing to the audience's hearing??

If you're playing that loud, turn it down and be more reasonable with volume. Too many bands play WAY too loud.
 
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My response is simple: if you're wearing that much protection, what are you doing to the audience's hearing??

If you're playing that loud, turn it down and be more reasonable with volume. Too many bands play WAY too loud.

"Yeah, you kids be sensible and behave yourselves!!! Why, back in my day...." ;)
 
The speakers will tell you if they are gasping for air. And, yes, you CAN blow an 800W cab with a 300W head. I've blown several fridge speakers with an SVT (in my youth when I was a dipstick).


Also, running the amp that hard will require constant maintenance. You can't afford another 810? Can you afford new tunes every year?

I will never understand why bands crank up twenty something decibels too loud and wear minus twenty something decibel earplugs. That makes no sense whatsoever.
 
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I will never understand why bands crank up twenty something decibels too loud and wear minus twenty something decibel earplugs. That makes no sense whatsoever.

It's very simple: at extreme volume and pressure, the lower frequency sound waves vibrating in the body cavity are energizing and enjoyable, while the earplugs protect the eardrums.
 
"Yeah, you kids be sensible and behave yourselves!!! Why, back in my day...." ;)

I finished college in the 70's when music was indeed very loud. Emerson, Lake and Palmer were so loud they advised people to wear hearing protection at their shows.

I saw Robert Randolph and the Family Band in Denver a while back and they were obscenely loud, to the point where the concert simply could not be enjoyed. Major disappointment.

Age isn't the factor: too f'n loud is just too f'n loud. If you're damaging the audience's hearing, it's too loud.
 
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Audiences wear earplugs, today, too, in super-loud genres, whether it's for Metal, Industrial, or EDM shows.

Again, the reason for the thunderous sound in these genres is to feel the sound waves inside the body - and the earplugs protect the eardrums.