Correct impedance between head a two cabs

D

DCC225

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Apr 13, 2016
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#1
Hi, I'm new to TalkBass and need clarification.

I have an Orange 1000w Terror Bass head which can be switched to 4 or 8ohms, connecting to a GK 400w 8ohm cab and a GK 800w 8ohm cab in parallel. Do i need to switch the Orange to a 4ohm setting or keep at 8ohm?
Secondly, given the above, have I mismatched my power unit and cabs?


Thanks for any help.

DCC225
 
#5
Thanks for your help. I'll try that. The volume is huge. I dare not turn gain/volume up past 9 o'clock. I just considered if I had got ohms mismatched or if the amp was far too powerful.
My ears hurt.
 
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#10
Didn't he use a washing machine?

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#12
As a newbie to TalkBass I'm happy to concede I walked into that punch.
And for the record, my father was called Dennis, and he farmed filth for much of his life until hit on the head by a coconut dropped from a passing african swallow, while watching a moistened bint chuck a scimitar at him.
 
#13
The mixed driver police will be here shortly to take statements from witnesses. Before that however, I'll just point out that you have a 400W cab and an 800W cab, but you do not have 1,200W of power handling. Since each cab is 8ohms, the power from the amp is split evenly, at 500W to each.

As you can see, your 15" cab is in danger of getting too much power, depending on your volume level and eq settings. There's no issue playing like that, as long as you are mindful of this and listen out for any speaker distortion and catch it before you fry the 15.
 
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#15
ashtray said:
The mixed driver police will be here shortly to take statements from witnesses. Before that however, I'll just point out that you have a 400W cab and an 800W cab, but you do not have 1,200W of power handling. Since each cab is 8ohms, the power from the amp is split evenly, at 500W to each.

As you can see, your 15" cab is in danger of getting too much power, depending on your volume level and eq settings. There's no issue playing like that, as long as you are mindful of this and listen out for any speaker distortion and catch it before you fry the 15.
Click to expand...

Not quite correct. Multiply the number of cabs by the lowest power input handling. 2 cabs by 400 watts = 800 watts of input power handling. Exceed the 800 by much and the 400 watt cab fails and leaves you with only the 800 watt cab.
 
#16
ashtray said:
The mixed driver police will be here shortly to take statements from witnesses.
Click to expand...

Nowadays their pre-crime division is reversing the polarity on the tweeters in all of our matched cabinets to listen in on our conversations. They want to see how deep this goes and end it once and for all... but you never saw me and certainly didn't hear any of this from me.
 
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#17
B-string said:
Not quite correct. Multiply the number of cabs by the lowest power input handling. 2 cabs by 400 watts = 800 watts of input power handling. Exceed the 800 by much and the 400 watt cab fails and leaves you with only the 800 watt cab.
Click to expand...

And really his 115 is probably excursion limited to 200 watts giving him a total of 400 watts power handling.
 
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#18
CL400Peavey said:
And really his 115 is probably excursion limited to 200 watts giving him a total of 400 watts power handling.
Click to expand...
After many hours between yesterday, when I first posted, and today the advice has been great, but I think I've made a poor choice. The GK 400 watt cab and the GK 800 sound as though they're fighting each other, producing a very loud boom. Not much clarity. As though my amp (the Orange 1000 in parallel at 4 ohms each) is over-driving the 400 cab and under-driving the 800? Don't know is this is technically correct or even possible, but it's just what I think. Think I'll sell the 400 cab. Played today through the 800 only and got clean tones with thick low end, so on the whole, good.
 
#19
DCC225 said:
After many hours between yesterday, when I first posted, and today the advice has been great, but I think I've made a poor choice. The GK 400 watt cab and the GK 800 sound as though they're fighting each other, producing a very loud boom. Not much clarity. As though my amp (the Orange 1000 in parallel at 4 ohms each) is over-driving the 400 cab and under-driving the 800? Don't know is this is technically correct or even possible, but it's just what I think. Think I'll sell the 400 cab. Played today through the 800 only and got clean tones with thick low end, so on the whole, good.
Click to expand...

Despite all the people running mixed cab rigs, they are not what I would recommend for a number of reasons.

If you like your sound with just the 410, then rock it. If you need more volume, a matching cab is more of what you already like.
 
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#20
DCC225 said:
After many hours between yesterday, when I first posted, and today the advice has been great, but I think I've made a poor choice. The GK 400 watt cab and the GK 800 sound as though they're fighting each other, producing a very loud boom. Not much clarity. As though my amp (the Orange 1000 in parallel at 4 ohms each) is over-driving the 400 cab and under-driving the 800? Don't know is this is technically correct or even possible, but it's just what I think. Think I'll sell the 400 cab. Played today through the 800 only and got clean tones with thick low end, so on the whole, good.
Click to expand...

Have you tried painting the cabs to match the orange? Also, is your bass color coordinated?
 
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