TrevorG

I tested my K1 next to a big Ampeg rig.  Considering the Ampeg had something like eight 10s and my K1 had the one twelve there was little difference in volume. The MB was way bassier to my ear too. I don't use distortion so couldn't match the Ampeg's natural drive but that was it. I'd be really surprised if two twelves don't do it for you.

2 hours ago, fretmeister said:

No - 1 is enough.

I will use 2 if we are outside though, just because I haven't got a wall to help with reflecting the sound.

I did wonder. Two cabs inside would be verging on child abuse.

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

I've got 2 of them. 8ohm each.

Do you need both of them for the big band?

I'm jealous (and I've got a K1)! Sounds amazing. Just wondering if your cab is 4 ohms or 8.

Well I bought one yesterday and have no regrets. I know the pigtronix mothership 2 is not the C4 but it does enough for me to just go with the filter which outperforms any envelope filter I've tried before. The tracking is fantastic. To the point that my Pitchfork may be going on sale. The programming looks like a geek's stairway to heaven but the potential is there straight out of the box. Best buy in a long time.

Wondering how you got on with the MB...

You're not gong to go wrong with either. I've tried the 102P and think it's one of the best combos on the market. Being able to tilt up like a monitor, I think, is genius. But the Rumble is no slouch either and well priced. Perfect for intermediate players and students though there are enough pros playing therm too.

But the same head delivering 4 ohms instead of 8 into a 212 cab will do what?

7 hours ago, Greg.Bassman said:

 

Cool. Incidentally, I have a new york 122 in storage. I’ve often wondered how the traveler would compare. I kinda know what to expect tone wise, but how does the traveler hold up in terms of volume? I know that it isn’t going to be loud as the new york, or indeed the standard hr, but will it hold its own against a loud drummer regardless?

Not used a 122 before so not sure. Only have one 12" driver in my K1 rated at 800RMS and the balance between them is great. No doubt the 4 Ohm version would be a little louder. What the 8 Ohm version "might" lack in volume it would make up for with a tone that can cut through the mix. Certainly the corresponding 102P combo is one of the loudest combos I've yet to try but I wouldn't like to underestimate the power of your 122.

2 hours ago, spongebob said:

Traveler 102P is a seriously cool cab. Love mine. I went for the (slightly) more powerful 4 ohm version, as I had no intention of adding to it. They can DI me out if I need to stand in front of any more than 400w!

FWIW I used to run a 2x12 MB rig, and to my ears, the 2x10 is a lot more direct.

Totally agree. My K1 has a 12"  driver which I love but along side the 102P it sounds deep and edgy. "With" the 102P there's a sweetness I've not heard on many other rigs.

6 hours ago, Sparky Mark said:

A 300 watt solid state amplifier has the same power output as a 300 watt valve amp, it's the way that valve amps start to break up at their limit which makes them appear louder. A watt is a watt is a watt whether it's from a class A, AB or D or any other type of amp.

If you EQ a 250 watt amp with lots of lows (and hi if you want to blow the tweeter too) and push the volume too high you will hear what is best described as a farting/distorted sound. You may also hear a clicking sound as the voice coil bottoms out on the yoke (back plate) of the speaker. Square wave clipped distorted output from amps can damage speakers capable of handling many times more powerful clean (sine wave) signals. 

If you hear farting or hard clicks from your speaker then immediately back off the lows and some volume. Once you've blown your first speaker it'll become common sense. My first (and last) was when I destroyed an 18" PA sub with a Sound City 120 and my Shergold Marathon bass back in 1977. Lesson learned. 

 

Thank you. I have read most of this but misconstrued "apparent" to be "actual" volume. The "clipping" you mentioned... does that occur with regular playing or a snap connection between the string and the pickup?

7 hours ago, Greg.Bassman said:

Cheers for the feedback. To clarify, I use the solid state LM800.

Understood. I was wondering if Sparky Mark was referring to tube amps blowing higher rated cabs(as they are much louder than solid state).

1 hour ago, Sparky Mark said:

You could easily blow a 400 watt  cab with a 250 watt amplifier if you don't listen for distress. 

Are you talking tube amps or solid state as well m

I use a 102P with a K1 and despite being rated at 400 watts it handles the 500 watts the K1 puts intro it easily. Getting an 8 Ohm cab would remove your fears. I haven't managed to find all the stats on the drivers but the K1 on its own drives 600 watts into it's 8 Ohm cab but the driver itself is actually rated at 800 RMS. I would not be surprised if the 102P driver had the same headroom(but that's just my guess). Keeping an ear on it as Lazz suggests is the best option with a 4 ohm cab but why risk it?

Beautiful. Alembics are special regardless of model. Had one for years till it was stolen. Stanley Clarke signature. Really jealous of you.

I have a Spector NS5XL with two nine volt batteries. One, I assume, is powering the pickups, the other - the preamp. When my sound starts to degrade I have always changed both batteries but it's only just occurred to me I don't know if one battery still has more juice than the other. Do they wear out at the same time or am I changing one needlessly?

17 hours ago, spectoremg said:

That's a bathroom event isn't it?

Best line I've read on this site.

Well regardless, it's clear I've got a lot more headroom than I was daring to risk. Though I do like my tweeters(no pun intended).

I have tried most of that but haven't really heard much difference in volume. I think my clipping light is monitoring the output as it can increase as I turn up EQ. I have a Markbass CMD K1 which has a 1” coil compression tweeter and there's a piezo tweeter on my 102P cab so Bill's advice has got me a little nervous. Don't get me wrong I can keep up with my loud guitarist at levels that don't clip but am trying to assess how much more I can turn it up before the clipping is excessive.

2 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

The burning question is whether his hearing loss is on the same side as was The Ox 's back line...

I wouldn't like to hear clipping at a gig.  If your guitarist is as loud as you say, I'd probably leave.

You're right and we have been talking the guitarist down but I don't "hear" clipping just see the light occasionally flickernwhich is why I asked.

Actually Bill I can disagree with some authority here(for once), Pete's hearing problem's seem to be on one side. If you catch the right side he answers. At least that's how it was when I worked with him.

Sometime I play with a REALLY loud guitarist that calls for a lot of wattage from me. Sometimes I just bring the combo without the extension cab which is loud enough but sometimes I want more. So I turn up on the amp (but my Spector has very high output before it even gets to the compressor or anything else). If I boost the EQ I set the gain quite low to avoid any flashing lights but how much lighting up of the clip warning is OK? None, occasional, or can we let the first beat of every bar burn a little?

28 minutes ago, P-ZARN said:

3 beautiful Spectors !!!!!!!

They're all beautiful!!  :)

Built in 1999. Issue number 18. Plays like a dream. 

4 minutes ago, discreet said:

I reckon I'm a fair player but am always showing my technical ignorance on this board (especially in threads that Bill contributes to - he is the master). Don't worry about it.

Well I'm not a bad player but I can keep you company sitting in the corner with the dunce cap. Does Bill do seminars? I'll start saving up!!