Salt on your Bass? Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Hi all, bit of an idiot question today I'm afraid. I'm running an ashdown abm 500 and throw a lot of lows at it with my effects set up - lots of30 hz sub etc. is there any danger that this will cause damage to the amp (pre or power stages?). I'm waiting to hear what ashdown say but thought I'd ask the wise here whilst waiting. The vu meter runs flat out when everything engaged...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Does your amp run very hot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salt on your Bass? Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 Hotter than normal, but I wouldn't say excessively. Is that the indicator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Most of the times but i'm no electronic expert so i can't say how the preamp components will react to the sub-lows. Only thing i know is that in order for the amp to handle/pump out massive lows that comes at the expense of heat being generated and when things get too hot... well you know the rest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 . . . when things get too hot, a good design will protect itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 You can't damage an amp with tone, but if you're running this amp to its limits that's an indicator that you need a more powerful amp. Can your speakers handle all this 30hz output you're generating? That's where I'd be worried about damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 [quote name='Salt on your Bass?' timestamp='1389891918' post='2339226'] I'm running an ashdown abm 500 and throw a lot of lows at it with my effects set up - lots of30 hz sub etc. is there any danger that this will cause damage to the amp (pre or power stages?)[/quote]Maybe. Few speakers are capable of doing anything that low, so most of what your asking the amp to do the speakers won't allow, and you won't hear. But the heat created by having the amp produce those low frequencies will be there, and heat is the enemy of every component in your amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salt on your Bass? Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 Cheers guy's, it's actually 35Hz territory. Running a barefaced big twin 2 and Alex has said it can deal with it quite happily. Tonight at rehearsal it did get pretty warm actually, although the fans dint kick out a great deal of warm air. I guess more headroom is the answer then? Maybe upgrade to a 1300 watt head or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salt on your Bass? Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 I think a thumpinator May also be in order.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 How do you set your volume controls? A lot of amps get hot, but that's what the fans are there for. Some amps use the metal casing as part of the heat sink, so they're designed to get hot. What amps really don't like is sudden changes of temperature (ie if an amp is very cold, switch it on but don't play it for about 10 mins so it can warm up slowly) but there shouldn't be much you can do in normal operation that would damage them. You should only need a Thumpinator if you are seeing excessive movement in the cones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Ashdown amps usually come with a fire extinguisher, didn't you get yours..? [JOKE] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salt on your Bass? Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 Gain is set to around 11 o'clock, master set to around 11/12 o'clock. I also have a fuzz in my chain the ramps the pre up a bit. Not excessively loud, or running the amp hard. EQ is set reasonably flat with a bump in the low mids and bass slightly cut. There's a fair bit of cone movement, which is acceptable apparently, but might go the thumpinator route anyway. I normally give it a few mins to warm up whilst I'm setting up. If heats the only danger, I'll keep an eye on it. More headroom would result in less heat though wouldn't it? [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1389921207' post='2339678'] Ashdown amps usually come with a fire extinguisher, didn't you get yours..? [JOKE] [/quote] Ah, that's what they're for! I was led to believe they were for bashing people over the head with if they diss'd Ashdown! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0175westwood29 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 i just got a rack eq and the boss limiter to help protect my amp as i tune low and use fuzz and octaves so just wanted the limiter to catch the peaks and then use the rack eq to do the job of a thumpinator as it has a 25hz high pass but can do a bit of added shaping with it as well. andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) Just on the physics of the thing heat and temperature aren't the same thing. A bigger amplifier will produce more heat but will be designed to radiate it through a better heat sink so the temperature rise should be the same, it is temperature rise that challenges your components. Any decent amp should handle full power forever, so unless you set it up on an Aussie tennis court they shouldn't blow. If is did overheat the protection circuitry should cut in and limit the power. It won't matter to the heat sink what frequency is using the power and the only problem with lows this deep is that we can't hear them and start boosting the bass, meaning we go right up to the limits. As you normally cut the bass a little this shouldn't be a problem. There's a slight comment about your eq and what you are trying to achieve. If what you want is just a hint of clean lows a thumpinator or other filter works better than a tone control. A lot of these filters work at 24db/octave, most graphics are a lot more gentle than that. Knocking everything below 30Hz will mean your speaker coil stays within the magnet gap which will improve the sound at all frequencies as well as improving its reliability so a sharp filter with your tone control back to neutral may give you more deep bass and a better sound all round. in the end though it is difficult to produce these frequencies without setting off all sorts of room resonances. Edited January 17, 2014 by Phil Starr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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