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Advice re maximising gigging volume from a small rig


alhbass
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I've recently had to sell one of my two markBass cabs - the plan is to replace with Barefaced in due course, but money's very tight at the moment, so for now I'm trying to make do with a reduced rig.

Simple question then - which combination, in theory, should give me more volume when gigging? - 300w (@ 8 Ohms) LMK amp through a single New York 604 cab (8 ohm), or my MiniMark combo, which delivers 250w if I use it with the NY604 as an extension? So 300w driving four 6" cones, or 250w driving six 6" cones?

Love to hear the BC wisdom....

Thanks

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In theory you should get more perceived volume from a larger number of drivers, so 250W/six drivers.
I'm expecting some disagreement on this!

Why not run both and see which appears to be the loudest?
Of course you could just get your bandmates to turn down a bit, thus giving you more headroom with either rig. :)

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Thanks for your reply. i've tried both in gigging situations, and to be honest i'm not sure about the difference. There are so many variables of acoustic and placement and PA etc etc from one gig to the next - I used to find that when playing with my full rig anyway (doesn't everyone?) - so I just wanted to know which in theory should serve me better...

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1391686056' post='2360090']
There's a Compact in the For Sale section. I reckon that would cover 2 Markbass cabs.
[/quote]

I know. I've been in touch. Sadly there isn't the necessary balance in my bank account though!

If someone would buy my second 604 I'd be there like a shot...

Thanks anwyay.

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Whichever one you decide to use, think about placement on the stage. The boundary reinforcement (i think that's the correct term) from placing your amp close to a wall or in a corner can make a small rig 'sound' massive compared to the same rig sat in the middle of the stage.

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[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1391696034' post='2360290']
Whichever one you decide to use, think about placement on the stage. The boundary reinforcement (i think that's the correct term) from placing your amp close to a wall or in a corner can make a small rig 'sound' massive compared to the same rig sat in the middle of the stage.
[/quote]

Great advice this. I do that with my EA & Midget whenever I can. Works. :)

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[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1391696034' post='2360290']
Whichever one you decide to use, think about placement on the stage. The boundary reinforcement (i think that's the correct term) from placing your amp close to a wall or in a corner can make a small rig 'sound' massive compared to the same rig sat in the middle of the stage.
[/quote]

And your EQ! I know this is a bit like teaching your granny to suck eggs (whatever that means!), but cutting the bass and adding more "midrange"* can massively improve your audibility.

*Yes, I know that the range of middle fequencies is very large and that adjusting even a narrow range of them can have a huge effect...

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In theory it's the latter - 250 watts into 6 cones. However it's not the watts that count, it's the sensitivity
of the speaker boxes or speakers in the combo.

The Minimark 2x6 combo has a [u]claimed[/u] sensitivity of 101dB per 1 watt input. If you add that to the 604 cab which has a claimed sensitivity of 100dB then IN THEORY you should get 103+. (I've forgotten how to do the fiddly maths to give an exact theoretical result - it could be 103.1 or 103 .2, something like that ).

Meanwhile the LMK into the 604 is set at the 100dB sensitivity of the 604. The extra 50watts won't make up the 3dB difference.

Balcro.

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[quote name='Balcro' timestamp='1392385171' post='2368002']
In theory it's the latter - 250 watts into 6 cones. However it's not the watts that count, it's the sensitivity
of the speaker boxes or speakers in the combo.

The Minimark 2x6 combo has a [u]claimed[/u] sensitivity of 101dB per 1 watt input. If you add that to the 604 cab which has a claimed sensitivity of 100dB then IN THEORY you should get 103+. (I've forgotten how to do the fiddly maths to give an exact theoretical result - it could be 103.1 or 103 .2, something like that ).

Meanwhile the LMK into the 604 is set at the 100dB sensitivity of the 604. The extra 50watts won't make up the 3dB difference.

Balcro.
[/quote]

Thanks!

All being well this question will soon just be of academic interest though, as I hope to be getting my hands on a Barefaced Compact shortly. But it's all good to know...

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