Problem or normal....don`t know

[sykilz]

Help guys, I`m playing in a band with 2 loud guitars playing original hard rock stuff, and play mainly a stock Fender P Mexico through a newish ( 1 yr old ) Hartke hydrive combo, the 2x10, 250 watt version. I have to run the volume control up to 6 out of 10, and if I put much in the way of e.q. on it the speakers struggle and begin to distort. This is much worse when used in kick back position. I`m not sure if it did this from new or if it`s got worse, as the band has got louder and louder, so now not sure if it`s a speaker fault or just the inevitable " headroom" been reached, I realise that amps and speakers peak and distort long before volume 10, but am frankly a bit disappointed. Hartke claim it`s almost impossible to overdrive the amp, but I`m doing it easily!!!! Any advise welcome!!!!!!!!

[hubrad]

[quote name='sykilz' post='540405' date='Jul 14 2009, 03:46 PM']Help guys, I`m playing in a band with 2 loud guitars playing original hard rock stuff, and play mainly a stock Fender P Mexico through a newish ( 1 yr old ) Hartke hydrive combo, the 2x10, 250 watt version. I have to run the volume control up to 6 out of 10, and if I put much in the way of e.q. on it the speakers struggle and begin to distort. This is much worse when used in kick back position. I`m not sure if it did this from new or if it`s got worse, as the band has got louder and louder, so now not sure if it`s a speaker fault or just the inevitable " headroom" been reached, I realise that amps and speakers peak and distort long before volume 10, but am frankly a bit disappointed. Hartke claim it`s almost impossible to overdrive the amp, but I`m doing it easily!!!! Any advise welcome!!!!!!!![/quote]
As a fan of 210s myself I have to confess that if you want big and fat then there is a volume limit. You probably need an extension cab if the amp will allow this. A 15" should help on the volume and also reduce the need to boost the bottom end on the EQ.

[sykilz]

Unfortunately there`s no extension possibility, as the combo has only 1 output and the speaker is 4 ohm, and the amp says minimum 4 ohm, so I could use another cab, but not the on board one. Perhaps I`m in the wrong band....!!!!!!!! Could an Aphex xciter give me the fatter sound????

[Stylon Pilson]

Sounds like you might have reached the limits for the speakers. You might be able to get more clean volume by cutting the lows and boosting the mids, but in the long run I think you're looking at a new rig.

S.P.

[sykilz]

Thought that may be.....did consider taking the head part of the combo out and using through a new 4 ohm cab, either 4x10 or 1x15 with tweeter, as I like the sound I get from the amp right up til it distorts!!!!!

[Stylon Pilson]

[quote name='sykilz' post='540428' date='Jul 14 2009, 04:11 PM']Thought that may be.....did consider taking the head part of the combo out and using through a new 4 ohm cab, either 4x10 or 1x15 with tweeter, as I like the sound I get from the amp right up til it distorts!!!!![/quote]

If you're looking to keep the same sound, but louder, then I'd suggest selling the combo and buying a [url="http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1944&brandID=3"]Hartke LH500[/url] and the [url="http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1941&brandID=3"]HX410[/url]. It's an 8 ohm cabinet, so if you need even more volume, then just buy a second one.

S.P.

[Pete Academy]

I've sold quite a few of these combos. They are generally quite pokey, but it sounds like it just can't keep up with the guitars and drums. It may also be how you EQ your sound or how the guitars are EQ'd. If you are playing within a similar frequency range of the guitars, then you will struggle to be heard. It's probably unlikely they will change their EQ, so it might be worth experimenting with the graphic and try boosting the mids to cut through the mix a bit more.

Your P-Bass won't have that much power, so that won't be helping.

[hubrad]

My original 210 was a Peavey at 4 Ohms. At the time I couldn't get old of a decent 8 Ohm version but I still needed a second cab, so I re-speakered the Peavey to 8 Ohms (2 x 16 Ohms in parrallel) and had a copy made. Did me very nicely for years!
Rather more convoluted than SP's changing-of-the-amp route, though.
A head and separate cabs is a far more versatile setup.. I use one head - Trace 250W I've had for about 16yrs - and anything from a single 10 to multiple cabs.

[Paul_C]

[quote name='hubrad' post='540482' date='Jul 14 2009, 05:09 PM']My original 210 was a Peavey at 4 Ohms. At the time I couldn't get old of a decent 8 Ohm version but I still needed a second cab, so I re-speakered the Peavey to 8 Ohms (2 x 16 Ohms in parrallel) and had a copy made. Did me very nicely for years!
Rather more convoluted than SP's changing-of-the-amp route, though.
A head and separate cabs is a far more versatile setup.. I use one head - Trace 250W I've had for about 16yrs - and anything from a single 10 to multiple cabs.[/quote]

use it as a monitor and take a line out to the P.A. ?

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

The simple physics of bass reproduction demand that if you're going to keep up with guitars driven to full volume you need four times the speaker complement that they have. So the options are they turn down or you get a bigger rig.

[sykilz]

Thanks guys, I did think of the idea of going into the PA, I will see how receptive the owner of the studio is to that idea!!! Live I`ve gone DI to the PA and had no problem,that was the attraction of a small rig, to use as a monitor. I`ll try my old Washburn active 5 stringer next rehearsal and see if I can blow a speaker !!!!!!!!!!! Cheers.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='sykilz' post='541338' date='Jul 15 2009, 02:46 PM']Thanks guys, I did think of the idea of going into the PA, I will see how receptive the owner of the studio is to that idea!!! Live I`ve gone DI to the PA and had no problem,that was the attraction of a small rig, to use as a monitor. I`ll try my old Washburn active 5 stringer next rehearsal and see if I can blow a speaker !!!!!!!!!!! Cheers.[/quote]
This for rehearsal rather than a gig? Get the geetards to turn down & stop stomping on your frequencies (Gibson Les Pauls are worst for stomping on bass frequencies)

Do you eq your to sound good in isolation with smiley face shape on the graphic - cutting mids? You need mids to get the definition, so you could try cutting the bass slightly & boost the low mids instead.

[chris_b]

You need a bigger, better rig. Try separates next time as they have a better upgrade path.

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='541378' date='Jul 15 2009, 03:51 PM']... Get the geetards to turn down...[/quote]

Good advice if they'll do it!
I am another who would suggest an amp & cab setup to help get more volume.

[sykilz]

Cheers. I did run a seperates system for 12 years, a Hartke 3500 into a Peavey 4x10, and it was awesome, but sold it when I stopped playing when the kids were born. Since then just started again and hoped technology would allow me to use something smaller, but I guess I need something bigger or much more expensive and small ( which ain`t going to happen, I`m told !!). Much appreciated wisdom, will scour the depths of evil bay.

[Spartacus]

[quote name='sykilz' post='541658' date='Jul 15 2009, 09:28 PM']hoped technology would allow me to use something smaller, but I guess I need something bigger or much more expensive and small ( which ain`t going to happen, I`m told !!).[/quote]

No matter how big your amp might be and no matter how far advanced the technology goes, you can never get cabs that meet more than two out of these three:

Go small
Go loud
Go deep

That applies to any maker no matter how small and exspensive