GK And Avatar Cab is makeing me mad.

[I<3Bass]

I have a GK 400rb wich sounds fine untill you turn up the volume. I use ONE avatar 2x10 cab. Ok Im not sure if its the amp head or the cab or because I only have one but this thing distorts when my master is at full boost is at full and volume is at half. I can't tell if its my amp or cab.

Which do you think it is most likely? I mean am I pushing the cab too much?

If I only have one cab at 8 ohms [lowest is 4] and I put another 8ohm [to bring it down to 4 ohms. Am I really going to notice a diffrence in loudness?

Is it because my speakers are 10" I mean if it were a 15" would I have the same problem. [I think I read someone with the same 10inch cab and a 15 avatar cab, said the 10" cab would make the same sound that im experiencing.

And what the crap is boost supposed to do? It doesn't do anything to the tone that I have noticed and I never had a manual. All it seems to do is act as a 3rd volume knob.

I am probably getting a cab soon It was going to be a 15" but I was thinking I rather it be a little smaller 12" or 10" but not if 10"ers sound like this.

Like if I knew someone else with a cab I could see if it was just mine or what but I don't. I'm the only bassist I know.

I know I sound like an idiot, and its because, I AM. I just want to know whats wrong with this thing that I spent 450$ and months of b*****ng from my parents for "wasteing my money" on.

[Thonk]

I'm not familiar with the head but, why do you have your master and boost on full? That's almost like running your head full out.

[Jimbobntnr]

yeah. I have an 800RB that distorts with those settings, too. Boost = gain.
Turn it down.

[Crudd-Bucket™]

Too much power!

[Thonk]

Too much power!
123. Just turn it down man.

[Jabawanga]

that would be your head most likely. i have 2 avatar cabs and i push them pretty hard and have never had a problem with distortion..they're great cabs.

[Ian]

That cab handles like 700 watts, its most likely the head...distorting because your pushing it pretty hard.

[Asyd309]

You may want to try using a Speakon cable connector, if your amp and cab support that kind of connection, to get the sound from the amp to the cabinet, especially if you want to run full blast. I am having the same problem with my SVT 3 pro and the cabinet. I am switching to speakon cables to see if it makes a difference. You can probably pick one up for about $35.00, US at any major retailer.

[I<3Bass]

So boost is gain. Is that SUPPOSED to change the sound of the bass at all cause I swear all it does is make it louder. Also I tried with the boost all the way down. And, oh... When boost is off to get the same volume I have to put the volume up almost full.. Ok that helped alot. So I just have it too loud k guess I just need a new cab and if it ain't good nuff more watts :-p

[Jabawanga]

you don't need a new cab, it's not your cab. like someone said, i think those cabs can handle like 700 watts which is plenty of power. are you using any pedals? you may want to invest in something like a tech 21 sansamp or a boss eq pedal.

[I<3Bass]

I was just makeing a thread about which pedal to get. Im not useing any right now. I thought there was something like clipping that made that sound, anyone care to explain clipping? I thought it was like the noise Im hearing but its not from you pushing the cab too much, I thought it was more like your actually pushing the head too much ahhhh YEA WHATEVER lol. Im an idiot... I should go write a song about that.

[AlmightyPancake]

What the hell is the obsession with people cranking their amps these days?

[Jabawanga]

edgebass knows more about this than i do, but from what i understand clipping is when you're pushing your head too hard and it starts sending a 'spiked' signal to the cab rather than a normal one, which can damage your speakers. i've done it before with a behringer head/cab and it sounds similar to what you're describing. it sounds slightly distorted and it almost sounds like your speaker is about to blow. wait for edgebass, he can describe it better.

[Jabawanga]

What the hell is the obsession with people cranking their amps these days?

hehehe 123. before i got my hartke/avatar stack i would push my little behringer half-stack to the max because my guitarist uses a 4x12 marshall stack which is loud as all hell and my little half-stack couldn't keep up and he didn't wanna turn down.

[I<3Bass]

K thanks, I really need to take more time to type my posts more clearly. Anyway whats up with us cranking our amps? It just makes you feel more powerful I guess. Believe me I never crank it only once when I had to play with drums and most of the time I play very low. I have been had this amp I never pushed it thats why I just found this problem. It just feels good somtimes to let go, just block out all the crap. Yea....

[Thonk]

You don't need a new cab. Your head is the thing thats distorting. Gain(boost in your case) is your input volume, when you have that up, your damned right it's gonna distort. Turn your gain down a bit, and turn up your master and volume. But of course adjust all to your liking. btw, by the "same volume" do you mean, "OH MAH GAH TAHTZ SO LOUDDD"? Even my 60w amp gets pretty loud around 4-5...Their isn't much difference 60w and 280w but still you pushing a 280w head up to 11 is crazy.

[Thonk]

edgebass knows more about this than i do, but from what i understand clipping is when you're pushing your head too hard and it starts sending a 'spiked' signal to the cab rather than a normal one, which can damage your speakers. i've done it before with a behringer head/cab and it sounds similar to what you're describing. it sounds slightly distorted and it almost sounds like your speaker is about to blow. wait for edgebass, he can describe it better.
I thought that it was a square sine wave?

[:amaze:]

What the hell is the obsession with people cranking their amps these days?


Just what I was thinking. Even playing shows, I rarely push my amps over 6.



:amaze:

[I<3Bass]

Its not loud tho I mean I go to guitarcenter [only other place i know with cabs lol] and plug it into a fender rumble 100 and its louder than this.

[:amaze:]

I thought that it was a square sine wave?


A square sine wave does sound distorted slightly, but that's because of the nature of the frequencies in it.




:amaze:

[Jimbobntnr]

clipping is when the sine wave is flat on top and bottom due to the inablilty of the amp to push enough power through to hit the peaks of the wave.

[AlmightyPancake]

Its not loud tho I mean I go to guitarcenter [only other place i know with cabs lol] and plug it into a fender rumble 100 and its louder than this.
How are you EQ'd? Also, don't forget that guitar center is sonically set up to make their amps sound louder.

[:amaze:]

How are you EQ'd? Also, don't forget that guitar center is sonically set up to make their amps sound louder.


And when playing with other instruments, it sounds drastically quieter.




:amaze:

[Penaltyplaybass]

the boost is kinda like an over drive, if you read the manual. I always have my master all the way up, my boost all the way down, and adjust accordingly with my level A. I can max out my amp into my GK410 and dont get any distortion.

[I<3Bass]

I either play:
All at 0
boosted mids
boosted treble and mids.

[Penaltyplaybass]

thats more EQ than volume settings. GK has 3 ways to control you volume. Theres a channel, a master and a boost.

btw...why would you play with everything at 0?

[AlmightyPancake]

I either play:
All at 0
boosted mids
boosted treble and mids.
You want bass to your sound when playing with a band, otherwise you're not felt. Then you add mids until you're heard, then treble until you cut through.

Those are the very basics to sound management, there's far more to it than that.

[:amaze:]

Have you thought about the possibility of a blown speaker?




:amaze:

[sixner]

Just what I was thinking. Even playing shows, I rarely push my amps over 6.



:amaze:

ditto... i pushed my old peavey, just becuase my old guitarist would NOT turn down, and at show's i wouldn't be able to hear myself if i didint.

but now, i don think i've put my rig past 5?

suppose it just depends what your doing...
-sixner

[I<3Bass]

by zero I mean I keep it halfway up.

How do I tell if its blown. I know when Im plauing with other people I change my settings. And I don't really have these problems. Guess im not playing as lound and I use more bass.