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| Author |
- Topic: Amplifiers? - |
scribe_oner
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| Posted Thu 08 May 08 @ 22:56:42 |
well i always been using my only amp, a genimi x4 or something like that, now i want to buy a new one but i dont know alot about amps......what are ohms for whats the difference between 2,4,8 ohms....................what that about stereo? mono? bridge?.................what are some good brands of amplifiers?.......................one more question, is there a difference other than size and weight between having PA's or amp with speaker,which do you prefer? |
Graomi
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| Posted Thu 08 May 08 @ 23:33:29 |
Scribe, when using my rig I have a powered mixer and two mackie 12" cabs. I am not hot on the powered speakers because they are so heavy. If you dont need the extra channels on a mixing desk then go for a rack mountabkle PA amp like a Peavey...in fact there are so many makes its hard to pick one out.
Ohms is the measure of resistance in the speaker cabinet, if you put two 8 ohm spekers in serial (ie connect the amp to one cab then from that cab to the next) then the resistanmce will go down to 4 ohms. The amp you buy will have a minimum ohm level on each channel and you should not go below this (your amp could blow) but if the ohm rating is too high on the speakers you will not get as much power to them.
Basically if you had an amp that delivers from 4 ohms per channel get either 4 or 8 ohm speakers if you are only having 1 pair on each channel or 8 or 16 ohm speakers if you are using 2 pairs such as a trop speaker and a bass bin on each channel.
I love the mackies they are reasonably priced and as hard wearing as....well as a hard wearing thing.
Mono on the amp sends the same signal to both left and right channels, stereo takes the 2 signals from a stereo cable and sends one to each side (left & right) Bridge uses both power channels through one output doubling the power but with the two sides of the stero mix channeld together. if you can stick to stereo.
Clear as mud?
John |
scribe_oner
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| Posted Fri 09 May 08 @ 00:24:38 |
thank you very much ☺ |
Caliente123
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| Posted Fri 09 May 08 @ 02:21:38 |
good name brand amps are Crown, QSC, Crest mackie... When looking for a Amp.. Look for one the can handle any where between 300 - 400 watts rms in 8 ohms. speakers are in 8 ohms and Most subwoofers are in 4 ohms...
Good speakers are JBL, carvin, Yamaha, mackie, qsc
Always look for what an amp can push in 8 ohms for the speakers..
If you have a pair of speakers that push 400 watts rms in 8 ohms... a good amp for that would be a crown ce 2000.
if you have a pair of subs that push 600 watts rms in 4 ohms, you can use another ce 2000 because this amp will push 660 in 4 ohms rms.
The lower the resistance, the more the amp can handle.
The amps that are lighter cost more and the heavier ones cost less |
andytaylor125
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| Posted Fri 09 May 08 @ 11:26:02 |
I use a QSC powerlight amp- and it's the best thing ever! It gives 600watt into each of my 8ohm speakers. (I've got a pair of EV Sx-200s).
I would say QSC and Crown are two makes that you definately can't go wrong with. There are plently of other decent ones but I think these two are kind of industry standards. (In nightclubs, concert halls, touring bands, etc.)
Your speakers should say on the back what power rating and how many ohms they are. If you post on here what they are, as well as the make and model, then I'm sure people will recommend some good amps for them.
If your budget doesn't stretch as far as QSC or crown, there's one other amp I would recommend...
Behringer (don't laugh!) EP2500. A man in the know told me that these are pretty much idental to a QSC model (so I assume they licensed it off QSC, or just stole the design maybe!)
http://www.behringer.com/EP2500/index.cfm?lang=ENG
It does 450 watts per channel into 8 ohms or 650 watts per channel into 4 ohms. The only downside is that is is quite heavy, but then it is great sounding, poweful and cheap, so you can't have everything!
If you're speakers are rated at less whats than 450w,8ohms or 650,4ohms, that's a good thing because you should always try to have an amp that's more powerful than your speakers. I can explain why if anybody's interested, but basically it goes something along the lines of: a low powered amp means you have to crank it up to maximum to get a decent volume, then every time there's an extra loud part of a song (like a drum roll or something) your amp distorts the sound because there's not enough power, and distorted output from the amp will kill your speakers sooner or later :-(
Hope that helps.
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Caliente123
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| Posted Fri 09 May 08 @ 17:25:26 |
Look at what your speakers can handle in 8 ohms RMS........ Then look for an amp that can push at that level or a little higher.. in RMS ( 8 ohms ) |
lamont76
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| Posted Fri 09 May 08 @ 18:52:05 |
behinger amps are surprisingly one of the only good things they make - the 2500 is perhaps the best value i have ever seen for 350. 2x and youve got a great system |
scribe_oner
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| Posted Mon 12 May 08 @ 00:33:02 |
so is it better to buy speakers with an amp in them or buy amp and speakers separately........what the difference?...............another thing is i want lots of bass ...............what are some good subwoofers and should they be the ones with an amp built in them or separately...............................................i was thinking of buying a pair of Mackie SA1532Z Dual 15" and some subwoofers either:Mackie SWA2801Z, Mackie SWA1801Z.............................what amp would go with a pair of Cerwin-Vega EL-36B Earthquakes? |
TearEmUp
 
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| Posted Mon 12 May 08 @ 00:36:08 |
I prefer powered/active speakers. The company already did all the math for you. Can you get a better sound the other way? Yes, but at a price. My stuff sounds great and weighs as much as regular speakers. So this is a matter of personal taste.
Those Mackies will not need a sub for crowds of under 150-200. Those 15" speakers carry a huge amount of bottom punch. If you plan to do larger crowds then you can alway rent a sub. Do more than 5-10 a year then purchase. |
djrenee
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| Posted Mon 12 May 08 @ 00:39:38 |
We use QSC Amps for our three way system. (2) QSC RMX-1450's for highs and mids and (1) QSC 5050 (5,000 Watt) for the bottoms. We run the 5050 with the JBL bottoms 18 inch speakers (4 ohm,) in bridged mono for maximum punch. This is all we we can handle and still be portable.
As far as what is best this is like the Chevy, Ford, Lexus question, which is better may be what you can afford. There was a time we used Peavey and were as pleased as our budget could allow us to be.
http://home.comcast.net/~thirdrock/All1.jpg
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jimspinnin
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| Posted Mon 12 May 08 @ 00:41:38 |
Mackie powered subs and speakers are bad ass. They are not cheap, but they sound great, you dont have to mess with seperate amps and speakers. If you dont know much about amps and ohms and all that stuff, I suggest you buy powered subs and speakers. It will be easier for you and as said above the math is already done for you. |
djrenee
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| Posted Mon 12 May 08 @ 00:51:22 |
My problem with powered speakers is simple. You have all your eggs in one basket, if it goes down "most" won't have a back up powered speaker. We carry backup amps and speakers than can be replaced on the spot, call me paranoid. :^) |
TearEmUp
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| Posted Mon 12 May 08 @ 01:05:23 |
| djrenee wrote : | | My problem with powered speakers is simple. You have all your eggs in one basket, if it goes down "most" won't have a back up powered speaker. We carry backup amps and speakers than can be replaced on the spot, call me paranoid. :^) |
Well said Renee...I have been using my Mackies for five years now..no failure..ever...also the same could be said if an amp blows or a speaker that are not powered.....with the powered speakers at least you always have one running......that might not be the case if you are not carrying a spare amp around...just a thought |
scribe_oner
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| Posted Mon 12 May 08 @ 01:13:32 |
Thank for helping me out with all my questions I'm going to go with some Pa speakers and some subs.............any advice with some subs.................How is cerwin vega are their pa speakers & subwoofers good?......................what amp would go with a pair of Cerwin-Vega EL-36B Earthquakes?..................any other good subs? |
scribe_oner
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| Posted Mon 12 May 08 @ 01:54:02 |
are Cerwin Vega amps capable of amplifying their Cerwin Vega subs?
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