Speaker Ohms AGAIN.....

[JonnyBoy]

I need some help to figure this out,,, I want to try the 3 speaker hookup with an amp that doesn't have a stereo hookup.

I have a 1x12 cab that is 4 0hms black widdow Peavey

I have a 2x12 that is a 4 ohm cab (or 2 -8 ohm speakers in parallel) Eminence Commonwealths

How can I get these boxes wired to my amp at a safe resistance? if I plug them both in, it will be 2 ohm and the amp says not to go below 4 and optimally no higher than 8.

What do you guys think? I have to use this at an outdoor gig memorial day town gathering (Tomorrow), a few hundred people and families and a big open space. Maybe Ugly Rumor or Chuckles has a good idea here....Thanks guys! Happy memorial day weekend to everyone....JB

[JonnyBoy]

Here's a quick question, of I SERIES the 4 and one of the 8 ohm speakers would I get 12 ohms(the big question here)? then plug that into the amp output 1 @12ohms. then plug the other 8 ohm speaker into output 2 which will then parallel the two inputs 12 ohms and 8 oms to 4.8ohms which will be fine for my amp, I just hope that calculation is straight.

[Peaks Rhythm]

JonnyBoy,
Here's my take on it.

If you run all three speakers in series, you will have too much resistance, 24 ohms.
If you run all three speakers in parallel, you will have too little resistance, 2.6 ohms.

If either of your cabinets has two jacks, you can run the 1 x 12 in series with the 2 x 12 and you will have a total resistance of 8 ohms. However, the 2 x 12 speakers will receive more power (watts) because they will have a lower resistance when run together in parallel. I am not really sure how this will affect your sound.

Another similarly configured 2 x 12 wired in series with your 2 x 12 would get you at 8 ohms with even loads.


As an alternative, could you mike your 1 x 12 or 2 x 12 and send it through the PA?

Lenny

[sants]

Couldn't you Rewire the 2x12 in series. If there are two 8ohm speakers that will make it 16. Then run the 4ohm 1x12 parallel with that.

[ugly rumor]

Ideally you should not go below 4 ohms, especially as you are really probably running less than 4 ohms anyway, as 4 ohms rated is most likely closer to 3 ohms. I really need to know more about your amplifier. You should check with an ohm meter, cheap at Lowes or Home Depot. If you trade the 4 ohm Black Widow for an 8 ohm speaker and run in parallel with the 2X12, and if the real output is as rated (which it is not), then you will be running a 2.6 load, probably close enough to a rated 4 ohm load to pass. I would not mix impedances in parallel. You want as even a load as possible. But I have to ask why. Miking either of your cabinets should be sufficient if you need the volume, and your tone will be better than mixing your existing cabinets. The danger is to your amplifier, not the speakers (assuming they are rated to handle the load). I wouldn't abuse my amp that way. Call me at 720-389-7137 if I can help more. Good luck and have fun!

[tigerstrat]

If either of your cabinets has two jacks, you can run the 1 x 12 in series with the 2 x 12

Someone correct me if wrong, but my impression was that, when there is a double input jack on a speaker, the jacks are ordinarily wired parallel, which in this instance of two 4ohm loads, would result in a 2ohm load. And blow the traces off the amp's circuit board. No?

Just use the 2x12 would be my recommendation

[JonnyBoy]

Yes I can mic, but there aren't a huge amount of channels. I guess I need to be prepared for anything, as always. I'll bring both speaker cabs, Ideally, I would like to play my 1x12 and mic it, but if there isn't a good mic or channels I'll go 2x12. Its louder than sin anyway, I just wanted to get multi-directional with my sound, not louder.

[SarnoMusicSolutions]

I don't see a good solution if you really want both cab's going. I'd just use the 2-12 and be done with it. Adding the 3rd speaker isn't necessarily going to give any more power or "loudness", only a bit more speaker surface area. But given the available impedance combinations and the amp requirements, I'd say forget the 1-12" entirely, and just go 2-12" with the appropriate 4-ohm load.


B

[Chuckles]

You may recall I had this same question, but also had the additional variable of one of the speakers being rated at 200w vs the 600w 2x12 cab. Not sure if it was because of the difference in the power-handling capacity or not, but when we played the Earth Day gig in Alexandria, I tried that 3x12 solution with the 2x12 wired in series and an additional 1x12 and it was totally not worth it. I'll use the 2xE120 cab for outdoor gigs and the 1xK120 for club dates in the future (used the K alone for the first time last week and LOVED it).

I don't think you're buying any more volume with a 3x12 (and the 2 vs the 1 mismatches output anyway - doesn't sound horrible, but there's not a lot of benefit), so just crank the 2x12 and enjoy!

My $.02 anyway...

[JonnyBoy]

I'm glad I got the response to this, It was helpful. I wound up using the 2x12 E120 cab and mic to the mains... the other band before us was farting out sonically about 20 feet from the stage using an amp only, I ran up and helped the other band's lead guitarist out by setting up a mic for him between a song and from there he was golden. He was using a 2x12 line 6 combo and with the mic it just sliced into the mix just right. but their drums were hard to hear with their band, Journey and GnR covers 80's stuff.

(We were using them as guinea pigs to get the levels right, for us afterwards) . We noticed they had no drums in the mix so We wound up using a mic on the kick and snare for our band and it moved the house! The Truckers and bikers all hollering after we announced GDTRFB and NFA by the Dead about 300 people there. I swear a dead cover band would mop up everything down here... My band, we play blues/progressive, rock and my picks which are a few dead songs. But my guys are slowly seeing Dead tunes get people movin' and excited and now they're starting to like the dead tunes.
I met a bass player with an alembic through body bass from the early 70's there tonight and asked if he heard of the dead, he said "I Heard of him, but don't know much about them." Ha, heard of him. I was floored he had the gear and look with the pony tail, dye on, and then It felt like I was asking him about Frank Sinatra or something... He said that wasn't his time period he was a little too young... I felt like telling him the story of his bass right there, he wouldn't have cared..... but sweet bass.

Thanks guys for your help you really helped me get out of a bad choice I was gonna make with my amplification. The gig turned out extremely well with a great response. Thanks to all ya'lls help, peace and happy Memorial Day to our brothers in arms. -Jboy

[Chuckles]

Right on, JBoy... glad the gig turned out well for y'all!

And, yeah... funny how it works when you get a good crowd response to Dead tunes. On Wednesday last we had a BIG crowd in a small club and when I asked out bass player if he wanted to sing his tune - Driver 8, REM - he was all like, "no... they want to hear the Dead tunes, man".

Hey, totally unrelated, but has anyone ever heard of a former West Coast outfit called (no kidding) "The Elastic Waste Band"?

[JonnyBoy]

Right on, JBoy... glad the gig turned out well for y'all!

And, yeah... funny how it works when you get a good crowd response to Dead tunes. On Wednesday last we had a BIG crown in a small club and when I asked out bass player if he wanted to sing his tune - Driver 8, REM - he was all like, "no... they want to hear the Dead tunes, man".

Hey, totally unrelated, but has anyone ever heard of a former West Coast outfit called (no kidding) "The Elastic Waste Band"?

I assume you are speaking of a band, but no.. If it is an outfit, elastic wastebands make potbelly middleaged men like me happy in that case...plus1 for the elastic waste bands... There was a reason, and everyone that plays professionally has thought about this, why the dead's music created a following like it did, the fact normal people would get hooked after their first show, not by and album, Playing live dead is the way to get gigs and recognition, I think. People at the fest tonight LOVED the tunes done very dead styled, they brought people out to grove...I wanted to do Shakedown or Big RxR Blues, but our guitarist didn't have the song sheets... He lives off his music stand. I knew that would raise the roof. The Dead's music just makes people feel good without drugs or drink.
We hit Green River and For What its worth and things calmed down, but we were almost done anyway.....

[tigerstrat]

Hey, totally unrelated, but has anyone ever heard of a former West Coast outfit called (no kidding) "The Elastic Waste Band"?

I saw a band at a wedding in San Diego called Electric Waste Band. They brought it! Very very good band, and the guitarists also did some very fine acoustic tuneage during the pre-ceremony and pre-dinner phases. Roof of a hotel overlooking La Joya Cove!

[inthedark]

Weber Z-Matcher may work for you. Sweet little device.

[Jerry1996x]

Question. Im getting a Twin reverb, and hopefully a hard truckers 2x12. Im pretty sure twins handle up to 4 ohms. I guess that means i have to have the cab wired parallel, correct me if im wrong. Also, how will this effect the loudness of the cab?