Members cdawzrd Posted January 11, 2008 Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 Hi folks, I'm mostly on the guitar/effects side but figured I'd ask this here... I'm building a rackmount bass preamp as part of a school project. My question is, what are some ideas for cheap but not half bad poweramps that would work with a bass preamp like the RBI or whatever. Would a straight up PA poweramp work about as well as one "designed" for bass? If I get a stereo PA amp, I could use one channel for low and one for high, assuming my pre has a crossover, correct? What should I be looking for on ebay? Any thoughts would be appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PaulyWally Posted January 11, 2008 Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 what are some ideas for cheap but not half bad poweramps that would work with a bass preamp like the RBI or whatever. QSC Amps. RMX series. Would a straight up PA poweramp work about as well as one "designed" for bass? In theory, yes. PA poweramps are (supposed to be) designed to cover the entire audible frequency spectrum. If I get a stereo PA amp, I could use one channel for low and one for high, assuming my pre has a crossover, correct? Yes, but depending on what you're doing... you probably won't need a crossover. Crossovers are typically used to separate the frequency range and send each band of frequencies to different poweramps... which send the audio to different speakers. Usually, you will not want to separate frequencies if you're running everything through one poweramp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cdawzrd Posted January 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 Yes, but depending on what you're doing... you probably won't need a crossover. Crossovers are typically used to separate the frequency range and send each band of frequencies to different poweramps... which send the audio to different speakers.Usually, you will not want to separate frequencies if you're running everything through one poweramp. Thanks for the suggestions. What I meant was, if my preamp has an optional crossover (like some bass preamps/heads), could I use the left channel of a stereo PA poweramp as the low poweramp, and the right channel as high, for example? I can't imagine why that wouldn't work but maybe the low/high poweramps in a biamped head are wired/voiced differently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cdawzrd Posted January 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 And in addition to the new QSC, are there any old discontinued ones that go for cheap? Like for example, I've heard that Peavey Mark IV bass amps are good for the money, and they are old/solid state. Anything like that come to mind in terms of poweramps? (I'm looking for something I might be able to score off ebay/cl) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike fitzwell Posted January 11, 2008 Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 Thanks for the suggestions. What I meant was, if my preamp has an optional crossover (like some bass preamps/heads), could I use the left channel of a stereo PA poweramp as the low poweramp, and the right channel as high, for example? I can't imagine why that wouldn't work but maybe the low/high poweramps in a biamped head are wired/voiced differently? No, you're right! Hell that's how I run my PA in small venues. Pauly seems to be a little off this morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cdawzrd Posted January 11, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 Great, thanks :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PaulyWally Posted January 11, 2008 Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 And in addition to the new QSC, are there any old discontinued ones that go for cheap? Like for example, I've heard that Peavey Mark IV bass amps are good for the money, and they are old/solid state. Anything like that come to mind in terms of poweramps? (I'm looking for something I might be able to score off ebay/cl) In my experiences, you can pick up a new QSC RMX for close to the same price as a good used amp. But if you're looking at used, I'd keep an eye out for Mackie and Crown (or QSC). Those would probably be the used brands I would recommend if you're trying to save money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FreestyleIntruder Posted January 11, 2008 Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 And in addition to the new QSC, are there any old discontinued ones that go for cheap? Like for example, I've heard that Peavey Mark IV bass amps are good for the money, and they are old/solid state. Anything like that come to mind in terms of poweramps? (I'm looking for something I might be able to score off ebay/cl) You should be able to pick up an old Peavey CS800x on ebay for peanuts like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/PEAVEY-CS800X-PROFESSIONAL-STEREO-POWER-AMPLIFIER_W0QQitemZ270201272947QQihZ017QQcategoryZ23787QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem They're heavy, but possibly indestructible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mike fitzwell Posted January 11, 2008 Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 I'm not "off" this morning. Just slow. I thought that was normal? +1 on QSC. Although if you want to stay cheap and don't mind size and weight, older Peavey amps like the CS-800X are usually found cheap and are bulletproof beyond belief. EDIT: I posted this without reading FSI's post above. Scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neonfacelift Posted January 11, 2008 Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 I have a Crown XLS 402 I've been using behind a BassPod Pro for a while now. It's just a cheap entry level power amp. I originally bought it as a stopgap until I could afford a big boy amp, but it's been doing a pretty good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BB5000 Posted January 11, 2008 Members Share Posted January 11, 2008 Find a used, cheap, clean Peavey CS800, the older ones are the Ford pickup of power amps. What kind of tone you get is entirely dependent on what preamp you run between it and the bass. Either good dedicated bass preamps (Alembics, Kerns, Demeters) or some of the new tube-based channel strips (not cheap, but the 737 Avalon is delicious) would be fine, but probably not in the budget. Good power amps are essentially tone-less: It all depends on what you run through them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Verne Andru Posted January 12, 2008 Members Share Posted January 12, 2008 I tried asking the same question over in the Live Sound forum and got hit with a firestorm of flaming egos, so I'm glad this is brought up here. Same question - I've got a Peavey Bassist pre and I want to run the low out from the cross-over through a power amp and into a 2x12 subwoofer and take the full band out into another channel on a power amp to drive a JBL 15" cab. What kind of power should I be looking at to hang with a drummer and keep up with a Marshall stack? This one looks interesting, but I don't know: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Crown-XLS-202D-Power-Amplifier?sku=481584 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roguetitan Posted January 12, 2008 Members Share Posted January 12, 2008 I Boght one of these a while back just experimenting around and it has proven to be an excellent power amp. I liked it well enough that I have an 18 space rack full of them now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Verne Andru Posted January 12, 2008 Members Share Posted January 12, 2008 I saw those Pyles, but it appears their power ratings are "disingenuous" - i.e. they use "peak" power instead of RMS which appears to be 1/3 of what they state. What's your experience been? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roguetitan Posted January 12, 2008 Members Share Posted January 12, 2008 I saw those Pyles, but it appears their power ratings are "disingenuous" - i.e. they use "peak" power instead of RMS which appears to be 1/3 of what they state. What's your experience been? I don't really know if that is RMS or peak power... I will have to dig out the owners manual and see how they are rating the aamps. I am satisfied with their performance, so far they have proved to be very reliable amps and at $180.00 a pop they have saved me a wad of dough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bassin' 'Round Posted January 12, 2008 Members Share Posted January 12, 2008 ...Crown XTi 4000 (a monster)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tylytle Posted January 12, 2008 Members Share Posted January 12, 2008 I have a Crown XLS202. I love it. bought it on ebay for 139. new/shipped with a 70.00 rebate. I bridge it at 4 ohms and it kicks much ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georgestrings Posted January 12, 2008 Members Share Posted January 12, 2008 A QSC USA 850 or 900 would suit those purposes very well, and can be had for under $300, if you shop around... I've been using a couple of them in my PA for awhile now, and they've worked very well for me... - georgestrings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members no-logic Posted January 12, 2008 Members Share Posted January 12, 2008 I use an RBI with a QSC PLX1602 and it kills. It's lightweight, sounds great, and has plenty of balls. I paid $400 for it used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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