I'm looking at a bass head I like, (http://www.markbass.it/products.php?lingua=en&cat=1&vedi=81) and I have an a bit weird idea of connecting both a 6x10 and a 2x15 cab to it. According to the user manual both cabs have to be 8 ohms. the problem is that the bass cabs in these sizes that Markbass has, (or had, they are discontinued now, but they'll probably come up with something new), the 6x10 is 6 ohms and the 2x15 is 4 ohms. Is there some kind of ohms converter box?
Bass cabinet ohms question:
- Thread starter Mapleg4
- Start date
Funky Phil
Senior Member
- Messages
- 324
If you were to plug both of those in to the amp, the total impedence would be 2.4 ohms.
(Which is very low...some amps are perfectly happy with this, but most are not!)
(I once experimented with a very powerful (3KW) power amp, adding more and more speakers (and lowering the impedence)...
I think there were about 20 conected by the time I gave up!) (I used to "work" in a music store...)
It would be possible to make a box wired in such a way that both cabs were in series rather than parallel...
The impedence would be 10 ohms (so the amp would be pretty much fine).
The share of power would be 60% for the 6x10 and 40% for the 2x15.
(Which is very low...some amps are perfectly happy with this, but most are not!)
(I once experimented with a very powerful (3KW) power amp, adding more and more speakers (and lowering the impedence)...
I think there were about 20 conected by the time I gave up!) (I used to "work" in a music store...)
It would be possible to make a box wired in such a way that both cabs were in series rather than parallel...
The impedence would be 10 ohms (so the amp would be pretty much fine).
The share of power would be 60% for the 6x10 and 40% for the 2x15.
if you run them in 10ohms you will be just fine. There is no real box or spliter out there that does what you want to do. I think ( and this is just an assumption based on the specs you provided) that the 2x12 cab is 2 12' 8ohm speakers ran in parallel and the 6 10's are 4omhs with two sets of 3 in series for 12ohms then paralleled for a total of 6omhs. You would have to add 2 more 4 omh 10's to be able to configure a 8omh situation. Not really worth it just run them in 10ohms
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
Epic Member
- Messages
- 8,318
The 610 @ 6 ohms seems such a weird ohm value to me. I'm used to seeing 4, 8, or even 16 ohm cabs. Most heads have the watts at certain ohm values listed at 4, 8, sometimes 2. Without solving algebraically, running just a 6 ohm cab into a head, I'd had no idea by looking at the head how many watts are gonna come out of the cab.
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
Epic Member
- Messages
- 8,318
Here's the MarkBass disclaimer:
Since this is a 6 ohm cabinet, it may NOT be used with another cabinet. All Markbass heads operate at a 4 ohm load minimum.
By comparison, if you had a head that operated at 2 ohms, you could run 3 of those cabs.
Since this is a 6 ohm cabinet, it may NOT be used with another cabinet. All Markbass heads operate at a 4 ohm load minimum.
By comparison, if you had a head that operated at 2 ohms, you could run 3 of those cabs.
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
Epic Member
- Messages
- 8,318
ocguy106 said:
He'll be fine, but the output of the amp is drastically lowered at 10 ohms. It might be around 200 watts which is fine for most, but not from an amp that can go 500 watts.
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
Epic Member
- Messages
- 8,318
If you want that cab config, just get an amp that goes down to 2 ohms. There's plenty out there. I've had 2 and am considering a 3rd.
FWIW, the 610 is just a weird animal, IMO. Ampeg makes one that's 4 ohms. How they get to 4 ohms with 6 speakers and no 24 ohm speaker cause a mismatch in output of the speaker pairs. They use 4 that are 32 ohm and 2 that 16 ohm all in parallel. It makes a nice conventional 4 ohm total for the cab, but the 2 16 ohmers have more output. Standing in front, no one could ever tell which ones were louder, but it's just weird. Fender's 610 is similar with a mismatched pair. Markbass evens the speakers loads out by making them all the same, but you wind up with an odd ohmed cab. Fender's and Markbass's 610 and 215 appear to have the same footprint which makes them a visually stiking pair. Go figure.
Pairing a 4 ohm 2x15 with a 6 ohm 6x10 also means the 2x15 has more output than the 610.
I looked into getting the Ampeg 610 a while back until I read around. I was wanting more than a 410 but less than an 810. Lurking on Talkbass and Harmony Central, the 610 was lacking. The 410 actually sounded better!
FWIW, the 610 is just a weird animal, IMO. Ampeg makes one that's 4 ohms. How they get to 4 ohms with 6 speakers and no 24 ohm speaker cause a mismatch in output of the speaker pairs. They use 4 that are 32 ohm and 2 that 16 ohm all in parallel. It makes a nice conventional 4 ohm total for the cab, but the 2 16 ohmers have more output. Standing in front, no one could ever tell which ones were louder, but it's just weird. Fender's 610 is similar with a mismatched pair. Markbass evens the speakers loads out by making them all the same, but you wind up with an odd ohmed cab. Fender's and Markbass's 610 and 215 appear to have the same footprint which makes them a visually stiking pair. Go figure.
Pairing a 4 ohm 2x15 with a 6 ohm 6x10 also means the 2x15 has more output than the 610.
I looked into getting the Ampeg 610 a while back until I read around. I was wanting more than a 410 but less than an 810. Lurking on Talkbass and Harmony Central, the 610 was lacking. The 410 actually sounded better!
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
Epic Member
- Messages
- 8,318
The M6 Carbine is on my to get list. Their 610 is available in 4 or 8 ohms.
Similar threads
