100 watt amps

[Red_Label]

Re: 100 watt amps

Headroom... evidently some here can live without it.

[blueman335]

Re: 100 watt amps

The mix is more important than any one player's personal volume. IF you MUST turn your 60 watt amp up to 7 to play, the PA damn well better be able to make the drums, bass and vocals equal so the sounds belnd correctly.

I've been to shows that were simply too loud, and I hate to say it, but your precious tone goes out the figgin window when the overall dbs get above 100 or so. All the audience hears when it's that loud, is just a bunch of reflections and blaring, choppy waves that muddy things up.

Good points. So many local bands aren't mixed right: one or two instruments dominate, some can't be heard, and the EQ's are way off, so everyone's all muddled together. If the whole band isn't balanced & EQ'd right, it just doesn't sound very good. Rather than 'forcing' them to listen to you thru high volume (where 'they can't do anything else'), why not get their attention with great musicianship and playing tight together? People dig that all on it's own.

Agreed, low volume sucks on stage. You need to hear everyone clearly, and to feel the instruments. But you have to know where the upper limit is on volume for sound quality. But there's a point that can be reached where it's barely music, more like chaos and noise, and whether you're playing originals or covers, I don't think many people in a lounge want a whole night of that. Zeppelin blasting my ear drums, yes. Local bands, no thanks. Usually their playing and original material isn't that great.

[everdrone]

Re: 100 watt amps

I'm used to seeing blues bands, and 2x12 (mic'd if need be) are the norm.

Coming from Austin, SRV land, I agree, I have seen a ton of blues bands and this is definitely what they do, or two 112 cab/combos, I love my closed back 212 orange cab, love the blues as the stuff I play is blues/blues derived, cheers

Headroom... evidently some here can live without it.

... for great clean tones outdoors without/with a mic you turn up the volume and the clean is not so great for country/jazz/indie for sure.


ya, I mean like Blue Cheer and other Doom/stoner rock bands need all the headroom so that you can hear the low end, I am a distortion lover that really values my hearing a lot on many levels which has decreased over time (I tested it); that also loves downtuned classic rock so I am on both sides of the fence, I just want some low end and want awesome mic'd tone.

[Red_Label]

Re: 100 watt amps

Coming from Austin, SRV land, I agree, I have seen a ton of blues bands and this is definitely what they do, or two 112 cab/combos, I love my closed back 212 orange cab, love the blues as the stuff I play is blues/blues derived, cheers


... for great clean tones outdoors without/with a mic you turn up the volume and the clean is not so great for country/jazz/indie for sure.


ya, I mean like Blue Cheer and other Doom/stoner rock bands need all the headroom so that you can hear the low end, I am a distortion lover that really values my hearing a lot on many levels which has decreased over time (I tested it); that also loves downtuned classic rock so I am on both sides of the fence, I just want some low end and want awesome mic'd tone.

I've been wearing plugs every time I pay (even for daily practice) for years now. So that helps. I can FEEL the music, without going deaf for getting tinnitus (which is why I started wearing them in the first place). I'm definitely a big proponent of headroom, but I don't want to give the impression that I blow everyone out of the clubs, because many times I've been asked to turn-up and only very rarely asked to turn-down. One of the biggest bubble-bursters for me at a gig is when someone walks/dances in front of my cab and puts both fingers in their ears. Granted... mic'd or unmic'd, that can be common with guitar speakers cause they're so obnoxiously directional that you can be killing someone in front of you, and a person 5 feet to the side can barely hear you. Unfortunately that comes with the territory. I always envied bass players when it comes to that.

[blueman335]

Re: 100 watt amps

many times I've been asked to turn-up and only very rarely asked to turn-down.

+1. Same here. I'd much rather the crowd like my playing and ask to hear me louder, than be told to turn down.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: 100 watt amps

This information is often repeated on internet forums, but a 100W amp is only about 3db louder than an equivalent 50W amp (IE JCM2000 50W vs 100W).
So the question becomes, "Does anyone play in situations where they really need the clean headroom a 100w amp can produce?"

The answer is yes. Most people playing the heavier types of metal need the clean headroom from the power section, because if the power amp was breaking up, along with the massive amounts of preamp gain used in these types of music, it'd be noise-a-palooza.

True !

[Agileguy_101]

Re: 100 watt amps

[lareplus]

Re: 100 watt amps

Always check the room to know what the ceiling will be. Measure the distance between the noise floor and the ceiling and multiply times occupancy + head room.

So, W = ( CE-NF ) x ( OC + HR )

. . .actually watts are important, but decibels is where the real volume come from, so check your speaker rating.

[Jeremiah]

Re: 100 watt amps

If the drums aren't mic'd up and played through sound system with good onstage monitoring, you will have to turn down anyway. It's far too easy for the kick drum to get lost in all the low end from those big stacks - and if you can't hear the kick drum you ain't gonna be playing in time.

[some_dude]

Re: 100 watt amps

If the drums aren't mic'd up and played through sound system with good onstage monitoring, you will have to turn down anyway. It's far too easy for the kick drum to get lost in all the low end from those big stacks - and if you can't hear the kick drum you ain't gonna be playing in time.

High hat.

[TSE]

Re: 100 watt amps

Headroom durp.

[ItsaBass]

Re: 100 watt amps

Not really. But 100W amps are more about cleanliness than volume anyhow. They aren't all that much louder than a 50W or 22W amp (e.g. Deluxe). My 15W Jet II keeps up with my bandmate's 100W combo OK. It is when he brings the 4x12 that I must be miked. The amount of air you are moving around the room has a lot to do with perceived loudness. My Jet keeps up fine with a 100W 1x12 combo, but not with a 100W head through a 4x12.