Solid State Guitar Amp Forum | DIY Guitar Amplifiers

Solid State Amplifiers => Amplifier Discussion => Topic started by: misanthropictear on February 07, 2013, 06:12:43 PM

Title: using a standard pa with a tube pre amp work?
Post by: misanthropictear on February 07, 2013, 06:12:43 PM
Okay so I was curious, could i use my multi effects distortion pedal to my gainiac preamp to one of my my behringer inuke (loud speaker pa) channels to my guitar cab? if i set the ohms to 8 on the pa (which is my guitar cab) and put the limiter on to 300w (which is my cab rms power rating).
Would i get the same sound as i was using my Rocktron solid state guitar pa?

thanks for any input you have!
Title: Re: using a standard pa with a tube pre amp work?
Post by: phatt on February 08, 2013, 12:50:37 AM
NO!
Title: Re: using a standard pa with a tube pre amp work?
Post by: DrGonz78 on February 08, 2013, 05:46:23 AM
Phatt you didn't even give him an Enzo "Probably Not"...

LoL I still can't even follow the question too much, but my knee jerk reaction huh?

I mean let's dissect the question... Preamp to Preamp to poweramp to guitar amp cab. <<< As long as it does not blow out speaker... 300 watt speaker 8 ohm rating is fine here.

But the real question is... "Would i get the same sound as i was using my Rocktron solid state guitar pa?" And I would have to answer that with an inexperienced "What?"
Title: Re: using a standard pa with a tube pre amp work?
Post by: phatt on February 08, 2013, 06:38:28 AM
Hi DrGonz,

Answers are worked out using grey stuff between two highly sensitive earlobes, then just a quick calc of common sense, law of averages, real world experience and some of murphy's sayings which works like this;

Murphy's Law 67 says that interchangeable parts WON'T and leakproof seals WILL.

Common sense says that if it sounds EXACTLY the same then ,, Why do it???

Add years of playing around with and building 100's of speaker systems (not just Guitar cabs)
tells me it WILL likely sound very different.

@misanthropictear,
                           Scuse the off handed remarks but I agree with DrGonz.
Your explanation is somewhat confusing.
You need to maybe describe the signal chain of events,, like Preamp> Mixer> powerAmp> speaker cab.
Then detail if the speaker which delivers the sound is a PA (Public Address full range speaker setup or just a normal guitar cab)

PA speakers are a very very different bucket of prawns compared to a quad box for guitar.
Phil.
Title: Re: using a standard pa with a tube pre amp work?
Post by: Roly on February 08, 2013, 02:11:17 PM
Do we hear any advance on "NO"?   :lmao:

Will it work?  er...yes.  Will it sound the same?  I doubt it.  Will you get smoke? ...um...

Personally I'd be very concerned about pumping 300 watts of distorted guitar into a speaker rated at 300 watts RMS (sinewave).  JM would be the expert here (since he actually makes speakers), but the moment you use any sort of overdrive and clip the signal, all bets are off.  It's Sydney to a brick that the limiter actually limits the peak voltage, not the actual power, and a PA amp limiter will almost certainly assume a non-clipping situation.  If you compare a sinewave with a squarewave of the same peak amplitude (and integrate the area under the curves) the squarewave has a larger area, meaning a lot more power - and a cooked voice coil in the speaker.
Title: Re: using a standard pa with a tube pre amp work?
Post by: J M Fahey on February 08, 2013, 03:30:44 PM
To the OP:
NO !

To all others who also said no using different words: You are right.

1) I *assume* the OP calls "PA" to a Power Amp.
Let's clarify that "PA", all by itself , means something else: the *whole* sound system or at least, say, a powered mixer and some suitable cabinet.
It comes from "Public Address".

a) will any "regular" PA Power Amplifier (notice I'm referring to two different things) sound the same as a dedicated Rocktron Power Amp?
NO it's been specially voiced for guitar, the others are "flat".(= "dull")

b) don't know what exact model it is, but suppose it's between 100 and 150W RMS .... which means it can deliver a 300W square wave if fully overdriven ... which happens to be the cabinet rating, so for a distorted guitar it's already reaching the limit of what that cabinet can stand.

c) so to try to use another amplifier, which will not sound as good and can not provide more power than now available is not exactly the best choice.

d) if we add the distinct possibility of turning the speakers into a pile of ashes under the slightest mistake, the logical conclusion is: NO .

Which was already answered in reply #2  ::)