# Ampeg SVT 4 Pro Questions



## transgressor_ad (Apr 10, 2011)

Hello, 

I recently purchased an SVT 4-pro as well as an ampeg 410 classic and 1x18 classic. My question is, do any of you have this same head and play it at live events? If so, what are your settings like, particularly the gain and master volume? I play in a 5 piece metal band and I don't feel like this head is anywhere near reaching its potential. I love the tone, and it maintains its integrity when I turn it up, but to really get this thing loud I have to have the gain at 50% and the master at around 75%. Is this unusual? Maybe I am crazy, but I feel like it should be louder on much lower settings.


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## josh pelican (Apr 10, 2011)

That seems a little unusual. Were they new or used? It could be a tube issue, it could be a cable issue.


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## MaxOfMetal (Apr 10, 2011)

I had an SVT4 Pro for a number of years. It was a very loud, powerful amp, even with the Master Volume around 9 or 10 o'clock. If yours isn't cutting it then either A) it's defective, B) you have a cabling issue, go Speakon, or C) you're killing the mids on the EQ.


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## josh pelican (Apr 10, 2011)

MaxOfMetal said:


> go Speakon



I can't back this enough.


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## transgressor_ad (Apr 10, 2011)

I am using Neutrik speakon cables for both cabinets. I knew this thing should be louder. I figure at 12:00 it should be getting pretty loud. Honestly if we had just one guitar player and I played at halfway you wouldn't be able to hear it a lick.


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## MaxOfMetal (Apr 10, 2011)

What are all your settings, as well as the routing of your rig?


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## transgressor_ad (Apr 11, 2011)

Gain-50%
Compression-50%
(I switch on and off with the ultra low/high, gives me a minor boost)
Bass-50-60%
Mid-45%
Treble-60% 
(almost always have the BRIGHT and EQ active, EQ makes a slight smile shape)
Master-Band practice or shows-70-85% just to compete with the guitars.

I run speakon cables from the Power amp A and Power amp B slots into the first input on each cabinet respectively. 
No effects or anything at the moment, just going straight into my bass from the head.


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## josh pelican (Apr 11, 2011)

Damn, dude! With that volume on my SVT, I'd go deaf, bald, and shit my pants all at the same time!

There's definitely something funky going on there. I haven't used the SVT-4 myself, but have used a good amount of amps. Was this all new or used? How old are the cables? What bass are you using? Active or passive?


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## highlordmugfug (Apr 11, 2011)

Sorry for the slight derail, but someone explain just how the speakon connectors work? Looking at the wiki for them, they aren't 1/4" male, so I'm not sure how you'd use them.


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## transgressor_ad (Apr 11, 2011)

It is a used head. I bought it from a local credible gear supplier here. I was lead to believe it had even been serviced fairly recently. Everything sounds good, just not getting the volume I expected.

I am using an LTD 5 string bass with an active 3 band eq at the moment. I cannot attest to the age of the cables as they came with the head/cabinets.


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## DLG (Apr 11, 2011)

sounds like a tube issue maybe?

I used to have an old v-4 and it sounded great but had no volume...took it to get the tubes changes and everything was kosher.


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## transgressor_ad (Apr 11, 2011)

Thanks. But, other than volume you didn't notice anything weird with it? Because volume aside, I think its great.

I will take it in and see. If its tubes that would be fine with me(although I was lied to about it being serviced) but I just hope I don't find its something more severe.


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## josh pelican (Apr 11, 2011)

People always lie about having their amp serviced or retubed.


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## transgressor_ad (Apr 11, 2011)

Figured it out! 

I took it into the local shop today and figured out it was indeed a cable/cabinet issue. In reading up on the head I knew Running it mono bridge was the best way to achieve the best results. 

The first issue was obviously the cable. I was using quality speakons, but I needed the specific type of cable to run out mono bridge to get the desired wattage. With the way it was arranged previous I was only getting about 580 of the 1200 watts capable. 

Second, the ampeg classics I was using are 8 ohm and I was running them both stereo from the head, so I was losing a lot of power there also. So now I run the correct cable mono bridge to the 410 and run a normal cable from the 410 to the 1x18. 

It works much better now. I am still only getting 900 watts(he said I'd have to attempt a 2 ohm setup to achieve 1200, which he advised against) but it is way louder than before. At 50% I am right about where I need to be. For shits I went to 75% and it rattled my balls something fierce.


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## DLG (Apr 11, 2011)




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## josh pelican (Apr 11, 2011)

When you get everything sorted out, try running it at those volumes again.


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## Rook (Apr 12, 2011)

I was just going to say are you running either side of the power amp into a different cab, if so that's 800W a side at 8 ohms, about 500W, so what you report is about right hahaha.

Glad you realised!

I had a 3 Pro for ages, I had the gain at about 1:30 and the master chasing 3 oclock into my 8 ohm mesa 115. It wasn't the loudest thing ever (particularly at that setting, my 810 was much louder) but it sounded like a best! So much fat gain, it was amazing.

SVT is a win.


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## josh pelican (Apr 12, 2011)

Fun111 said:


> SVT is a win.



I can't back this enough. My goal this year is to get my SVT-VR fixed (provided it can be). When I get my custom 610 and matching 215, I'll run both the CL and the VR together.


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