Crown Ce1000 and a modeler pre?

[Themistocles]

Im looking for a more powerful amp setup for my modeler and am considering a Crown Ce1000: https://gear-vault.com/crown-ce1000-amplifier-review/

it would run into a cab loaded with 4 celestion G12T's... so lots of power handling and I dont like speaker cone breakup. Ive had this cab around for a while (sitting back in the studio) and usually use the modeler on small Sampson servo amps for dinking around on the coach in front of the tv with 1-2 single speaker satellite cabs. Like everyone else Im stuck at home a lot dinking around but I like the sound so much (an old boss GT-3 running matchess, JC-120 and 5150 sims and a full compliment of analog boss pedals contained within) that I figure why not develop a louder half stack rig with it?

The Sampson amps are AB just like the Ce1000 so they should be similar? Ive got a nice boutique tube combo too but at this point I rather like the idea of a loud modeler setup with tones I like for taking out and about when I can finally play with others again rather than the expensive combo, which ideally remains in my studio next to the drum kit? Ive been recording an album and have liked some of the sounds the modeller produces but a Servo 200 amp doesnt really cut it with a live drummer.

Anyone have experience with the Crown CE1000 with a modeler? Or perhaps I should just seek out Samson Servo 500 since I like the sound of the Servo series and my patches are already tuned to a Servo 200? (Crown and Samson are both AB type). A Crown Xli800 1500 etc are also options as those are also AB style too.

Just looking ahead to a time when I can jam in person again... at least I have my own drum kit and can put down my own rhythm tracks and lay guitar tracks over them till then.

 

[cardinal]

Is there a reason you've selected the CE1000? I think I recall those low level CEs weren't particularly well loved.

If you're patient you usually can find something like a Crest CA9 for just a few hundred, and that amp is a beast.

 

[MatrixClaw]

All I know is putting a 1950w amp through speakers that handle 300w total scares the crap outta me

 

[Themistocles]

My reason for the ce is there are several available right now, others too. Mostly I was looking at widely available AB class amps since I like how the samson sounds and its a class AB amp. That Crest is a class H. Back when I ran pro sound I used a lot of Crowns and Crest. I think I might skip the ce1000 and opt for an xli800 or 1500 there are a bunch of those available too.

 

[Themistocles]

All I know is putting a 1950w amp through speakers that handle 300w total scares the crap outta me

Truth... Im thinking about that kind of power and all that comes to mind is going Super Saiyan! I had a cool 300 solid state watt head once (no chips in it) and used it with that cab (which is rated at 400 watts btw) and it was plenty loud I think 450 watts its more than enough for what Im looking at.

Im just looking at it as a loud secondary rig that provides a lot of options.

 

[maggotspawn]

Art SLA-1. About $250. 260 watts bridged.
I have 3 for different rigs. Sounds killer with my Pod Go.
It only has banana plug speaker outputs, so you'll need banana plug to 1/4 inch adapters.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

All I know is putting a 1950w amp through speakers that handle 300w total scares the crap outta me

That's not really how wattage works. It'll be just fine for any guitar focused application unless you do something genuinely stupid like turn all the knobs all the way and bang on the guitar with a hammer for 15 minutes.

Power amps like this have huge wattage numbers because they're designed for 2 and 3 way front of house systems that need to reproduce a much wider frequency range and move an array of speakers.

Compared to a guitar rig (yes, that includes an extended range one, and even bass guitar in most cases) it doesn't need to work as hard, and thus you'll hit ideal volume fairly easily without having to crank it to the point where damage could possibly occur.

More to the point of the thread, the CE1000 is "only" 1100 watts when bridged at 4 ohms, so if you're using an 8 ohm cab, you could use a single side at 275 watts.

 

[Themistocles]

That's not really how wattage works. It'll be just fine for any guitar focused application unless you do something genuinely stupid like turn all the knobs all the way and bang on the guitar with a hammer for 15 minutes.

Power amps like this have huge wattage numbers because they're designed for 2 and 3 way front of house systems that need to reproduce a much wider frequency range and move an array of speakers.

Compared to a guitar rig (yes, that includes an extended range one, and even bass guitar in most cases) it doesn't need to work as hard, and thus you'll hit ideal volume fairly easily without having to crank it to the point where damage could possibly occur.

More to the point of the thread, the CE1000 is "only" 1100 watts when bridged at 4 ohms, so if you're using an 8 ohm cab, you could use a single side at 275 watts.

That's where I see the allure... I can use one side for a guitar rig and the other side for a keyboard or other instrument in the studio or a jam situation. Luckily I have a recording studio space at the house and my partner is a musician too (keyboards and vocals). Another power amp just gives more options. My other SS power amps are more suited to studio reference monitors.

All that said I think I like the XLi series more and though they arent as durable I do like the sound of Samson servo amps with the GT3 with its digital modelers and analog boss effect boxes. It takes a while but good sounds can be had from it. Ive had my gt3 for 20 years.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

That's where I see the allure... I can use one side for a guitar rig and the other side for a keyboard or other instrument in the studio or a jam situation. Luckily I have a recording studio space at the house and my partner is a musician too (keyboards and vocals). Another power amp just gives more options. My other SS power amps are more suited to studio reference monitors.

All that said I think I like the XLi series more and though they arent as durable I do like the sound of Samson servo amps with the GT3 with its digital modelers and analog boss effect boxes. It takes a while but good sounds can be had from it. Ive had my gt3 for 20 years.

Take a look at used Carvin DCM series stuff. Really solid, flexible amps for cheap.

 

[Themistocles]

Take a look at used Carvin DCM series stuff. Really solid, flexible amps for cheap.

I do like Carvin and all the amps from that era were class A/B. In fact my main axe is an early DC747 with Alder neck through + Koa sides and a nice thick flamed maple top) and I had one of their sx100 combo amps. It died but the british series speaker in it is excellent and I uses it as an external cab sometimes. That speaker always seems to yield the best studio tones.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Should have plenty of headroom.

 

[Themistocles]

Should have plenty of headroom.

Yeah that's a must. I dont play that loud typically so I think even 250 watts per side at 8ohms would be fine (500 bridged). Im looking at the crown xli 800 and if the price is right a Samson servo 500 (even a 300 could work but as you point out, headroom is great to have more of). The only reason I consider the servo is Im already using 2 of them, a servo 150 and a 200 but Id like something beefier. Tons of Crown Ce 1000's available but I think an Xli 800 or 1500 is better, they are only 2 rack spaces and a little newer and have a better reputation. Unlike xls series which are class D All my presets which have taken 20 years sound best with AB already so why switch. If I need a fly rig Ill just grab some micro power amp the size of a foot pedal. I may build another 1x12 as my current ab is open back. Might be nice to have a high power rated 1x12 that is closed back.

 

[bostjan]

It'll be just fine for any guitar focused application unless you do something genuinely stupid like turn all the knobs all the way and bang on the guitar with a hammer for 15 minutes.

Which amp do you recommend for that?

 

[sakeido]

Odds are good you're only using a few watts, you might be surprised. Guitar speakers are super efficient and only need about ~5 watts to go over 100dB.

Borrow a sound meter if you can and run the results through here Peak SPL Calculator (homestead.com)

From 10 feet way assuming 5 watts amplifier power you're at 100dB which is well into the range you should be using hearing protection, otherwise you will literally go deaf. There is no such thing as strong ears, and there is no recovering your hearing naturally either.

If you've got your safety gear on I guess let 'er rip all day but you might be better served getting a small, Class D Ncore based amp. These are massively cleaner than anything you're going to get from Crown, especially the CE1000. It's also way more efficient so something that'd work for your purposes would only weigh about 2 pounds and fit in your gig bag.

Total harmonic distortion on an Ncore would be about 1/1,000th as much as a Crown CE.. no fans, basically weightless, no need for a rack, and you could drop it into your home theater setup when you're done and have basically reference level performance. A VTV 252MP is $500 new, which I guess is more than double your budget, but you're never gonna find one secondhand because nobody, literally no one, sells an Ncore amp after they get one because they're that good.

 

[Themistocles]

Which amp do you recommend for that?

is someone creating an army of metal playing djent-robots? ....because 2020 needs a big finale and the right amp!

edit: Looks like the N core would be ideal for the djent robot army. Noted!