The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Acoustic Amplification

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 02-25-2017, 04:08 PM
pf400 pf400 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 982
Default Two amps louder than one ? Advice please!!

Hi everyone, I'm going to play my acoustic-electric at an outdoor wedding, and I have a small 3 watt amp that sounds good. For more range and volume, would it help if I got another one of these amps (Vox Mini) and played both amps using a stereo chorus pedal ? In other words, are two amps at the same volume louder than one amp at that volume ?
__________________
Neil M, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-25-2017, 04:51 PM
Woodstock School Of Music Woodstock School Of Music is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Woodstock Illinois
Posts: 1,229
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by pf400 View Post
Hi everyone, I'm going to play my acoustic-electric at an outdoor wedding, and I have a small 3 watt amp that sounds good. For more range and volume, would it help if I got another one of these amps (Vox Mini) and played both amps using a stereo chorus pedal ? In other words, are two amps at the same volume louder than one amp at that volume ?
They're the same volume you'll just get wider coverage with both amps so it will sound fuller
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-25-2017, 05:44 PM
pipedwho pipedwho is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 301
Default

You'd need like 10 to 20 of those to handle an outdoor gig with a couple of dozen people. Sound disappates really quickly when you're outside competing with wind, trees and no walls to reflect/contain the sound. I'd be looking at renting or buying a single 10" or 12" PA speaker or equivalent acoustic guitar amp.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-25-2017, 05:49 PM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11,292
Default

Doubling the sound power (two identical sources) increases 3 dB. You're going to need a minimum of 60 watts. Try the Bulgera AC 60 for $250 or less.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
__________________
"Lift your head and smile at trouble. You'll find happiness someday."
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-25-2017, 08:04 PM
Paultergeist Paultergeist is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Lemon Grove, California
Posts: 880
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by martingitdave View Post
Doubling the sound power (two identical sources) increases 3 dB.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Good job, Dave. I was wondering if a responder was going to know this.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-25-2017, 08:09 PM
pipedwho pipedwho is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 301
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paultergeist View Post
Good job, Dave. I was wondering if a responder was going to know this.
And using 20 will be 13dB louder. Which is 60 Watts assuming the original amps are 3W.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-25-2017, 08:46 PM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11,292
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by pipedwho View Post
And using 20 will be 13dB louder. Which is 60 Watts assuming the original amps are 3W.

You guys are smart. :-).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
__________________
"Lift your head and smile at trouble. You'll find happiness someday."
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-26-2017, 06:09 AM
Mr. Jelly's Avatar
Mr. Jelly Mr. Jelly is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Sioux City, Iowa
Posts: 7,848
Default

Broadly speaking for people to hear an increase in volume it has to increase 3db. To increase 3db one needs to move from say a 10 watt amp to a 20 watt amp. For another 3db one must move from a 20 watt amp to a 40 watt amp. And then from a 40 watt to an 80 watt.
__________________
Waterloo WL-S, K & K mini
Waterloo WL-S Deluxe, K & K mini
Iris OG, 12 fret, slot head, K & K mini

Follow The Yellow Brick Road
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-26-2017, 06:15 AM
Mr. Jelly's Avatar
Mr. Jelly Mr. Jelly is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Sioux City, Iowa
Posts: 7,848
Default

Years ago I played electric blues and wanted the old school sound of a turned up amp. A 40 watt amp tuned up was to loud for most situations so I got me two 20 watt amps. I turned one amp all the way up to get that sound. I had the second amp in case I needed more volume. I never did use it.
__________________
Waterloo WL-S, K & K mini
Waterloo WL-S Deluxe, K & K mini
Iris OG, 12 fret, slot head, K & K mini

Follow The Yellow Brick Road
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 02-26-2017, 06:51 AM
Runepune Runepune is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Norway
Posts: 104
Default

As others have said, one or two of those is not going to cut it outside. For a perceived doubling of loudness from that one amp, you need ten of them. And even that would seem little for an outside gig. It would of course depend on the location, distance, and if you're just supposed to be slightly audible background...but for an outdoor acoustic guitar I would have gone for a little powered PA speaker myself.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 02-26-2017, 07:34 AM
MC5C MC5C is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Tatamagouche Nova Scotia
Posts: 1,136
Default

Speaker efficiency is often more important than wattage when it comes to volume. Hence 4X12 cabinets, etc., paired with a 40 or 60 watt amp. The math given is correct, but you rarely go from a 3W amp to a 30 or 60W amp with the same speaker Given your situation I would rent or borrow a small PA. They are designed for sound reinforcement, which is what you need here, after all. Mic the amp or go straight to the PA.
__________________
Brian Evans
Around 15 archtops, electrics, resonators, a lap steel, a uke, a mandolin, some I made, some I bought, some kinda showed up and wouldn't leave. Tatamagouche Nova Scotia.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 02-26-2017, 07:51 AM
Wyllys Wyllys is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Earth, mostly
Posts: 1,208
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MC5C View Post
Speaker efficiency is often more important than wattage when it comes to volume. Hence 4X12 cabinets, etc., paired with a 40 or 60 watt amp. The math given is correct, but you rarely go from a 3W amp to a 30 or 60W amp with the same speaker Given your situation I would rent or borrow a small PA. They are designed for sound reinforcement, which is what you need here, after all. Mic the amp or go straight to the PA.
This^^^. When citing wattage independent of efficiency you can often get into a "pound of feathers/pound of lead" situation.
__________________
Harmony Sovereign H-1203
"You're making the wrong mistakes."
...T. Monk

Theory is the post mortem of Music.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 02-26-2017, 08:16 AM
Runepune Runepune is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Norway
Posts: 104
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyllys View Post
This^^^. When citing wattage independent of efficiency you can often get into a "pound of feathers/pound of lead" situation.
True dat! Though, your typical guitar speaker rarely vary more than 3-4 dB.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 02-26-2017, 10:30 AM
donh donh is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Ohio
Posts: 2,412
Default

You get a +6db bump when you add the additional same amp. +3db for the watt doublage, and another +3db for the doubled cone area. So you'd be kinda-sorta at 12 watts worth, whatever that means (too many variables to know).

As to how many watts you need, it all depends upon the venues, the music style, the efficiency of the hardware, the placement of the hardware, etc etc etc - I have been asked to turn down using 2.5 watts, but that may have been a critique of my playing . . . . . .
__________________
-donh-

*everything* is a tone control
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 02-26-2017, 12:51 PM
Paultergeist Paultergeist is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Lemon Grove, California
Posts: 880
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by donh View Post
You get a +6db bump when you add the additional same amp. . . .
no......all other things being equal, only a 3dB increase in Sound Pressure Level (SPL) is realized when doubling the sound-generating appliance number, whatever that sound-making *thing* happens to be.

Two of the same amp will be 3dB louder than a single amp.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Acoustic Amplification

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:08 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=