At my school we are about to order some new bass cabs. At the moment we just run 2 normal speakers of a 1000w amplifier. when we get our new bass cabs is it possible just to link them up to our main spekers or will we need a new amp to power them.

any help ???

ben

If the cabs have a built in crossover, then you would normally run the amp to them, then take the filtered output to your main cabs. Wiring them in parallel would work as long as the resultant impedance isn't below your amplifier minimum rating, BUT won't work well, as loudspeakers designed for bass tend to be less efficient than the ones you already have, so may 'soak up' (for want of a better word) much of your available volume. It is quite possible, that your system will end up quieter, but have more bass.

To comment further, makes and models will be needed. Ideally, a new amp for the subs, perhaps with an electronic crossover, would be one way to go.

Ok,

These are the bass cabs we are looking to get
http://www.stagebeat.co.uk/P/PROSUB/MESSENGER+PROSUB

We have a pro-sound 1000w amplifier and some standard speakers that I do not know the brand of. They are 400w each.

We have a phonic F1 mixer. We possibly do have the money to buy an exta amp to power them if this is needed.

Ben

can anybody else help with this problem

Well you won't be able to link those bins in parallel to your speakers as they are already 4ohms which is the minimum impedance for most power amplifiers.

I'd get another amp and a crossover if I was you

Active crossover and anti-tamper cover, separate amp and THICK WIRE . Those bins say max freq 300Hz so freqs above that shouldnt reach the bin try crossing over between 125 and 175Hz do lots of listening to determine the best settings for your room then secure it.

I'm a tad concerned about the system as a whole - what are the main cabs like? overall quality and exisiting bass response. The subs you've specified will be best powered, as others have said, by a separate amp and crossover so you can set the crossover frequency properly. But what do the tops sound like. If you are buying the subs because the sound is 'lacking' - maybe spending the money on a better pair of full range speakers may well be better value. Sometimes the difference is astounding and you won't need subs. Some of the special offer communities mentioned on another thread have a pretty decent full range response - might be worth borrowing some better speakers first and trying them before buying some subs and having extra bass on a weak system.