How loud is the Art SLA1?

xykhron

xykhron

Member
Hi guys!

I'm still thinking about which poweramp use with the Axe I & Rectifier 4x12 cab and I've some: Art SLA1 and Rocktron Velocity 300. I know that Art is cleaner than V300, so in order to decide among them I'd like to know how really loud is the SLA1, because secondhand is half the price of Velocity 300 new (also plus or less half the rating power).

I read in this forum that SLA1 might have not enough power for some players. My band mate uses a Diezel Herbert while I play Engl SE at about 35-40W power output. Does the SLA1 have enough output power to fight against this Diezel's volume?. If not, I'll go for the Velocity 300
 
For all the info I've read on this forum about V300 reactance and definition controls for that kind of "tube like" feeling while art is more flat responding
 
I have ant ART SLA2 and a Mesa 50/50 power amp. I go back and forth between them all the time trying to decide which one I like better.
the Art is definitely more neutral then the Mesa (duh) but the mesa has a lot more "girth" to it's sound, I can tell I'm playing thru a tube amp with the Mesa.
When I set up patches for "Amp-Recto cab" I have to EQ them quite a bit differently depending on which power amp I use.
BTW, I leave amp sims on no matter which power amp I'm using.

The Art is pretty loud I don't know how it would hold up in a loud gig but I think you'd be Ok.
The 50/50 is plenty loud to gig with.
 
SPL should not be your main concern... with a solid state amp, aside from having a fairly flat response head room at the volume you want to play at is the real issue. A tube amp will compress and clip without the ill effects of it's solid state counterpart. So if you think there might even be a chance you will be giging at pretty loud volumes the SLA will not be enough. Even bridged the SLA is only going to pump out 180 watts @ 8 ohms, the Diezel will eat it for a Scooby snack.

The Rocktron would have a better chance so I would look to that amp if you have to choose between those two. If you want to run the ART would seriously consider the SLA-2. With 560 watts @ 8 Ohms on tap at least you will be able to stay in the mix with out fear of nuking the speakers in your cab.
 
Hi, thanks for answering. About the Art SLA2 bridged: is there a problem that it has 560 Watt and my cab is rated only 240W?.
 
xykhron said:
Hi, thanks for answering. About the Art SLA2 bridged: is there a problem that it has 560 Watt and my cab is rated only 240W?.
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At giging volumes you shouldn't have any issues with hurting your cab, thats not to say that you couldn't the potential is definitely there but more so is the potential with under powering. The basic rule of thumb to equal the head room at volume of a 100 watt tube head you should be running three to four times the wattage with a solid state amp. The main reason for this is to keep the amp from clipping at the volume you want to play at.

The cab you have is rated to 240 Watts and thats probably continuos. So if you don't go over that then your safe and by the time you reach a gig volume even a loud one it would be a good guess that you would have more then enough headroom left and not hurt your cab. Your trying to get a volume that can potentially stand up to a 180 watt tube amp and not clip, this is a bad thing for solid state and is just as bad as pushing too much wattage to the speaker. So in this case it is better to have too much power than not enough and just because you have all that wattage on tap doesn't mean that you use all of it, "headroom at volume" is what your looking for.
 
Sixstring said:
Your trying to get a volume that can potentially stand up to a 180 watt tube amp and not clip, this is a bad thing for solid state and is just as bad as pushing too much wattage to the speaker.
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This is actually a myth. I used to believe the same thing until a few audio engineers explained that it is not the case. I don't know if I can find the source, this was many years ago. Basically a clipping solid state amp is no more harmful than running a square wave. If you are all out clipping a 100 watt amplifier into a 150 watt speaker, you can do it all day long and the speaker will be fine.

Now a 100 watt amp into a 100 watt speaker, you could have problems since the amp may be pushing more than its rated power at that point.
 
unlikely though - its normally rated at its full OP power and CANT push more - hence the clipping.

and you cant damage a speaker from SS clipping, but it depends how hard your pushing the amp. a square wave, and any kind of frequency you can hear which turn on and off fast enough not to damage a speaker through being constantly "on" (ie the speaker coil burning out) BUT a clipping SS amp - if its clipping enough can give much longer periods of "on" and can damage the speaker - it would have to be REALLY badly clipping though - almost to the point where your getting a DC output, so its a mute point really.
 
Take this with a grain of salt but I couldn't stand the Velocity 300. I've been playing guitar since 85' and have owned alot of gear over the years. The Velocity 300 has the record for the quickest I ever boxed up an item and sent it back.

I use an old, used Mosvalve MV-962 power amp that I got for $100. I thought the Velocity 300 would kill it tone-wise but I was wrong. Everything sounded sterile and harsh, no matter how I adjusted settings, etc.

Again, just my opinion. Some folks like it.
 
Tamerz said:
This is actually a myth. I used to believe the same thing until a few audio engineers explained that it is not the case. I don't know if I can find the source, this was many years ago. Basically a clipping solid state amp is no more harmful than running a square wave. If you are all out clipping a 100 watt amplifier into a 150 watt speaker, you can do it all day long and the speaker will be fine.

Now a 100 watt amp into a 100 watt speaker, you could have problems since the amp may be pushing more than its rated power at that point.
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That would be interesting to read up on... As wrong as it sounds it's just seems easer to explain this way. Even if for the sheer fact of it sounding really bad even at a soft clip knowing what he is up against he won't like the SLA's tiny 180 watts of head room.

Ether way the OP is looking for the SLA to compete with the Herbert which could be a possibility if the guy using the Diezel turns down to work in the range of the SLA... lame. In this case I would rather have a little too much and not need it verses not having enough and wished I had it regardless of which amp he goes with.
 
Absolutely. i ran the SAL1 for a year, in bridged mode into my 2x12 cab (its 260w in that config BTW) and it was OK. i was only running against 50w heads though, and it only just kept up when they really wound them up. it isnt the best sounding amp either TBH. i switched it for a valve power amp in the end as it was much nicer, before moving to the Matrix.

Id look around, as Im sure you could score a used Matrix GT800fx for not much more than a new rocktron - and it will be a fair bit better by all accounts (not tried the rocktron myself). its certainly a way better than the Art.
 
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