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What kind of Power Amp do I need?

What kind of Power Amp do I need?

wingo033

16 years ago

ok, i never understood much about what kind of amps i need to power my stuff. i'm buyin some new gear and i wanted to see if anyone could help me out.
i'm buyin this :
2 Peavey PV 215 Speaker Cabs - 700W RMS, 1400W Peak (Each)
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Peavey-PV-215-Dual-15--2-Way-Speaker-Cabinet-104005137-i1152988.gc
3 Peavey 12M 12 Floor Monitors - 500W RMS, 1000W Peak (Each)
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Peavey-PV-12M-12--Floor-Monitor-104005186-i1153009.gc
2 Peavey PV 118 Subwoofers - 400W Program (8 Ohms) (Each)
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Peavey-PV-118-Single-18--Subwoofer-104006333-i1152966.gc
What and how many amps do I need to efficiently power all of this?
Thanks

April 25, 2008 @05:36pm

Cory Cooper

16 years ago

General rule of thumb for power:
1.5 to 2 times the RMS/continuous rating of the cabs
Give you plenty of power, helps prevent clipping/distortion, provides plenty of headroom for peaks, etc. It's MUCH easier to damage speakers with too little power than too much.
C

April 26, 2008 @10:58am

wingo033

16 years ago

ok..so lets add this up
1400watts x 2
1000watts x 3
800watts x 2
-------------------
total = 7400watts
isn't that going to be alot of amps? lol thats a load of money
am i right on this?

April 26, 2008 @05:46pm

Cory Cooper

16 years ago

Yes...four amps and lots of money. That would be the proper matching for best results. Peavey's whitepaper PDF: How Much Power For My Speakers conservatively states to run amps that equal the continuous rating or slightly lower. Real-world sound reinforcement pros will give you the 1.5-2x figures I mentioned.
PV(R) 215 - single 2 channel amp at 1000-1400W/ch
PV 12M - two 2 channel amps at 750-1000W/ch
PV(R) 118 - single 2 channel amp at 600-800W/ch
What kind of music are you running?

April 27, 2008 @01:37am

wingo033

16 years ago

rock music..classic rock and heavier rock too
does anyone know any "good bang for the buck" power amps?

April 27, 2008 @05:55am

Dave H.

15 years ago

I like the Peavey PV series. I have 2 of the 1500's & want to get 2 more.

May 13, 2008 @12:54am

Bugzie

13 years ago

Actually the cost of amps has dropped significantly over the years. I'd look at Peavey's new IPR series. Very reasonable prices. Not sure if the 3000 has been released yet. Your Sweetwater rep should have more info on the release date. Also keep in mind that the closer to the peak rating the more chance to do damage to a speaker. It doesn't take long to burn a voice coil in a tweeter. For longevity of a box it may be advisable to power close to the RMS rating. Underpowering a box doesn't increase the chances of doing damage unless you are constantly pushing the amp into clipping. Thats where people get into trouble."Not enough rig for the gig" as they say. Most amps today have a decent limiter built in to guard against damage. But even limiters aren't foolproof. Those little clip lights flash red for a reason.

September 10, 2010 @02:17pm