You guys with your VH4s can you answer a few questions?

[jonl]

So I may end up with a VH4s but I am confused about a few things.
So do I need to ether buy a Stereo cab or run 2 cabs with it?

Could I run it with a Mesa oversized cab? It doesn't seem that its a stereo cab.

I guess I am a bit confused on the stereo deal.

 

[cardinal]

You can run a single side by putting a load box on the unused side or just turning the master volume all the way down on the unused side. It's a $4k amp, so I personally would not use the latter approach.

You can run each side to half a stereo cab. It's easy to rewire a Mesa cab to stereo (or Mesa will sell you the jack plate from the Roadking cabs, which are stereo). I did that for a bit, but didn't like it. I gained a lot of punch and thump when I switched to running two separate cabs. Maybe some undesirable phasing problem when all of the speakers are in the same box, but not sure. Plus spreading the two cabs sounds huge. If you're keeping your other VH4, you can run a ridiculous wet/dry/wet setup if you run three cabs.

The cabs don't have to be huge. I'm currently using just a pair of Diezel closed-back, ported 1x12s and it's just a wall of sound. But I won't be winning any manly man competitions with my rig, I suppose.

 

[jonl]

You can run a single side by putting a load box on the unused side or just turning the master volume all the way down on the unused side. It's a $4k amp, so I personally would not use the latter approach.

You can run each side to half a stereo cab. It's easy to rewire a Mesa cab to stereo (or Mesa will sell you the jack plate from the Roadking cabs, which are stereo). I did that for a bit, but didn't like it. I gained a lot of punch and thump when I switched to running two separate cabs. Maybe some undesirable phasing problem when all of the speakers are in the same box, but not sure. Plus spreading the two cabs sounds huge. If you're keeping your other VH4, you can run a ridiculous wet/dry/wet setup if you run three cabs.

The cabs don't have to be huge. I'm currently using just a pair of Diezel closed-back, ported 1x12s and it's just a wall of sound. But I won't be winning any manly man competitions with my rig, I suppose.

Cool! It's time for a pic of your rig

I have 2-4x12 mesa cabs and the brunetti 2x12 cab. I guess I could use the brunetti and 1 4x12 with the vh4s (if I end up with the VH4s that is)

Thanks dude

 

[Ventura]

You can run a single side by putting a load box on the unused side or just turning the master volume all the way down on the unused side. It's a $4k amp, so I personally would not use the latter approach.

You can run each side to half a stereo cab. It's easy to rewire a Mesa cab to stereo (or Mesa will sell you the jack plate from the Roadking cabs, which are stereo). I did that for a bit, but didn't like it. I gained a lot of punch and thump when I switched to running two separate cabs. Maybe some undesirable phasing problem when all of the speakers are in the same box, but not sure. Plus spreading the two cabs sounds huge. If you're keeping your other VH4, you can run a ridiculous wet/dry/wet setup if you run three cabs.

The cabs don't have to be huge. I'm currently using just a pair of Diezel closed-back, ported 1x12s and it's just a wall of sound. But I won't be winning any manly man competitions with my rig, I suppose.

Cool! It's time for a pic of your rig

I have 2-4x12 mesa cabs and the brunetti 2x12 cab. I guess I could use the brunetti and 1 4x12 with the vh4s (if I end up with the VH4s that is)

Thanks dude

Use two cabs. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what the impedance of the cabs are because there are various different outputs on the rear of the VH4S. It always always always irks me when someone owns a stereo amp, yet, run it only into one cab with "zero" output on the opposite side. Bottom line is - it doesn't take much to screw up and throw the volume on and next thing you know, the OT is fried.

If you've got a number of various cabs, sure thing man, USE THEM. No sweat and your ears will thank you for it!!!!

FOR THE RECORD: I have had several Diezel amps come and go in my life. 2 years ago I sold one of my MINT, relatively NEW (2009) VH4S amps to a guy on the East Coast. THE DAY HE GOT IT - he only used 1 output, 1 cab, and blew his OT in seconds. Imagine. Off to Schroeders it went, and that put a damper on an already expensive amp... Just sayin'.

The VH4S is off the hook when you hear it really do its thing - which is - WALL OF SOUND!!!

Good luck, let us know how it plays out when it arrives

Uncle Mo

 

[jonl]

What is OT?

 

[cardinal]

Output transformer. It'll burn up without a load connected if the master volume is anything other than completely off.

 

[gibson08]

Yep, Stereo cab or 2 separate cabs, I bet that will sound pretty massive thru 2 Recto cabs

 

[rockridge98]

Can't beat 2 cabs. I run mine with a single old-style Diezel 2x12 in stereo. Sounds great in the studio, but using
chorus or stereo delay I lose the stereo effect on stage.

 

[jonl]

Can't beat 2 cabs. I run mine with a single old-style Diezel 2x12 in stereo. Sounds great in the studio, but using
chorus or stereo delay I lose the stereo effect on stage.

If you wanna go back to mono let me know, I have a herbert up for trade

 

[jonl]

Wait, can't I run a VH4s into this cab alone? 50watts into one 4ohms and the other 50 watts into the other 4ohms?

It says Stereo

 

[cardinal]

Yes: looks like you could run each side of the VH4S to each side of that cab at 4 ohms.

 

[jonl]

Can anyone confirm this? Would that make the left speakers of the 4x12 run off 50 watts or and the other side run of 50 watts? Or would it be x pattern into the speakers?
Also want to make sure it's safe to run vh4s stereo into the cab?

 

[Nodnarb25]

Yes. Absolutely. Run each side of the amp into one of the 4 ohm stereo inputs. I use the stereo capabilities of 4x12 cabs ALL the time.

 

[Nodnarb25]

Oh yeah... Forgot to tell you. It would send 50 watts to the left 2 speakers and 50 to the right 2.

 

[steve_k]

Can anyone confirm this? Would that make the left speakers of the 4x12 run off 50 watts or and the other side run of 50 watts? Or would it be x pattern into the speakers?
Also want to make sure it's safe to run vh4s stereo into the cab?

That's what the cabinet is set up for.....stereo or mono input. For your VH4S, plug both 4 ohm outputs on the amp into the 2-4ohm inputs. With V30's, you have 120 watts of speaker on each side of the amp. The Recto's are split side/side from the factory to give you a R/L stereo affect.

Did you buy the cab new? You got to make sure someone (like me) hasn't jacked with it if you bought it used. If you have an ohm meter, get two speaker cables and plug them into both of the 4 ohm speaker inputs at the same time and measure the ohm reading tip to sleeve and repeat with the other. You should get 3.5-4 ohms from each cable measurement. If so, you are good to go.

Steve

 

[jonl]

Can anyone confirm this? Would that make the left speakers of the 4x12 run off 50 watts or and the other side run of 50 watts? Or would it be x pattern into the speakers?
Also want to make sure it's safe to run vh4s stereo into the cab?

That's what the cabinet is set up for.....stereo or mono input. For your VH4S, plug both 4 ohm outputs on the amp into the 2-4ohm inputs. With V30's, you have 120 watts of speaker on each side of the amp. The Recto's are split side/side from the factory to give you a R/L stereo affect.

Did you buy the cab new? You got to make sure someone (like me) hasn't jacked with it if you bought it used. If you have an ohm meter, get two speaker cables and plug them into both of the 4 ohm speaker inputs at the same time and measure the ohm reading tip to sleeve and repeat with the other. You should get 3.5-4 ohms from each cable measurement. If so, you are good to go.

Steve

Thanks so much for this post!