How many watts should you have when playing with a drummer?

[cephus]

Depending on style, you could need 50. Fifty should be enough for sure. You may be able to get away with 20 (5-watts? Must be one hell of a supper-band), but not across any situation.

For me, the problem isn't drums, it's cymbals. especially hihat. I play alot of rhythm and I definitely need a certain level of attack that can get masked by a hard-hit hihat. If all you play are sustained lead lines, maybe 5 watts will do it, but it's hard to play intricate rhythms without the clarity of juice.

If you are trying to consolidate your equipment and get a smaller amp, you may be able to get away with the 20 or 30 watters out there. But if you want an amp that'll handle more situations, you should really think about 40 or 50 watts. I think 100 watts is mostly unuseable for me, because then it gets into the realm of way-way-way-too-fucking-loud when you finally get the tone you like dialed in.

 

[timboZ]

This is the formula that I use.

For each drum in the kit it is 15 watts.
If it is a Rock size kit add 10 watts

So for a 5 peace rock kit it would be
(5 x 15) + 10 = 85 watts (for a solid state amp. For a tube amp divide by 1.3579)

I am still working on the formula for cymbals.

I'll be back in a few with it.

















OK...this is just a joke....I know some of you think I am serious.

 

[David M]

how many watts is enough to be heard over a drum kit?

Do you really need to ask this or do you just have nothing better to do than start these threads?

 

[marshall.amps]

4.....................................

Your new avatar goes 42 bpm (bounces per minute) your old one went 139 bpm.

 

[TragikRemix]

Your new avatar goes 42 bpm (bounces per minute) your old one went 139 bpm.

yeah doggy man.

marshall here is too young for that! his eyes!

myself on the other hand, am not phased by it. i liked the old one better.

i forget who it is, but their signature is something like, "after years of internet porn, i find i am numb to anything without a giant dildo sticking out of it"

 

[Greg_L]

you dont need any watts. just strum harder.

 

[timboZ]

Whatt, I Cant Hear You.

 

[Greg_L]

1.21 jigowatts.

 

[timboZ]

1.21 jigowatts.

OK, but you will need a flux capacitor. They are very hard to come by, and expensive.

 

[zacanger]

yeah, question. what is it with people not mentioning putting a mic on the amp? get an amp that sounds good, not loud, and mic it.

 

[jonnyc]

OK, but you will need a flux capacitor. They are very hard to come by, and expensive.

Yes but with the new converter you only need garbage to run the amp, not plutonium, unless you like that sound.

 

[zacanger]

time travel?

Yes but with the new converter you only need garbage to run the amp, not plutonium, unless you like that sound.

Cool thing about that is, your sound then travels in time depending on the settings of your knobs. So say you've got the tone scooped with the gain way up and no reverb, very industrial, the music goes forward in time about five years. If you've got a washy, mid-rangy sound, it'll go back to the sixties. It's pretty kickass.