What size power amp do I need for mythis rig?

[mwilson5150]

I use the TL now exclusively and am shopping for fairly affordable but capable power amp with my new setup.
Any advice on how much wattage I'll need in a power amp to play decent size clubs? I have remade an old Marshall cabinet with four Celestion Seventy 80's (80w each @ 8ohms). Had the Tech 21 power engine and LOVED the tone but it didn't have the balls - but they have the Seventy 80's in them which is a full range speaker that's made for processors.
I know that's 320w and want to push them so I can feel them but am a bit new to the power amp/processor thing for live applications. I am considering a two channel with plenty of juice on one side to push the cabinet then use the other channel for keyboard tracks elsewhere so I don't have two amps. Is that a bad idea?

[Racket Scientist]

Not necessarily a bad idea, just an unusual one. I'm assuming you're playing guitar through this setup? In most settings these days the guitar amp is more a tone shaping device and the bulk of the amplification is provided from the PA, at least in medium to large venues. The exception is smaller venues playing high octane metal - there the he-man amps still wail. I rarely use anything more than a 50 watt amp through one 12" speaker, and usually have to use an attenuator on that to keep the sound guy from stroking out. For a 4 X 12 cab I'd be looking for a 50 watt tube head and a venue appropriate to use it in. If you try to push the 320 watt limit with a guitar you're gonna hurt someone (or make someone want to hurt you). I may just not be understanding what you posted.

[mwilson5150]

Racket -thank you for response. I tried to edit my original posting because it was inadequate but I never was give then option - I guess because I'm a noob here.

So yes, I am playing guitar and I am doing all my tone shaping through the TL-ST which is the Vox Tonelab preamp effects pedal/stompbox. THAT's why I cannot go the tube route. You can't send a preamp'ed signal into a tube amp - from my experience - because the tube shapes the sound again which colors it further (and not to anyone's liking).

So yes, you are absolutely correct in that I would shake the foundation and destroy ear drums pushing 320watts of tube power. But that's precisely why I am searching for a PA amp that gives me clean solid state power. And I have been told that the wattage is not directly comparable to a tube amp. So a 300 watt solid state PA may barely push as much as 50watts of tube power??? Anyhow, that is why I am here looking for direction.

I do too much switching between song presets to play through a tube amp - I would have 25 pedals and I have been there and done that and don't want any part of it anymore. Plus the Tonelab is sick on getting better tone anyway. So all I need is the right solid state/rack mounted PA/style amp. I know crown, carvin, qsc all make them but don't have any experience with them.

Does that help clarify what I'm lookin for? Thanks in advance.. again!

[Racket Scientist]

Makes more sense now. Its not that tube watts are louder than solid state watts, but they frequently SOUND louder because you can drive a tube amp into mild distortion and our ears hear it as okay, wheras with solid state the type of distortion that is generated is less acceptable. Also in the mild distortion range the tube amp tends to provide some natural compression, so the mids (where our ears are most sensitive) are accentuated. You're correct that usually a modeler will sound better into a clean amp/speaker rather than into an amp that will further modify the sound. With the setup you describe you should be fine with any clean power amp. Getting a stereo amp would be okay and just use the other channel for another task as you describe, but it might be more straightforward to just get a clean mono bass amp. I'm guessing you play pretty loud (metal?) and are fairly young - so I'd suggest looking for a solid state amp of around 200 watts which should be plenty for anything.