Powered Head with 4 x 12 cab = No volume power

  • I got my stereo 4 x 12 Line 6 cab from the attic again and connected it to my powered head. From Direct Output and Monitor Output directly into the cab. Everything according to the rules: every Output is set to a max of -12dB .

    But the radio in my study goes louder than this...! I get no real volume! And I mean for just playing rhythm parts. Soloing not to mention in this setting....Absolutely no option for using on stage.

    Do I need an extra power amp or do I overlook something?



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  • The -12dB rule is for feeding mixing desk inputs.

    There's no such thing for cabs.

    Turn it up.

  • Are you using the speaker output (red output, top left) ?
    That is the one to use to connect a cabinet

    No, I usually use the MonitorOutput and the Direct Output through a mixer and then to 2 powered monitors. This is for stereo reasons. But without the mixer and the powered monitors this is obviously not possible. It's a Powered Head but I'm surely think wrong to connect a (4x12) cab to these outputs (like a Marshall Head to a 4x12 cab)...

    So back to the red Monitor Output and leave the mixer and the rest... and also no 4x12 cab because I only can use one speaker side of a stereo cab... That means that I even can't use my stereo Engl E 212 VH Vintage 30 cab...

  • Line outputs aren't going to give you any volume, I'd suggest make sure you understand what your doing before you start plugging speaker leads into random jacks, you'll end up damaging an expensive piece of equipment

  • Both cabs should have a mono mode where you only connect 1 speaker cable and still all speakers are active.

    So I need the Red Speaker output. But what if I use an Y splitter like Paults suggests? Can I use one of these splitters (the stereo or the mono type?) and still connect 2 speaker cables to L and R on both cabs?

    And then having better stage control volume by volume pedal as well by unlinking Monitor?


    See picture


  • Thank you for the pictures.

    Your cabinet switches are set correctly for what you want to do, as pictured.
    And, you do not need a Y splitter cable.

    the ENGL is 8 ohms mono.
    the Line 6 is 8 ohms mono.


    Connect one speaker cable from the Red Output of the Profiler to the Input of the ENGL.


    Connect one speaker cable from the THRU output of the ENGL to the LEFT/MONO input of the Line 6.


    Done :)

  • Not sure what'd going on here.. You go out of the red speaker output jack (..with a normal speaker cable) right into your 412. Switch 412 to mono, or plug into the default mono input. Should be able to get way too loud real quick. I rum my powerhead into my recto 412, play with another guitar player using Boogie MKIV thru a recto cab as well. No problem with being loud enough with tons of room to spare. There is no way to run stereo out of the peaker of the powerhead, it is only a mono signal. For stereo, you have to gou out of the main outs into a stereo power amp or into a PA. This is fact. There has never been a stereo speaker out. This is simply there to allow the player to have a monitor/speaker that pushes some air separate from the stereo main outs. Hope this helps.

  • OK, but I notice one mistake. When on stage I go FOH through 2 mains out and directly in 2 inputs on mixer. So this is stereo.

    I get my other stereo on stage for monitoring by using Direct Out and Monitor Out on my Powerhead, fed by 2 powered monitors

    The profiler's screen then shows clearly stereo!

    Not sure if this also works with two unpowered cabs because lack of volume.

  • The monitor outputs are line level. Passive speaker cabinets must only be plugged in to the red speaker output.


    There is more than enough volume there to potentially damage your hearing


    Are you sure you understand what line level is?

  • Just a quick word of warning. The little Y splitters you showed earlier are almost certainly not suitable for use with a speaker output level signal. They are probably lower quality connections than a regular guitar speaker. I would definitely NOT risk using those on a speaker out. If you really must split the signal, hard wire a pair of speaker cables to a single plug.

  • OK, but I notice one mistake. When on stage I go FOH through 2 mains out and directly in 2 inputs on mixer. So this is stereo.

    I get my other stereo on stage for monitoring by using Direct Out and Monitor Out on my Powerhead, fed by 2 powered monitors

    The profiler's screen then shows clearly stereo!

    Not sure if this also works with two unpowered cabs because lack of volume.

    Any guitar singal needs amplification.


    Line level outs CANNOT be used to run unpowered cabs. You will get no volume.


    As the poweramp only has mono output, if you want stereo on stage ( which personally I think is a waste of time) then you must use powered cabs.

  • OK, but I notice one mistake. When on stage I go FOH through 2 mains out and directly in 2 inputs on mixer. So this is stereo.

    I get my other stereo on stage for monitoring by using Direct Out and Monitor Out on my Powerhead, fed by 2 powered monitors

    The profiler's screen then shows clearly stereo!

    Not sure if this also works with two unpowered cabs because lack of volume.

    The speaker out is most definitley NOT stereo...under any circumstance, or how many cabs you run off of it ot daisy chain. Your screen will always show stereo, but the true signal going to the speaker is mono. ...As all of the other users are saying on here.