Ok so i watching this video (not metal i no) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFQG...related&search= and they are using small fender reverbs with microhphnes close to them and they are playing a large concert and its sounds loud enough.

so my qustion is why do metal bands use half stacks and lots of cabinets?

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Depends on the scenario. In small venues where miking amps would be overkill or totally useless half stacks provide each member a monitor of themselves AND voicing their part to the crowd. In most or common miking scenarios the half stack provides the individual player a monitor of their own guitar sound, while the mike projects the sound to the crowd in a more controlled balanced way. Also by using a half stack it alleviates alot of strain of miking something that isn't nearly as loud as it relates to the pa system. In other words, if you were to have a small amp that doesn't put out nearly as much volume you would need to amplify the miked signal greatly for everyone in the band to hear, whereas with a half stack you only have to slightly mike it in order to raise monitor volumes of guitars only slightly enough to be heard by all band members.

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fender twins are still 100w with 2x12", so it's not like they aren't loud. it's just a different kind of sound. the more distortion and muddier your tone, the harder it is to hear in the mix (hence a wall of speakers).

theres also the physical presence of a wall. you can feel the sound pressure. and that gives a certain feel to things.

fender twins are loud as fuck.

anyways, Have you ever thought that some amps only come as a halfstack? Also, an amp separated from speakers is alot easier to carry than when they are attached.

They were invented as a result of arena bands. Music use to be played only in clubs with the Beatles and stuff, and then jimi hendrix, the who and zeppelin and people needed more volume because they would play in MUCH larger venues, Woodstock being an example. So makers like Matamp, Sunn, Marshall, Hiwatt and Sound City made stackable amps. (sunn started as home built 100w bass amps because guitar amps were getting so big that they overpowered the bassists.) But all these companies made bigger shit because the amps of the days were Vox AC30's and fenders combos, which were only designed with clean tone in mind, and people liked the 'dirt' they could get from other amps, which today we call distortion

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because it looks cooler... duh

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Considering the vast majority of venues that extreme metal bands get to play at these days, full stacks and even half stacks are pretty much just for image, not really necessary.

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just think some technical death metal band using a little fender combo with 1 12" speaker hahah.

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Haha well maybe not a Fender unless he's using an assortment of OD/dist pedals, but yeah it's very possible to do an unmiced gig with a 1x12 combo if it's loud enough and it's not a 5000 people venue. Eg: 50/60W tube. People who say the need fullstacks for gigs are just dick swingers.

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I know right i played outside with a half stack and no miking of any gear and it was just fine.

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To look cool

Larger cabs generaly produce more bottom end [excluding cabs like the g-flex] and while the guitar dosen't have to rumble like a bass, I'd say that low end from the guitar is a big part of the metal sound [chuggy palm mutes etc] while other styles don't use that syle of playing so don't require that sort of sound.

+ 1 on the calls about it being easier to move a head and a cab by them selves vs a 2x12 tube combo.

But that's just my 2 cents.

Some bands might have a wall of lets say 12 marshall cabs but maby only 2 or even one is only hooked up and the rest dont even have speakers.

yeah that's a bit of over kill sound wise. But if you're paying to go see some big international act you're not just paying for the music, I mean hell it's normaly cheaper to go out and buy an album or two, but you're paying for the preformance and all the extras ... like having 10 more cabs than you really need

i like multiple cabs because you can mix up the speakers. My dream is to have a 4x12 with manowars and v30's, and a 2x15 with eminences, have to decide on which though... probably kappa's.

The whole zakk wylde dealio is pointless though. Vintage jcm 800 w/6550's with volume at full hooked into a full stack with Greenbacks miced back stage... and then 30 or so empty cabs on stage? It looks retarded. I'll stick to a big purple electric amp fullstack.

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