Adding distorsion trough a preamp is not helping also. They add to the clipped signal and you get burned voice coils.

Alway run your rig with at least 3-4db headroom.

From your other post i can conclude that you dont have enough rig for the gig you want to do.

Try distorting the sound BEFORE it gets to the amplifier stage. Are you analogue or digital on your control side? If analogue maybe get an old 160 or something and try that out on your sub frequency band?

Valve preamp.

See my other post...

  Musical Fidelity made a stereo valve line buffer many moons ago. Since then there have been a raft of Chinese knockoffs available for not much monies. They are unbalanced though, but I imagine if you overload it slightly you might get a similar sound!

  

Mightymaximo,

Or expect to be flooded with comments from Reggae Sound System haters/those who don't get Reggae Sounds systems, but think they are experts.

MightyMaximo, 

Would suggest, you only listen to guys, who are already running Reggae Soundsystems, with Scoops, and have tried various drivers, with different sub amps, sometimes in bridge.

Have already read much biased info in this thread, that is just plain wrong.

Please define the model of Scoops you are using, and I'll suggest drivers, that will do what you need, in bridge on CA18.

Please be aware, CA18 must be on very stiff mains, to fully perform, without premature clipping.

You only listen

If you want more, you need more boxes not power into the ones you got. If you want to change or colour the sound to your own taste do that before it gets to the amplifier. 

My experience of ownership was, the anp is a completely different beast on saggy mains, as opposed to on a single leg, of 3ph supply/genset.

Just like Crest 9001/QSC PL380.

Pretty much any transistor based distortion will be square wave, doesn't matter if that's before the power amp or by the power amp. Square waves will over heat any driver, even if powered by a fairly low power amp. You find better results if the signal gently turns into a saw tooth wave. Valve amps do this party because of the output transformer saturation and the way the valves clip. Turning any transistor based system into the red to get the sound you want just costs you loads of money in repair and finishes sessions early. However big valve amps also are notorious for finishing sessions early. 

"Bwoy, dance finish because valve amp a bust again cha!!"

Does not sound good I agree

If you don't like this sound, is it likely you'd enjoy the op's sound given their description of what they do to get the sound they want. Its s very niche thing we try to achieve. 

I mentioned earlier in this thread (and the original), the OP, should only consider advice from people, who have experience of running Scoop Reggae systems, and also bridging amps.

Not all amps clip/redline, wholly due to the input signal being too hot, and not all amps square wave and burn voice coils, when they clip.

Those with sufficient  experience of various drivers, cabs, amps playing Dub Reggae will know this.

I'll wheel out, this old chestnut again.
(Video filmed by fellow Speaker plans member)

Back in the 2013 glory days of Golden Palace Soundcheck, in NE London.

Video taken of set I brought, along with some illustrious mates assisting.

My Lev .44 Scoops, 3rd outing,  loaded with UK made PD1852 prototypes, provided by "Kutty QSS Qualitex", Ren "APS" at the controls.

I had heard these drivers in other Scoops, seen the T/S Parameters, so drew up plan, "optimized" for these new drivers.

As it was a "sound check", for a while the bass section was powered by pair of bridged QSC RMX 5050s, for a while, single Powersoft K20.

Mains supply was 1x leg of 3phase 64A supply, and boy, was it rigid.

During certain bass notes, the current draw was approx 34A @ 240V, the engineers amongst you can deduce,  the approx peak power going to the subs, at times.

Was told the sub that night: 

No drivers blown, another sound there, blew drivers trying to keep up.

Another example, of when mains supply is right, and cabs, drivers, sub bass pre-amp, knowledgeable engineer, are in harmony.

Much of the above, is what OP is looking for, much of it will be un-acceptable to some. 

I believe the new sage and also the bass module by JB also have a similar function as does the forthcoming preamp by abzu 

These are basically overdrive circuits in the preamp.

Then adjust amplifier sensitivity downward to accomodatw hot signal.

Amplifier amplifies anything coming in by a fixed amount, say 32x for example.

So if signal going in hotter and with added harmonic distortion, amp sens can be attenuated to match and allow proper gain stage with optimal signal to noise ratio

Josh 

thats what  ya need