Running Amps Stereo

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jorri
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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by jorri » Thu Mar 23, 2017 11:01 am

for recording i use it a lot. For live i presume that the audience would not hear the stereo image. Unless you simply want a bi-amp or a/b sound, or use it to the advantage of not running through the PA... because at least it would disperse sound more which is most of the PA's job in certain venues, depending on the sound guy...
So IMO it seems to work more as having an a/b box for clean distortion, or whatever variance...or having certain amps fill the job of particular frequencies, kinda like a crossover but not so extreme. Stereo delay and all that would get lost I think. oh and phase issues could be apparent as well which is always one issue.

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by W.L.Weller » Wed Apr 05, 2017 9:11 am

I haven't gigged anywhere with 2 amps, but we do need to set up and break down each week at the warehouse we practice in. I'm totally converted, closed-back 2x12 with an open-back 1x15 perched on top. Sounds beautiful with my Jazzmaster (tuned to D standard) and Dano '63 baritone (tuned to A). Stereo tremolo, RAT/OD-250 just for the solid state 1x15, I love it. It probably wouldn't work well on stage, but it works great in a 4000sf warehouse.

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by Larsongs » Wed Apr 05, 2017 9:27 pm

I just got a Stereo Keeley 30 MS Double Track Foot Pedal. I've been running stereo through my Vox AC15 with Blue & my Princeton Reverb. Wow! What a difference! Sounds fantastic.

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by marqueemoon » Thu Apr 06, 2017 5:30 am

I did for a short while and didn't really find it to be worth the trouble.

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by Larsongs » Fri Apr 07, 2017 5:49 am

marqueemoon wrote:I did for a short while and didn't really find it to be worth the trouble.
I'm liking it in the Studio for Recording.

More stuff than I want to haul around when playing live. If I had a Roadie I would though.....

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by somanytoys » Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:58 am

I can definitely understand it being more trouble than it's worth to have to move them around & play out, but for home/practice room/studio where it stays put for a while, I find it opens up a whole new realm. I think it's especially true when you use differently voiced amps, or even just use different pedals in the chains to each amp. When I deactivate one of the amps, it just doesn't quite sound right, although I can live with it. I dedicate one amp when I loop, and the other I play live into, to keep things fully separated & each guitar sound uncluttered, but other than that, it's always better with both amps going. I haven't really used stereo pedals all that much, but I think that most stereo pedals just sum both inputs together anyway. On my main smaller board, I usually just have one chain and split it at the end, and the amps give different voices to the same feed. It also makes a difference if you can keep the amps as far apart as possible, to get a nice sound separation.

If I started playing out again, I would probably buy 2 smaller combos (I use 30 watt amps now), assuming that they can be mic'd into the PA wherever I am. I think that now I'm beyond bringing anything too nice that I have anywhere to play out, I'd put together a pedalboard with some of my second or third tier pedals and buy a couple of smaller, cheaper combo amps that sound good. I do that with bass already, and to me, in a smaller setting especially, 2 or 3 differently voiced (and pedaled) combo amps sound much better than a single, more powerful stack. You can't beat the feeling of the air movement that a big stack bass amp with an 18" speaker can create, but you can really only use that in so many situations, unless nobody lives around you for quite some distance.

But everyone's taste and experience is different, and there's more than 1 way to skin a cat. Whatever works is good.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by Larsongs » Sat Apr 15, 2017 12:02 pm

somanytoys wrote:I can definitely understand it being more trouble than it's worth to have to move them around & play out, but for home/practice room/studio where it stays put for a while, I find it opens up a whole new realm. I think it's especially true when you use differently voiced amps, or even just use different pedals in the chains to each amp. When I deactivate one of the amps, it just doesn't quite sound right, although I can live with it. I dedicate one amp when I loop, and the other I play live into, to keep things fully separated & each guitar sound uncluttered, but other than that, it's always better with both amps going. I haven't really used stereo pedals all that much, but I think that most stereo pedals just sum both inputs together anyway. On my main smaller board, I usually just have one chain and split it at the end, and the amps give different voices to the same feed. It also makes a difference if you can keep the amps as far apart as possible, to get a nice sound separation.

If I started playing out again, I would probably buy 2 smaller combos (I use 30 watt amps now), assuming that they can be mic'd into the PA wherever I am. I think that now I'm beyond bringing anything too nice that I have anywhere to play out, I'd put together a pedalboard with some of my second or third tier pedals and buy a couple of smaller, cheaper combo amps that sound good. I do that with bass already, and to me, in a smaller setting especially, 2 or 3 differently voiced (and pedaled) combo amps sound much better than a single, more powerful stack. You can't beat the feeling of the air movement that a big stack bass amp with an 18" speaker can create, but you can really only use that in so many situations, unless nobody lives around you for quite some distance.

But everyone's taste and experience is different, and there's more than 1 way to skin a cat. Whatever works is good.
I agree about using in the Studio but not hauling around.

I bought a Keeley 30ms Double Tracker Pedal that I run my Pedals to then the Keeley splits Stereo & I run to my fender Princeton Reverb & my Vox AC15 with Alnico Blue. The sounds that I can get with a few basic Pedals with the Double Tracker running Stereo to both Amps are great.

I'm looking at the FSR Vox AC10C1 with Greenback spkr which would be a good Road Mate to the Princeton if I should ever want to haul 2 small Amps around. Also to use it Solo as well.

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by cestlamort » Sat Apr 15, 2017 1:30 pm

I've had some fun running a bigger Fender and a Pro Jr in stereo (from an ibanez chorus). Fills up the space nicely and the Pro Jr also works great as a guitar monitor. I've used three amps recording (two in stereo, super effected, the third less effected as a sort of "clean" signal).

Worth trying with two amps:
Stereo chorus (!)
Delay (effect / dry)
Pan / ping pong delays are fun, too.

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by InLimbo » Mon Apr 17, 2017 4:37 am

cestlamort wrote:I've had some fun running a bigger Fender and a Pro Jr in stereo (from an ibanez chorus). Fills up the space nicely and the Pro Jr also works great as a guitar monitor. I've used three amps recording (two in stereo, super effected, the third less effected as a sort of "clean" signal).

Worth trying with two amps:
Stereo chorus (!)
Delay (effect / dry)
Pan / ping pong delays are fun, too.
Don't forget stereo reverb!

There's seriously something amazing that happens being in a room with two amps cranked with a pretty wet 3-5 second decay on stereo reverb. The room just completely disappears, swallowed by sound.

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Unicorn Warrior
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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:10 pm

My bandmate and I are speculating on the idea of both running stereo for our guitar rigs. Is there reasons for not doing this?

He and I are both of the persuasion that we don't care how much junk we have to carry around if it makes the sound better. It's likely not necessary, but that is besides the point. Really wanting a JC-120 to pair with my Super Reverb. Most gigs we play probably won't accommodate it. But the ones that do... :shifty:

P.S I've never ran stereo

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by druunkonego » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:46 pm

Right now at home I'm running a 2x12" mesa lone star in stereo with a 2x12" Marshall JCM800. I've got the mesa set clean and hooked up to my pedal board and the Marshall set up dirty. It sounds huge. The big bottom end of the mesa balances out the crunchiness of the Marshall well. But I would never, ever haul all that around myself for a gig... maybe if I had roadies... yeah :D

But in all likeliness I'm probably selling the Marshall soon. I'm currently out of work and need some cash. I've got someone coming to look at it this weekend. :(

It's cool but I'm in the "more trouble than it's worth" camp. Especially for gigs.

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by marqueemoon » Tue Apr 18, 2017 9:13 pm

For recording reamping can be another option if you want to get the sound of multiple amps from a single guitar. Just use a direct box to get a dry guitar signal and send it out to whatever later.

Or you could use an amp sim(s) on your direct track(s) I suppose and blend with the miced amp sound.

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by ToneFerDayz!!1! » Wed Apr 26, 2017 1:29 am

It's also rad to pair a small amp with little head room and a cleaner amp for a thicker sound. An old but good trick.

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by somanytoys » Tue May 02, 2017 3:15 pm

I've recently set up a smaller stereo rig using solid state amps, an old Traynor TS 10 and a newer ZT Lunchbox, mostly for playing when it's too late to use my tube amps. I like it a lot, but if there wasn't a PA to plug them into, I doubt it would be very effective much of anywhere live. But using 2 amps with small, solid state amps still makes a much better sound that they do alone. The surprising thing is that I'm using an older Deluxe Electric Mistress to split the signal to each chain/amp, and I'm having no issues whatsoever with hum or phase inversion. I have no idea if it's the nature of solid state amps or that the DEM was somehow designed to split the signal without any of those issues, but it's nice.

As far as lugging around heavy equipment goes, I know it's nowhere near the same thing as nice tube amps, but instead of carting lots of heavy shit around, those little Quilter pedals seem like they would be really nice, 35 or 45 watts from what looks to be a normal sized pedal. 2 of those on your pedalboard and 2 cabs, sounds easier, anyway.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: Running Amps Stereo

Post by Larsongs » Wed May 10, 2017 1:14 pm

I'm running my Board thru the Keeley 30ms Double Tracker to my Vox AC15CC1X & my Fender Twin & it sounds great. I've been using this setup in the Studio for Recording. No way am I gonna haul it around though.

I've got a RI 65 Princeton Reverb & am waiting for my new FSR Vox AC10C1 with Celestion Greenback to come in & will try that out for Gigs. Fairly small, light, portable Setup yet still powerful enough for small & medium Gigs. We'll see how it works & whether or not it's a big pain in the A$$ to haul around.

Lars

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