Using 2 amps at the same time

[deecue]

Hey everyone,

I'm sure this question has probably been addressed before but I'm new here and thought I'd ask...

Firstly, what benefits would you get out of playing through two head/cab combinations live? Nate Newton from Converge uses an Orange Thunderverb and Orange AD200 heads going into Ampeg 8x10 and Ampeg 4x10 cabs (or it might've been a 2x15, can't remember where I read it) at the same time when he plays live (using a Morley ABY pedal). Just wondered what benefits you'd get.

Secondly, aside from the obvious logistics issue, what problems and restrictions would you face by doing this?

Cheers

Dan

[chris_b]

He'll probably have a clean signal going through one and his effects going through the other. He might also be compensating for a small penis.

[Mr. Foxen]

Downside is having two rigs.

Upside is having two rigs.

Two same or similar rigs is a bit pointless, aside from more is more, louder, more messy. But clean and effected rigs is great, you don't have low end loss from effects and drive mainly.

[deecue]

Having clean and effect was my first thought but there is nothing clean about that bass sound. Found an interview where Nate says he uses the AD200 because it gives him more low end and the Thunderverb because it gives him a more guitar-amp bite and that he doesn't use any effects.

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='deecue' post='1231683' date='May 15 2011, 09:58 AM']Having clean and effect was my first thought but there is nothing clean about that bass sound. Found an interview where Nate says he uses the AD200 because it gives him more low end and the Thunderverb because it gives him a more guitar-amp bite and that he doesn't use any effects.[/quote]

The low end is the clean part. Distorting low end tends to make it not low end any more.

[deecue]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='1231688' date='May 15 2011, 10:02 AM']The low end is the clean part. Distorting low end tends to make it not low end any more.[/quote]

Yeah, that was kinda my point.

So the moral of the story appears to be, if you want a clean and distorted (or effect) sound then using two amps is sweet. Otherwise it just makes you louder and messier.

Well that answered my question nicely! Thanks!

[rmshaw37]

Trouble is if you don't eq them differently, I scoop out the frequencies that my drive channel uses on the clean.

I wouldn't want to cart around 2 heavy heads, I use 2 sansamps, and it fits nicely into a (reasonably) light 6u rack.

The trouble is if you roll up to a gig with one borrowed bass cab, I just stick the clean through it cause I like to feel my low end!

[victor5string]

[quote name='rmshaw37' post='1231703' date='May 15 2011, 10:16 AM']Trouble is if you don't eq them differently, I scoop out the frequencies that my drive channel uses on the clean.

I wouldn't want to cart around 2 heavy heads, I use 2 sansamps, and it fits nicely into a (reasonably) light 6u rack.

The trouble is if you roll up to a gig with one borrowed bass cab, I just stick the clean through it cause I like to feel my low end![/quote]
Could someone explain to me how this setup works, sounds like an easier way of having the two rig thing.

[Mr. Foxen]

Handy thing about having a dirt rig that doesn't worry about lows is you can use guitar cabs, so on the shared gear gigs, you can use the second guitar cab, assuming you aren't running two guitars and distorted bass, which is definitely heading messwards.

One incarnation of my dual rig had a pair of preamps and a stereo power amp. Is pretty much having two amps in one box. I decided to go for the valve power section on the drive though.

[ThomBassmonkey]

[quote name='victor5string' post='1231776' date='May 15 2011, 11:17 AM']Could someone explain to me how this setup works, sounds like an easier way of having the two rig thing.[/quote]

Rob (Rmshaw) uses two Sansamp rack mounted preamps (RBI and RMP iirc) and a rack mounted 2 channel power amp. One of the Sansamps feeds one channel of the poweramp which goes to one of his cabs. The other Sansamp feeds the other channel into another cab.

Since he's only using one poweramp, it's much more convenient than having two separate heads as that's where most of the weight and size is with a head.

It sounds lovely too.

[rmshaw37]

I feel it's the ultimate in flexibility! The only thing I feel I'm missing to get ANY tone would be a graphic eq on them both, but that's just getting silly now isn't it! Lol

John entwistle (I think) ran a guitar distortion for top, and just straight DI to a PA eq section to exact the bass end.
For me, the sansamp rpm is plenty fat enough anyway, as long as the blend is no more than half way!

I am however, one of these bass players that will never be happy without a 15" driver for the bass end!

I tried the guitar head and cab thing, but I much prefer the RBI into a sealed 10s cab

[Mr. Foxen]

Those things Umph has just put up for sale would be most of an awesome dual amp rig. Just need a bottomy cab, and you are good to go.