Two preamps in a single chain

[michael-faces]

I started a thread asking about running a bass into a guitar preamp, and I got loads of helpful answers, but its led me onto another question.

Is it possible to run two preamps in a single chain? I don't have two preamps at the moment (second one should be arriving soon), but I'm just curious as to how it would sound, and if its even possible. Would this be a dangerous thing to attempt, and would it result into a catastrophically awful sound? In this case, I'd be running a guitar preamp, into a bass preamp, then into a power amp and a cab.

Please let your thoughts known on this!

Edited August 19, 2010 by michael-faces

[Colledge]

running 2 preamps in a row is fine, infact an active bass is essentially a bass with a built in preamp, so whenever someone runs an active bass into a bass amp, they're using 2 preamps. The only thing you will have to take into consideration is that the gain on the second preamp will be lower than if you where running a passive bass straight into it because the signal coming from the first preamp will be stronger.

[umph]

[quote name='michael-faces' post='929985' date='Aug 19 2010, 04:25 PM']I started a thread asking about running a bass into a guitar preamp, and I got loads of helpful answers, but its led me onto another question.

Is it possible to run two preamps in a single chain? I don't have two preamps at the moment (second one should be arriving soon), but I'm just curious as to how it would sound, and if its even possible. Would this be a dangerous thing to attempt, and would it result into a catastrophically awful sound? In this case, I'd be running a guitar preamp, into a bass preamp, then into a power amp and a cab.

Please let your thoughts known on this![/quote]
personally i'd just run a single preamp no real advantage to running two in a row, there are some disadvantages though such as noise rejection / levels will rise and overall distortion will rise aswell.

What're you trying to achieve? you may be better off looking at pedals if your after distortion.

[michael-faces]

Thanks colledge, you helped a lot on my last question too!

Another quick question, would there be any danger for the second preamp if I was running the first preamp really loud?

[umph]

[quote name='michael-faces' post='930007' date='Aug 19 2010, 04:36 PM']Thanks colledge, you helped a lot on my last question too!

Another quick question, would there be any danger for the second preamp if I was running the first preamp really loud?[/quote]
HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[michael-faces]

Thanks umph. I am after distortion. I'll check out about noise rejection levels now (I'm new to this by the way!)

[michael-faces]

[quote]HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS[/quote]

haha ok i won't be doing that then. Has anyone actually tried this?

[umph]

[quote name='michael-faces' post='930015' date='Aug 19 2010, 04:39 PM']Thanks umph. I am after distortion. I'll check out about noise rejection levels now (I'm new to this by the way!)[/quote]

not as in amp distortion, as in harmonic distortion within the clean signal

didn't mean it'd blow the other preamp up just meant it's quite likely to make the noise levels VERY loud, would result in more clipping to though.

[michael-faces]

Ok. What I was thinking of doing was running the guitar preamp into the bass preamp, so when I wanted a clean sound just turn the guitar preamp off. Then when its on keep the volume low so its adds a guitar like distortion to the clean bassiness of the bass preamp. I'm not sure if that makes sense at all though.

Would a half decent noise reduction pedal remove most of that noise? I could also use a noise gate for when I'm not playing.

[Colledge]

theres some really nice distortion pedals arround or even multi-fx pedals that can emulate a guitar amp / cab.... i think those would be easier, cheaper and better options to be honest.

[michael-faces]

I've tried a few of them, and yeah some are ok. Really looking for a more unique sound though. Also I'm getting this as a spare preamp for my guitar, so I thought I may as well put it to good use on my bass, if I can.

[umph]

[quote name='michael-faces' post='930039' date='Aug 19 2010, 04:57 PM']I've tried a few of them, and yeah some are ok. Really looking for a more unique sound though. Also I'm getting this as a spare preamp for my guitar, so I thought I may as well put it to good use on my bass, if I can.[/quote]
would be better running it into another amp and cab, get a stereo power amp and a cab.

[synaesthesia]

[quote name='michael-faces' post='929985' date='Aug 19 2010, 04:25 PM']I started a thread asking about running a bass into a guitar preamp, and I got loads of helpful answers, but its led me onto another question.

Is it possible to run two preamps in a single chain? I don't have two preamps at the moment (second one should be arriving soon), but I'm just curious as to how it would sound, and if its even possible. Would this be a dangerous thing to attempt, and would it result into a catastrophically awful sound? In this case, I'd be running a guitar preamp, into a bass preamp, then into a power amp and a cab.

Please let your thoughts known on this![/quote]


You would add to your signal to noise ratio in your chain, other than that this is done all the time : each time anyone plugs an active bass into a head, there are two preamps in that chain, each time anyone uses an efx pedal there's another one in the chain.

In terms of sound, what you suggest doing would alter your tone - whether you 'll like it or get what you want ---- you'd have to measure that to your goals.

[Mr. Foxen]

Pretty much going about it all the wrong way. I'm using a guitar preamp and a bass preamp at the moment, run each into separate halves of the power amp, and run different cabs from them. If you put a guitar preamp into a bass one, you don't get guitar and bass sound, you just get guitar sound, since the lows are already gone so the bass pre can't amplify them.