Small amp stereo/dual mono suggestions

[Dahveeeeed]

I have gotten interested in dual amps recently. I’m not sure if it’s technically dual mono or stereo but it’s a simple set up. One guitar to my TC Electronics multi board and then out stereo to a 68 Vibro Champ and a 007 Bassbreaker. One has high mids and is sparkly the other is low mids and quite flat. Both inputs go straight in to the front of the amp as there is no FX Loop and both amps are set up in different corners of the room. It blows my mind how huge it sounds. With stereo chorus and reverse pingpong delays it sounds so trippy. I have neighbours so it’s convenient to plug one amp out later in the evening. I feel that two small amps are better than one big one. It feels very loud and is a really easy set up.

My question is has anyone else tried this dual setup and if so have you any recommendations for amp pairings or interesting fx combos? I love the Vibro Champ but could take or leave the Bassbreaker. My logic is that the bassy sound offsets the sparkly Vibro Champ tone.

 

[Peegoo]

@Dahveeeeed There are lots of options here, and you hit the nail on the head regarding getting the 'good stuff' from two amps at the same time.

Many pros use multiple amps simultaneously in the studio, with each amp mic'd or DI'd to its own track. This provides options during mixdown because there are different tones available from each take, without having to EQ 'em.

Many pros also use this trick when playing live too, but very few run a true stereo mix. Most all send the multiple amps to a mono mix because stereo in a live situation provides good sound only for the audience members front/center stage. Anyone seated left or right would predominantly get only one side of the stereo split.

Ping-pong delays sound cool through stereo, but the real magic happens when running a stereo chorus, flanger, or Leslie/rotary pedal. It's nowhere near as good as an actual rotating speaker, but it's a better effect than a mono "Leslie" signal.

Another cool effect is having a 'verb on one side and a dry delay on the other. It makes the sound really W I D E. If you're a wah freak, this trick sound really good. Listen to the first two Van Halen rekkidz with headphones and you'll hear lots of stuff like this.

Experiment! It's a whole lot of fun.

And welcome to the TDPRI.

 

[Snfoilhat]

I think you're onto something with the two-amp setup feeling loud even if the total volume in the room isn't all that high -- I think they could benefit from what you've got to say in the "when my amp's too loud thread"

I recorded at home recently with a two amp setup:

A 15 watt amp on the left, a 7 watt amp on the right, and a 5 watt amp in the foreground pitching in as a mic stand

Peegoo's simultaneous micing and recording of both sides to separate tracks is the next thing I want to learn to do

 

[redhouse_ca]

I'd love to hear a recording of that with a quality omnidirectional mic. The way you describe it sounds awesome.

 

[Brent Hutto]

I use stereo Katanas specifically because it can make a more pleasing sound at low volume than a single amp and speaker can do. When I play through two amps in stereo it sounds pretty full at a combined SPL around 70dB. Just one amp sounds puny at even 75dB.

 

[redhouse_ca]

I think you're onto something with the two-amp setup feeling loud even if the total volume in the room isn't all that high -- I think they could benefit from what you've got to say in the "when my amp's too loud thread"

I recorded at home recently with a two amp setup:
View attachment 1081749
A 15 watt amp on the left, a 7 watt amp on the right, and a 5 watt amp in the foreground pitching in as a mic stand

Peegoo's simultaneous micing and recording of both sides to separate tracks is the next thing I want to learn to do

If I understand what you want to try and do, one hack that might be fun is to use an FFT plug in for a daw like Span by Voxango. Man I love that software. Sample and then split up the waveform and put it on another track. I never tried it but it might be do-able.

The guy who made that is awesome for releasing a free version.

 

[Big Twang Theory]

I've become very enamored with using two amps as well. Once I tried it, going back to one is always a let. Just love how blending two different sounding amps makes the perfect (for me) sound. I usually mix a black panel type Fender (deluxe or princeton) with something tweed.

If you are looking for another amp to mix in, I'd suggest a tweed champ. On their own, I'm not really a fan, but mixed with the princeton it's amazing. I put a really efficient 10" speaker in mine so it gets close enough volume wise to the princeton.

As far as cool effects to try with your setup, I'd highly recommend tremolo, especially harmonic tremolo. I use it through one amp only. But you could swear it's coming through both amps. Really cool sound!

 

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi.

the real magic happens when running a stereo chorus, flanger, or Leslie/rotary pedal. It's nowhere near as good as an actual rotating speaker, but it's a better effect than a mono "Leslie" signal.

I did this for the first time about a month ago. Took my Pinwheel ‘rotary’ pedal and stuck it last, one out to a Twin and the other to a JC120.

Flippin heck, sounded totally, big, full and swirly all around the room, ace.

But also introduced other issues. I’ll need a better power supply if I want to keep doing this.

Pax/
Dean

 

[stratoman1]

I use a Mesa Mark V 25 with a Hughes and Kettner Tubemiester 36 in my living room. My spare room has Mesa Rectoverb 25/10 with a Blackstar HT20 MKII. The Blackstar will be replaced with a HK Grandmiester 40 in a couple of months though And yes, they sound pretty darned good

 

[Dostradamas]

It is a shame I am in a 10 x 16 room.
AB/Y pedal
Tremolo clean Excelsior
American sound with a bit o dirt and echo on the Special 6 through an open back 12

I doubt I would mess with it playing out but for my pleasure a blend of contrast is always best

 

[Refugee]

I like using one amp that has a SS rectifier. Second amp should have 1 or 2 tube rectifiers (gz34). The object is to have it take a few milliseconds of difference between the preamps. Makes the stereo spread even bigger.

 

[thoughtso51]

I kept two amps when purging excess gear and I'm glad I did. My stereo setup uses an Orange crush 35RT and a Vox VT40x. Both amps have 10" speakers. The one thing I found important was to start by playing one amp at a time (kill volume on the other) to match the volume level on both amps. The stereo pedals just get routed to each amp's input in a chain setup, with a mono compressor pedal in the front of the chain. I run the Orange clean and the Vox on the Dumble OD setting. The results are pretty pleasing. (no distortion pedal is used in this setup).

 

[philosofriend]

I've done experiments with a bass guitar (temporarily) wired so that each of the two pickups feed its own amplifier. The sonic results were amazingly three dimensional and full in the room, not to mention fat and loud. One amp plus one amp seems to make as much sound as three amps.

Bootsy Collin's star bass has three pickups, each one feeding its own bank of amplifiers.

Gibson liked the sound of this setup enough to sell lots of semi-hollowbodies factory wired so that each pickup could feed its own amp. This was released in 1958 but petered out as the practical problem of carrying two amps to the gig outweighed the sonic benefits. These guitars also had the somewhat confusing varitone tone control that added yet another mysterious knob the guitar.

Gibson made a stereo amp with the two speakers angled away from each other. They couldn't sell many. Roland found a practical stereo configuration with the Jazz Chorus amp that takes a mono feed, sending a straight signal to one speaker and a chorused signal to the other.

I have a 1964 Gibson 160-e which is an acoustic guitar with a p-90 pickup. The Beatles had two of these. The guitar is stiffly ladder-braced and has a beautiful sound with restricted bass output which helps a bit with the feedback problem. I've had good stereo recording results with sending the p-90 hard to one speaker and having a microphone in front of the guitar in the opposite speaker. It doesn't sound like stereo as much as it sounds like two different guitars miraculously playing together.