Running Bass in Stereo

[gotbass1228]

My current rig:

Hartke LH1000
Sansamp RBI
DBX Comp
Tuner
Power
Ampeg 8x10

I have always heard that Geddy Lee ran in stereo in Rush's earlier years. What are the benefits of playing in stereo. I wouldn't even begin to have an idea of how to run my equipment like that.

[yougotbrizzled]

Probably not exactly what you're looking for but scroll down to the bottom and read the paragraph titled effects

Too Much Is Never Enough: Muse

[yougotbrizzled]

Oh and also I personally tried stereo bass during recording and it sounded weak. Dont know much about it so that's probably why lol

[gotbass1228]

Thanks for the replies! Any more info would be great!

[ajota_di]

If you're playing venues that have a pa system with subs.... Then you're in stereo, most likely. Otherwise you would need another cab/poweramp.

[TapyTap]

I just happened to remember this post: The Knuckle Quake 39.5" Scale Bass Thread

[gotbass1228]

So any way I do this, I will need two power amps? How would I go about splitting my 2 channels from my 2 pickups?

[ajota_di]

Yes, or one stereo poweramp (they have them for pa systems). You'll also need another cab. What are you trying to accomplish soundwise?

[Rick Auricchio]

In most venues, stereo (even from a PA) is not worthwhile. As soon as you get people listening from off-center positions, they only hear the nearer speaker. This pretty much makes stereo worse than mono.

In a concert-hall situation, for example, being several seats off-center tends to wreck the stereo image almost completely. In a club, with people moving around, things are even worse for them. As they move, the image changes...not usually what you want.

[I<34080]

Geddy used his Rickenbacker stereo so he could send a bass heavy signal from the neck pickup and a real bright signal from his bridge pick up. He then ran DI from the amp connected to the neck, and mic'd the cab that his bridge pup ran into.

You could run into an A/B/Y box that splits your signal where you could run one into your LH1000, which would then hookup into one of the 410s of your 810, and the other into your Sansamp+poweramp into the other 410 on your 810.

[Calaverasgrande]

In most of my sound reinforcement experience we did not run the pa stereo ever. Not in the clubs, in the outdoor venues etc. The only time I ever hooked up a PA to be stereo was when I was renting a system to a DJ. In those instances you want stereo because the DJ's will notice if the intro to their favorite floor mover doesnt have that ping pong delay.
There is also that running stereo bass amps/cabs too far apart will wreak havoc with the low end. Total phase issues. Run them too close together and you get no stereo effect.

[zaubertuba]

Originally Posted by gotbass1228

My current rig:

Hartke LH1000
Sansamp RBI
DBX Comp
Tuner
Power
Ampeg 8x10

I have always heard that Geddy Lee ran in stereo in Rush's earlier years. What are the benefits of playing in stereo. I wouldn't even begin to have an idea of how to run my equipment like that.

I asked a similar question a while ago and got some very useful responses in this thread.

[seamonkey]

Fender makes/made "SFX" amps based on Groove Tubes Stereo Field Expansion effect.

They are single point stereo like effect that works around 300 degrees. Check one out in a store with an acoustic guitar and stereo chorus.

Not sure why they never caught on. It's not true stereo, but nether is stereo output from a single bass.

[AwkwardLoudness]

I sometimes run two amps in stereo as a wet/dry setup or a clean/dirt setup. I always use two of the same cabs and two of the same amps (different wattage though) and I always stack the cabs vertically to minimize phase cancellations.

[countrybass007]

The purpose of a stereo bass rig is usually done to get all the possible tone you can get. One rig for highs and one for deep bass, which is really not what most people consider stereo. The big advantage is the individual controls for tone and volume for each rig, and the ability to get a really full sound.

[FretlessMainly]

Originally Posted by countrybass007

One rig for highs and one for deep bass, which is really not what most people consider stereo.

This is exactly what Rickenbacker considers to be stereo. I run my 4001 or 4003 in stereo (they're wired that way), with the neck pickup going to a GK 700RB-II and a GK Neo 212 and the bridge pickup going to a Markbass Little Mark 250 to a 4 ohm Avatar 112.

I use a standard stereo cable (dual cords from one input, about $25). The neck pickup goes through a Sansamp VT Bass and the bridge pickup goes through chorus, delay, distortion, phaser as needed. Opens up many sonic possibilities.

If you are interested in figuring out the wiring schematics, go to the Rickenbacker site - they have schematics there. The only major routing required might be a second input jack for the stereo mode. You could probably wire the existing jack with no body mods at all, but it might be nice to have the flexibility of playing normal through a single rig as well. (On Ricks, the stereo input only engages the bridge pickup if you only use one rig.)

[countrybass007]

Thanks FretlessMainly, another great lesson learned on Talkbass. That's why this site is so great, a bassplayer's dream come true. I do remember seeing a bass with two outputs, one for each pickup, and it sounded really rich and full.

[hrgiger]

stereo is for wimps, Bootsy ran 4 output cables from the spacebass...

[JimmyM]

best way to run stereo is to run a bass amp and a guitar amp, and roll off all the lows from the guitar amp. doesn't matter if you split the pickups or not...it'll sound wicked. 50w amp and a 212 sealed guitar cab would rock with your rig.

[Calaverasgrande]

The ovation magnum is wired for stereo like this. I haven't used mine like that live much. In the studio it kills though.