Two Amps at once [hope it's in the right place]

[Buzzo]

I'm not sure where to put this, but this is amps so I figure here!

Anyway I'm a huge gear noob and I'm wondering how this is done, running your bass through two amps at once (in the attached videos case it is through a guitar amp and a bass amp, which is what I would be doing).

I'm also wondering how safe it would be, in the video Fistula is using a Fender RocPro 1000 though two 4x12 (A sunn 412 and some other one that says PORK on it) cabinets, and on the other side he's running an Ampeg v4b though a sunn cabinet once again, unsure what kind though.

For my gear I've got a Fender Stage 100 head, and a Behringer BG412h http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/BG412H.aspx and as for my bass gear I'm using an Ampeg V4b though a cabinet (which I do not have yet).







2008-04-17 FISTULA live - YouTube

Thanks!

And if I'm in the wrong place please let me know!


Edit: I was recommended to get one of these http://www.tonebone.com/re-bigshot-aby-detail.htm for running two amps, it seems like it does a->b switching and a/b at the same time, will it help me separate bass/mids/treble?

[Rockin Mike]

For more volume, you should be thinking more speaker cone area (more speakers or bigger speakers or both).

The reason for running two amps are to let each amp shape a different part of your tone.

Some folks biamp. This is using a stereo or 2-channel amplifier with a crossover, so one side handles the bass frequencies and one side handles the trebles.

Some folks use 2 amps and just tune them by ear to what sounds good. It's not true biamping because there's not a crossover.

The potential drawback to using 2 separate amp/speaker systems without a crossover is that if they're both sending out the same frequency on the EQ they could be cancelling each other out, or reinforcing at that frequency, or ?. Also, if the speakers aren't matched they can be slightly (or a lot) out of phase with each other, which (to a layman like me) sounds like "there's something wrong but I can't put my finger on it".

I have had good success using an Eden WT550 head + Eden D410XLT cabinet for lows and low mids, and an SWR Redhead on top for the highs. I EQ them so the Eden doesn't try to go above 800 Hz and the SWR doesn't try to go below about 600Hz. This is tuned by ear. I didn't use a scope to see where the true freq response of each system was.

One advantage of dual-amping if you use a lot of effects is that you can send the effects just through the treble rig so they won't muddy up the bass, if you like that kind of blended effects tone. Doesn't work so well with pitch shifters, though

A lot of folks will tell you mismatching gear like that is a crapshoot and it's true. I got kinda lucky. You should listen to the equipment you're thinking about before laying out cash.

[Buzzo]

Originally Posted by Rockin Mike

For more volume, you should be thinking more speaker cone area (more speakers or bigger speakers or both).

The reason for running two amps are to let each amp shape a different part of your tone.

Some folks biamp. This is using a stereo or 2-channel amplifier with a crossover, so one side handles the bass frequencies and one side handles the trebles.

Some folks use 2 amps and just tune them by ear to what sounds good. It's not true biamping because there's not a crossover.

The potential drawback to using 2 separate amp/speaker systems without a crossover is that if they're both sending out the same frequency on the EQ they could be cancelling each other out, or reinforcing at that frequency, or ?. Also, if the speakers aren't matched they can be slightly (or a lot) out of phase with each other, which (to a layman like me) sounds like "there's something wrong but I can't put my finger on it".

I have had good success using an Eden WT550 head + Eden D410XLT cabinet for lows and low mids, and an SWR Redhead on top for the highs. I EQ them so the Eden doesn't try to go above 800 Hz and the SWR doesn't try to go below about 600Hz. This is tuned by ear. I didn't use a scope to see where the true freq response of each system was.

One advantage of dual-amping if you use a lot of effects is that you can send the effects just through the treble rig so they won't muddy up the bass, if you like that kind of blended effects tone. Doesn't work so well with pitch shifters, though

A lot of folks will tell you mismatching gear like that is a crapshoot and it's true. I got kinda lucky. You should listen to the equipment you're thinking about before laying out cash.

Thanks a bunch!

I'm not really going for fantastic tone, in fact, I'm going for kind of a 'bad' tone, it's a sludge/powerviolence band, pure silly fun, tone isn't an issue, I just need it to be full (bass/drums only)! The reason I would like to do it is simply because I absolutely love the distortion on my Fender Stage 100 and it sounds great with bass, I'm just scared to turn it way up (which I will do live), because I don't want to break anything. Don't know how the head/cabinet will handle a bass (tuned to B).

I'll try some amps out next time I'm out an about though! However I don't intend on buying a new head or anything, my V4b is fantastic and so is my stage 100....if it really doesn't sound good....then it doesn't...:\

Now how exactly do I physically do this, like how do I set it up with wiring and such? I've never done it before....

[rodl2005]

I'm far from knowledgeable on this, but afaik, you'd need to run a cross over before your amps, so the V4 gets most bottom end & the guitar amp/cab doesn't get the low frequencies (& thus cause damage)