Dirty/Clean Effects Blending vs Using 2 Amps.

stansalad · #1 01-03-2010, 08:09 PM

Would using an effects blending pedal essentially do the same thing as using a clean amp and a dirty signal amp...without the need of 2 amps? Thanks

bongomania · #2 01-03-2010, 08:26 PM

Essentially, yes. The specific results will vary just depending on the amps.

stansalad · #3 01-03-2010, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Essentially, yes. The specific results will vary just depending on the amps.

So if the second amp would have been the same set up as the main amp, I might as well just save my money and buy the blending pedal?

wdinc01 · #4 01-03-2010, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stansalad

So if the second amp would have been the same set up as the main amp, I might as well just save my money and buy the blending pedal?

Not only would you save money, you would save room and your back, as there would be less stuff to move around.

If you were going to do that though, I say do something ridiculous and use a guitar amp along with the bass amp. I want to say that's how the guy from Death From Above 1979 had it set up, but don't quote me on that.

JimmyM · #5 01-03-2010, 11:49 PM

i prefer the single amp/pedals that don't need a blend approach. back in the day, the only way to have any bottom but still have distortion was to use two amps, one clean, one dirty. nowadays, there's a whole buttload of pedals for bass that have their own blend or don't need one so it's not necessary anymore.

but there are some players who still use two rigs because it's more organic and natural sounding to them. so you'd have to make that call yourself. and of course you'd also have to move it yourself should you go for two rigs

stansalad · #6 01-04-2010, 12:02 AM

Are there any effect blend pedals out there that can have the output sent to a different part of the chain?

Crystalman85 · #7 01-04-2010, 01:23 AM

Using a blender pedal can mix the dry signal of your sound with the effected signal of your sound. if you're thinking about purchasing a blender pedal, the boss ls-2 line selector would be a good choice.

bongomania · #8 01-04-2010, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stansalad

Are there any effect blend pedals out there that can have the output sent to a different part of the chain?

It's not quite clear what you're asking. Do you mean you want two outputs, one clean and one blended with the effects? Or one clean and one that's 100% effected?

stansalad · #9 01-04-2010, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crystalman85

Using a blender pedal can mix the dry signal of your sound with the effected signal of your sound. if you're thinking about purchasing a blender pedal, the boss ls-2 line selector would be a good choice.

For the BOSS LS-2, would having 2 signals coming into the A and B returns work, without plugging into the main input?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

It's not quite clear what you're asking. Do you mean you want two outputs, one clean and one blended with the effects? Or one clean and one that's 100% effected?

Err...nevermind.

Crystalman85 · #10 01-04-2010, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stansalad

For the BOSS LS-2, would having 2 signals coming into the A and B returns work, without plugging into the main input?

Err...nevermind.

I'm not quite sure if it'll work. I don't own this pedal, but I've read reviews from bass players saying that this pedal help them blend their sound. but just to be safe, use the main input.

stansalad · #11 01-04-2010, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crystalman85

I'm not quite sure if it'll work. I don't own this pedal, but I've read reviews from bass players saying that this pedal help them blend their sound. but just to be safe, use the main input.

Well the problem then is that there is no input + A (or B) mix.

gibsualdo · #12 01-04-2010, 10:19 PM

Don't have one infront of me, but I'm almost positive you can use the returns on the LS-2 as inputs, without using the main input.

I love the LS-2. I just put my effects in one loop and leave the other loop empty (or almost empty), then mix the two together. I like putting an EQ pedal in each loop to kinda simulate running through 2 different preamps.

EDIT: Not sure what all this main input "safe" talk is about. To use it as a blender, you'd plug your signal into the main input, then loop your pedals with the send and return of one loop, and leave the other empty, then leave the selector on A+B Mix. Then run the regular output to your amp.

gibsualdo · #13 01-04-2010, 10:25 PM

I guess you could have 2 signal chains going tinto it, but that seems kinda pointless, when you can just loop out and back into the LS-2.

Snakeman1066 · #14 01-04-2010, 10:29 PM

I am one of those hard headed stubborn old dudes that uses two amps...

my 4x10 cab gets all my dirt (OD, distortion, Fuzz etc.) while my single 15" gets all the clean.....i have tried blender pedals but to my ears they just can't give you the response that two seperate amps, two seperate cabs, and two seperate signals will give you...mainly because there is so much more room for adjustment with volume and eq on the seperate heads...

I play a lot of Stoner/Doom/Sludge so your mileage may vary, but currently in our set there are on two songs that my dirt isn't always on in some form....

this is JUST MHO though! but to my ears there is no substitute for that booming clean 15" underneath all that noise...lol

i always get tons of compliments when i play live on my tone....sound guys usually hate me...lol you should have seen the sound guys face saturday night when i handed him two XLR's....I simply looked at him and said...hey i run stereo!....most are cool with it after we sound check....

Crystalman85 · #15 01-04-2010, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gibsualdo

Don't have one infront of me, but I'm almost positive you can use the returns on the LS-2 as inputs, without using the main input.

I love the LS-2. I just put my effects in one loop and leave the other loop empty (or almost empty), then mix the two together. I like putting an EQ pedal in each loop to kinda simulate running through 2 different preamps.

EDIT: Not sure what all this main input "safe" talk is about. To use it as a blender, you'd plug your signal into the main input, then loop your pedals with the send and return of one loop, and leave the other empty, then leave the selector on A+B Mix. Then run the regular output to your amp.

Oh, that's how it works. thanks for the info, gibsualdo.

Happynoj · #16 01-05-2010, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakeman1066

I am one of those hard headed stubborn old dudes that uses two amps...

my 4x10 cab gets all my dirt (OD, distortion, Fuzz etc.) while my single 15" gets all the clean.....i have tried blender pedals but to my ears they just can't give you the response that two seperate amps, two seperate cabs, and two seperate signals will give you...mainly because there is so much more room for adjustment with volume and eq on the seperate heads...

I play a lot of Stoner/Doom/Sludge so your mileage may vary, but currently in our set there are on two songs that my dirt isn't always on in some form....

this is JUST MHO though! but to my ears there is no substitute for that booming clean 15" underneath all that noise...lol

i always get tons of compliments when i play live on my tone....sound guys usually hate me...lol you should have seen the sound guys face saturday night when i handed him two XLR's....I simply looked at him and said...hey i run stereo!....most are cool with it after we sound check....

If you want a pure clean sound, do you just turn all the effects off and have clean coming out of the 4x10?

Snakeman1066 · #17 01-07-2010, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happynoj

If you want a pure clean sound, do you just turn all the effects off and have clean coming out of the 4x10?

all my effects are on loops....so when i want a totally clean sound, i bypass one of the loops....giving me a clean 4x10 and a clean 15"

however i use a Snasamp RBI and RPM so my tone is never actually 100% unaffected...lol

so to answer your question...yes!

Happynoj · #18 01-07-2010, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakeman1066

all my effects are on loops....so when i want a totally clean sound, i bypass one of the loops....giving me a clean 4x10 and a clean 15"

however i use a Snasamp RBI and RPM so my tone is never actually 100% unaffected...lol

so to answer your question...yes!

Ah, thanks. I was wondering how you would cope with the volume increase if you muted the whole amp, but obviously you don't, so it doesn't matter.

phatbass · #19 01-07-2010, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stansalad

Well the problem then is that there is no input + A (or B) mix.

Just plug your Bass into the LS-2's input, plug your effects unit into either of the loops, then set the mode to A+B Mix. If your effects are in Loop A, the dry input is automatically routed to loop B and it's level controlled by Loop B's level control.

Any time loop A or B in the LS-2 doesn't have anything plugged into it's send or return, the dry input is sent through the unused loop.

gibsualdo · #20 01-11-2010, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakeman1066

I am one of those hard headed stubborn old dudes that uses two amps...

my 4x10 cab gets all my dirt (OD, distortion, Fuzz etc.) while my single 15" gets all the clean.....i have tried blender pedals but to my ears they just can't give you the response that two seperate amps, two seperate cabs, and two seperate signals will give you...mainly because there is so much more room for adjustment with volume and eq on the seperate heads...

I play a lot of Stoner/Doom/Sludge so your mileage may vary, but currently in our set there are on two songs that my dirt isn't always on in some form....

this is JUST MHO though! but to my ears there is no substitute for that booming clean 15" underneath all that noise...lol

i always get tons of compliments when i play live on my tone....sound guys usually hate me...lol you should have seen the sound guys face saturday night when i handed him two XLR's....I simply looked at him and said...hey i run stereo!....most are cool with it after we sound check....

I'm all for this when recording, I'll usually run through both my own and what ever amp the studio has. It's just that around these parts, too many of the sound guys just come across as too dense, for me to be confinident in their ability to make it sound good. That's even if they agree to let me use 2 amps at all, I honestly wouldn't put it past some of them to flat out refuse (these are the same guys who refuse to mic a cab just because they only have 57s, it's just a dive bar gig FFS).

For the sake of gigging, I doubt most people (but for the odd few) are going to really hear the difference anyway, so I'd just prefer to keep it simple. Makes loading/unloading easier too. I guess it depends on where you gig as well, but for the sort of holes I normally play there really doesn't seem much point going through all that effort.