Distortion "overlay"

Curtybob · #1 02-13-2008, 10:38 AM

Anyone ever played with setting up a guitar practice amp on an A-B/Y pedal in parallel with their main rig for a kind of distortion overlay effect?

I ask because I have a Line 6 Spider II 112 that actually has a killer distortion sound (insane -green LED- gain turned to about the 4th dot- EQ to taste), and it occured to me that it might sound cool over my big rig's cleaner sound.

I think I might bring the little amp over to my drummer's house and play a little bit to see if the sound in my brain is anywhere near the sound that will really come out.

On a related side-note, can I go from the DI to one of my power amp's inputs if I need more volume? I have a 6x10 and a 2x10 that I could run in stereo if that is the case.... 6x10 for the main sound, the 2x10 for the guitar amp DI.

Thanks in advance for anybody who actually read and followed along with all my half-coherent jibberish.

bongomania · #2 02-13-2008, 10:42 AM

Short answer- yes, lots of people have great success sending their distorted signal to a small guitar amp while sending their clean bass to their bass rig.

superbassman2000 · #3 02-13-2008, 11:41 AM

i used to do that--back in high school I used to have a DOD bass30 that could biamp so i'd send the lows to a clean bass amp, and the highs to my dad's crate guitar amp and hit the distortion on it--it was a cool sound

I believe a lot of bass players do it too

JanusZarate · #4 02-13-2008, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curtybob

Anyone ever played with setting up a guitar practice amp on an A-B/Y pedal in parallel with their main rig for a kind of distortion overlay effect?

Yep. Plenty of famous and non-famous bassists have done it.

A celebrity example: Justin Chancellor of Tool. Although he's not using a "practice" rig.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curtybob

On a related side-note, can I go from the DI to one of my power amp's inputs if I need more volume? I have a 6x10 and a 2x10 that I could run in stereo if that is the case.... 6x10 for the main sound, the 2x10 for the guitar amp DI.

Yep. That's why poweramps have XLR inputs - to amplify a DI source, among other things.

Curtybob · #5 02-13-2008, 03:18 PM

Thanks for the replies. I always wondered about the DI to power amp thing, but I was always too scared to ask.

Toasted · #6 02-13-2008, 03:20 PM

Don't be scared to ask.

We'll just mock you horribly and hound you from the forum if you say something stupid.