I'm wondering if I can play through two 200 watt combo amps by splitting the signal out of my bass. All I have these days are combo amps and I have a larger gig coming up that may require more power but I'm not going to by a bigger amp or extension cab for just one night. Any ever try this?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Anyone try playing through two separate amps at same time?
- Thread starter qervo
- Start date
Sure - often. One cleaner, one dirtier can be fun. Or just 2 amps that sound slightly different. You can use a pedal with stereo outs, or a Radial ABY, or best of all, a Lehle P-Split.
Check to see if one of the amplifiers has a "preamp output" on the back and see if the other one has an "amp input" on the back. You will usually only need a guitar cable to connect them together. That's the way I would run it.
- Feb 5, 2013
- 1,686
- 2,281
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Used Fender Lead Sleds and Hartke cabs with bent grills
I've run a pair of amps many times over the years. Usually running into the power amp from one to the other, so the EQ works only on one. That's the way I prefer to do it. The bassist in my old band where I played lead would often run a pair of PV Basic 112s this way in the smaller clubs where we only mic'd vox and kick. He hated carrying a PV Combo 300 for small rooms.
Exploiter8
Demons run when a good man goes to war
If amps have an effects loop you can send the signal from amp A to the return in amp B with a guitar cord. Then you have a master and slave setup with the master controlling both amps.
I did this with a couple of Peavey Basic 112's.
If I Recall Correctly!
X8
I did this with a couple of Peavey Basic 112's.
If I Recall Correctly!
X8
Do you have a Boss TU tuner? This, plus several other kinds of pedals have parallel outputs that can split your bass signal. Or you can buy a very inexpensive ABY switch.
Technically, you won't be getting any more power having two amps. You'll be getting more volume by having another speaker in the mix, but you won't be getting any more headroom/wattage.
Technically, you won't be getting any more power having two amps. You'll be getting more volume by having another speaker in the mix, but you won't be getting any more headroom/wattage.
I've never combined two of teh same kind of amp. But for years I ran a fender bassman and a peavey TKO65. Neither was loud enough by itself, but together they were just loud enough. There were times when that rig sounded great, but more often it sounded muddy.
haha,I was just doing it last night.I used an old Digitech RP300 Guitar processor. I ran it in Bypass mode and split into a GK Mb115 and a little 30w Peavy MicroBass. I'm trying to get some mids cause that one 15" speaker is pretty much all low end. I also first ran it thru a line 6 constrictor compressor,then into a Audio tech mini pro wireless system.And used my '98 Fender Am P dlx 4 string. Happy to report...It sounded good!I got some good mids, And a little stereo effect going on as I placed the Peavey on the other side of the room. I don't know if I would gig with it though? probably just use the GK run DI into the PA? When I find a frickin band around here to gig with! Good luck w/ your system,sounds like it should be/sound cool. ~Peace~
Multi-amp rigs are quite common, at least in the guitar community.
The most common instance of the dual amp thing is for going from clean to distorted. Guitarists will often use something like a Mesa of Bogner for the heavy chunk and a Fender Twin for their clean sound. The other common reason for running two or more amps is for blending. Each amp and brand has it's own signature sound. For example a Marshall has a good cutting sound while a Mesa has more low end "girth" and gain. By mixing the two you develop a best of both worlds kind of sound.
The same thing is just as viable with bass rigs. Imagine running a vintage rig with a modern rig at the same time. A big warm Ampeg along with a crispy clean Carvin. Warmth and definition at the same time.
There are several products that allow you to do this sort of thing from simple $100 stomp boxes for A/B/Y switching, on up to $1000 rackmountable switching systems that allow for several different amps or even cabs.
I have used a 100w tube halfstack for raw tone along with a Johnson Millennium modling amsp with all the bells and whistles for the effects side. Just for fun I even added my bass rig into the mix to handle the piezos from my Petrucci 7 string. Too big and too goofy for a bar gig to be sure, but sounded amazing.
The most common instance of the dual amp thing is for going from clean to distorted. Guitarists will often use something like a Mesa of Bogner for the heavy chunk and a Fender Twin for their clean sound. The other common reason for running two or more amps is for blending. Each amp and brand has it's own signature sound. For example a Marshall has a good cutting sound while a Mesa has more low end "girth" and gain. By mixing the two you develop a best of both worlds kind of sound.
The same thing is just as viable with bass rigs. Imagine running a vintage rig with a modern rig at the same time. A big warm Ampeg along with a crispy clean Carvin. Warmth and definition at the same time.
There are several products that allow you to do this sort of thing from simple $100 stomp boxes for A/B/Y switching, on up to $1000 rackmountable switching systems that allow for several different amps or even cabs.
I have used a 100w tube halfstack for raw tone along with a Johnson Millennium modling amsp with all the bells and whistles for the effects side. Just for fun I even added my bass rig into the mix to handle the piezos from my Petrucci 7 string. Too big and too goofy for a bar gig to be sure, but sounded amazing.
I use a WHIRLWIND A B Y box for splitting signal : either 1 bass into 2 amps or 2 basses into one amp; depends on my needs at the time.
Eliminates need for stand-by switches; you can de-activate either / or both at a press of a button.
Interesting tones as mentioned above: 1 amp clean, other amp with effects.... use 1 at a time or together as needed..kind of a mock-stereo if you will.
Going for m 4 to 5 er? Fretted to fretless and back?? Change basses fast at press of a button as well.
Makes for a very versatile set up. I highly recommend using an A B Y for anyone with either more than one bass or more than one amp.
Eliminates need for stand-by switches; you can de-activate either / or both at a press of a button.
Interesting tones as mentioned above: 1 amp clean, other amp with effects.... use 1 at a time or together as needed..kind of a mock-stereo if you will.
Going for m 4 to 5 er? Fretted to fretless and back?? Change basses fast at press of a button as well.
Makes for a very versatile set up. I highly recommend using an A B Y for anyone with either more than one bass or more than one amp.
What? I do not believe this is true at all. If you run one 200 watt amp, you're using 200 watts. If you add a second 200 watt amp, you're using 400 watts. The additional SPL output will depend on the sensitivities of the cabinets attached to each amp, but you're definitely getting more power.
OP I have done this, mostly a long time ago, both using a pedal with stereo out to split the signal, and by using the pre out of the amp I was connected to into the power amp input of the 2nd amp. The former method gives you pre-amps for both amps, thus different EQ controls. The latter allows you to control the EQ of both signals from the main amp (which may or may not be great, depending mostly on the difference between the cabinets attached to each power amp).
I often run out of my regular bass rig as well as a Vox guitar amp (to add some dirty sheen to the top) with wonderful results.
Unrepresented
Something Borderline Offensive
So if buying an amp/cab is off the table, just buy a Rickenbacker instead... stereo output built right into it! 
