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Ampeg SVT-VR for Ric-O-Sound?
- Thread starter Bassi5t
- Start date
The lack of a separate power amp make it as not-a-good-use-of-a-pair-of-cables as putting ROS into an ABY pedal and then single-cabling into absolutely any other single amp.
ROS is useful for when you have two amps and is a total waste when you don’t.
ROS is useful for when you have two amps and is a total waste when you don’t.
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I know.
I’m not telling you don’t do it, I’m giving you a heads up that it’s going to be disappointing. Guess how I know.
SVT would be good for handling which ever pickup you want to be the Bass pickup, and an HPF into a Fender Blues Jr would be good for the other pickup.
you can run each pickup into two totally different preamps (ex. Tech21 + Aguilar), into an ABY, and then into any single amp from Mesa to Epifani and end up in about the same place as trying to get something special using both sides of the VR simultaneously.
It’s an expensive learning experience. Have fun!
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@MattZilla is spot on; if you only have one amp/cab, using the stereo out on the Ricky doesn't really get you *that* sound. Even with radically different EQ on the two channels. I tried something similar, as a laugh, with my old Ampeg B-18 fliptop (two separate inputs that could be run simultaneously). It was a massive disappointment. Sounded much better as soon as I ran the bridge pickup to a separate amp.
By all means, OP, do what you're gonna do. But this method isn't "true" ROS, and won't sound like it.
By all means, OP, do what you're gonna do. But this method isn't "true" ROS, and won't sound like it.
It's not really ROS IMHO but yes it works fine.
Some people like jumping the channels with mono output basses.
Both channels output at the same time and it's no problem balancing the signals too taste.
The VR preamp is not really designed to be pushed into drive territory, so a master is not really useful. If you want drive on one channel use your favorite pedal.
That’s basically what I was afraid of. I’m pocking up a V4B and 212av today and if it doesn’t give me what I’m looking for I’ll probably add a little guitar combo for the bridge pickup and use the V4B for the neck. Now I just need to sell my super bassman rig.
What are you looking for?
I ran ROS into a couple of different amp combinations. The first combination was neck pickup to a Yamaha B100/115 combo and bridge to a Fender Twin Reverb loaded with JBL E120s. Later I bought an Ampeg SVT and 810, which took over for the Yamaha.
The results of multi-amping are definitely different than running both ROS channels into one amp. However, since my sound is usually clean it wasn't that much of a difference. It wasn't long till I added a crossover and transitioned to full biamp.
SVT and 810 for neck and V4B and SVT212AV for bridge should be pretty cool, especially if you want to gain up the V4B preamp a bit. Caveat: That's a lot of gear to deal with.
You will definitely get a different sound using a guitar rig for the bridge pickup. Careful about how much low end you send a guitar cab. If you need concert level volume, it's a good idea to use an additional HPF to protect the drivers, unless you have really robust guitar speakers with a way higher power rating than the amp.
For context: My Twin was considered an 85W amp and a pair of E120s has a combined power rating of 300W RMS/600W Program. The pair of JBL E120s could handle most of the amp's clean power with both pickups as long as I kept the bass control at or below about 4. They seemed fine at pretty much any volume with just the bridge pickup of my 4001.
Just get 2 amps.
Will be huge. Otherwise... nothing much different from the mono (which is Rickenbaker mono, great already!)
Will be huge. Otherwise... nothing much different from the mono (which is Rickenbaker mono, great already!)
Wasnex said :
"SVT and 810 for neck and V4B and SVT212AV for bridge should be pretty cool"
Hmmm..
"SVT and 810 for neck and V4B and SVT212AV for bridge should be pretty cool"
Hmmm..
I used to have a SVT head & 8x10 for the highs( bridge) and a SVT head and a V-4b ( 2-15's folded cabinet ) for the neck pick up . Best sound ever but heads were super heavy . You could use 2 combos and get the same effect .
I ran my neck pickup into channel 1 and the bridge pickup through my pedalboard into channel 2 of my ‘72 B-15S, so the neck was always clean and the bridge carried any effects. It was kind of meh, but this was at rehearsal and I didn’t really have time to fiddle with it and try to find a better sound. It hinted at possibilities that I may explore sometime when I’m able.
Bah, ignore the naysayers.
No, it won’t get you “that” sound but it will get you “a” sound.
It’s a fun way to rewire not just your signal but your brain as well - instead of thinking “I need to turn up the bass” you think “I need more channel 1.”
And if the worst thing that happens out of this experiment is that you now own an SVT that you don’t use both channels of....there are worse fates to befall a man.
No, it won’t get you “that” sound but it will get you “a” sound.
It’s a fun way to rewire not just your signal but your brain as well - instead of thinking “I need to turn up the bass” you think “I need more channel 1.”
And if the worst thing that happens out of this experiment is that you now own an SVT that you don’t use both channels of....there are worse fates to befall a man.
Won’t do “the” sound
BUT, if you use effects, a great way to run seperate effects chains to get cool sounds. Octave on the neck pickup, envelope on the bridge is cool. Distortion on one pickup and dry on the other. Same with reverb to allow for deep Caverness sounds without being hollow.
BUT, if you use effects, a great way to run seperate effects chains to get cool sounds. Octave on the neck pickup, envelope on the bridge is cool. Distortion on one pickup and dry on the other. Same with reverb to allow for deep Caverness sounds without being hollow.
Just try it out. See what you think.
I've favoured the bridge pup with SVT (as the bridge is my favoured 4003 pup for bass) and the neck to a guitar combo.
My reasoning;
The guitar combo is going to overdrive like a nasty guitar pedal anyway, so I want the bridge for bass work. Make sure you EQ it safely for the speaker.
That said, I experimented with it, but favour mono because weight and time to setup.
I've favoured the bridge pup with SVT (as the bridge is my favoured 4003 pup for bass) and the neck to a guitar combo.
My reasoning;
The guitar combo is going to overdrive like a nasty guitar pedal anyway, so I want the bridge for bass work. Make sure you EQ it safely for the speaker.
That said, I experimented with it, but favour mono because weight and time to setup.
JeezyMcNuggles
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- Feb 23, 2018
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Get a spitter box that takes two inputs, and sends one output. The only difference between this option, and running from a single cable, is the lack of phasing between pickups at the bass. I can't tell you how the two signals react together after the bass, I don't have a ric.
Get another amp. With this method, you are basically playing two basses at the same time.
Run a single cable. With this method, you are playing one bass, having to eq and balance one signal, and you only have to worry about one cable pulling out or crapping out on you on stage.
As I know it, ric o sound is really just for recording purposes.
IMHO and YMMV
I don't personally think an SVT and 810 is a great choice for a Ric. My first bass was a Ric 4001 and the first rig I ever bought was a brand new MTI era SVT and 810. What I found is the 810 masks many of the stand out Ric qualities. This is why I wound up buying a crossover and running the SVT biamped with my Fender Twin.
IMHO, the 810 was voiced with the P-bass in mind. Roger Cox confirms this in a YouTube video on the development of the SVT that is currently being discussed in multiple TB threads. I have never really been a P-bass guy, but I have to admit that when I plugged a P into my SVT, it was one of those peas and carrots things...I.E. they obviously go together.
The Roger Cox video will not play on TB. Click link if you want to view it on YouTube: Roger Cox - Creator of the Ampeg SVT Bass Amplifier System (youtube.com)
I don't personally think an SVT and 810 is a great choice for a Ric. My first bass was a Ric 4001 and the first rig I ever bought was a brand new MTI era SVT and 810. What I found is the 810 masks many of the stand out Ric qualities. This is why I wound up buying a crossover and running the SVT biamped with my Fender Twin.
IMHO, the 810 was voiced with the P-bass in mind. Roger Cox confirms this in a YouTube video on the development of the SVT that is currently being discussed in multiple TB threads. I have never really been a P-bass guy, but I have to admit that when I plugged a P into my SVT, it was one of those peas and carrots things...I.E. they obviously go together.
The Roger Cox video will not play on TB. Click link if you want to view it on YouTube: Roger Cox - Creator of the Ampeg SVT Bass Amplifier System (youtube.com)
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Get a TRS-mono cable, TRS in the Ric’O’Sound jack, the 2 TS cables go into the separate channels/signals. One pickup is tip and the other is ring.
with two amps, one of them with the bass & low mids and seriously cut hard and taking effects sounds freaking great live whether you’re in a trio or a large ensemble with multiple synths, guits, and horns… depending on how you implement it and what genre you’re working in.
You don’t even need ROS (custom or Ric) to get that, but is just a bit nicer (for the player, audience will not notice) than mono-ABY=2amps for some reason.
The only genre that made me almost
buy a borrowed Ric was Reggae. Running the neck pickup with the tone off into octave down and into the bass amp and the mid/bridge pickup clean to a guitar amp with a smidge of reverb and palm muting with a pick was really nice. Definitely better than mono bass ABY’d for if you want to eliminate a guitar from the stage & pay. If I lived somewhere that playing reggae full time made sense…
When I tried ROS into two different bass amps with both eq’d as bass amps it pretty much gave the same effect that you get with one amp driving a 410 and a 115 and set the cabs next to eachother. Different sounding no doubt, but pretty pointless to do a second time.
