Balance control

[bdplaid]

I'm wondering if an amp manufacturer would ever consider a balance control between the speaker outs of two parallel outputs? I think I've seen it on older amps that had onboard biamping, but never on parallel outputs. It would facilitate balancing the tone between two cabs that sound different, such as a 112 and a 115.

 

[agedhorse]

There are a few, but it’s not a popular feature for most players. Also, it only applies to amps that use two separate power amps.

 

[bdplaid]

Thanks for your thoughts. I was kinda thinking about attenuating one side or the other. Probably not possible. I remember when I had a subway 112 on top of a subway 115, I couldn't really hear the 112. That's where the idea came from.

 

[J Wilson]

@agedhorse: While we're at it, over the many amps you've done, was there ever any interest on a 2-channel clean/dirty front end on a guitar amp, or say, something like the TT Subway bass head for a blend for the two preamp channels?

 

[agedhorse]

@agedhorse: While we're at it, over the many amps you've done, was there ever any interest on a 2-channel clean/dirty front end on a guitar amp, or say, something like the TT Subway bass head for a blend for the two preamp channels?

Good question.

Yes and no.

In the bass amp world, we did do some takes on this… Amps like the GBE-600, 750 and 1200 as well at the ShuttleMax.

That said, Jeff and I were never really fans of bass amps attempting heavy distorted tones, as that became more divisive among players than inclusive. Ultimately we both addressed this by making our respective amps being pedal friendly and then offering pedals starting with the TubeWorks Blue Tube and later with the Genzler 4 on the Floor and CrashBox 4 pedals.

Because of the wildly different tastes in distortion effects, there are hundreds of distortion pedals available in a wide variety of flavors and textures… each one considered “the best” among their fans. We can’t please everybody with a single amp distortion so it’s best not to pretend.

 

[J Wilson]

Good question.

Yes and no.

In the bass amp world, we did do some takes on this… Amps like the GBE-600, 750 and 1200 as well at the ShuttleMax.

That said, Jeff and I were never really fans of bass amps attempting heavy distorted tones, as that became more divisive among players than inclusive. Ultimately we both addressed this by making our respective amps being pedal friendly and then offering pedals starting with the TubeWorks Blue Tube and later with the Genzler 4 on the Floor and CrashBox 4 pedals.

Because of the wildly different tastes in distortion effects, there are hundreds of distortion pedals available in a wide variety of flavors and textures… each one considered “the best” among their fans. We can’t please everybody with a single amp distortion so it’s best not to pretend.

Thanks, Andy.

 

[Wasnex]

Probably not possible

Possible yes. Practical or a good idea, AFAIK no.

I have multiple amps with dual mono outputs. Only one model allows me to adjust the level of the outputs seperately....old GK 2000RB. The 2000RB has a separate Master for each output. Years ago I used and Eden WT800 for a year or so that had a balance control.

My last touring rig was rack based and used Rack mixer for the preamp with a stereo power amp, so I pan the input or change the levels of the outputs however I wanted.

Not a lot of current bass amps with dual outputs.

 

[Wasnex]

In the bass amp world, we did do some takes on this… Amps like the GBE-600, 750 and 1200 as well at the ShuttleMax.

If you ever do another two channel pre like the ShuttleMax or GBE, I suggest adding a trim control that can be used to manage the level when both channels are engaged simultaneously.

 

[agedhorse]

If you ever do another two channel pre like the ShuttleMax or GBE, I suggest adding a trim control that can be used to manage the level when both channels are engaged simultaneously.

Most players who mixed channels generally also were looking for boost simultaneously, so in practice trimming the mix level wasn’t that important for most players, though I understand that there are outliers.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Players do it with two amps. Rickenbacker stereo wiring allows for the bridge pickup to go to one amp, the neck pickup to another. People have used a guitar amp with the bridge pickup and a bass amp for the neck pickup. Distortion pedals used for the guitar amp for dirt. See the 12-string bass setup that Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick uses for one example.

Maybe an instrument level crossover pedal would sell.

 

[Bassic_desires]

Players do it with two amps.

That's what I would have thought to be the alternative to the suggestion from @bdplaid - use two amps and link them through an ABY pedal or effects loop.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

I did the two amp thing for several years. At first I used a bass amp with an on-board crossover (frequency selector AND a balance control between low & high), but the bass amp ran at full range usually driving a 1x15 cabinet, and the second amp was a 1x12 guitar combo amp fed by the high out of the crossover with the frequency set at about 350-450 Hz range. This was a poor man’s “low end clean, high end distorted” rig that actually sounded great, but I didn’t use the distortion enough to make it worth the effort to set it up.

That evolved into using the same bass amp and a small 1x12 bass combo amp fed by the high side of the crossover with the freq going to the small combo set at about 500 Hz. The little combo was to get the high mids source higher off the floor and at the volume I wanted to have a nice-full-range bass monitor on stage.

The evolution continues. Now I’m down to a 1x12 bass combo amp at low volume, (just for those dancing against the stage) and I’m hearing through IEMs, so the need for two sources of sound with a balance control is no more.

 

[klyph]

Some of the older Tecamp models had individual master level knobs at each of the dual outputs. I think the Eich 1000 may also have this (?).

 

[pepj]

The most common bi amp I recall was the SWR SM series.
Great idea.... on paper, practically pretty much a bust....and SWR back in the day were the dogs..

The reason I called it a bust was because the sub capability was excessive...you could not use the bass control beyond 12..although SWR modified that in later amp incarnations. And then you realised it was an overfeature anyway because too much bass is a total tonesucker.
So... in truth, the exercise was more educational thzn useful.

So not surprised amp makers don't really go there and there are easier ways of having dual tone options.

If you can't hear the 12..sell one cab or another and double up with the same, imo

 

[ziko]

Hartke LH1000 has balance feature
One preamp and two power sections, one volume and balance pot to tilt which output gets more power
It also has bridge mode in which balance pot is bypassed

 

[Super Bass]

Yup, Hartke LH1000, great sounding amp.....