Bass, DI & stereo effects

[lostcontrol_]

Hi everyone,

Had a hard time deciding whether to post here in live sound or in effects, but I figured that a live sound approach might be better.

Most of my effect chain is (capable of) stereo - a couple of delays, reverb, some modulations:
Bass -> OD and other mono effects -> stereo effects -> DI / amplification. Especially the delay stuff usually sounds a lot better in stereo and I feel like I'm not getting the most out of my rig at the moment.

I'm wondering what would be the best way for me to get the stereo signal to the FOH and if it's a good/bad idea. Bi-amping would offer a relatively straight-forward solution, but lugging a second rig for it goes against my/our general direction of going ampless+iem / downsizing for portability.

So, question time:
1. Is this a bad idea? If so, why?
2. Are there any stereo-friendly DI/preamp boxes out there (thinking Sansamp and the like)? Preferably not in a rack?

Tried googling about the topic but couldn't find anything helpful, at least not yet.

Thanks!

 

[Geri O]

Radial has a few stereo DI boxes that will work well. The Pro series is economical and works well. Or a stereo JDI. They go all the way up the price chain, too. The Firefly looks like a killer unit for such a task.

Bi-amping has to do with separating frequencies into lows and highs and sending them to the appropriate drivers. That's not your issue. However, you would still need a stereo bass rig on stage.

If you were using IEMs, you'll get really good results.

But in live situations, I kinda doubt the audience would get the full effect of what you're trying to do. Also, if you play with keyboards or with a wall of guitars, the bass FX might get masked over and not really heard.

Now before some guys start excoriating me with stories of their uber-awesome stereo bass set-up, I'm not saying to not try it. Sure, give it a try live. It might be awesome, I don't know.

In fact, a stereo DI to go with your stereo FX isn't a big investment to make and if it doesn't work out, you can always sell the gear you won't use if you decide to get away from it.