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Experience with Two Amps into SVT810e?

derekeugene

derekeugene

Jul 11, 2008
578
684
Kansas City
#1
Did a search and didn't come up with anything, which was surprising.

Anyone find any cool combination of amps to run into an SVT810e using the dual inputs? I've always had an older, single input 810 but just snagged a relatively newer one with the dual inputs. I was thinking maybe a V4/1001RB combo would be cool, but would love to hear what people have found to sound good.

Pics are always encouraged!
 
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#4
I wanted to try it, but the thought of lugging two amps plus a backup head with me to shows seems like more work. In addition, if you want two miked signals and/or two direct signals at shows, again, more work. How many sound guys would WANT to deal with that? Original act with some fame, OK, problem solved! Honestly, if you want to do it, don't let us stop you. I find it much easier to blend distortion with my clean tone and pummel my band mates with 8 speakers of the same tone rather than mixing it.

If you balanced the heads's EQ sections together, it could sound amazing. But in a bad sounding room to begin with, which head are you going to adjust first? Again, a lot more work. That's my perspective though.
 
#5
I used to do this! I ran my Hartke HA3500W into the bottom, and a Sunn Sonaro out of the top. I basically ran the Hartke for fat solid state bottom end, and the Sunn for tube grind on top of the Hartke. It worked pretty well, but I probably could have blended them better than I did, and it probably wasn't the ideal combination of amps. With the right ones, it would be amazing.
 
#6
Gearhead17 said:
I wanted to try it, but the thought of lugging two amps plus a backup head with me to shows seems like more work. In addition, if you want two miked signals and/or two direct signals at shows, again, more work. How many sound guys would WANT to deal with that? Original act with some fame, OK, problem solved!
Click to expand...
An original act with some fame would just bring two 810's and two amps and let the stagehands deal with moving it :D

But that's basically why more people don't do it. Dealing with two amps, two DI and/or two mic signals...not all that practical for most people.
 
#8
That was the whole idea of the swr mo bass and megoliath cab, stereo head running clean to the bottom 410 and effects to the top 410/horn. Not a novel concept. Geddy Lee used to Ric o sound the neck pickup into a 300w head for clean bottom and bridge into 100w head for overdrive, not through one cab though, and all 15s back then.

Nowadays adding a micro head or just using 2 of them is not an issue "lugging" wise. I suggest a pair of rumble 500s, or a gk mb500 + a rumble500, either will give 350w per cab half with the option of a 2nd cab for budokan. Set the rumble for overdrive
 
#9
When I discovered Billy Sheehan and researched his rig, I bought a pair of secondhand HA3500s and ran them both into my Ampeg 8x10. Naturally one was EQ'd to emphasise mids and highs and the other EQ'd for lows. I used a Boss GT-10B to split my signal and mimic Billy Sheehan's approach using a regular one output bass. The results were awesome! Distortions take on a 3D quality and it's possible to dial the exact tone you're looking for. You can also do all sorts of clever tricks with other effects. Having effected mids and highs and uneffected lows makes for some seriously powerful tone potential, you can be heard through blazing guitars without drowning them out and having a punchy defined "traditional" low end. It's a hell of a lot of tweaking though...
 
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#10
I have used half on an 810e for my bass and the other half for my keyboard. I had two preanps and a stereo power amp in my rack so it was pretty easy to setup. Sound man was ok with it since he took the DI from the pre's. I was afraid to push the cab too much though and ended up with lackluster results for bass. Keys were ok tho. I just rely on stage monitors for my keys now so I don't do it anymore. Would do it in a pinch tho if I had to.

--jack
 
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#14
JackTheRipper said:
I have used half on an 810e for my bass and the other half for my keyboard.
Click to expand...

That makes total sense. I was wondering why they made it so you could use the two 4x10s individually but still have to lug the whole 810 around if you're only using one.

My plan is to try a V4 into one 410 and I have an Eden wtx500 I'd run into the other. Little clean/dirty action. The only thing is that I've never loved the V4 into anything but a full 810 so it'll be interesting to see how it goes.
 

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