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.
True stereo bass amplifier
- Thread starter Jazzbassguy77
- Start date
abarson thank you for replying,
Its true that some might see this a an elaborate rig setup, a luxury even, however its not as eccentric as it appears, in the context of our small band , two guitars,bass drums,
I felt it was worth experimenting with this rig set up , i tried at first configuring the output of my five string jazz
bass through the Mel9 straight on to the Pre amp /processor then into a Roland Bass Cube 1, the Mel 9 effects out direct into the other amp Roland Bass cube 2, the result was fabulous, ive added another instrument/s plus i had total control of not only the tonal colouring of my bass sound , also the mix balance / levels of the bass/ mel 9 effect on the other amplifier too, all of which led to thinking is there a single dedicated stereo bass amplifier out there ? thank you again for replying
Last edited:
Ethereal Thorn thank you ror replying , I will cerainly look into this amps features and give some serious consideration !
I fail to see how any of these aspirations is advanced by have a "stereo" rig = having an additional acoustic output source doesn't advance any of your stated goals. Why not add a small mixer and do all your diddling with "colouring"/"mix balance"/et cetera through that unit... then use the money you save to put together a cab/amp stack monopole acoustic source that when used in conjunction with the mixer and your effects units has better control and capability in granularity and ease of making mix/balance adjustments, overall bandwidth, and potential loudness. I expect that this approach will let you get and monitor exactly what you want and then improve the chances that the room will, in general, actually hear what you have created - versus the current method of using multiple signal sources.
My $0.02
i do this with my ric, and any bass really as my darkglass adam splits my signal into clean and distorted for two outputs if i want them. (Or i can blend them both into one signal for simplicity)
i run two amps two cabs. I have x2 20w for home fun… and a 200w and 100w for larger volume needs (both with 2x10, 1x15). All tube amps
i actually prefer a guitar head for the dirty signal (easier to tube overdrive). I am scooping a lot of lows out of this for a cleaner dirty sound. I then balance this with clean (often compressed) lows into a more traditional bass amp.
many modern distortion pedals do this (dirty/clean blend into a single output signal)… my adam does it also… but two amps is fun.
The downside is more setup. The advantage is that in a setting with a need for bass distortion (or any major effects)… i am giving a sound guy or producer 2 signals: My clean fundamental and mids, and my grindy top end. This gives them a lot of control over mixing my sound. It all comes down to the concept of keeping my lows as tight as possible and saving it from the mud that distortion can create.
Last edited:
I've seen more than a few guitar-stereo effects-left amp/right amp setups, but generally, unless you're
a) standing in the sweet spot right in front of this setup, you're the only person on stage who's going to hear/feel it, and
b) unless you have really good FOH, the crowd won't hear it either.
This is one of those things that seems like a great idea that can get real impractical fast, despite how cool it is in theory or practice.
One of my favorite amps of all time is the Roland JC120, the original 70's Jazz Chorus still in production today. A common preamp section driving a separate 60w amp for each of the 12" speakers ganged to a Roland analog chorus/tremolo circuit, essentially a built-in BOSS CE-1 chorus. But as cool as those are, off-axis it just sounds like a great chorus. . . . without the 'spatial' effect.
Big bass amps modeled after this layout (without a built-in chorus) are out there, and some will even have separate effects loops for each of the two amp circuits. But generally these are big heads, pioneered by Trace Eliot and continued today by Ashdown and a few others.
But generally, 'stereo' in the bass world are separate outs for each pickup (if this bass is wired that way) or some variation of one preamp by two power amps as a single unit, or a bass guitar through a 1 in 2 out stereo effect to separate amps/cabs.
a) standing in the sweet spot right in front of this setup, you're the only person on stage who's going to hear/feel it, and
b) unless you have really good FOH, the crowd won't hear it either.
This is one of those things that seems like a great idea that can get real impractical fast, despite how cool it is in theory or practice.
One of my favorite amps of all time is the Roland JC120, the original 70's Jazz Chorus still in production today. A common preamp section driving a separate 60w amp for each of the 12" speakers ganged to a Roland analog chorus/tremolo circuit, essentially a built-in BOSS CE-1 chorus. But as cool as those are, off-axis it just sounds like a great chorus. . . . without the 'spatial' effect.
Big bass amps modeled after this layout (without a built-in chorus) are out there, and some will even have separate effects loops for each of the two amp circuits. But generally these are big heads, pioneered by Trace Eliot and continued today by Ashdown and a few others.
But generally, 'stereo' in the bass world are separate outs for each pickup (if this bass is wired that way) or some variation of one preamp by two power amps as a single unit, or a bass guitar through a 1 in 2 out stereo effect to separate amps/cabs.
I also thought about the LWA1000, but it is a two- channel input, mono output amp, not stereo. You can select channel 1 or 2, but not both. If I’ve understood the OP correctly he wants both effect and dry at the same time. In such a case a small mixer could be used.
Last edited:
am i the only one who thinks two separate bass rigs is the only answer?
i used to think stereo rigs were insane, but the few times i've used my yamaha attitude bass the way it's designed to be used - crunchy/mid-bite P pickup combined with huge sub-only woofer output - it's really something special. I suppose thats more of a "two channel" set up than left/right stereo, but still.
years ago i remember using two of the same combo amp to use my stereo bass chorus that got a lot of action with this one particular band. that, ended up not being worth the trouble as running it in mono sounded better to me/the band.
i used to think stereo rigs were insane, but the few times i've used my yamaha attitude bass the way it's designed to be used - crunchy/mid-bite P pickup combined with huge sub-only woofer output - it's really something special. I suppose thats more of a "two channel" set up than left/right stereo, but still.
years ago i remember using two of the same combo amp to use my stereo bass chorus that got a lot of action with this one particular band. that, ended up not being worth the trouble as running it in mono sounded better to me/the band.
devnulljp
Supporting Member
Isn't stereo a waste with bass frequencies anyway though? You don't really hear directionality in that range as the wavelengths are too long.
The only true stereo bass preamp I've had experience with is the old Pearce BC-1. Favored by Billy Sheehan and James Lomenzo, who are both "dual output" bass guys. John Myung also used them in the '90s.
I love the tone, particularly for an overdriven rock tone. I would run a BC-1 with a class D power amp. I've seen 1-rackspace, stereo power amps from Peavey and others.
I love the tone, particularly for an overdriven rock tone. I would run a BC-1 with a class D power amp. I've seen 1-rackspace, stereo power amps from Peavey and others.
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
+1 to this - see the great Clarus Amp
if you look for Stereo output, (1 separate channel in => 1 separate poweramp out) the manual explains on page 6 how to do that (Ch 1 => internal poweramp; Channel 2 goes to additional external poweramp)
Last edited:
The power amp is stereo (for biamping) but the preamp is mono.
Running a two amp sound on sound rig can be a lot of fun and offer a lot of tones on stage but often that is lost to the audience as is a stereo effect unless the player/listener is in that one sweet spot. For that reason most players that do a 'stereo' rig are not running a true stereo but are running two different signal chains to two amps, often those amps are the same but other times not. Take for example Chris Squire of Yes who ran one pickup through a set of effects into a bass oriented amplifier and the other output through different effects through a Marshall Super Bass amp or a Marshall Major.
Yes - Chris Squire Bass Rig Gear and Equipment
Yes - Chris Squire Bass Rig Gear and Equipment
2 Sets of EQ/Filter or preamp Filter pedals on a pedalboard into (1) Morley A/B A+B Switch into a single amp. Series Alembic (same setup as your Ric) running this configuration. This way you can tweak each pickup tone the way you want it and only have to use a single amp head.
Easy to do with a QSC PLX1804, but I have never found a reason to do so. I also don't own a Ric.
This is basically what I do as well. I have two basses that have TRS outs, mags on tip and piezos on ring. Mags go to a Jule Simone pre and piezos go to a PJB PE-5 so that each can be shaped separately. Blended back together with a pedalboard mixer and out into my Wayne Jones powered cab. Both preamps have DIs so I can send separate signals to FOH or record them on separate tracks in the studio. In rare situations I might run the PJB preamp to a PJB powered cab for live separation, but I never wanna carry that much gear.
