Does anyone use a 2 amp rig ? Wet/dry or otherwise

Moltisanti

I setup a 2 amp rig at home today, and was amazed how easy it was to do, it's:

JCM800 combo set clean, as the wet amp with delay and reverb going from my FX8 into tthe FX loop - this is my normal setup and it sounds ace.

I have a Tweed (MJW) at the moment so i added it (which it turns out is as easy as plugging a cable from the right out of the FX8 into a 2nd amp), no hum, no phase issues, no ground weirdness - it all just worked.

I can balance the mix between the 2 amps in the FX8 settings, per preset, so i can have one, or both or the other.

It's made me think about using a 2 amp rig, i've never really tried it before and the spread of sound and the wet/dry thing has the potential to be very cool. 

I watched Dan and MIck's video about using 2 amps and was wondering if anyone on here does it in the real world ?

hotpickups

I'm about to do this too once my amp I'm having built is finished. My understanding of a wet / dry amp set up though is both amps get the ODs/distortion and one amp gets the delay/reverb/modulation as well?

pmg

hotpickups said:

I'm about to do this too once my amp I'm having built is finished. My understanding of a wet / dry amp set up though is both amps get the ODs/distortion and one amp gets the delay/reverb/modulation as well?

Depends where you split the signal path but generally yes.  I run a wet/dry setup

shaunm

Hi Rik,

I used to do this and it sounded great (using the Tweed and another MJW). Using your set up it should sound brilliant. 

If you have an effect on the fx8 does it automatically mean that the effect comes through both amps or can you select which?

Gassage

Yup; Hiwatt and J40 together. Hiwatt provides the overall canvass; J40 provides some grit.

BTW, I have never understood why D/W combintations over W/W.

Moltisanti

hi Shaun, I have the "post fx" delay and reverb only going to the marshall, but the FX8 is flexible enough that i could arrange it however I wanted per patch, it allows you to place any effect anywhere in the chain either before or after the preamp signal.

i'm amazed how easy the FX8 made setting this up, i guess that's what you're paying for with the low noise and super flexibility

Moltisanti

@Gassage i think the idea of D/W over W/W is so you keep one amp with the main sound, then when the FX only come from the other amp it sounds much clearer as that dry signal can;t ever get too wishy washy or effected

Gassage

Moltisanti said:

@Gassage i think the idea of D/W over W/W is so you keep one amp with the main sound, then when the FX only come from the other amp it sounds much clearer as that dry signal can;t ever get too wishy washy or effected

One of the primary reasons I go 2 amps is the panning I can get off my old TC gear.

When I do play my occasional gig it's amazing how understanding the local pub sound guys are when I explain that I need my cabs micing up in true stereo although one guy in London once said 'caaant' when I asked him, which i assume meant he can't.

Moltisanti

sounds like you need to go full W/D/W so you get the full stereo panning, AND the dry amp in the middle.
think of all the fun you could have setting that up!

Teyeplayer

My old rig used to be two amps in stereo, one clean with a good helping of reverb and taking any modulation effects when required, one set at light break-up with pedals boosting through crunch right up to full on solo. The juxtaposition of a continually clean amp just made everything sound broader and more articulate. Also sounded lush when recorded and panned out. The only problem was the extra amp to lug in and out, up or down flights of stairs. :-)

I have read somewhere that Keith Richards uses a similar approach when recording. 

shaunm

Gassage said:

Moltisanti said:

@Gassage i think the idea of D/W over W/W is so you keep one amp with the main sound, then when the FX only come from the other amp it sounds much clearer as that dry signal can;t ever get too wishy washy or effected

One of the primary reasons I go 2 amps is the panning I can get off my old TC gear.

When I do play my occasional gig it's amazing how understanding the local pub sound guys are when I explain that I need my cabs micing up in true stereo although one guy in London once said 'caaant' when I asked him, which i assume meant he can't.

When I turned up at one gig with two amps one sound guy flat refused to accomodate the second amp. 
I think he was being a numpty but it is a consideration @Moltisanti some sound guys are not helpful.

Moltisanti

Very true I've dealt with some proper bellend foh guys in the past

shaunm

Moltisanti said:

Very true I've dealt with some proper bellend foh guys in the past

Even with one amp some of them can be little hitlers. Who doesn't appreciate a 100 watt non master volume plexi at full pelt in a coffee shop?

Teyeplayer

We've a local sound man who has done some pretty decent size and highish profile gigs, despite this he still moans and groans every time we cross paths and I have to point out to him for the umpteenth dozen time that my amp does not, will not, never has and never will have regardless of the amp, brand or model I have turned up with, have the DI out that he is requesting! What bloody planet he is on beats me, he seems to think everyone is using an acoustic amp or bass amp, anything with valves and a good tone is a step too far for him. But I digress and take things off task...

Flanging_Fred

I use a Marshall jcm800 combo on top of.... a Marshall jcm800 bass combo. I run them in stereo via a boss dd500 and hardwire rv7.

 I don't really know if it improves the sound or anything, but it looks cooler than just putting 1 combo on the floor. Which is the most important thing after all.

rockmonster

Two EVH 50' through either a couple of 1x12's or 2x12's fulltone aby. Huge sounds!

samzadgan

i use 2 amp rig...but not in the stereo or wet/dry set up...i use it mono...for some reason i play in 2 man bands...so having 2 amps makes me sound bigger than just one guitarist...i also do a lot of loops so i think 2 amps help that as well.

ChuckManual

I use four amps...

Two Rock Exo 15 for driven and clean
Heavily modified Blues Junior for clean only
Roland JC77 for stereo delays and whatnot
plus a ZVex Fat Fuzz Factory feeding a TC bass amp for low-end oomph and almost-synth weirdness

It's a totally ridiculous set-up, I know, but it's bloody fun ...and I'm not hampered by having to do anything as ball-achy as play live, so...

However... I am starting to think something like a Helix might be a more sensible solution.

Gadget

I presume all you guys having problems with FOH are in support bands? Otherwise, somebody seriously needs to go kick ass and remind him who's paying the bill / the talent

Trotter

Have used two amp rigs in various different configurations for years. 

Matchless clubman & a DC30, both always on full wet wet, clubman & 100 watt plexi both on all the time. 

My favourite for pure decadence was using the plexi for my main sound and then kicking in the DC30 as the worlds most expensive boost pedal for chorus's. it was hilarious watching the front row shit themselves as the DC came online. good fun. 

Jota

I've done it a few times live and do it all the time at home.
Would love to know how to put pics here but can't seem to do it!
Here's one from instagram: