Help? Running Two Amps

[rawkguitarist]

Not getting any help in pedals, so I'll post this here...

I played a gig last night and I have to again tonight where there’s not a PA. I brought 2 TopHat Club Royale 2x12s and plugged into both using a mono signal into a Zvex SHO that sends the signal to two both amps.

My question: If I just simply run 2 cables from the stereo outputs of my Boss Chorus, how much signal am I sending to each amp? Is my signal being cut in half if the Chorus is not engaged? I was using the SHO as a pre-amp to boost the signal just slightly to avoid gain loss, but it adds a bit of noise.

 

[John Phillips]

When the chorus is off, the full direct signal is sent to both amps.

When the chorus is on, it splits the signal into pure chorus on one side (output A I think) and pure direct on the other, which simulates stereo when you hear the two together. The disadvantage is that as you turn down the effect level control, the pure-chorus side gets quieter.

(This is with the CH-1 and CE-5; the older CE-3 doesn't have an effect level control, but has two different types of pseudo-stereo... just to keep things confusing ).

 

[rawkguitarist]

John I think I know what you’re saying... So Chorus OFF, amp A is receiving a normal level and amp B ALSO is receiving a normal level. Electronically I just don't understand how that could occur.

Well I just got back from the gig and played without the SHO, with the Chorus off it sounded great. But I did notice that I lost a little volume when I switched the Chorus on. Sounded huge though with my Tonebone on (playing Synchronicity II was great).

It's hilarious that after playing several hundred gigs over the last 14 years, I've never gigged with a stereo setup. Mono is still the way to go IMO.

 

[TechpriesT]

There is also the MXR KFK-1 equalizer pedal.
And the tonebone switchbone, which would allow you to run both.... .. ... .

 

[John Phillips]

Originally posted by aarondavis
John I think I know what you’re saying... So Chorus OFF, amp A is receiving a normal level and amp B ALSO is receiving a normal level. Electronically I just don't understand how that could occur.

It's because both outputs are fully and separately buffered, so the load on one doesn't affect the other.

Even if you have a single buffer driving two jacks, you shouldn't get any level or tone loss. The reason you do with a simple splitter (or the SHO when turned off, since it's 'true' bypass) is because you then have the impedance of both amps and cables connected to the signal path, not just one.


FWIW, I went back to a mono set-up after using stereo for a few years too. You can get some beautiful sounds with stereo, but to me it tends to lose punch and focus a bit. A full wet/dry rig can solve this problem, but I really can't be bothered with all that at the moment...

 

[TechpriesT]

can you explain the wet/dry thing?

 

[Benjam]

Along these same lines, I've got a question. I'm currently using 2 Atomic amps with a PODxt. The 2nd Atomic is fed via the Right Send on the 1st Atomic. So basically, I'm at the mercy of whatever the XT chooses to send out of its right output. I'm not completely sure which effects are true stereo and which are not (especially with the various chorus effects).

What is the best way to get a fuller sound (bigger, better, <insert other adjective>) with this setup? Would it help to put a delay pedal (very short delay ~10-30ms) in between the right send and the 2nd Atomic? Or is this just phase-city depending on where I'm standing and where the audience is standing? The amps aren't mic'ed.

Thanks,
Ben