HOW DO I BLEND TWO GUITAR HEADS?![views:8058][posts:32]________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 1:47pm - elliot ""] Everyone I have called has no idea! And no, I don't mean how do I use two different cabs with one head. |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 1:49pm - brian_dc ""] I gather you want to run two heads into one cab, not how to run two heads in tandem? (i.e. different heads into different cabs with one signal) |
| ________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 1:50pm - elliot ""] correct |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 1:52pm - brian_dc ""] I honestly don't think there is a safe way to do this unless it's a stereo cab...then again, I've just never done it before. |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 1:53pm - brian_dc ""] In other words, I'm extremely open to being wrong. |
| ________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 1:57pm - elliot ""] Well, I currently have three cabs and two heads. So how do I play through the two separate rigs at the same time? |
| ________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 1:58pm - grampy ""] Pee on it. Problem solved |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 1:58pm - brian_dc ""] I have two heads and four cabs and I run them all just fine. What is the ohm load of each cab? |
| ________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:04pm - elliot ""] 8 ohms. I now know what "dc" stands for. Dour Cursiva! hahaha. Completely forgot we used to play shows together. |
| ________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:04pm - elliot ""] and okay so you run two heads and four cabs at the same time...how?! |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:07pm - brian_dc ""] ah, ha ok. so you're going to have to make a choice. One head will have to go into one cab. Obviously out at 8ohm. The other one that you want in two cabs will have to be sent with two speaker cables @4ohm each. When running two cabs, they have to have the same ohm rating. And the maximum load you run from your amp has to equal that number (in this case 8, so 4+4. If the cabs were 16ohm, you would run 8 and 8) However, you can't run both heads into the third cab to have a blended signal unless there are two stereo inputs (most Marshalls have this). |
| _____________________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:09pm - MarkFuckingRichards ""] I used to run 2 half stacks together using an ABY box. Morley makes them for like $40. I'm not sure if that answers your original question though. |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:09pm - brian_dc ""] elliot said:and okay so you run two heads and four cabs at the same time...how?! signal is split with an A/B/Y pedal to run to multiple heads. (should have mentioned that) Head one runs into two 16ohm cabs, two speaker outs @ 8ohm each. Head two runs into two 8ohm cabs, two speaker outs @ 4ohm each. |
| ____________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:10pm - arilliusbm ""] I would love to hear what this will sound like. |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:11pm - brian_dc ""] Yeah, the A/B or A/B/Y box thing is a point I managed to gloss over. I focused on the ohm thing because I think a lot of people are ignorant on the proper way to deal with it when running two cabs from a head. |
| _______________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:13pm - Murph ""] arilliusbm said:I would love to hear what this will sound like. HUGE AND WARM. |
| ________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:18pm - elliot ""] OOOHHH okay so its the A/B/Y box that I am going to have to purchase. Thank you! Yeah there was no way I was planning on running three different cabs into one head. |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:18pm - brian_dc ""] I'd never actually stack them like this, but this is my junk [img] |
| ________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:27pm - elliot ""] What are your review on the BadCat head and Orange cab? I'm planning on selling my cabs for an Orange cab. Also, I wanted to sell my Mesa for a Marshall JMP but, I have grown quite found of it over the years |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:34pm - brian_dc ""] The Bad Cat is absolutely retarded. Go play them at Boston Guitar Works in Brockton. Expensive as all hell, but you can hear that it's a class above. I had some issues with it recently, but got those resolved. I actually run KT77s instead of EL34s to bring the gain down and up the headroom, which works really well for what I'm up to now. If you can afford them and you like the sound, I can't really recommend anything else. I like my Orange cab, it doesn't have that modern, tight low end that you get from Mesa, but it's definitely a quality thing. Has a nice loose vibe to it. Very heavy...physically. |
| _________________________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:44pm - the_taste_of_cigarettes ""] Behringer cabs have stereo inputs, so you can run one head into 2 speakers and the other head into the other 2 speakers. But why?! |
| ________________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 2:51pm - DestroyYouAlot ""] The Ric Flair poster is the key to the whole setup. |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 3:00pm - brian_dc ""] I plug straight into his WOOOO |
| ______________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 3:05pm - MartinsWork ""] A splitter isn't blending necessarily. Do you want to BLEND them and control the amount of blend or do you just want to play two amps at the same time. |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 3:07pm - brian_dc ""] Yeah, that's what I spent most of the beginning figuring out. There's really no way to blend two signals into one cab. Even stereo cabs don't really blend. He just wanted to know how to set up to play two amps at the same time, I think. |
| _________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 3:10pm - martins ""] Well if it were a stereo cab, you could use some sort of wah-like footpedal attached to a high-wattage blend pot. I don't know how high pot ratings go but it's something that could be made. |
| __________________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 3:12pm - madoakdevin nli ""] Martin is correct. Blending refers more of a mix thing. All guitar tracks have some mud that does nothing for the tone of the guitar. Getting rid of that mud with EQ or compression. Then I accentuate the exciting frequencies a hair. I've done blending where I mix a clean tone and a fuzzed out/overdriven together. My personal favorite is getting two overdriven amps blended. I typically use a bright head and cab with a darker head and cab. If all you are talking about is running two heads at once, buy an AB switch. buy two rigs and do it. |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 3:13pm - brian_dc ""] Probably possible...I've just learned to not mess with anything that might lead to an amp not having the necessary support for the power load...stuff gets bad. |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 3:13pm - brian_dc ""] so essentially...I'll leave that to the others. |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 3:14pm - brian_dc ""] yeah, he totally wasn't actually asking about blending. |
| _________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 3:15pm - martins ""] That is true, you would have to put a buffer or transformer on either side of the blend. You can run an amp at a lower impedance output than the cab. It's actually more efficient. Maximum power is achieved when they're both equal, however. |
| ________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 3:16pm - elliot ""] AB switch it is |
| __________________________________ [Jul 30,2009 3:19pm - brian_dc ""] It's all about maximum power. |