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Stomp98
Bronze Member
Australia
50 Posts |
 Posted - 05/29/2007 : 12:39:55
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| hey guys, just got a question about running multiple guitar amp heads. just wondering how easily it can be done? is it as simple as plugging the output of one into the input of the next and going from there? anyone had any experience when doing this? problems with ohm loads or extra noise or anything? |
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nosi0
Gold Member
Netherlands
511 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2007 : 13:40:18
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you should be able to connect a "line out" into the "input". thats what i heard somewhere, but i don't believe that makes sense because both sides would be supplying power. right? so i'd like to know how it works too  |
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Stomp98
Bronze Member
Australia
50 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2007 : 14:31:05
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| yeah, what i was figuring is that i'd try plug the fx loop output of the first head into the fx input loop of the second head, and see how that went! i don't wanna ruin any electrics though so i thought i'd ask around first!!! |
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Plush Pile
Bronze Member
Australia
93 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2007 : 14:35:24
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quote:
Originally posted by nosi0
you should be able to connect a "line out" into the "input". thats what i heard somewhere, but i don't believe that makes sense because both sides would be supplying power. right? so i'd like to know how it works too
thats more to do with the levels that they output, the guitar is at mic level and the output is at line level, line level is basicly louder, so it will overdrive (in a bad way) the input stage of your amp.
someone will explain this better than me tho... |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2007 : 14:56:34
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How about using a LS-2 and split the signal into each amp?
Feeding the output of an amp into the input of another amp is usually not a good idea. |
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Stomp98
Bronze Member
Australia
50 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2007 : 16:12:22
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| yeah, i could use the LS-2 as you've said but that would sort of defeat the purpose. i guess i wanted to sort of use the first head as an external "pre amp" then use the second head as the main amp, so the volume is being increased. splitting the 2 through a line splitter would be just the same as using the stereo output on one of my boss pedals would it not? a stereo set up at a reduced level rather than a mono channel at a higher power level. |
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nosi0
Gold Member
Netherlands
511 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2007 : 16:25:10
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| i have a 2x300 watt karaoke amplifier and one day i decided to hook it up to my guitar amp to see what happend. the karaoke amplifier accepts a signal from the DVD player through a red and white cable. so then i got a converter and plugged the cable into the line out of the amp, indeed like you said overdrive in a bad way, then i plugged it into the headphone output a week later and wow. no overdrive. so would that work? ofcourse the first amp would then be muted because your using the headphone output. it works for me to get a louder volume. eventhough the first amp is a random brand anyway so no quality lol. |
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Stomp98
Bronze Member
Australia
50 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2007 : 07:56:18
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| thats a cool idea, the "sucks" part about that idea though is that there is no headphone jack on the amp :( and i beleive the "line out" output only supplies a constant volume, it doesn't react to the master volume of the amp. I'm not sure if the FX output works the same. |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2007 : 17:14:24
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I'm with bossarea on this ...when you say output i take it you mean the speaker output...running this into the input of another amp will result in meltdown for the first amp as the output tranny see's a no load situation (no speakers connected)....a valve amp such as a marshall head etc would probably end up with a burnt out output tranny if you try this..and i don't know what it would do to the input section of the other amp.... i think(and i'm not 100% on this...) that what a lot of rock bands did years ago with the marshalls,hiwatts,vox's etc was to take a lead from one of the spare inputs on the amp to link it into the next one..i.e daisy chaining them together or what i do is i split my signal with a ch1 to two amps(i like the stereo spread) or as bossarea suggested you could use a ls2 and switch between them..one clean and one dirty sounding.....or clapton used to do in cream to feed his two stacks was a 'y' splitter guitar lead...if you want to use one of the amps as a preamp to drive the second there are some attenuators on the market now with line outs to let you do this safely....basically as i understand it the attenuator has a dummy load setting to fool the first amp into thinking its connected to a speaker or cab and you can use the line out off this to feed the second amp...you should be able to plug it into the return on the effects loop and bypass the preamp section of the second amp if you want and just use the output section of the second amp.eddie van halen did it for a long time... marshall head as a preamp,attenuator,line out feeding his effects into a couple of solid state power amps to feed his 4x12's(might even still i'm not sure)..... |
Edited by - FRANZONI on 05/30/2007 17:27:31 |
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Stomp98
Bronze Member
Australia
50 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2007 : 08:15:29
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| thanks Franzoni. Getting an attenuator sounds like what i need to do. Got any idea's of good brand names or places to buy? what should i be looking out for? |
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Stomp98
Bronze Member
Australia
50 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2007 : 09:35:32
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heya. reading further about that, i beleive an attenuator will actually reduce the volume of the first signal? isn't that going to defeat the point if the preamp is strengthening the signal, the atenuator is then reducing the signal for it to be boosted again by the second amp?
BAH its all too hard! i'm just going to run a DI box through the PA! :P |
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Topic |
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running multiple guitar amp heads
