Bi-amp Rigs and Configuration Question

[Moolaka]

What amps do y'all fancy paired up? I'm looking to consolidate some of my gear, namely my Dual Rec, because my other amps do specifically what I want and I never liked running it in tandem with the others. I love the gain on my Divinity III (percussive but smooth and growly, not much blossom in chords) but the Mesa just doesn't compliment it very well for death metal. I'd like to have a "punchier" companion in the mix, was thinking an Engl Steve Morse (aka, God) but haven't really seen anyone run one murdering some death metal. I also don't really know if I should look at similar amps or amps that accentuate ranges their pair neglects.

I run my rig (see sig) in all sorts of configurations like stereo, bi-amp mono, in/out of phase, 180° lift, different cabs and such because I'm not really used to using two amps as often as I have been. So yea, basically I need some pointers on matching amps and sich.

 

[glpg80]

i know this has to have been mentioned at least once before, but mesa's and peavey 5150's are known to mix great. I have a dual rec in bound for just this purpose but not in a bi-amp setup. mainly stereo recording and dual tracking. the 5150 will get solo duties but both will be tracked for rhythm.

JCM900's actually sound great mixed with dual rec's and 5150's as well. some of the best core genre tones i heard was a 5150 and a JCM900 dual tracked back to back on a studio record.

Everyone and their dog has played or owned a 5150 at one point in time, but for good reason. They're a staple in this genre and both mesa dual rec's and 5150's sound great together.

ninja edit: highly recommend picking either one up for your rig

 

[Moolaka]

JCM900's actually sound great mixed with dual rec's and 5150's as well. some of the best core genre tones i heard was a 5150 and a JCM900 dual tracked back to back on a studio record.

Everyone and their dog has played or owned a 5150 at one point in time, but for good reason. They're a staple in this genre and both mesa dual rec's and 5150's sound great together.

ninja edit: highly recommend picking either one up for your rig

Yea, I was thinking about keeping the Rec and getting a 5150 or XXX. I've used them in the studio and for rhythm it was great. I've invested in a Gflex 212 cab so I can get a few more options in that direction. I think the 5150-EVH's leads sound like absolute garbage, call me crazy, but they still cut my ****ing ears off every time. I don't know much about the JCM900, would I probably have to go vintage to get one worth it?

Edit: I've seen a bunch of people playing those 900's and they sound very decent for metal.

I should clarify that I don't run my DI hardly at all, maybe once a year. The rest of the time I've been fooling with the D3 in mind as a bedrock tone. I was contemplating a Splawn QR or Framus Dragon in place of the Rec, maybe the Engl.

 

[glpg80]

5150 lead tones actually sound great, you just have to really crank on the volume to get there - or run it through an AD/DA converter to get rid of some of the stock upper end preamp tube noise at lower volumes.

JCM900's - the ones to grab are the SL-X's which have an extra gain stage added over the 3 stage models for a cathode follower stage if i am not mistaken on the minute details.

Engl's have a scooped mid range to them naturally, that mixed with a dual rec would not sound too great. of course YMMV.

IMHO Engls mix excellent with clear/tight amplifiers like VHT's, but i have not heard of anyone running a bi-amp setup or dual tracked with a mesa and an Engl and raved about it. They're quite different animals and do different things well but not the opposite.

XXX's and 5150's are different animals, XXX was the george lynch signature amplifier which originated its herritage from the ultra120+ from the 80's. They sound alot like the mesa mark series amplifiers, more specifically the mark III - there is a video demonstrating this on youtube actually as far as the ultra120+ is concerned. But dont get the XXX and 5150 mixed into the same ballgame. Different strokes for different folks.

I live close to Splawns headquarters here in NC - his shop is less than an hour from where i live. Needless to say there are alot of them in guitar stores, sam ash stores, pawn shops, you name it. Honestly i have not played a single splawn i liked - all of them have an ice-pick to the forehead attitude about them and are extremely extremely loud, they are a dominant amplifier tone. Highly suggest you play one before looking to invest in one.

 

[Moolaka]

The 5150's are great for low fast riffing, the XXX sounds better in all other capacities to me. It's the gain on the 5150's...it's like...somebody cranked a fuzz through a 50% loop and ripped the knobs off. I loath it and they keep making them worse in that respect. That said, I also hate most Engl's (my first consideration) but did hear a YT clip of a guy mixing a Dual and Invader (Invader I think, I'll try to find it) and it sounded really good.

The JCM900's are pretty good, I've ignored most of what Marshall offers due to a modern TSL I had to use that sounded like a popcorn fart. I'm hesitant on them, though I do enjoy the "trademark" tone of Marshalls vs, say, Peavey or Fender in general. I think Marshall making "modern" amps is a joke on this principle though.

Yea, you can find used Splawns all day long. I agree they are almost too much. I would test one out for sure before purchase but I'm in love with their sound clips. I'd use it for a live setting though and the ice pick in the forehead doesn't sound so cool to me.

But the thing is that the Rec does well for me by itself, it's a FANTASTIC amp...just my DIII does specific things better to my ears (More growl/less "roar", smooth single notes, jazz cleans) and when combined it's obvious that the Rec is largely detracting from the tone I'm trying to cultivate. I'd like a amp that's tight but doesn't neglect chord liveliness for percussive or single note passages, maybe that's fundementally illegitimate. Maybe I should just get the Rec modded to tame the insane lows and tighten 'er up a bit then run it through the Gflex. I sure as heck don't need four amps though, granted one is basically just a show room piece/hey check out this crazy s***.

 

[EOT]

I used to run a triple rec and 6505+ rig. They do work well together. I switched to a Herbert and VHT UL now. I like a bigger, looser amp with a tight one personally.

I could see a jcm 900 mixing well with a rec. I guess I should try it and find out.

 

[Moolaka]

Mesa Rec & Engl Savage. Sounds pretty titties, not thrashy enough for me personally but I know some dudes that could put it to great use.

The semi-tight DIII and my saggy Rec settings (spongey, ch. 3, gain at 2:45-3:15) sounds pretty fantastic when not in phase and in biamp mono. They actually shook a cabinet OFF THE WALL at our spot when we all got full-swing. It's very 3D, like you have two perfectly synced guitarists. In phase it's SUCH a dark tone I'm almost gunning for our bassist's real estate (he takes a lot), their differences are shed to embrace their similarities and it just turns into a bunch of muck in the mix, ultimately stifling the ways they can compliment each other. All-in-all the Rec keeps my chords vibrant and adds a lot of low end sag which I love, but with some of our more linear palm muting parts it lacks that "thump, thump" kick in the chest feeling in favor of a more musical "boom", if you will.

 

[Moolaka]

For reference this fantastic group of awesome dudes almost single-handedly defined and made popular the abilities and core elements that I enjoy from my own Divinity amps. This album is a DIII and except the cleans, which I tune very differently, is a decent example of where I'm starting.

 

[glpg80]

^ when the absence went to the studio for their new record they used soldano avengers and a CAA PT100, just food for thought. Pete is a member over at rig talk and posted up his combination a few years back.

 

[Moolaka]

Yea, sorry I'm retarded. You are correct although Pintavalle was the one that used the DII & III at least specifically in live settings, Pete used Soldano.