Live stereo delay trick for single guitarist

[aortizjr]

So a nifty trick when you only have a single guitar track is to duplicate it and delay/nudge it by a few ms. Can really wreck mono compatibility, and of course double tracking is better, but in a pinch for whatever reason it is a good way to spread out the sound. Especially if EQ the tracks differently or something.

Anyway, I am the only guitarist in my band. I was thinking about using this same trick to fill out the sound. I don't think my GSP1101 allows this, so I would probably have to get a delay pedal set to wet, no feedback, etc. Just to delay the signal.

But before I invest and probably get a second power amp. Have any of you done this?

Or is just width and timing delay due to the speed of sound enough to just run a cab on either side in mono?

Actually I was just thinking, roughly 1ms is 1 foot, so I guess I could run the second cab a couple feet further back than the main cab.

I did a ton of searching, but end up hitting on stereo delay ping pong effects and stuff.

 

[Trevoire520]

I would just hook up another cab at the opposite side of the stage and not worry about the delay part of it to be honest, depending on where the punters are standing the sound from one of the cabs will reach them before the other so that will give you your delay.

 

[luismars]

Most PA are mono, so don't worry at all for the stereo field, just put 2 cabs.

 

[sam14]

I used to do exactly this with my GSP1101

I would run it into the power amp of whatever heads were provided on either side of the stage, and my rhythm patch had a 30ms stereo delay always on (I set it up using headphones, and dialed up the delay until I got the seperation/dual tracking effect I was after).

Regardless of weather the PA is mono or not, it creates a nice big stage sound which helps out if the PA is crappy, I always got compliments on my "huge" live tone.

Hope that helps!

 

[LiberaScientia]

Just added this to my rhythm patch on my XT Pro, sounds good on headphones but I shall try it out at band practice tomorrow and see if it works for me.

 

[egan.]

There is already a delay between the cabs depending on where you are standing in the audience unless you're dead center. No need to add something that already exists. IMO it be cooler to run two different heads.

 

[rispsira]

I used to do exactly this with my GSP1101

I would run it into the power amp of whatever heads were provided on either side of the stage, and my rhythm patch had a 30ms stereo delay always on (I set it up using headphones, and dialed up the delay until I got the seperation/dual tracking effect I was after).

Regardless of weather the PA is mono or not, it creates a nice big stage sound which helps out if the PA is crappy, I always got compliments on my "huge" live tone.

Hope that helps!

Cool. Im just surprised you go as high as 30ms, ill try it sometime. Never gone as high

 

[bryan_kilco]

2 Heads and cabs + an A/B/Y switch or something to kick on/off during certain breaks to give it the "2 guitarist" feel would be my thought.

 

[Fragle]

this is done to avoid/minimize phase issues when micing both amps. keep of kalessin are doing it for example.

fwiw, i've been running 2 heads in stereo for quite some time and never had any serious phase issues. it's a neat trick, but unneccessary imho.
running 2 heads in general though, now that's some epic shit. i love it. channel switching and setup time can be a bitch, though

 

[DanLights]

My guitarist used to do it in my old goregrind band, I think he used the two outputs from his TU-2 into each head/amp available

 

[xFkx]

Most PA are mono, so don't worry at all for the stereo field, just put 2 cabs.

Dude, I can hardly remember the last time i've witnessed a mono system (I mean, seriously.. i can't, might have been once or twice in my life).
The sub aux (if used) is usualy mono, but come on.

 

[luismars]

Dude, I can hardly remember the last time i've witnessed a mono system (I mean, seriously.. i can't, might have been once or twice in my life).
The sub aux (if used) is usualy mono, but come on.

I don't want to go off topic, mostly because I don't know much about it, but I've been in some concerts where the PA was set in stereo and you couldn't hear the solos if you were not on the soloist side. Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't want to sound like a smart-ass

Plus, if the place is not very small and you're not in the dead centre the distance between the speakers is going to do the delay for you.

 

[Pot]

running 2 heads in general though, now that's some epic shit. i love it. channel switching and setup time can be a bitch, though

do u mean 2 amps to 1 cab (with aby box or slaved) or 2 cabs?

 

[Fragle]

2 amps 2 cabs

 

[arv_foh]

Dude, I can hardly remember the last time i've witnessed a mono system (I mean, seriously.. i can't, might have been once or twice in my life).
The sub aux (if used) is usualy mono, but come on.

most dudes mix in mono even if the rig is stereo because they want the entire audience to enjoy the show

 

[xFkx]

most dudes mix in mono even if the rig is stereo because they want the entire audience to enjoy the show

I was just pointing out that saying most PA systems are mono is just spreading misinformation (from a technical standpoint), and not trying to start a debate if and how the stereo field should be used live.