Why use two NV 400's?

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 2 Dec 2012 7:21 am

My wife and I were out twostepping last night and I noticed that the pedal steel player had two NV 400's in use. What is the reason for using two?

David Higginbotham · Post by **David Higginbotham** » 2 Dec 2012 7:29 am

True stereo sound

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 2 Dec 2012 7:35 am

Oh boy, I guess I can't see the forest for the trees!! That was my first thought, but then I did not think it could be that simple!!

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 2 Dec 2012 10:30 am

To have a balanced load to and from the car

Jeff Campbell · Post by **Jeff Campbell** » 2 Dec 2012 10:51 am

To get a nice long incision to put mesh in and staple you back up!! Been there, done that....not doing that again.

Kevin Lichtsinn · Post by **Kevin Lichtsinn** » 2 Dec 2012 11:46 am

Oh boy, I am really learnin' sumpin' now!! Thanks for the laugh

Keith Currie · Post by **Keith Currie** » 2 Dec 2012 1:18 pm

Can you get true stereo just by using two amps?

Kevin Mincke · Post by **Kevin Mincke** » 2 Dec 2012 1:37 pm

And a jest where waz you at Kevin & who was the picker?
I think sometimes whether it's two amps a pair of speakers from a rack system, players will split the signal dry with delay/reverb mix or a combo of both.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 2 Dec 2012 2:03 pm

Keith, that's what stereo is, although one channel will usually get a different effects treatment. With the right spacing, a phase shifter in one channel and the other one dry can almost sound like a Leslie

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 2 Dec 2012 2:15 pm

The input to two amplifiers has to be some kind of stereo treatment, or it's simply dual mono. Louder and more spread out, but the same signal. Did you see if he was using a preamp or processor (ProFex II, Pod, etc.) before the amps? Some reverb or delay pedals have stereo outputs, which can be a phase-shifted or reversed signal considered pseudo-stereo, or a "real" stereo signal which is two discreet signal paths with different characteristics. For example, the ProFex or similar units can output a delay on one side with a different length delay on the other, or chorusing with modulation moving between the two speakers, which can create some really nice wide sounds.
There have been many posts/arguments that stereo setups can not be heard by the audience, but if there's a stereo PA they can sound huge, leaving room for vocals, bass, etc. in the center, and in a smaller venue, a little spread between two amps or speaker cabs can indeed be perceived by the audience as a wider, bigger sound. It can be pretty inspiring to sit onstage inside a nice cocoon of stereo goodness as well!

Keith Currie · Post by **Keith Currie** » 2 Dec 2012 2:26 pm

Yea thats what I thought Mark, I have run two amps but never thought of it as stereo, I thought that was why guys run two pick ups . I know Randle runs two amps at times on the road, but I also know he doesnt half to move them around him self LOL.

Don Hinkle · Post by **Don Hinkle** » 2 Dec 2012 6:16 pm

I use 2 nv400's whenever space permits.
I have mono pickups (Emmons 108N - LG3) and go mono out of my goodrich pot pedal into my DD5 delay. It has mono/right outputs.
I send one to each amp. I dont expect that I am getting anything near a "true stereo" signal, sound or whatever.. but I do know that it sure sounds pleasing to my tin ear.
When it sounds better, I play better, and have more fun.
btw - both of my NV400's have wheels on the bottom for easy (easier) transport.
I put my pac a seat on top of one of them, and then balance my emmons on the other and wheel them in one at a time.. its a lazy mans world... but its the smartest way I can come up with.
ymmv

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 2 Dec 2012 7:26 pm

This might not have seeped into Steelworld, but somewhere back in the early 1980's Steve Morse and Eric Johnson both hit upon the idea of simultaneously running both a Marshall amp for middy overdrive and a Twin Reverb or such to pick up clean highs and lows. Highs and lows not being so swell to overdrive. This became pretty much industry standard, at least for recording purposes. It's not stereo stereo, it's just... lots more! Boys being boys, Santana now runs four different amps and Joe Bonamassa records SIX of them at once to six different tracks, and then chooses... um, some of them.

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 2 Dec 2012 8:24 pm

Most reverbs can make a stereo image... both sides get the dry mix in phase, but the reverb is fed out-of-phase to one side.

But the most important reason to carry two amps is... redundancy. One fails, no sweat.

Keith Murrow · Post by **Keith Murrow** » 3 Dec 2012 9:50 am

Back in the late 80s, I played through 2 Nashville 400s. I had gone to a Peavey amp seminar where they recommended playing one amp dry, and the other with effects only. Not really "stereo" as it is most often defined. I did like the way that arrangement sounded, but not enough to make it worth carrying around the extra gear.

There is an excellent point to be made about having an extra amp on hand in case one develops trouble or goes down during the show. Nowadays I take one complete combo amp and a backup head I can quickly patch to the speaker in case of trouble.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 7 Dec 2012 11:14 am

Keith Currie wrote:Can you get true stereo just by using two amps?

Not really. True stereo requires two different signal sources, though you can get an ersatz version by using two amps, and setting them differently.

Keith Currie · Post by **Keith Currie** » 7 Dec 2012 12:41 pm

Well that was my point to me two pick ups run through two volume pots like a Franklin pedal and then two amps would =true stereo

Dave Grafe · Post by **Dave Grafe** » 7 Dec 2012 2:39 pm

Tom Brumley often used a pair of Peavey amps driven by the left and right outputs of his effects unit. The same thing can be done with a POD or other stereo-enabled pre-amp/processor. This produces the most natural stereo effect, generates a very sweet field in which to play if the amps are symetrically placed relative to the player, and is also a great stereo source for the PA mix.

Dave O'Brien · Post by **Dave O'Brien** » 7 Dec 2012 3:14 pm

Jeff Campbell wrote:To get a nice long incision to put mesh in and staple you back up!! Been there, done that....not doing that again.

I've used this rig out of my Boss Chorus pedal and the sound was awesome but it's usually one NV112 for me now

!!

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 9 Dec 2012 5:09 am

I use a BOSS RV-5 out of my volume pedal and split it into 2 Nashville 112's, WHAT A SOUNDS is all I can say.

Steven Finley · Post by **Steven Finley** » 13 Dec 2012 9:50 pm

why even one?

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 14 Dec 2012 3:50 am

I dont know how to answer that Steven

Johnny Thomasson · Post by **Johnny Thomasson** » 15 Dec 2012 11:30 am

Steven Finley wrote:why even one?

Listen to Gary Carpenter play through his NV400, and you'll have your answer.

Keith Currie · Post by **Keith Currie** » 15 Dec 2012 11:37 am

I think a far better question would be why not? A lot of pros are still using them.

Quentin Hickey · Post by **Quentin Hickey** » 15 Dec 2012 5:57 pm

Johnny Thomasson wrote:
Steven Finley wrote:why even one?
Listen to Gary Carpenter play through his NV400, and you'll have your answer.

Doug Jernigan sounds awesome through his NV 400.

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Why use two NV 400's?

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