Amp Blending Fundamentals?

DXMG503

DXMG503

Member
Hi folks!

I’m wondering what are some of the basic fundamental concepts for blending amps to build a guitar tone?

For example:
-Are there basic EQ curves you should sculpt for each amp so that they fit together properly (Maybe scooping one, and making the other mid heavy or something like that)?

-Is blending amps always a case of one high gain amp for body and sustain plus a low gain amp to increase the punch and cut through?

-Are blended amps always multi-tracked and treated as two tracks, or is it more common for them to be used as 1 track?

These are just some basic questions from a guy new to the concept.

I know for a lot of artists, amp blending is a big part of getting an album tone.

Thanks in advance!
 
1: I usually choose the amps to blend based more on the gain structure and one or two specific things. Like say you prefer the low end of a Mark 2C+ but you don't feel like the midrange is great, and then you see that you like the midrange character of a Diezel VH4, you could blend the two and when you're dialing them in you can focus more on getting rid of bad stuff. Like maybe a slight cut on the low end of the Diezel to make room for the 2C+, and scoop a tiny bit of mids on the 2C+ to make room for the Diezel, but not drastic moves.
Recently I found that I like blending a blackface Bassman model with a Gibson Scout model. Bassman through a 4x12 and 1x15, Scout through a 1x12 Greenback and a 2x12 Jensen. The bassman has a really sweet and smooth character, balanced lows and highs and typical Fender BF mid scoop, even when cranked it's not fizzy. The Scout has that sizzly kind of gnarly small amp overdrive that cuts really well but can be a bit boxy. So So I blend those two and its BLISS!!

2: You can do this, I usually try to keep gain as low as I can even with super heavy modern stuff, so I focus more on finding amps whose flavor of drive compliments each other, like Orange and Marshall go well together cause the Orange has a fuzzy low mid heavy drive and the Marshall has a sizzlier top end and upper mids.

3: I almost always just use different amps and quad track guitars, so like 2 amps 2 cabs, Left would have Amp A on Cab A, Amp B on Cab B, and Right would have Amp A on Cab B, Amp B on Cab A. I rarely combine amps for one track or performance, and if I do use two on one performance I record them to separate tracks so I can mix them easier.
 
fuzzy.pinetree said:
1: I usually choose the amps to blend based more on the gain structure and one or two specific things. Like say you prefer the low end of a Mark 2C+ but you don't feel like the midrange is great, and then you see that you like the midrange character of a Diezel VH4, you could blend the two and when you're dialing them in you can focus more on getting rid of bad stuff. Like maybe a slight cut on the low end of the Diezel to make room for the 2C+, and scoop a tiny bit of mids on the 2C+ to make room for the Diezel, but not drastic moves.
Recently I found that I like blending a blackface Bassman model with a Gibson Scout model. Bassman through a 4x12 and 1x15, Scout through a 1x12 Greenback and a 2x12 Jensen. The bassman has a really sweet and smooth character, balanced lows and highs and typical Fender BF mid scoop, even when cranked it's not fizzy. The Scout has that sizzly kind of gnarly small amp overdrive that cuts really well but can be a bit boxy. So So I blend those two and its BLISS!!

2: You can do this, I usually try to keep gain as low as I can even with super heavy modern stuff, so I focus more on finding amps whose flavor of drive compliments each other, like Orange and Marshall go well together cause the Orange has a fuzzy low mid heavy drive and the Marshall has a sizzlier top end and upper mids.

3: I almost always just use different amps and quad track guitars, so like 2 amps 2 cabs, Left would have Amp A on Cab A, Amp B on Cab B, and Right would have Amp A on Cab B, Amp B on Cab A. I rarely combine amps for one track or performance, and if I do use two on one performance I record them to separate tracks so I can mix them easier.
Click to expand...
This is awesome. Thanks
So much for sharing all of that!!
 
I blend an AC30 TB with the Jazz 120 for a dry wet sound. Dial the AC30 to a rather clean tone but still keeps that Class A tone and then the Jazz I set it for an ultra clean even sound to run the wet tone. Each set up sounds good to me on it's own, and to mix I do it through the levels of each amp. A clean Class A tone need to have the level closest to 0 where as the Jazz between -12/-15 in my case (room levels).

I've also tried using a mixer block, set both amps to a good enough level and then mix to taste in the mixer block but for some reason reducing levels on the mixer block takes away life from the wet signal. I still need to experiment more.
 
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