Two amps vs one stereo amp?

[Emerald]

Can't seem to find an answer to this through google. I'm looking at buying an amp and I'm really interested in the Roland JC-120 mostly because my favourite band uses it and I've heard it's really good for effects pedals. I'm kind of thrown off by the fact that it's stereo though coz surely one stereo amp can't produce nearly the kind of sound that two amps working as stereo could? The two speakers are so close together I can't see how the stereo aspect would really be work very well, apart from for recording - but even then, why not just mic up two amps?

 

Thanks

[EdwardMarlowe]

33 minutes ago, Emerald said:

Can't seem to find an answer to this through google. I'm looking at buying an amp and I'm really interested in the Roland JC-120 mostly because my favourite band uses it and I've heard it's really good for effects pedals. I'm kind of thrown off by the fact that it's stereo though coz surely one stereo amp can't produce nearly the kind of sound that two amps working as stereo could? The two speakers are so close together I can't see how the stereo aspect would really be work very well, apart from for recording - but even then, why not just mic up two amps?

 

Thanks

I've got a stereo amp, the Vox AD120VT. Original, blue cloth version with the big 2x12 box. Same size / form factor as an AC30. 

The stereo effect is surprisingly pronounced despite the speakers being so close together. It does have the advantage of convenience - one box, not two. There's also consistent balance across the two channels - though obviously if you want a deliberate effect of two very different sounds, then two amps is still your birdy. For recording, as you note, there'd be no difference - it's all about mixing the channels. Live, if you're going through a PA would be much the same - even miking, just mic up the two speakers separately. 

For the most part, it makes little odds to me - I don't care about the sort of effects that benefit from the stereo function - indeed, at some point I'm going to sell the Vox on because I prefer a much simpler amp, and I barely use the vast majority of its functionality, just set it two Twin Reverb mode and dial in a little break-up....  it's wasted one me. 

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, Emerald said:

Can't seem to find an answer to this through google. I'm looking at buying an amp and I'm really interested in the Roland JC-120 mostly because my favourite band uses it and I've heard it's really good for effects pedals. I'm kind of thrown off by the fact that it's stereo though coz surely one stereo amp can't produce nearly the kind of sound that two amps working as stereo could? The two speakers are so close together I can't see how the stereo aspect would really be work very well, apart from for recording - but even then, why not just mic up two amps?

 

Thanks

 

A Good Question, fuelled by a somewhat misleading name for amps of this sort. It's not really 'stereo' in the HiFi sense, as it doesn't have two separate channels. It's a bit more subtile than that; the 'stereo' aspect really only concerns the 'chorus' effect for which the Roland is famous. It's not designed to be truly stereo in the sense of having, itself, a wide sound spread, and the chorus effect is most effective in a more intimate environment than a festival stage (and doesn't really work that well if it's twin-mic'ed up to a stereo PA...). As it happens, it's one of my favourite solid-state amps, and excels in crystal clarity, even at high volume (and it's capable of very high volume..!). Don't think of it as 'stereo'; just enjoy the shimmering effect 'live' from the chorus. Yes, it can be recorded, but not by hard-panning it right/left. It's more subtile than that. Be warned : the JC has a built-in 'distortion'/gain/overdrive' effect wich is about as ugly as one could wish for. If anything like 'dirt' is required, use a suitable pedal. Just my tuppence-worth.
If you want to have true 'stereo' (really 'bi-phonic', as a guitar is mono...) for splitting and treating two distinct amps, use a 'real' stereo amp and a pair of speakers. It's a quite different animal.
Hope this helps.

 

Douglas

[Emerald]

thanks for your responses guys!! okay interesting I see so if I'm running a bunch of pedals and wanting to work in stereo, would it not really do that properly then?

 

for example, if I'm using a stereo pedal with two outputs, would I not be able to run them each into the jc120 to effect the stereo sound from that pedal?

 

sorry if these questions aren't very well phrased I'm quite new to this I've always done everything on logic but I'm getting so sick of it working so hard to get a good sound and projects crashing from so many effects I wanna start doing it properly

[Dad3353]

6 minutes ago, Emerald said:

thanks for your responses guys!! okay interesting I see so if I'm running a bunch of pedals and wanting to work in stereo, would it not really do that properly then?

 

for example, if I'm using a stereo pedal with two outputs, would I not be able to run them each into the jc120 to effect the stereo sound from that pedal?

 

sorry if these questions aren't very well phrased I'm quite new to this I've always done everything on logic but I'm getting so sick of it working so hard to get a good sound and projects crashing from so many effects I wanna start doing it properly

 

The JC120 has an Fx Return Left and Right, so the o/p from a 'stereo' fx pedal could be fed into those to give a 'stereo', or 'bi-phonic' effect. Does that answer your needs..?

 

Douglas