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If you want to run two amps, you have to know this

Welcome to the show. We love using two amps. We use two amps wherever we possibly can. And if you use analogue amps – tube or transistor – everything is hunky-dory, once you’ve checked the relative polarity of both.
Introduce a digital modelling amplifier, however, and we’re into a different problem: latency. Here’s where it gets chewy because if you’re using a digital amp alone, 1-2ms of digital latency is imperceptible to the vast majority of humans. Introduce a second, analogue amp (or another digital one with different latency) and we’re into a phase-alignment problem. It’s why Dan and I bang on so much about the importance of understanding latency in digital amps, and indeed analogue dry-through in pedals. The latter is explained right at the end.
We appreciate this episode is a bit like taking bitter medicine, doing homework, in the rain, while sat on a knobbly rock. And we’re not saying your digital amp is bad. We are simply explaining what you need to be aware of if you want to use it alongside an analogue amp.
If you can, enjoy the show!

• One thing we didn’t say specifically is that all three amps were set to audibly the same volume. Any volume drops you perceive are down to phase and polarity misalignment.

• I also checked for consistent polarity alignment right through the recording chain on all three channels.

A primer video on the basics of running two amps together: • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH9FO1EMIPQ

Pedals & stuff in today’s episode
• TheGigRig Three2One
• Sonic Research Turbo Tuner ST-200
• Vahlbruch Kaluna
• Boss DD-3T
• Eventide H9
• Free The Tone FT-2Y Flight Time
• TheGigRig QMX2

If you use these links to buy stuff - any stuff – we receive a small cut. Thank you!
🇬🇧 UK & Europe: Andertons Music - https://andertonsmusiccompany.pxf.io/9L4gVy
🇺🇲 USA: Sweetwater - https://sweetwater.sjv.io/QjZyY3
🇦🇺 Australia: Pedal Empire - http://bit.ly/2mWmJQf
🇪🇺 Europe: Thomann https://clickfi.re/OG0N7ONe


Guitars in today’s show
• 1965 Fender Telecaster

Amps in today’s show
• Boss Katana 100
• Quilter Aviator Cub
• Fender Custom ’64 Handwired Deluxe Reverb with Celestion 100 speaker (the fancy anniversary alnico one)

Interesting bits and go to sections…
0:00 Intro and preview
1:15 Context: what are we doing this?
3:00 Who uses two amps anyway?
3:20: Today’s amps
4:17 Two-amp basics: phase in terms of polarity
7:03 How polarity looks in waveforms
12:20 Now the digital amp and latency
14:15 Why polarity flip doesn’t fix latency
15:37 How latency looks in waveforms
17:48 Can we fix it in the mix?
20:12 You can’t hear 1ms with one amp
20:45 The Biffy Clyro example
21:45 But the speed of sound is more latency!
22:58 Can you hear this in the auditorium?
24:28 But I prefer the phase-misaligned sound!
25:45 How do we delay the analogue amp then?
29:05 150ms and 1ms of delay
31:55 More waveform examination
35:10 Proving it backwards with two analogue amps
36:35 Why we get so handbag about latency
37:10 Separate digital signal to front of house?
37:50 Analogue-dry-through in pedals - same rules
39:35 Eventide H9 and Boss DD-3T waveforms
40:35 Closing thoughts

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