Ric-O-Sound biamp setups?

mindwell

mindwell

Aug 17, 2006
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#1
Just got a 4001 from 1981, and ran Ric-O-Sound for the first time with dedicated rigs in band rehearsal. Plugged the bass into the Rich-E-Split aftermarket splitter, ran the highs and mids into an original Blueline SVT and a mid-70s 810, and put the lows through a Whirlwind OC Compressor into an ancient Yamaha B-100 head running into an Energy Group ported cab with a McCauley 18". And, well, OH MY GOD. Put it up against a couple of Marshall 50 watt half stacks and a double kick metal kit, and the Rick killed/destroyed/slayed, what have you. Chainsaw sledgehammer, and the lows from the Energy cab sat perfectly under the rolled-off 810. Should have done this decades ago.

How about other folks? What kinds of combinations have you used to take advantage of the stereo Ric-O-Sound function?
 
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#3
Who wants simple when you can use MORE toys! ;)

A couple of my faves over the years with ROS:

Bass pickup thru a Leslie 825 (+Tech 21 Clean Boost) + treble pickup thru a Fender Twin Reverb '65 RI (+Tech 21 V/T) = Rattling my bandmates old mercury fillings.

Bass pickup thru a Rickenbacker TR120B (+Tech 21 chorus) + treble pickup thru a Road 35B (x my pedal board) = hours of enjoyment playing ALL by my lonesome.
 
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#4
10569069_320382421472140_6309011678789838466_n.jpg


Not Ricosound because its a P bass with an additional pickup with own output, Sheehan style. Guitar and bass versions of same amp series, everything neatly matches, the second channel on each head functions to act as a backup should one head die. Being similar amps and matching cabs seems to help phase relationship, I can have reasonable bass from both without it getting messy. Constantly adjusting the balance using the volumes on my bass keeps a moving tone dynmaic through the set.
 
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#5
Mr. Foxen said:
Not Ricosound because its a P bass with an additional pickup with own output, Sheehan style. Guitar and bass versions of same amp series, everything neatly matches, the second channel on each head functions to act as a backup should one head die. Being similar amps and matching cabs seems to help phase relationship, I can have reasonable bass from both without it getting messy. Constantly adjusting the balance using the volumes on my bass keeps a moving tone dynmaic through the set.
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Do the different pickups cover different frequency ranges, or are both run full range through heads that are eq'd differently?
 
#6
mindwell said:
Do the different pickups cover different frequency ranges, or are both run full range through heads that are eq'd differently?
Click to expand...

Different frequency ranges in that they are in different positions but they are not bandpassed in any way. Mid boost on drivey amp and mid cut on the clean one.
 
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#7
YES !!! Ric-O-Sound set-up is amazing....
I have a 1973 2001 ....I run the bridge pick-up into a 69'SVT blue-line head with 6146B tubes into a flat-back 8x10 SVT cab ....
Then I run the bass pickup into a SVT PRO-4 that goes into 2 x V4B cabs....
This will give you an idea of how much bottom end you can produce..
1. My singer would run off the stage to go make #2 because his guts were rattling so violently...
2. I thought the owner was shutting the stage lights off on the band, only to find the bass was blowing out the filaments in the stage lights..
3. Patrons were constantly running out of the club to shut off their car alarms....
4. My drummer had to use cinder blocks to keep the drum set from hovering away in all directions, when that didn't work, he used those concrete slabs used in parking spaces...
5. The Chinese restaurant at the end of the block came to the club screaming that things are falling off their shelves and their front windows were rattling..they got scared..
6. Bar tenders were pissed when the glass-ware and bottles of booze were rattling and ready to fall..
7. The Sound man was jealous I could make more bass then he ever dreamed off...
8. Blowing breakers in a club is not a good way to get to know the owner :(
 
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#8
Mr. Foxen said:
Different frequency ranges in that they are in different positions but they are not bandpassed in any way. Mid boost on drivey amp and mid cut on the clean one.
Click to expand...

Actually they are...The 4001 bridge pup has the .0047 cap which rolls off lows(assuming it hasn't been bypassed) hence the name "treble" pup..
I was meant to go into a guitar amp while the full range "bass" pup(neck) was meant to go to a bass amp giving the player a quasi bi-amp set up..
A lot of guys would do the "bypass surgery" to their Ric to get more lows from the bridge pup because most didn't run the Ric-o-sound and wanted more lows and output from it...Ric then decided to remove the cap with the 4003 but some still wanted the original 4001 sound...Now Ric has the push/pull tone pot on the bridge pup so you can have the best of both worlds and, what wonderful worlds they are..
 
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#11
rekesbass said:
Actually they are...The 4001 bridge pup has the .0047 cap which rolls off lows(assuming it hasn't been bypassed) hence the name "treble" pup..
I was meant to go into a guitar amp while the full range "bass" pup(neck) was meant to go to a bass amp giving the player a quasi bi-amp set up..
A lot of guys would do the "bypass surgery" to their Ric to get more lows from the bridge pup because most didn't run the Ric-o-sound and wanted more lows and output from it...Ric then decided to remove the cap with the 4003 but some still wanted the original 4001 sound...Now Ric has the push/pull tone pot on the bridge pup so you can have the best of both worlds and, what wonderful worlds they are..
Click to expand...

I'm not using a rick.
 
#14
I've used bigger stereo rigs as well, but my current set-up is very much the mini, budget, and carless-friendly, version of a Ric-o-Sound rig. It captures the essence of why we love this set-up, but obviously at a less cataclysmic level of volume than some of you cats are harnessing (amazingly, I may add!). I like it because it's a pretty small stage footprint, and typically gets either used with a 7-9 piece reggae band, or a 10 piece Afrobeat ensemble.

Neck pickup goes to the TC BH250 head, and the bigger cab on the bottom. Bridge pickup goes to the Orange, and the top cabinet. They're both 1x12, but the bigger one is physically deeper by a few inches, and definitely puts out more bootylicious low end. I get all the crisp zing up near my ears, which is where I prefer it!

And of course, that big ol' Ampeg gets used for the Ric-o-Sound, but typically just in the studio... It's not really a practical gigging amp, but it's tone nirvana on record!

IMG_1827.jpg
 
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