Wet Dry setup explained?

[lesterpaul]

I have played around with it-split signal and ran it into a MK IIC+ for the dry side
-other side went MK IV/G system -used the satellite out on the IV into a power amp for 2nd side of wet effects
the IIC was in the center of the room sitting on 4x12 -the iV/G/power amp fed thieles on each side..about 10 feet apart or so...
-the core tone on the C was in the center,while the "wet" signal was flanking the 4x12...the thieles handled the true stereo effects,while the dry tone cut thru in the middle
-it was cool, but not my normal application...a bunch of **** patch cables!..I tried it...didn't inhale

 

[plumptone]

There are a couple of variations of this set-up, but the basic concept is always the same: your splitting the signal so that half is completely dry and the other half has the effects. It can be done in stereo (as desribed above), aor as a mono split that just separates the wet and dry signal. You can also run a set up that's stereo and part of the stereo feet is wet and part dry (although I gues because it's in stereo that's not really wet/dry).

It's cool to play around with and in certain situations sounds very cool. For example, if you're not micing everything up and playing in a smaller venue, you can really get a huge stage sound that the audience will perceive as very wide. This is great if you're in a 3-piece band and need to really fill things up. If you're micing and mixing everything, the real split can be achieved if you have a good sound guy, but you'll lose the impact of the wet/dry from the audience's perspective. At least that's been my experience.

As mentioned though, it's a real pain in the *** to set it up - if you're spreding it out on the stage you'll have miles of cables to deal with.

I occasionally run a partially wet/dry stereo set up as follows:

Gtr > floor mono effects >F-50.

F-50 effecys send to rack tuner > stereo chorus > stereo delay.

The left side of the stereo delay goes to a digital reverb > F-50 fex return.

The right side of the stereo delay goes straight to the fx return of a DC-3.

This way I have the reverb isolated on one side, but get the benefit of the stereo spread when it's engaged. When the stereo pedals in the loop are not engaged it's basically a reverb on the left/dry on the right rig, but the effects that go before the amp are pumped through both amps.

With enough space to spead the amps out stage left and stage right, the effect is very cool.

 

[buddaman71]

I ran a compact W/D/W set up for years as follows:

a) Mesa Maverick FX send into input of Stereo FX device (nothing goes back into the return)

b) L + R Outputs of FX into the inputs of Mesa 20/20 power amp

c) 20/20 into 2 Mesa 112 cabs

Dry tone comes out the combo and wet stereo returns come out the extention cabs. Sounds great and very compact.

My current rig is similar, but I use my LSC 112, a GSP1101 and 2 Tech 21 Power Engines.

 

[gonzo]

when i DO happen to run stereo (next to never) i use a similar setup to buddamans...

basically, i've got a 1x12 cab for a dry feed direct from the boogie head, that's my LOUD cab, and then another pair of cabs left and right, with only an 'effects' send thru a power amp, and i match that as needed to the dry sound.


i go SEND from MKIIb Head to a yamaha DG stomp.

Out of the DG, left and right, to a Hafler stereo power amp. (running as two mono sides- the effect is not true stereo, but 2 mono outputs)

no return to boogie.

Out of Hafler to (2) 1x12 cabs, left and right.

i optimize the signal out of the DG to the Hafler, and set the Hafler volumes to just fill the effects into whatever stage volume i need to balance to the dry center cab.

i typically mic the dry cab with a 57, then use the palmer Junction as a feed to FOH for mixing in the effect in mono.


stereo is only good for the guy on the stage, nobody in the club is ever going to hear it.