RHODES RECORDING HELP

[jazidup]

How do you record a rhodes in stereo from ONE amp? (Fender Twin Reverb) even with two mics...won't that still result in phasing or are there two preamp outs....i'm gonna rent the amp so that i can get the right sound

[Dave Horne]

First, what's the output of the Rhodes ... stereo or mono? If you have a true stereo output why not go direct?

 

If the Rhodes is just a mono output, how are you planning to get stereo from that?

[synthizen2]

IDEA: Try going direct, using 2 different fx boxes: use a Y-jack (splitter) to send the mono signal to one fx box doing chorus, the other one doing phasing or something.

[Krakit]

Or just buy an effects unit that takes mono in and can put stereo out.

 

As an example, I have the Alesis Fazer attached to my Mini Korg.

 

The Alesis has a mono in that will transmute to a stereo phase shifter out.

 

I also have the Boss Gigadelay that offers the same type of thing.

 

Carl

[ITGITC]

The Rhodes model with the speakers - the Suitcase model... was the signal simply panned between the two, or was there also vibrato added?

 

That would be the original stereo effect.

 

A Stereo flanger/phaser would be another.

 

I used a stereo chorus unit with mine.

 

That, plus some EQ and perhaps a tube-based front end, and you're good to go.

[Richard Lainhart]

The original Suitcase had a pseudo-stereo effect, in which the mono audio output could be panned between the cabinet speakers at a variable rate, to create a stereo tremelo. This effect was also reproduced on the two line outputs, so you could take those two outputs direct, record them to left and right, and have a stereo auto-pan. It isn't stereo in the sense that there's a spatial difference between the left and right channels, but rather a simple two-channel panning. It's a bigger sound than the straight mono sound, at any rate.

 

I don't know if the Stage model had this effect - if you're renting the Stage model, you could create a pseudo-stereo effect by splitting the output, taking one side direct to the left channel, and running the right through a short delay, flanger, phaser, or chorus, or any combination of those. That way, you could get a bigger sound without needing stereo effects.

[ITGITC]

Yup. My stereo BOSS chorus did this.

 

http://www.chrisguitars.com/boss-ce3-040430.jpg

 

One channel was straight - no funny stuff.

 

The other channel was modulated with a square wave & the pitch would drop a few cents, then come back to where it was.

 

In stereo this produced a nice chorus effect. I used a little of this often. I didn't use phasing and flanging effects much. If I wanted vibrato, I used the effect that was built into the Fender Bandmaster head I used. The speaker cab was RMI with two JBL 15" woofers and two Allen organ tweeters. Of course, back in the late seventies, it sounded pretty good. Today... I dunno.

[iLaw]

I believe at one time you could buy the Rhodes preamp section used in the Suitcase to get both the stereo "vibrato" (really autopan as Richard says above) effect with a Stage (and more of the Suitcase sound), and I know that Speakeasy Vintage Music currently sells at least one preamp that recreates the effect. Unless I specifically want the Stevie Wonder "Living For The City" autopanned sound, however, I tend toward a stereo chorus or a split signal with one side through a short delay as others have already suggested.

 

Larry.

 

[Edited to add] forgot to say that I really don't think you'll like the results of the one amp/two mics setup you first described.

[JeffLearman]

I agree, unless you like the sound of the room it's in. In general, though, you're better off recording as dry as possible and using a stereo reverb or impulse response filter (ala SIR) .