Is there an A/B pedal or something that would work well for running 2 heads besides a Mesa High Gain Amp Switcher? I hear a lot of talk about signal loss in the A/B boxes... and with all the care and time that goes into splitting hairs over tone and such I would hate to lose signal.... any decent products out there? Especially in a non-rack form. Any input is appreciated!
Running 2 amps together....
- Thread starter DaxNelson
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guitarmaster
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Wow... thanks a ton for this ultra complete reply. I'm going to look into each of them. I'd be using it to either:
- run 2 of my 3 amp setups together: Marshall TSL 100, Dual Rec, and/or Triaxis; in this case I'd be running into 2 separate cabs
- or I could switch between heads into the same cab... I hadn't even thought of that idea...
Do you have any preference over any of these units? Thanks again.
- run 2 of my 3 amp setups together: Marshall TSL 100, Dual Rec, and/or Triaxis; in this case I'd be running into 2 separate cabs
- or I could switch between heads into the same cab... I hadn't even thought of that idea...
Do you have any preference over any of these units? Thanks again.
guitarmaster
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ibanezgtr
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I use the Radial Switchbone like Alan Holdsworth uses and many others. It is the next step up from the bigshot, made for running 2 amps at once. The best for running 2 amps at once, I run the Triaxis 2:90 and Dual rectifier 2 channel with no noise or tone change. Radial is the best!!!
With the Switchbone, I read a review on HC that said when using both amps together, there was a slight pulse in the audio because of the blinking LED. Have you noticed this or can you comment on it at all?
I'm still torn on what to get here. I realize the rack stuff really has more options, but I'm kind of trying to get away from that... I think!
I'm still torn on what to get here. I realize the rack stuff really has more options, but I'm kind of trying to get away from that... I think!
ibanezgtr
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I read that too before I bought it, I have never heard a pulse... Even at very loud volumes.. Maybe the guys equipment had some noise issues or was not grounded
Well, I ordered a Switchbone and I'm quite anxious to hear it. You know what though, that Headbone VT is the ultimate way to compare amp heads - there would be the exact same cab with no delay to put one amp on standby, switch the speaker cables, switch inputs, and take the second amp off standby. But, I think I want to mess around with with the 2 amp tone for a while. I did it a while back w/ a Mesa HG Amp Switcher. Once session I thought it sounded great, in the studio I thought it sounded blahhh - I wonder if the amps were out of phase?
ibanezgtr
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Good thing you went with the switchbone instead of the bigshot. I returned the Bigshot the next day because it changed the sound of the other cabinet.
You will be impressed. Every now and then I compare plugging right into the amp without the switchbone to try to hear a difference or noise.. But nothing. I also used headphones into a small guitar amp to get the drag control perfect to the way it sounds plugging straight into the amp. I run the Dual rectifier 2 ch w/EL34's and Mark IIc+ from triaxis/2:90 at the same time for some of the best tones ever heard.. It looks like you could do the same.
Nice.. I just noticed you had some Conklin 8 string guitars.. I studied with Rusty Cooley for a while, you can watch him and his Conklin 8 string on you tube if you are into sweeps and speed. I play 7 strings mainly. Later
You will be impressed. Every now and then I compare plugging right into the amp without the switchbone to try to hear a difference or noise.. But nothing. I also used headphones into a small guitar amp to get the drag control perfect to the way it sounds plugging straight into the amp. I run the Dual rectifier 2 ch w/EL34's and Mark IIc+ from triaxis/2:90 at the same time for some of the best tones ever heard.. It looks like you could do the same.
Nice.. I just noticed you had some Conklin 8 string guitars.. I studied with Rusty Cooley for a while, you can watch him and his Conklin 8 string on you tube if you are into sweeps and speed. I play 7 strings mainly. Later
I got the switchbone today, but I've only had less than an hour to mess with it. It sounds a lot fuller, but I have a lot of screwing around to do on the tones. The sound I use with the Marshall TSL 100 with the sound I use with the Dual Rec together sounds a little harsh together. I am waiting on getting my Triaxis setup back from Mesa and I'll mess with that too.
Problem is I was so excited to rock them that I started pretty loud for about the first 15 minutes... then when I started to check out the tones a little more, I think my ears were a little fried!
Hey, Ibanezgtr, do you have your Triaxis controlling the channel switching on your recto?
Problem is I was so excited to rock them that I started pretty loud for about the first 15 minutes... then when I started to check out the tones a little more, I think my ears were a little fried!
Hey, Ibanezgtr, do you have your Triaxis controlling the channel switching on your recto?
All I can say is - wow. Now that I've been rocking dual amps, when I play just one, it sounds kind of whack! I'm really looking forward to getting my triaxis/2:90 back from mesa soon and trying that in the set up. I will DEFINITELY be trying the dual rec w/ the triaxis on the mark II c+ mode.
Switching back and forth between the dual rec and the marshall really surprises me how dark the mesa sounds. They sound really good together. And it's weird to say, but the dual rec doesn't crush the marshall like I thought it would. Marshall has a much more saturated sound, but the mesa is, well, it's mesa and it's bold.
I have a lot more tweaking ahead of me. For live applications, switching could be a real pain in the *** - in which case it makes sense to have the midi switchable rack units that you all suggested. I'm anxious to see what if I can have the dual rec controlled channel wise though the triaxis, and then use another switch on the triaxis to activate the foothswitch for muting purposes on the dual rec - I just wouldn't have a any return so there would be no sound. I wonder if that will work. I hope so b/c I would like to be able to switch between 2 channels on the dual rec as well as mute it - otherwise I would have one channel and then the 2nd channel set to mute with everything all the way down.
If I wanted to control the marshall tsl, it looks like I would need something like the r-16 from rmj music. Anyone checked this out yet?
http://www.rjmmusic.com/rg16.php
Switching back and forth between the dual rec and the marshall really surprises me how dark the mesa sounds. They sound really good together. And it's weird to say, but the dual rec doesn't crush the marshall like I thought it would. Marshall has a much more saturated sound, but the mesa is, well, it's mesa and it's bold.
I have a lot more tweaking ahead of me. For live applications, switching could be a real pain in the *** - in which case it makes sense to have the midi switchable rack units that you all suggested. I'm anxious to see what if I can have the dual rec controlled channel wise though the triaxis, and then use another switch on the triaxis to activate the foothswitch for muting purposes on the dual rec - I just wouldn't have a any return so there would be no sound. I wonder if that will work. I hope so b/c I would like to be able to switch between 2 channels on the dual rec as well as mute it - otherwise I would have one channel and then the 2nd channel set to mute with everything all the way down.
If I wanted to control the marshall tsl, it looks like I would need something like the r-16 from rmj music. Anyone checked this out yet?
http://www.rjmmusic.com/rg16.php
ibanezgtr
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The triaxis is so smart!! I use it to control everything. First off if they sound a little whack by themselves, I think they are out of phase. Radial said the most common position would be at 0 instead of 180, on your switch. I use lift and leave the other at zero. Let me take a sec to explain my set up, this is from another topic I posted about how the pod pro can be used too, (you can use this info for any midi effects unit).
Here are some ideas. I actually use my pod pro to control everything with the floor board with one step. My Pod pro, Triaxis and Dual Rectifier 2 channel head. By hooking a midi cable from the pod pro to the Triaxis and plugging a 1/4 inch cable from the dual rectifier channel switch plug on the back, to 1 of the 4 switch jacks on the Triaxis. Now I can choose to activate the effects loop if I want to hear the Pod and it's effects, which is only 10 percent of the time for the delay swell effect. The Pod pro is in the Triaxis' effects loop, and I have the loop turned off most of the time for pure MARK sounds. The Pod pro will always switch all units even if I don't have the loop activated on Triaxis. Makes set up quick, only one midi floor board!!
With this set up you can do anything!!
Use the tuner on the pod,
switch all 3 units with one step on line 6 floorboard or any other midi pedal.
Mix/blend Mark IIc+ or MarkI-IV sounds with Dual Rectifier sounds at the same time( with the Switchbone a/b/y switch and 2 4x12 cabs or sometimes split one 4x12 cab)
Or clean and distortion at the same time,
Change channels on the Dual Rectifier with each patch on the Triaxis
I also have an Ernie ball volume pedal in the DR effects loop, to control the mix of the Dual rectifier and the Cabinet it is going to, with the other cab.
With this I get all the great tones with no effects most of the time, unless I want them. To bypass the Pod Pro's amp models (not the pod xt) and use only it's effects for a pure sound, make a patch with the TUBE PREAMP that is like a bypass, turn everything to 12 o clock. They suggest this in the Pod manual. Hope this helps, I have been really excited about how smart my equipment is and I don't need to buy any extra stuff like the Vodoo Lab Ground Control units. This saved me alot of money and set up time!!
So to answer your question I can plug the dual rectifier channel jack to the triaxis. Having the switch activated in the patch changes the rectifier to red, having it not activated, puts the dual rectifier on yellow. And my line6 floorboard controls my triaxis, which controls my dual rectifier. Let me know if you have any questions. Also FYI I put the radial in my rack and leave both amps activated all show. I just use my volume pedal to remove one amp or fade in, or silently tune.
Here are some ideas. I actually use my pod pro to control everything with the floor board with one step. My Pod pro, Triaxis and Dual Rectifier 2 channel head. By hooking a midi cable from the pod pro to the Triaxis and plugging a 1/4 inch cable from the dual rectifier channel switch plug on the back, to 1 of the 4 switch jacks on the Triaxis. Now I can choose to activate the effects loop if I want to hear the Pod and it's effects, which is only 10 percent of the time for the delay swell effect. The Pod pro is in the Triaxis' effects loop, and I have the loop turned off most of the time for pure MARK sounds. The Pod pro will always switch all units even if I don't have the loop activated on Triaxis. Makes set up quick, only one midi floor board!!
With this set up you can do anything!!
Use the tuner on the pod,
switch all 3 units with one step on line 6 floorboard or any other midi pedal.
Mix/blend Mark IIc+ or MarkI-IV sounds with Dual Rectifier sounds at the same time( with the Switchbone a/b/y switch and 2 4x12 cabs or sometimes split one 4x12 cab)
Or clean and distortion at the same time,
Change channels on the Dual Rectifier with each patch on the Triaxis
I also have an Ernie ball volume pedal in the DR effects loop, to control the mix of the Dual rectifier and the Cabinet it is going to, with the other cab.
With this I get all the great tones with no effects most of the time, unless I want them. To bypass the Pod Pro's amp models (not the pod xt) and use only it's effects for a pure sound, make a patch with the TUBE PREAMP that is like a bypass, turn everything to 12 o clock. They suggest this in the Pod manual. Hope this helps, I have been really excited about how smart my equipment is and I don't need to buy any extra stuff like the Vodoo Lab Ground Control units. This saved me alot of money and set up time!!
So to answer your question I can plug the dual rectifier channel jack to the triaxis. Having the switch activated in the patch changes the rectifier to red, having it not activated, puts the dual rectifier on yellow. And my line6 floorboard controls my triaxis, which controls my dual rectifier. Let me know if you have any questions. Also FYI I put the radial in my rack and leave both amps activated all show. I just use my volume pedal to remove one amp or fade in, or silently tune.
ibanezgtr
Well-known member
How's the rig working out Dax?
I have no significant change in tone with my Bigshot. Do you not have a buffer anywhere in your signal? That's the advantage of the Switchbone, it has the footswitchable boost and buffer/sag. Most of my guitars are active and several pedals on my board are not true bypass. Even running a passive guitar with the Bigshot as the only pedal, I don't experience any noticable tone changes.ibanezgtr said:
ibanezgtr
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I'm not sure what caused it, but it made the other amp muddy sounding. I even compared with headphones to make sure. I read in other reviews the same thing. The switchbone was design for running 2 amps, to correct the problem. I know that it sounded fine and is great for using 1 amp a time, just a regular a/b swtich. But you really need the drag control for passive pickups, to make it sound natural.
I sounds huge! Problem is now when I just play one amp, it's not enough. I still need to dial in the drag - when you did this, how did you know where to place it? Did you just keep switching back to plugging straight into your amp? What is the significance of using headphones to do this?
I still do not have my Triaxis and 2:90 back from Mesa - but I can't wait to hear that combo. Rich from Mesa call me yesterday about the 2:90 and said who ever repaired it last did a ton of wrong repairs on it - but it turns out it was done by the local authorized Mesa repair shop. Rich was pissed and had be email over the work order... I guess he's calling them to light them up! I wonder if I'll be able to recoup my costs too. It turns out having Mesa repair it was actually cheaper than having these guys locally repair/screw it up.
I still have a lot more experimenting and tweaking to do with the 2 amp set up. I have kind of stopped messing with the settings as much and have just been enjoying playing and working on some new riffs. I am also amazed at how much louder it seems. Maybe I am on crack, but one head into my 4 x 12 and 2 x 12 doesn't seem nearly as loud as a separate head into each cab. Does anyone else perceive this that way?
I still do not have my Triaxis and 2:90 back from Mesa - but I can't wait to hear that combo. Rich from Mesa call me yesterday about the 2:90 and said who ever repaired it last did a ton of wrong repairs on it - but it turns out it was done by the local authorized Mesa repair shop. Rich was pissed and had be email over the work order... I guess he's calling them to light them up! I wonder if I'll be able to recoup my costs too. It turns out having Mesa repair it was actually cheaper than having these guys locally repair/screw it up.
I still have a lot more experimenting and tweaking to do with the 2 amp set up. I have kind of stopped messing with the settings as much and have just been enjoying playing and working on some new riffs. I am also amazed at how much louder it seems. Maybe I am on crack, but one head into my 4 x 12 and 2 x 12 doesn't seem nearly as loud as a separate head into each cab. Does anyone else perceive this that way?
ibanezgtr
Well-known member
With the drag I would keep unplugging until it sounded perfect. I think headphones made it easier to compare the sounds. I did the same thing with my triaxis when it was acting up, I paid a local guy to try to fix it and paid him really to do nothing. So then I shipped it to MESA and got all the work done for free under warranty.
interrogate
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just noticed this post here, and running two amps at once sounds interesting, i`ve never tried it before so would like to try it and see what it sounds like. i have a chorus pedal with an (a) output and a (b) ouput. wonder would it be ok to run my 2 heads of that pedal at 4ohm`s into my rectifier stereo 4X12?
