Running two TC50 with one pedal board?

[JPBoogie]

Hello all,

Hope you all Boogie aficionados are doing well. I think I read somewhere that there is a way to link two TC heads together, allowing ONE pedal board for both heads?
Either I dreamt it or I am too stupid to find back the info. There was a trick to do it and I can't imagine what without using an AB/Y pedal.
Second question; if there is such a trick, would that work with plugging the FX Loop in the TC head, but link it with another branded head?
I know, I am pushing it...
Debating to wait for a good deal on a second TC50 head or go with an impossible deal to refuse -now- on a Rockerverb50 head (Orange).
I've got a few extra speakers that are not being used at the moment... poor things, they need an amp on top of them, of course.

Thanks in advance
Cheers,

 

[domct203]

You can link them via MIDI.

It’s on page 20 of the manual.

https://mesa-boogie.imgix.net/media/User Manuals/070544-TC50-180115.pdf

Dom

 

[bandit2013]

As to Dom's comment, you can run two TC50 or a TC50 and TC100 using only one footswitch.
The amp with the TC footswitch must have the rotary channel selector set to 0. The other amp should be set to any other channel position and should not be at 0. Connect a midi cable from the amp with the footswitch connected, midi cable plugs into midi thru/out jack, then plug the midi cable into the midi in jack on the TC that does not have the footswitch.

Set all of the toggle switches on the front and back panels to the same setting. If you do not do this, whacky things will occur.

Always power on the amp with the footswitch connected to it first. It can stay in standby mode. After that, power up the amp that does not have the footswitch connected to it.

The inputs of the amps, should have some sort of signal splitter with one isolated output to prevent ground loop coupling between the amps. It is also advisable to have a signal splitter that has a ground lift and phase shift control. Lehel P-split II or III have such. They do not require any power as the unit is just a signal splitter. An ABY switch device will work too. I use the Mesa Switch track but not required. Earth Quaker devices has the Swiss things, Radial engineering has their own unit. Guitar signal plugs into the ABY switch or the chain of devices you place on the front end should be in front of the ABY switch. (Note: some overdirve, boost, or distortion pedals may not play well with the units with input buffers, Mesa switch track and Radial engineering as examples. The Earth Quaker devices has two FX loops for use with overdrive and distortion effects that are not suitable on the input buffer, and the other loop is for devices that are compatible with the buffer).

Do not expect a mono to stereo out pedal to work as a reliable signal splitter. It may get noisy if there is a grounding issue between the amps. Since the TC amps are the same, it may be fine. I found the contrary that I needed to use one amp with an isolated channel like the Lehel P-split or ABY box that has that feature.

As for the FX jacks, no point in connecting them from amp to amp, sure you can cross link them but that only slaves one amp to the other.
Stereo effects units that have left and right channels (inputs and outputs) can be used. I run just one Strymon BigSky effect which has a left and right channel. the FX loop on the amp on the left goes to the left in/out connections and the right on the right in/out connections. Just note that some FX pedals may need to have a jumper or switch set to operate in stereo mode if so equipped.

Mesa amps that have the midi control can be coupled together with the daisy chain method if they are the same series of amp. more than one TC series amp can be used with one footswitch. Do not mix and match amps. In other words, a TC cannot be daisy chaned to a JP2C as the footswitch commands are different between the two amps. One cannot use a Mark VII and JP2C with the same footswitch either, different commands, and instructions will do different things. If you have a third party midi controller, by all means you can use any number of Mesa amps with the midi interface, you just cannot use the Mesa footswitch with the amp when using an external controller or it may damage something as stated in the manual.

 

[bandit2013]

I made this terrible video of running two Triple Crowns with one footswitch controller. Daisy chained the other with a single midi cable. Mesa switch track for the guitar input to send to both amps. Also had a single Strymon Bigsky reverb (full stereo) with both FX loops connected to left and right channels. No issue with ground loop when it comes to the FX loop as they will have a common chassis ground connected to earth. The display in the upper left seems to have a slight delay in the actual video content. I had a camera on the floor feeding into a display. The other on the upper right was a gopro mounted to the neck of the guitar. Also had to link the audio with the video so it may seem a bit off here and there.

 

[JPBoogie]

Thanks guys! And nice vid Bandit, very clear. I guess that in either case (getting another TC or getting another brand), I'll still need to couple my effect pedal board; I mean going into a send/return (in) pedal with double send/return (out to both heads). I don't look to get a true stereo with 2 amps with left/right effect pedals, just blend two flavors with different EQs. If I chose another brand, I will also need an AB/Y pedal in front to split my guitar signal.

 

[DECEMBER]

FX send of amp 1 -> pedal chain with at least one stereo pedal at the end, then stereo output -> FX returns of amp1 & amp 2.
To share a mono front-of-amp chain with two amps, either a Y-splitter adapter or AB/ABY switch.
You might encounter ground loops with routing like this. It's good to have at least one Samson MLI1 line isolator w/ground lift on hand.
My 2-amp rig is like this: front-of-amp pedals -> Y-splitter -> both amp inputs (MLI1 on one side after the split).
FX sends of both amps -> A/B switch -> FX loop chain, becoming stereo -> FX returns of both amps.
This way, the one A/B switch selects which preamp I'm hearing and it's always playing in stereo thru both power amps.
If everything in the loop is stereo then you can use both preamps, each with a dedicated mono channel thru the stereo FX loop.

 

[domct203]

I’ve since removed the Miniq, there’s this odd chorus thing going on that’s really noticeable with the in-ears. It isn’t as noticeable through the cabs but it’s there. I like to set the EQ’s on the amps just a bit different from each other, a bit more mids on one, maybe more presence on the other, to help with that double-tracked feel.

I’m sure it will continue to evolve LOL

https://boogieforum.com/threads/stereo-tc-100-rig.87239/

Dom

 

[bandit2013]

I found it best if I wanted to have good performance when it comes to sharing a device in the FX loop of two amps is only when the two amps are the same. I have tried JP2C and Mark VII in a stereo fx unit, Badlander and Mark VII, Badlander and MWDR, and the list goes on, When the amps are different models, the send levels may also be different levels. That can make it odd or difficult to manage if one amp influences the input buffer of the effect unit more than the other. Some effects that can be used in stereo in/out may copy the effect of one circuit to the other.

ABY splitters are cool. You can use them to blend any amp together for a unique sound. You can keep the fx loops isolated from each other and use different units in each chain. However when using a single pedal board that does not support a stereo input, if you do decide to split that into a stereo output device, the end result is basically slaving one amp to the other. ABY splitter may not be needed since you only need to plug the guitar into one amp that has the complete send/return circuit intact. The other one will have the preamp bypassed since the stereo feed from the FX unit will be connected to the return (bypassing the preamp).

I sort of went after a 4 amp setup. Two Badlanders and two Mark VII. The BADS are fed by one of the Mesa switch track ABY units and the two MKII are fed by another. BADs share a full stereo FX and the MKVII have their own FX stereo units. With the two Switch-track units on the front end, I can make use of a mono to stereo effect like the TC Mimiq or the Strymon Deco. Actually any unit that can split into stereo. I have tried doing similar with two Lehel P-splits and one Mesa Switch-track. That was mono input only. I can also run three amps with the Mesa switch-track but the one on the tuner out will always be active. I can use that tuner out as the input to the other switch track. Yeah, the two Mark VII are daisy chained with a midi cable so I can just use the one footswitch to control both like in the TC video. As for the BADs, have to use the two single switch pedals or just leave the amp on one channel. Still moving things around. However, it sounds really good and is loud as hell even when using the 25W power modes. Don't mind the JP2C badge on the MkVII on right. I changed the faceplate to the one I ordered for the JP as it matched the cabinet. I was in process of making changes to the rig and took the picture of the guitars. I sort of got into a black and gold thing for some reason.

I have tried many combinations, two amps will sound better than three. four amps will have similar character as the two amps. The third one that ends up in the middle tends to be the boost or cut unit if it is in phase or out of phase. Running a stereo effect in the two outer amps, you will strip that out if the amp in the middle is out of phase. If in phase it amplifies the effect. Not really after a wall of sound but that is what I wound up with. I thought the 4 amp rig sounded much better before I got the 2nd Mark VII and was using the JP2C instead. (had to have both large footswitches for that since they are not compatible with each other).