Help with "selector" pedal please

[Huge Hands]

Dear all,

I have spent many years playing bass but not bothering with pedals and going straight into my amp. However, last year, I bought a Zoom B1Xon and have been mainly been using it for the volume pedal so that I can do some dynamic control (I play a bit of traditional/classic stuff in a couple of concert bands). It works well for me, but I would like to be able to have my EUB and guitar plugged up constantly and select what goes into the Zoom without replugging as there is one piece which has about 8 bars rest and it would be good to swap between the two quickly. I also think that I would like the flexibility of being able, in the future, to send whichever I select to two separate outputs, such as one for effects and one for clean, should I fancy the Ben Folds Five type of distortion over the bass!

I also have to think that I have great big clod-hopping size 12 shoes, so the unit has to be sturdy and the selectors spaced out enough for me to be able to not press everything at once!

I had a look around the web and saw the Morley Quad Box. This seems to do the two inputs to one or two outputs thing I'm looking for, but there does seem to be a lot of A/B devices on the market that could be just as good or better.

Does anyone have any comments on the Morley and whether there is anything more suitable? I guess what I am ultimately looking for is an A/B switch with two outputs where one goes to the amp and one is a insert kind of thing with return for effects that could be mixed back in with the clean at the pedal, if that makes sense? Does something like that exist?

Any help would be appreciated!

Edited March 24, 2015 by Huge Hands

[cheddatom]

My head hurts trying to understand this!

To switch between two instruments, a simple A/B switch would be fine. However, you might want to be able to set the volume of each instrument, in case one is louder than the other. If so, you would need something a little more advanced. I believe the pros use a ToneBone or something? But I would use a boss LS-2

Regarding the effects loop, you just want a clean blended loop, right? And will this have it's own footswitch? Or did you want it connected somehow to the A/B switching?

Your Zoom pedal should be able to blend some clean into the effected signal. I wonder if a simple A/B switch going into your zoom would do for now, and then when you get more interested in playing about with effects, make some new patches on the zoom with a clean blend?

Sorry if I totally missed the point

[dannybuoy]

Something like this will do the trick:

[url="http://r.ebay.com/Keqpx6"]http://r.ebay.com/Keqpx6[/url]



You might find slightly cheaper options elsewhere, or else it's not too hard to make your own.

More expensive examples such as those from Lehle offer better quality relay based silent switching (you might get a slight crackle or pop when switching using the item above) or will offer EQ/volume control to balance the two instruments. Depends if you want to keep it simple or go for the Rolls Royce option?

Edited March 24, 2015 by dannybuoy

[dannybuoy]

And with regards to the clean blend, I'm not sure the B1Xon can do a global blend per patch, but almost all of the amp/distortion models allow you to blend in clean so you wouldn't need a separate unit unless you wanted to send the signal to two separate amps.

[Huge Hands]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1427200940' post='2726985']
My head hurts trying to understand this!

To switch between two instruments, a simple A/B switch would be fine. However, you might want to be able to set the volume of each instrument, in case one is louder than the other. If so, you would need something a little more advanced. I believe the pros use a ToneBone or something? But I would use a boss LS-2

Regarding the effects loop, you just want a clean blended loop, right? And will this have it's own footswitch? Or did you want it connected somehow to the A/B switching?

Your Zoom pedal should be able to blend some clean into the effected signal. I wonder if a simple A/B switch going into your zoom would do for now, and then when you get more interested in playing about with effects, make some new patches on the zoom with a clean blend?

Sorry if I totally missed the point
[/quote]

Hi CT, I don't think you missed the point at all. I have tried the blend thing with the Zoom, and it works ok (I think I need to play with it some more), although if you're using the pedal for this, you then lose the volume controller. To also take up Dannybuoy's comments. I think I was thinking that if I was going Mondeo range (definitely not Rolls Royce), then it might be good to try and futureproof any future ideas I might have, hence the other effects chain idea. The independent input level idea is also a thought, although my current guitar and EUB seem reasonably matched.

[cheddatom]

You should be able to set up a patch on the zoom with a clean blend, and still use the pedal as a volume control, I've definitely done that on my B2.1U before

If you're instruments are well matched, then any old A/B box will do, such as the one linked by Danny above. If you go to something more complicated in the future, you could always move on a £20 A/B pedal pretty easily

[elephantgrey]

So if im reading that correctly, what you want is a pedal that has two inputs that you can select between, and an effects loop that lets you bypass an effect (click between effected and clean).
I was going to say that youd probably have to get a custom order for something like that, but the guy i usually point towards for such things has [url="http://www.brightonion.co.uk/ab-pedal-with-loop-buffer-tuner-mute/"]this[/url] as a stock pedal already.


(copied from the other thread)

[Huge Hands]

Hi Elephantgrey,

(I'm not sure why 2 threads were posted, I only pressed "submit" once!)

Thanks for that - the pedal looks pretty much what I was after, except I don't really need the looper bit - perhaps I might contact them and see if they'd do a custom one without.

More research required! Thanks again for the heads up!

[Ant]

isnt the looper integral to what you were after? since that's where you would insert the effects? keep in mind its a bypass looper not a phrase looper for looping sounds

[Huge Hands]

Hi Ant, I think I was getting my terminiology wrong - I meant the "recorder" or phrase looper as you said - the bit which is called a buffer on this device. That's the bit I don't need.

Looking at their site, it would appear I would untimately want a "Blender" with an added A/B selector. This way I could mix the effects loop with the incoming sound from the bass I had selected.

It looks like ultimately I would probably want to be saving up for a Tonebone Bassbone as suggested by Cheddatom - although it's probably a bit overkill for a few concert band gigs!

[cheddatom]

I think you're a bit confused about the bright onion pedal. It's not a recorder, or phrase looper. It's loop is just an effects loop. It doesn't have a clean blend on it though, so you'd have to ask for that to be added, but other than that it looks perfect for what you want.

God knows why it has a footswitchable buffer either. Who would need that?

[Huge Hands]

Hi CT, I guess I am confused! So what is the buffer bit then? I saw comments about "record time" so assumed it was a phrase looper.

[cheddatom]

I'm not sure I can explain what a buffer does very easily. It's there to prevent noise over long signal chains. There's a buffer in your zoom, and it's always on. This is why it's not "true bypass".

[Huge Hands]

Sorry Tom - I just looked it up on their site. I guess it's a confusion over terminology for me. I fully understand now. Although buffer is a term used in that way, I was thinking it meant "memory buffer". I was confused because there is an FAQ mentioned on the page about recording time, but if you click the link (which I hadn't) the link tells you it doesn't record!

I think this pedal probably is the one for me, but I'm started to get tempted by the extra level and control on the Bassbone and Bassbone OD. I realise none of them do a blend (other than the OD effect on the BB OD), but as you rightly originally said, my Zoom should be able to do that.

EDIT: I realise the BB and BB OD are a lot more expensive - trying to justify the cash in my head.....

Mmmm decisons, decisions.....

(Thanks again to all for your help - really helpful heads up!)

Edited March 25, 2015 by Huge Hands

[cheddatom]

Haha, if you're struggling for cash I would get a cheap AB and invest some time into your zoom pedal!

But the temptation can be strong. I have well over 60 pedals

[Huge Hands]

Ha ha, blimey, 60+? I bow to your effectedness!

I guess I'm just trying to futureproof as best I can, as I'm not likely to ever buy any more!

I have messaged the Bright Onion guys to see if a blend could be added, otherwise I might just get that pedal anyway.

[Left Foot]

Grab a Boss Line Selector 2.

These give you options for selecting signal paths, blending signal paths, volume control and with helpful LED's. They sell fairly cheap 2nd hand and you'll likely get the same back for it too.

[disssa]

Try a [url="http://disssa.jimdo.com/reviews/zubeh%C3%B6r/boss-ls-2-line-selector/"]Boss LS-2[/url]:



This pedal should do, what you want...

[Huge Hands]

I checked out the Boss, but it doesn't seem to give what I want without "bodging" - ie. it mainly seems to be designed as 1 in and 2 effects loops. If you use it as a A/B switcher, then you seem to lose the ability to send both to the same effects loop.

EDITED to make more sense!

Edited March 25, 2015 by Huge Hands

[cheddatom]

Yes, you're right about that HH. To use it to switch between two instruments, you'd have one in return A, the other in return B, and your amp plugged into the output. It would allow you to set separate volume levels for each instrument, but that's about it, no option to add an effects loop on top

[Huge Hands]

Thanks Tom. The Boss website is a bit pants for definite info on that - I had to Google and look for a manual so I could see the block diagram.

[elephantgrey]

Im guessing bright onion will get back telling you that he can make up the thing you want. I wanted a 4 switch controller thing for my boss RC50 (my recording type of looper) and he was able to make up exactly what i wanted in one enclosure.

Im not sure that the line selector will do what you want, it has an effects loop, and a blend, but only one other input for an instrument.

[Huge Hands]

Hi Elephantgrey - I have contacted Bright Onion and he is discussing designs with me.

My only quandry is that as it gets more specialist for me, the price is rising, and I'm starting to think it might be worth holding on and splashing just a bit more on a Bassbone V2. It looks like the V2 is so new it is not available in Europe yet - most retailers like Thomann still only have the original version. Therefore, I'm not 100% sure how much the V2 will be.

I'll see what the final price on the Bright Onion will be - and think some more!

[lee650]

Check out the EBS microbass 2, switching between 2 basses and had a blendable loop!

[Huge Hands]

Thanks Lee,

I did take a look at that, but it seemed that there is only one mute switch. Whether this is switchable to mute the loop or the output I don't know, but I liked the idea of two switches - a loop mute and a overall mute that I've seen on others.

The way I've decided to go is as follows:

I've asked Bright Onion to make me a pedal based on the link Elephantgrey posted but with a Blender instead of the buffer circuitry.

If I still need more EQ and gain control then I will keep an eye on the Bassbone V2 when it comes into stock and has a price in the UK. That does seem to be everything I would ever want in an ideal box, but I'm hoping the BO will do everything I need for a third or half of the price. If not, then I've only lost about £90 (unless I sell it on of course!)