Balancing the input level from two sources.

[Fionn]

Wondering if you could give me your suggestions on remedies for this. It seems obvious, though I’m open to being taught something ... 

I like to have both a fretted and fretless bass plugged into my board simultaneously. This is so I can change between instruments quickly and smoothly when looping.

I currently have an ABY splitter at the front of my effects chain. Both basses plug into this, then go to the tuner> compressor> octaver> etc. My ABY splitter is simply that. A switch which has no other controls.

Problem is that one bass is an active Warwick, and the other a passive Aria SB. The output levels of each instrument are radically different. 

When I switch to the passive bass, I boost the output level on the compressor to make up the difference. I’d like to remove that step though.

Am I right in thinking that a line selector with level controls for both input channels (like the Boss LS-2) would work for this, simply keeping the active Warwick’s input at unity and boosting the input of the passive Aria? Could I simply replace my current ABY with one of those (or similar)?

If I’ve failed to perceive any problems with this, or if you folks have any better suggestions, I’d be keen to hear them.

Thanks in advance

Edited November 25, 2018 by Fionn

[paul_c2]

Boss LS-2 seems like the obvious solution. In theory you could do it with just some kind of booster - boost the quieter of the two basses with it before your existing ABY switch - but then that would mean an extra pedal, the Boss LS-2 can do both jobs in one, which might be the factor. 

Edited November 25, 2018 by paul_c2

[radiophonic]

On the face of it, the LS2 does seem like the solution. I bought one for this purpose a few years back. However, in practice I found it only a partial fix. I have a Jazz and a Stingray and although I could make the jazz louder, the very large EQ differences between the basses still made it very tricky to get both instruments to sit in the mix at the correct volume. In retrospect I wondered whether an active EQ pedal might have been a better solution, positioned after the ABY.  Fortunately the LS2 has tuned out to be super useful for other things.

[Fionn]

I get you.

So, I basically need an ABY with level and eq controls for each channel. I don’t have the physical space on the board to add an EQ in front of my current ABY. Wondering if I could swap out what I’ve got with another pedal.

Google, here I come ...

 

 

Edited November 25, 2018 by Fionn

[radiophonic]

No - I'd use one bass as a reference and use the EQ to balance the other one to it. So a single EQ after the ABY.  Just engage the EQ when you switch to the second bass. 

Edited November 26, 2018 by radiophonic

[Japhet]

You could turn down the volume pot on the active bass but it might affect your sound.

[AJ567]

Source Audio Programmable EQ seems to be exactly the pedal you are looking for! You can save gain and EQ profiles for up to four instruments 

[Fionn]

Thanks man. I’ll check that out 👍🏻

[lee650]

Radial bassbone for sale on this very forum will solve your problem! 😁

www.basschat.co.uk/topic/333816-radial-bassbone-tonebone-v1/

Edited November 30, 2018 by lee650

[tonyquipment]

I’d slap a limiter in the chain. Or just use the compressor and squash the whole signal regardless of what’s going into it.