NHTom Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 SO, looking to re-arrange my gear room and I had a question.................. Is there any way to set up multiple heads into one cabinet that can be switched with the push of a button/flip of a switch type of thing? Looking for some type of switcher, or would a be looking at an old fashioned patch bay? My goal is to put all my heads on a shelving unit with one good cabinet beside it. I'd like to be able to pick any of the amps without crawling behind it all to switch cables. Let me know your ideas. Thanks, NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 Hello Tom. George Lynch uses some kind of switching unit for that. Let me look... Bence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 This... http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/morley-george-lynch-tripler-pedal#productDetail ...but He connects the guitar to the input and the amps to the three outputs. You should investigate, if it can used in the way You'd prefer. Bence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted January 13, 2017 Author Share Posted January 13, 2017 This... http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/morley-george-lynch-tripler-pedal#productDetail ...but He connects the guitar to the input and the amps to the three outputs. You should investigate, if it can used in the way You'd prefer. Bence. Does that go between the guitar and multi amps? I'm looking for something to go between multi amps and one cab, so I'm not sure if it needs to be anything special as it will be on the output side of the amp? Thanks, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 Does that go between the guitar and multi amps? I'm looking for something to go between multi amps and one cab, so I'm not sure if it needs to be anything special as it will be on the output side of the amp? Thanks, Tom I have this Loop Selector from Ibanez which can handle two cabinets in that fashion. I wonder if Boss' Line Selector is capable of that? Bence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. C.O. Jones Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 Maybe this: http://www.plugandplay-amp.com/Pages/EN/TAOC.html ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted January 13, 2017 Author Share Posted January 13, 2017 I have this Loop Selector from Ibanez which can handle two cabinets in that fashion. I wonder if Boss' Line Selector is capable of that? Bence. Thanks, I'll look into it. NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 Something closer... http://www.palmer-germany.com/mi/en/TINO-SYSTEM-Switching-System-2-Guitar-Amplifiers-to-1-Cabinet-with-Remote-Input-PTINOS.htm Bence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 The concern would be load in the amp not in use. You could make a switch with large 8ohm resistors but that's not ideal really. I think it would be noisy. If the rig is never going to move you could wire foot switches to the standby switches but that would be a bit of a faff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted January 13, 2017 Author Share Posted January 13, 2017 I should also note that I'm only looking to have one amp powered up at a time. I know to have multiple amps powered up at once gets into load , etc. What I'm trying to say is.....I'm lazy.....lol. I COULD just plug the cab into what ever amp I want to use at that moment, but would rather not dig behind and try to find the right jack , etc. Not looking for multi amp sound or anything. Just after a simple "Today I want the marshall, tomorrow I want the mesa with only one cab". Thanks, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 I should also note that I'm only looking to have one amp powered up at a time. I know to have multiple amps powered up at once gets into load , etc. What I'm trying to say is.....I'm lazy.....lol. I COULD just plug the cab into what ever amp I want to use at that moment, but would rather not dig behind and try to find the right jack , etc. Not looking for multi amp sound or anything. Just after a simple "Today I want the marshall, tomorrow I want the mesa with only one cab". Thanks, Tom You just need a dpdt switch in a box then. To go one step further you could use a 3pdt switch (I think) and chuck in a couple of high rated 8ohm resistors to cover 'mistakes' and it can be bought for a few quid and put together in minutes. I will draw a diagram. Give me a while to think how we can switch the resistors in and out while switching the cabs out and in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDavidLee Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 I have one of these in my studio that I use. Purchased from a local music store when they lost their Ampeg amp line. It is for multiple amps & speakers though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 that Palmer box looks like what you're asking for. the other ABY is for selecting two sep amps+sprk configs, or running both for a stereo setup. I use a a brown morely ABY when I want to play around with two amps, (either A/B or both)... works good but, add some small level of noise and drops off some of the top end. Someday I'll spring for a Radial aby switcher which wont mess with the signal.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 The more I think about this the more I realise it's problematic. A dpdt switch in a box still stands as a solution but you would have to remember to ALWAYS power up/down each amp correctly, switching while both are off. To go any further than that becomes a real headache. I did find this. Head switch With a little thought I can see why that Palmer box is so large. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted January 13, 2017 Author Share Posted January 13, 2017 I have one of these in my studio that I use. Purchased from a local music store when they lost their Ampeg amp line. It is for multiple amps & speakers though. Thats exactly what I'm after! I see they are pretty rare............... I see Bradshaw/CAE has one similar, but for over a grand, I'll wait until that ampeg one comes on reverb....lol. Thanks, NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted January 13, 2017 Author Share Posted January 13, 2017 I assume a regular old fashioned patch bay would not handle the load? I would have no problem having multiple cords tagged and just plugging in the one I'm going to use at that moment. NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 All your assumptions about load are correct. You need whats often called a cab switcher - not a switch for sending one guitar to different amps. A friend on mine loves his Metro amp switcher. It does exactly what you want but only for two heads, unfortunately. There is also the Tonebone Headbone VT. But again - 2 heads only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 I assume a regular old fashioned patch bay would not handle the load? I would have no problem having multiple cords tagged and just plugging in the one I'm going to use at that moment. NHTom It's all about avoiding having one or more of the amps powered up without the correct speaker load connected. So you could use a patch bay, only if you power down the amp while no speaker load is connected, or if you have it set up so that the appropriate load resistor is connected to each amp when not connected to a speaker load Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 You need whats often called a cab switcher - not a switch for sending one guitar to different amps. EXACTLY...........Bradshaw makes one like these for multiple amps, but it is over a thousand dollars. NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 It's all about avoiding having one or more of the amps powered up without the correct speaker load connected. So you could use a patch bay, only if you power down the amp while no speaker load is connected, or if you have it set up so that the appropriate load resistor is connected to each amp when not connected to a speaker load This is what I'm looking to do.......I have no desire to leave amps powered up. Currently with every head on a cab, I NEVER turn more than one on at a time, so this really isn't an issue. My goal is to say "Tonight I'll use amp X"....and either by the push of a button on plugging a patch cable, have that connection to the cab made. Again, all I'm looking to do is avoid rummaging around behind the amps. If the speaker outs were all on the front of the amps, I'd just plug the cab into what I was using at the time, but I'm looking to put my amps on a shelving unit so I need a front access method to do this. Would a regular patch bay handle the load of running the amp out through the patch bay to the cab? Thanks, NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 Would a regular patch bay handle the load of running the amp out through the patch bay to the cab? Sounds logical enough. You will need to use speaker cables obviously - and you will need one for each amp and cab. Speaker cables are un-shielded and built to handle a lot more current than instrument cables. Since patch bays are built for instrument cables, I wonder what it might do to the signal coming from your amp as it passes through the patch bay connections. I just don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 In that case (where you don't mind powering down the unused amps) I would just use a rotary switch to select the amp. Basically you would have one out for the cab, and as many inputs as you need, then the rotary switch. Wire the cab tip connection to "A" on the switch, then wire each amp tip connection to 1, 2, 3, etc. You could just leave all of the sleeves connected if you want. If you need more info on this, let me know how many amps you would like to switch and I can point you in the direction of a source for the switch and make you a layout if needed. Btw, you should probably use 18AWG or bigger for all wiring in the switcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDavidLee Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 This whole thread could be retitled to "what do you do when you're a Gear SL*T with way too many amps" I can say that because I am one and I recognize the problems it creates NHTom - you are one of us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 How about - just save the $$$ and plug the lead in ok? Guitarists........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 George Lynch uses some kind of switching unit for that... He does. He also hangs around here. Maybe he'll show up and talk about it, ehy George? rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.