Two amps + effects loops?

[chrisliua]

I have seen similar questions, but nothing exact.

I want to run two amps, both with effects loops, through my pedal board. I do not want to run them both at the same time though. Because I wont be running them at the same time, I should run into the problem of only being able to use one preamp. So here is my thought:

Run an a/b box at the end of my front end pedals, a splitter coming back from each amps effects send and a istomp with 2 outputs at the end of my pedal chain going to each amps effects return. Again, since I will only run one at a time, the effects in the loop will only see the signal from whichever amp is selected in the a/b box.

Unless I am completely missing something..

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Two amps + effects loops?

Two amps, one pedal board. Got that.

Extent and complexity of pedal board, unknown.

Probably easiest to work the routing out as a block diagram. Guitar > front end pedals > pre-amp > loop pedals > power amp(s).

Will the pre-amp stage of each amplifier only ever be used with the output stage of that same amplifier? If so, you just need a device that selects between the two pre-amps and output stages simultaneously.

In order to get the guitar signals into both pre-amps, the last pedal in your front end chain would need to have dual output sockets.

 

[Artie]

Re: Two amps + effects loops?

Be aware also of ground loops. It would behoove you to buy a cheap meter, and with it set on AC volts, measure between the sleeve, or ground, of both input jacks while both are plugged in and turned on. The voltage should be virtually zero. If not, you'll need an A/B box with at least one output, transformer isolated.