Best way to take guitar pedal chain in/out of signal

  • Thread starter Thread starter so-awesome
  • Start date Start date
S

so-awesome

New member
hi all ... I have a whole series of analog stompbox effects that all together, make up one tone, which I would like to take in/out of the signal with a single switch.

Imagine this switch as follows: while off, the ensuing guitar pedals, although left on, are not in the signal chain between the guitar and the amp. Then when the switch is pressed, the signal is routed like a train that switched tracks into the series of guitar pedals and then into the amp.

I think the two options to accomplish this are something like this:

1. An A/B switch with channel A running straight out around all the guitar pedals, and the B channel routed into the guitar pedals. Then a Y-switch on the other side, taking both A and B paths in, and then being sent out to the amp.

2. A more expensive option of buying a product like the JHS Switchback A/B Effects Loop which has the above kind of built into one box?

Or...are there any other ideas?
 
Not sure you’d need a switch on the output end of the pedal chain. I’d think a simple Y into the amp would probably work but I’d wait and see if @ecc83 weighs in.

Or you could just record twice, with and without FX and switch or mix between the tracks with automation. No hardware required!

P.s. If you want a “live” solution the FX loop switch seems like the “proper” way, though.
 
Do you mean like a Y-cable? I didn't think of that ... it would be a Y requiring two female 1/4" into one male 1/4" I think. I'll check around for availability, but yeah that would be a lot cheaper since that part doesn't need to be switchable. Good idea!
 
And yeah...I'm looking for an option that will work live as well as during recording. For the music I do anyway (stripped down garage rock) I try to record as live as possible. I'm not against doing overdubs but if I play something one way live I like to record it that way too, for the current project anyway
 
keith.rogers said:
Not sure you’d need a switch on the output end of the pedal chain. I’d think a simple Y into the amp would probably work but I’d wait and see if @ecc83 weighs in.

Or you could just record twice, with and without FX and switch or mix between the tracks with automation. No hardware required!

P.s. If you want a “live” solution the FX loop switch seems like the “proper” way, though.
Click to expand...
Your faith in me is touching Keith! The simple way to do it is with a Double Pole Double Throw switch box. I made one recently for my son but for a rather different purpose.

One of the switches takes the guitar signal either to the string of pedals or to the second switch pole which either goes to the end of the pedal run or to the amp. There are downsides to this simple circuit. Main one is that the 'thu pedals' signal is likely to be significantly louder than the bypassed signal and I doubt that would be wanted?
Then the guitar signal really should be buffered before the switcher. It is important to keep operating impedances as low as possible to avoid noise and 'clunks'. Also, using 'hard' physical switches in high gain circuits makes it hard to avoid clicks. The best way is to use FETs and slow down the ramp up and down of the gate control voltage by a few mSecs.

Never 'king easy is it?! I can scribble out a basic switcher diagram if anyone want to have a bash?

Dave.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top