Switching Question

[1nf1d3l]

"ok, so as most of you know; i am the only guitarist in my band. I am currently playing through one preamp head (marshall jcm 2000) into two seperate cabs (one on each side of the stage). i am aware that there is a way to rig up a footswitch to be able to go from playing out of both cabinets to just one. what exactly am i looking for to do this?"

a freind of mine just asked me, and i gave a pretty vague answer since i wasnt sure. someone clarify please?

thanks in advance

[thegarehanman]

Seems like the only way to do that would be w/ two power attentuators and some way to pan from one to the other with both at minimum attentuation in the middle. Assuming this is the only way to do it, it's going to cost about $6-800. Now if you had two heads going to two cabs, you could just use two volume pedals or mod one out to be a pan pedal.

I don't know if I'm missing something here, but it seems to me like those are the best answers available.

*i've been wrong before

**EDIT**I am such a lousy speller**EDIT**

Edited June 25, 2005 by thegarehanman

[rob]

I think the company radial makes something called the head bone, it allows you to switch between heads and cabs with out risk to damage to your equpiment

http://www.tonebone.com/tbone-headbone-vt.htm

Hmmmm after looking at that though, I don't think that will quite work, maybe they do make a product along the lines of what you want though

It seems to me that you would have a foot switch that diverted the signal from the speaker cab into a load of the same resistance, I think it could be done quite easyly with a hot plate or the like, but how you could divert the signal is a different matter that would need some looking into

good luck with your serching

Edited June 25, 2005 by rob

[TenderSurrender]

Perhaps Lovekraft or PSW will take a trip down here, im sure they will have some ideas!

Ive had a look into your idea and cant seem to work out something that will give you what you need, as mentioned above you can get items to switch between different heads into the same cab... but not same head into different Cabs...

If your head is sending out the signal in stereo to the cabinets... would it not be possible to get set up some form of Panning pedal/stomp box and then just pan between the two?

its just a suggestion and its probably wrong... just an idea

Good luck

~~ Slain Angel ~~

Edited June 25, 2005 by SlainAngel

[Gemleggat]

Raidal make a Box called Cabone that switches Cabs.

[1nf1d3l]

thanks for the help, im giving him the link to this thread. the entire problem with it.. would be the input and output on the box, so as to not damage or interfere with the signal alot.. youd need some kind of unshielded jacks right?

[lovekraft]

This really is a pretty simple app - Randall Aiken designed a box called the CabSwitch that addresses it perfectly, but basically all you have to have is a standard A/B/Y box. The only constraints are :

• The switch(es) must be able to handle the power and voltage without arcing or breaking down.

• The switching has to be make-before-break, so the amp is never run without a load.

• The speakers (and possibly the output transformer) are going to have to handle any (potentially huge) transients generated by switching on the fly while playing. The thump may be more than annoying.

Two amps and a pan pedal is a much better idea.

Edited June 25, 2005 by lovekraft

[thedoctor]

How about a pan pedal made with a 225 watt, 64 ohm Ohmite wirewound rheostat? You would have no sudden inrush, like with a switch, and you could warm your hands over it on a cold stage?

[thegarehanman]

wouldn't that require two rheostats? you'd need both amps at full blast in the middle, i don't think they make a rheostat like that. you'd have to have two with the inputs on opposite sides...that'd be a tricky thing to fit into an expression pedal.

[thedoctor]

Nope, one amp, two cabs, one rheostat. Except on really cold nights where you would want to keep the off-line cab just above idle. Then, two amps, a VERY heavy blanket to silence the unused cab or gloves.

[lovekraft]

And a lead boot for your pedal foot!

[thedoctor]

NO, NO, NO!!! Lead has a way low melting point. Titanium!!! Ceramics!!

Actually, only the actual ohmic value of the rheostat is fiction. We had to front-rear balance the sound system of my jr. high school auditorium because the PA system was just a mono, 4-8-16 ohm amp. The term for that, I believe, was "padding" the output and you lose some wattage to heat but it worked. I think the actual rheostat was 20 ohms @ 165 watts. Newcolm sold them for the amps they used to make.

[lovekraft]

Oh yeah, it would definitely work! The impact on the sound quality worries me, but you could certainly make a "panning pad" - however, at today's prices for power rheostats, it'd probably be cheaper to buy the other amp stack!