Interface for two amps into one cab

[Tucson Thump]

Yes, stupid idea but entertain me please.

Yes, I can simply change the speaker cord.

I don't have the space for multiple cabs and I have two heads that I'd like to play around with.

Doesn't Tosca have something like this?

Suggestions?

 

[vchizzle]

Cheaper solution: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...S9J0CKC8j4BLom7j1wXEI-N7h06piNLxoCi40QAvD_BwE

 

[elvis]

Not a stupid idea! There are like 10 solutions for this because it's useful and in demand. It's also too easy to forget to switch the cable and endanger your output transformer.

I use a deLisle amp-speaker switch. Kahayan makes the ultimate switches, MIDI controlled and whatnot. The Radial Headbone and Mesa amp switchers are also in the running.

 

[elvis]

The good ones have a dummy load for the unloaded amp AND disconnect the input/FX return to that amp so it's not trying to push power while it's idle.

 

[elvis]

http://www.delisleguitar.com/shop/de-lisle-amp-speaker-selector-v3-with-loop/

I use alternative means for switching off the FX returns.

 

[Tucson Thump]

Thank you for the links.

The next question is about matching impedance between the amps and the speakers.

My Fender Brown Vibroverb Reissue from 1990 has only two 4 ohm output jacks. PRS can choose between 4, 8, and 16 ohm so the obvious answer is to switch to 4 ohm and use a cabinet that handles 4 ohm.

But if I add a Vox head into the mix and it offers only 8 or 16 ohm then how do I choose the cabinet?

 

[elvis]

Tricky. You can use a 4 ohm cab with an 8 ohm output, but the tone will be affected.

Adding a Power Station would allow you to alter the impedance matching. There may be a less expensive product that also does this.

 

[elvis]

You could go with an 8-Ohm speaker, and add a dummy 8-Ohm load in parallel when using the Vibroverb. You'd keep the dummy load tied to the second 4 Ohm output of the Vibroverb, and then run all three amps as 8-Ohm output into the 8-Ohm cab.

The Vibroverb will wind up slightly less loud, as half the power will go into the dummy load (loadbox), but this would work great.

 

[elvis]

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...ptor-reactive-loadbox-di-and-attenuator-8-ohm

 

[Tucson Thump]

Tricky. You can use a 4 ohm cab with an 8 ohm output, but the tone will be affected.

Adding a Power Station would allow you to alter the impedance matching. There may be a less expensive product that also does this.

I happen to have a PS-2 so I asked Radial and they answered:
"You can place the Headbone VT after the 8 ohm output from the Power Station and switch between heads as normal. Many users have connected attenuators and load boxes between the output of their amplifier head and the input of the Headbone VT with great success."

So with the PS-2 I can use it to match up the Fender amps to an 8ohm cab.

All of this "mixing amps" stuff has me thinking about getting the 1964 b.f. Vibroverb out of storage and playing it together with the HXDA. Time to break out an A/B/Y box too.

 

[Rider1260]

What kind of Cab do you have, most marshall 4x12s can run in Stereo like a pair of 2 x12s

 

[Tucson Thump]

What kind of Cab do you have, most marshall 4x12s can run in Stereo like a pair of 2 x12s

At this point all I have are a bunch of Fender 2x12 cabs and a Tremolux 2x10 cab, all from the Sixites. Originally I was looking for a more modern 1x12 cab but I may choose a 2x12 instead. A PRS gold paisley 2x12 would be ideal.

 

[elvis]

I can't stress enough how much fuller a 2x12 sounds vs. a 1x12.

 

[Rider1260]

At this point all I have are a bunch of Fender 2x12 cabs and a Tremolux 2x10 cab, all from the Sixites. Originally I was looking for a more modern 1x12 cab but I may choose a 2x12 instead. A PRS gold paisley 2x12 would be ideal.

You could always wire your 2x12 to run Stereo, then a volume pedal on each amp sounds like fun.

One other thing to be honest I feel a 4x12 1960a Marshall Cab is not much bigger that my PRS 2x12 and loads easier in my trunk

 

[László]

All of this "mixing amps" stuff has me thinking about getting the 1964 b.f. Vibroverb out of storage and playing it together with the HXDA. Time to break out an A/B/Y box too.

If you use an A/B/Y switcher, use one that lifts the signal ground to one of the amps, or use an isolation transformer; I use the Lehle amp switchers that lift also switch the signal ground to the chosen amp, but if I want two amps on at the same time, I connect one of them to a Lehle P-Split (an isolation splitter), to lift the signal ground to the second amp. This prevents ground loops and that horrible ground loop hum.

 

[DougUSMC]

What're you talking about?? I think it's a completely reasonable, nay NECESSARY thing!

 

[Tucson Thump]

What're you talking about?? I think it's a completely reasonable, nay NECESSARY thing!

That looks like the perfect piece of living room furniture to me! Well done.

 

[DougUSMC]

That looks like the perfect piece of living room furniture to me! Well done.

Thanks, but it's in the basement.

I built it b/c I was sick of swapping heads, or trying to stack them up 3 high. It has an A/B/C/Y splitter in it, behind a clean boost. So you plug into the front, select the toggle for whichever head you want to play through, and everything else happens automagically.

 

[László]

Thanks, but it's in the basement.

I built it b/c I was sick of swapping heads, or trying to stack them up 3 high. It has an A/B/C/Y splitter in it, behind a clean boost. So you plug into the front, select the toggle for whichever head you want to play through, and everything else happens automagically.

I remarked before that the shelf thing is very cool, but last time I didn’t notice the toggles and input on the front of the unit. It’s really a nice one.

Did you design and build the switching system?

 

[DougUSMC]

I remarked before that the shelf thing is very cool, but last time I didn’t notice the toggles and input on the front of the unit. It’s really a nice one.

Did you design and build the switching system?

Yup, it's pretty simple. There's a clean boost and A/B/C &Y inside. There's a 1/4" input on the front, and 7 on the back. There are also on/off toggles on the front. It looks like this: