2 or 3 Loop Rack Switch

[Racermech]

Well, as of late, I am getting total guitarist envy and also looking to downsize my pedalboard. A lot of rack gear has caught my attention and I have a really cool idea, but I am trying to find a less expensive and smaller option than the ones I am running across. Without further ado, here is my thought.

I would like to use the power amp section of my Mesa BB750 to power not only the internal preamp, but another preamp as well. I am looking specifically at the GK 2001rbp because it is a 2 channel preamp. What I am trying to achieve is

Channel 1 Clean driving bass (GK clean)
Channel 2 Slightly Overdriven Tuby goodness (Mesa Clean)
Channel 3 Raunchy SS Distortion (GK dirty)
Channel 4 Massive Tubey Overdrive (Mesa dirty)

I could essentially put the BB750 footswitch and the GK footswitch on a small board, but I am having a hard time trying to find a remote switch to switch the preamps...A 2 loop switch (Example: loopmaster) would work, but would require 4 long cables going back to the rack, plus possibly other cables depending on the effects I end up running.

Devices such as the Voodoo labs GCX, Rocktron All Access, and Wobo MFX would work, but are large, much more than I need, and complicated.

The Wobo MFX (http://www.woboge.com/remote_patch.html) is the closest thing I have found, but instead of 8 loops...I need 2-4.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[bongomania]

IMO a footswitch is unnecessary for this application- you really don't need to switch between so many preamp channels mid-song. So save yourself a lot of excess cabling and hassle, and use a switcher on or in the rack. A Rane SM26B might work. Or just use a simple switching box from one of those custom pedal guys, and stick in in the back of the rack with the cabling.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

I'm currently redoing my rig to have a Looperlative and a Boss VF-1 in my rack controlled by MIIDI cables going to my pedalboard as well as the in/out of the VF-1 going to the Xotic Xblender on my pedalboard, so five cables counting my instrument cable from pedalboard to amp. I'm going to use a Snakeskin to bundle all the cords together, so it will appear to be just one large cable and a lot less clutter. Here's what they look like:


It'll arrive on Friday- I'll let you know how it works out.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Here's what the Snakeskin cable holder looks like:

Mine has two MIDI cables, two cables for the in and out of the Boss VF-1, a cable going to my amp, and the power cable from my pedalboard to my Furman power strip. It's obviously not the most ideal setup, but it does just look like one big cable instead of a bunch of small ones, and it's very easy to undo and redo the plugs going into the pedalboard for transport.

[SpectorBass]

Hey Bryan, do you find you get a lot of noise with the power cable running right beside your audio lines?

[Bryan R. Tyler]

None at all. I'm not even sure why I would- all the cables are shielded.