help-can't wrap my head around this

[walker rosewood]

I'm having a total brain fart. I should be able to figure this out, but for whatever reason I'm just blanking.

I'm using an EHX HOG to simulate rhythm guitar. The pedal has a dry out and a wet out. What I want to do is send the dry out directly to my amp and the wet output (the 'chord') through a distortion pedal and then to my amp. The desired result is a clean bass note, and a distorted 'chord' through one amp. What I'm left with is two quarter inches but only one input on my head. So....

-I don't think a TB looper is what i need, like the Barge stuff.
-is a Y cable all I need?
-an ABY box takes one signal and splits it into two. But I need two signals joined into one. Will an ABY box work backwards?

[walker rosewood]

I thought about it more, and with a true bypass looper I could send the normal bass signal through, then put the HOG (using just the wet out) followed by a distortion pedal in the effects send/return. This would be nice with an added blend capability.

The problem with this, is in my first post I left out that the dry out from the HOG isn't just going directly to the amp, it will go first to my ME-50b for further processing (delay, compressor, EQ, whatever). With a TB looper set up, I'd still end up with the bass note and the chord going into the ME-50b. Which is what I'm trying to avoid.

[phatbass]

A Boss LS-2 will do what you want. In mix mode it will act like a mini mixer to blend 2 effects loops, plus let you bypass both totally when you want. Put the Hog in one loop, put the ME-50B in the other, then adjust the level of each unit to what you want.

This is what you want to do:

Set the LS-2 to "A<->B Mix/Bypass". Plug the Bass into the LS-2 input. Plug the LS-2 output into your amp.

Use one send/return loop (A or B; it doesn't matter) for the HOG, using the PROCESSED (wet/effected - I don't know what it's called on the HOG) output from the HOG.

Use the other send/return loop for the ME-50B.

Then use the level controls on the LS-2 to adjust how much of each loop you want. When the LS-2 is on, you'll get the mix; when it's off you'll get dry Bass signal.

[Swift713]

Also, by turning a knob you can reset the LS-2 to give you one or the other loop for songs where you don't want the Hog for instance.

[cheapbasslovin]

I got something real similar to this which is a little more 'on the fly' versatile than the LS-2, but accomplishes largely the same thing. The primary drawback is the lack of available boost which the LS-2 has.

[Bob C]

I want to do pretty much the same thing using my Unibass.

[bongomania]

Any active blender/mixer like the LS-2 will work. Passive items like Y-cables and ABY boxes will work, but they suck.

[phatbass]

I have to confess I've become a bit of an LS-2 fanboi. There are a buncha different pedals that between them will do all of the LS-2's functions, but I don't know of any single one that will cover all the bases.

Need a clean boost that'll switch between 2 levels of boost as well as unity? Want to be able to switch between up to 3 instruments, with variable level on 2 of them, going into 1 input? 1 Instrument switching between 3 outputs, with variable level on 2 of them? Blend a dry signal with an effect? Blend 2 effects loops?

Plus of course the ordinary boring ol' dual switchable effects loops.

[walker rosewood]

ok, so no passive stuff. That's one thing I was starting to figure out, just needed a definitive. The LS-2 looks to be exactly what I need and much more. A great price point too. I guess a dual bypass looper is what I'm looking for then.

If I set it up as phatbass described, I want to try putting an AB box after the HOG, with A going back to the LS-2 (and eventually to the bass amp) and B going to my guitar rig. So would a looper work right that way? If a sent the 'send' to somewhere other then the corresponding 'receive'? Then I could use the HOG for the guitar sim, but also for strange bass stuff also.

edit: just read through the LS-2 manual, and I see that in 'output' mode it functions as a simple AB box. (ABC really)