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New problem...A-B switching

juancaminos

juancaminos

May 30, 2003
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USA, Heber-Overgaard, AZ
home.earthlink.net
#1
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have this issue. Just seeking advice.

I now will be switching between Fender Jazz Bass and EUB at shows. So I'm looking at A-B switching between instruments. I have a Morley AB-Y but it's been setting for many years and doesn't seem to be in working order. So.... Just looking for something you all have experience with relating to my situation, switch wise. There are so darn many choices out there.

Being that I am currently wireless I would be interested in any dual channel wireless systems being used by you all as well. Mine is an old Sennheiser SK-1093 that goes thru two 9V's a show. So it's time for something new anyway.

Thanks and Happy New Year!
 
#2
The best option would be something that provides separate gain and tone for each instrument. My choice was a rack mixer with mute switches on the channels.

Budget is probably something you should identify now, as it will help people make better recommendations.
 
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#3
I use a Lectrosonics wireless system with my basses. Lectro is known for industrial-grade uncompromising sound with anything it’s used with, including basses. At my age now, I’m not sure I can hear much difference in a $500 wireless rig and a $2200 (at the time, and no, I had connections, so I didn’t pay near that) wireless rig. But audio engineers can and the end result to the audience is what I’m after.

I know, I’m getting off of the point. The point is, at $1400 (again, 8 years ago), I can afford only one Lectrosonics belt pack. So I use a TC Mini-Spark to normalize gains between two or basses. My Lull Jazz-style bass has a John East preamp and my Lull Precision-style basses is completely passive, so there’s a bit of gain difference. I’m carrying two basses mainly to have a spare, but occasionally, I’ll switch basses “just to break thing up a bit”. I bypass the Mini-Spark when playing the bass with the preamp and I engage it for a slight gain boost when I play the passive bass (or a Music Man Stingray, which is active, but similar to the passive bass in output). I’m mostly okay with the very slight tone differences between the basses and sound guys tell me that it takes minor tweaks, if any, to the tone when I switch. And I try to make time during soundcheck for the audio person to make sure there’s little to no difference in bass levels to his mixer. I’m fortunate that this method has worked out for me and is very simple in nature.
My signal path is wireless output to a Polytune tuner, the TC Mini-Spark, and a REDDI tube DI on a small pedalboard. The 1/4” output of the REDDI goes to my amp.
 
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#4
I was going to say that my budget is open but I am not going to spend what Geri-O did. With that said I am not interested in cheap gear either. The Sennheiser wireless system that I use now was in the $300 range 22 years ago. Now it's much more. I'd say that I would feel comfortable into the $500 range right now. I'm old and just having fun but I'm still not a fan of $39 wireless systems, microphones and such.

The EUB is active as are all of my basses, using EMG, J Retro & Audere.

Using a mixer is something I never thought of. I have three but a 16 or 24 channel mixer is out of the question. I do have a small 6 channel mixer that I bought for a busking project that never happened, maybe that will do it. I had a band mate that used a tiny 4 channel mixer to mix conga's, tambourine and harp signal down to one channel. Pretty good idea!

The A/B selectors are everywhere and reviews are mixed.
 
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#5
juancaminos said:
I was going to say that my budget is open but I am not going to spend what Geri-O did. With that said I am not interested in cheap gear either. The Sennheiser wireless system that I use now was in the $300 range 22 years ago. Now it's much more. I'd say that I would feel comfortable into the $500 range right now. I'm old and just having fun but I'm still not a fan .
Click to expand...

You could get the TC Mini-Spark and any wireless….:D:D

I certainly don’t advocate spending the money that I did. I’m just fortunate to be in the position to afford that kind of wireless rig.
 
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#6
juancaminos said:
I was going to say that my budget is open but I am not going to spend what Geri-O did. With that said I am not interested in cheap gear either. The Sennheiser wireless system that I use now was in the $300 range 22 years ago. Now it's much more. I'd say that I would feel comfortable into the $500 range right now. I'm old and just having fun but I'm still not a fan of $39 wireless systems, microphones and such.

The EUB is active as are all of my basses, using EMG, J Retro & Audere.

Using a mixer is something I never thought of. I have three but a 16 or 24 channel mixer is out of the question. I do have a small 6 channel mixer that I bought for a busking project that never happened, maybe that will do it. I had a band mate that used a tiny 4 channel mixer to mix conga's, tambourine and harp signal down to one channel. Pretty good idea!

The A/B selectors are everywhere and reviews are mixed.
Click to expand...

If you go with an ABY, I suggest adding a pedal-based preamp for the EUB. Something like a Tech 21 QStrip would probably be ideal. The idea is you use the amp to set your basic tone and gain for the bass guitar, then use the QStrip to set your done and balance levels with the EUB. The ABY switches between the two.

You could also use a 2-channel preamp like a Headway EDB-2 H.E.

Even a small mixer would work, but you need to look for some specific features: 1. Channel Mutes, 2. High Z/Instrument Inputs, 3. Ideally you want at least three bands of EQ with sweepable mids.

I believe the Mackie 802VLZ4 satisfies everything except sweepable mids; which is hard, if not impossible to find in personal mixers.
 
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#7
This may be hard to believe but the pre amp in the EUB (Ibansez 804) is hotter that the preamps in my basses. This is testing through a mixer on headphones. In a channel I've been practicing bass thru for many years, I can only turn the EUB bass volume up half way before distortion reigns. It also can be that the preamp in the EUB is not as good as those on my regular basses.

As far as pedal based pre-amps go, I have an Eden WTDI, Korg AX30B and an L R Baggs Para Acoustic DI. My Eden WT400 is already dialed in for my regular basses but I won't really know what the EUB will need until I get it out there this next week end. Perhaps I should grin and bear it until after that. It may need some EQ before the WT400 just to match what I already play thru it. Hmmm...
 
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#8
MXR M81 Bass Preamp
JHS Mute Switch Pedal

I have two MXR 81's on my board for two different basses. I can set the output level of each pedal along with a quick tone adjustment on both. The mute switch is perfect keeping the sound person and your rig happy. I have yet to find an all encompassing box that has two channels for the bass guitar with two identical sets of tone controls on it. I am sure I can get it built it, but would likely be the MXR M81's....:)

I gave up on AB boxes because I needed the tone adjustment. Nothing wrong with them, just need more control.
 
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#9
GigRig 321. I use one to send a passive baritone guitar, an active bass and a balanced mono from XLR mic for woodwinds. I get three pedal boards from one pedal and can load up the looper with whatever I want. There are three adjustable pre-amps. If you need more inputs, you can link another 321.
gig_rig_35_crop.webp
 
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#12
Radial has a handful of boxes that might suit your needs, from simple ABY (Bigshot IO - including mute, tuner out, and level control for one channel) to the BassBone line, to the PZ-Pro, which is essentially 2 preamps w/AB switch built in. I have an older Radial ABY and CH2 has a switchable level control, so I run the hotter bass into CH2 and then adjust to match the outputs.

There's also the Grace Felix, which is superb in every way. I use it for doubling, for switching between 2 electrics, or for blending pickup and mic on my acoustic URB. Studio quality preamps in a floor box. The Felix also has the option of independent DIs, so you can sent EUB and Jazz Bass to FOH on separate channels if you want.

Trickfish also has a 2ch preamp that would be fantastic. The Trickfish EQ is really, really good, and I'd probably go that route if I didn't also use a mic with my acoustic upright (the reason I got the Grace Felix). If I was only playing electric and EUB, I'd have the Trickfish in a heartbeat. My main amp is a TF Bullhead 1k.
 
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#15
I have been cabling and gain balancing 2 basses like forever. Radial Bassbone gen 1 was the centerpiece of my rig for a decade or more. I could go back, easily.

These days I have been seduced by Sushibox. I have the ampeg'ish Slampegg into a boost for one bass and a Fender style Partical Accelerator for the other. The preamp and boost give me gain balancing and EQ/character. I select between them with a Radial Big Shot i/o. It is a pretty rockin' setup. Nathan at Sushibox has my bank on speed dial ;-)

What would be one step ahead is if Nathan would do a 3 input, 1 XLr plus 1 /4 " output 12 ax based mini mixer... I would really like 3 channels of tube into the rest of my rig...
 
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#16
I have used a jhs mini line selector to select between 2 basses plugged in. However you want wireless so 2 options that I currently use.

a wireless that each belt pack can be adjusted for input volume. I use a shure slx-d but that is outside your budget but under $900 with 2 transmitters.

or

a boss line selector. Which can be used on 1 input and then you can adjust volume on the a channel and b channel.

lastly you can also use the source audio eq as you can leave it flat but boost the gain for each preset.

the easiest for me is having 2 transmitters, second being the boss line selector. The eq just gives more inputs.
 
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#18
Anemic_SluG said:
the easiest for me is having 2 transmitters, second being the boss line selector. The eq just gives more inputs.
Click to expand...

That would be ideal, no doubt. But I can’t because of (A) the expense of the Lectro beltpacks and (B) the power on/power off method on the Lectro beltpacks is kinda clumsy and requires 2 hands. It’s to insure a deliberate operation in the heat battle (on football fields and the like, I guess), but it would be cumbersome to use 2 transmitters with 1 receiver.
 
#19
I sort of see the switching and wireless aspects of this as separate. I cable one bass, go wireless on the other. I could as easily wire both or wire two receivers... My reason for 2 basses is not backup. I switch 4 to 5 or 4 fretted to 4 fretless or piezo depending on the gig... My need for wireless is to get out front when mixing from stage and get us dialed. After that, I prefer wired for the most part. 1 less thing to go awry...

If I have a sound person out front, I'm not using my wireless rig at all. FOH is his / her job...
 
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#20
I prefer to keep this simple. I have been in the same situation of switching between an electric bass and an EUB, I use a simple Fender A/B footswitch. I never had an issue in regards to tone shaping and had run them both through an Ampeg Classic Pre and a Broughton LPF/HPF (my small board) before my tube amp (Traynor YBA-100). My only adjustment was to adjust the volume on the EUB to keep them relatively the same.
 
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