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Rotary switch wiring help, please.

fourstringbliss

fourstringbliss

Supporting Member
Oct 5, 2003
12,442
6,016
56
Puyallup, WA
#1
I am trying to figure out a way to have three pickups in my bass and use an Audere preamp. Audere preamps have two inputs because the pickups connect in stereo for active blending. Because of this I want to use a rotary switch that has two outputs - a neck and bridge.

Here's how I want it to be:

SP32-20130727-234917_zps62770c93.jpg


What kind of switch do I need and how would I wire it?
 
#2
You need a rotary toggle switch with a minimum of three poles. I can post a diagram later.

Note that three position rotary toggles are hard to come by. You may end up with a four or five position switch. If that's the case, you can do additional pickup combos, and/or mute positions.
 
#3
line6man said:
You need a rotary toggle switch with a minimum of three poles. I can post a diagram later.

Note that three position rotary toggles are hard to come by. You may end up with a four or five position switch. If that's the case, you can do additional pickup combos, and/or mute positions.
Click to expand...
I was able to find a four pole rotary switch pretty easily. I'll see what I can find. Thanks for the help!
 
#6
3 Picks and only 2 Inputs in to the PreAmp
I am guess that with this blending thing that we can have two pickups selected at all times
Neck Middle Bridge
NM, NB & MB
2P3T
Pin - Pole 1 - Pole 2
1 - Neck - Middle
2 - Neck - Bridge
3 - Middle - Bridge
then link the outputs of the switch to the PreAmp
Link Removed
you could use a 2P6T in that kind of switch that would let you pick each pick ups on its own as well
Link Removed

Dont know what would happen if you sent the same signal in to both sides of the PreAmp and blend it
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2P6P-Double-Pole-Six-Position-Rotary-Wafer-Switch-/121139803144?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c347eb408
worries me they call it 2P6P when the world calls it 2P6T
 
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#8
Angel LaHash said:
3 Picks and only 2 Inputs in to the PreAmp
I am guess that with this blending thing that we can have two pickups selected at all times
Neck Middle Bridge
NM, NB & MB
2P3T
Pin - Pole 1 - Pole 2
1 - Neck - Middle
2 - Neck - Bridge
3 - Middle - Bridge
then link the outputs of the switch to the PreAmp
Link Removed
you could use a 2P6T in that kind of switch that would let you pick each pick ups on its own as well
Link Removed

Dont know what would happen if you sent the same signal in to both sides of the PreAmp and blend it
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2P6P-Double-Pole-Six-Position-Rotary-Wafer-Switch-/121139803144?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c347eb408
worries me they call it 2P6P when the world calls it 2P6T
Click to expand...
Thanks for the diagrams! The bottom one makes sense but I don't understand how the top one relates to a round switch. Probably because I don't have a rotary switch with me and I don't understand them very well.

Normally, you would connect the neck hot to one input and the bridge hot to the other input and you'd get a full stereo blend between the pickups. Passive blend pots really only give you neck, both, bridge but not really in between sounds. With this design you can truly have 80% neck and 20% bridge or any other ratio.
 
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#9
Top one one would be a 2P3T, not sure if i seen one of them ..
Just done on the fact if you could turn off the other Pickup with the Blend, you could go with the Neck+Middle, Neck+Bridge and Middle+Bridge and you would have every thing.

the 2P6T gives you a Switch that lets you go Neck, Middle, Bridge, Neck+Middle, Neck+Bridge and Middle+Bridge
 
#10
Angel LaHash said:
Top one one would be a 2P3T, not sure if i seen one of them ..
Just done on the fact if you could turn off the other Pickup with the Blend, you could go with the Neck+Middle, Neck+Bridge and Middle+Bridge and you would have every thing.

the 2P6T gives you a Switch that lets you go Neck, Middle, Bridge, Neck+Middle, Neck+Bridge and Middle+Bridge
Click to expand...
It looks like the top diagram is the correct one for me but I'm a complete noob when it comes to rotary switches. Is there any way you could either label the pole locations or show the connections more the way the poles would look on the switch itself? Sorry for the hassle.
 
#11
fourstringbliss said:
It looks like the top diagram is the correct one for me but I'm a complete noob when it comes to rotary switches. Is there any way you could either label the pole locations or show the connections more the way the poles would look on the switch itself? Sorry for the hassle.
Click to expand...

Link Removed

From top to bottom, on the left:
Pole 1, throw 1.
Pole 1, throw 2.
Pole 1, throw 3.
Pole 2, throw 1.
Pole 2, throw 2.
Pole 3, throw 3.

From top to bottom, on the right:
Pole 1, common.
Pole 2, common.
 
#12
Ive just got to nip out (to pick up a Strat lol) and ill try and do the Wiring as you see it from the Bottom (I've just brought some 2P6T Switches if that is the one you want, ill also do a 3P4T (same family of switch but one pole will not be used and a Throw will be Dead) you can get 2P4T what are only a bit bigger than a Toggle Switch.
 
#13
line6man said:
Link Removed

From top to bottom, on the left:
Pole 1, throw 1.
Pole 1, throw 2.
Pole 1, throw 3.
Pole 2, throw 1.
Pole 2, throw 2.
Pole 3, throw 3.

From top to bottom, on the right:
Pole 1, common.
Pole 2, common.
Click to expand...
I've got it now! In setting one both "1's" are active and so on. This setup would give me neck/middle in position 1, neck/bridge in 2, and middle/bridge in 3, right?

Should I use "make before break" or "break before make"?

What about this switch: Link Removed
 
#14
well that would be ok with the Switching you been talking about.

You could have the 2P6T
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2P6P-Double-Pole-Six-Position-Rotary-Wafer-Switch-/121139803144?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c347eb408&afsrc=1
What is half the price, im not sure about postage as im in the UK.

Link Removed
I believe that is how you should see it
Now i dont know what would happen if you have NECK and Neck going in to the Blend Pot, so i left connect if you wanted to do that as COLOUR and White in the middle, as to Black with COLOUR in the middle for ones you have to connect
 
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#15
Here's my idea. I'm going to use a 4 position 3 pole rotary switch and only use poles 1 and 2.

I want:
Position 1 to be n/m
Position 2 to be n/b
Position 3 to be m/b
Position 4 to be n/mb.

Would this diagram work?

1375211770899_zpsb50fbd99.jpg


I would connect the middle pickup output to three different lugs to isolate that signal, if that makes sense.

Keep in mind that the preamp has two separate inputs - neck and bridge.
 
#16
you just linked M to B always then (basically shorted them out together) the Switch is the only thing keeping the Single apart
would need 3P4T
Link Removed

Were I have Black Dots/PreAmp1/PreAmp2 you just hooked them up the PreAmp Neck/Bridge
 
#19
Angel LaHash said:
i was working on it as you typed :P

I tried to show it as you did than a Rotary
It should give you want you want
N/M
N/B
M/B
N/MB
Click to expand...

Sorry about that! I'm doing things on my phone and I didn't see the diagram you made. Pole 1 is for neck connections, 2 is bridge, and 3 is both, right? The outputs for poles 2 and 3 and linked and then that goes to the bridge preamp input. Can I connect the same colored dots together on the switch or do I need separate connections from the neck pup to each neck switch lug?
 

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