One switch to toggle between two amps?

F

Finaldo

Inspired
I'm not sure if this has been covered already, but do you guys know of a way to have one switch toggle the bypass for two amp blocks, such that I can toggle one off and the other on, and vice versa? I know I could set up an expression pedal to fade between two amps (don't know HOW, but I know it can be done), but I'd like to have an instant toggle between the two amp blocks. I'd like to stay away from programming my controller at all, and just set up the Axe to do it that way. Is that possible?
 
I have a LF and use one of the IA's to do the switch. Don't know how you could actually do it while playing on the Axe itself.
 
Like creek_devil said, the short answer is "yes", you can do it if you're using a floor controller with switches, or even with a stand-alone latching switch (like the Boss FS-5L shown here: http://www.music123.com/Boss-FS-5L-Foot ... 5.Music123)

The way you do it is assign a modifier to each of the two amp blocks (I would tend to assign it to the "level" parameter). Set the modifier for one amp to be one way (0% when switch is off, 100% or whatever level you want when the switch is on), and set it the opposite way for the other amp block (100% or whatever level you want when switch is off, 0% when the switch is on). In both cases, simply assign the same controller (or pedal, if you're using a standalone like the Boss unit) to both modifiers. Bingo, you're done.

Incidentally, it's exactly the same process to assign a continuous controller to morph between the two amp blocks, except you also have to play around with the curves of the modifiers (using the middle value, as well as other parameters such as slope), to get a smooth blend in all pedal positions. It's simpler with a simple toggle switch (like what you're currently looking for), because the middle position and anywhere in between doesn't matter at all.

Daniel
 
Dpoirier said:
Like creek_devil said, the short answer is "yes", you can do it if you're using a floor controller with switches, or even with a stand-alone latching switch (like the Boss FS-5L shown here: http://www.music123.com/Boss-FS-5L-Foot ... 5.Music123)

The way you do it is assign a modifier to each of the two amp blocks (I would tend to assign it to the "level" parameter). Set the modifier for one amp to be one way (0% when switch is off, 100% or whatever level you want when the switch is on), and set it the opposite way for the other amp block (100% or whatever level you want when switch is off, 0% when the switch is on). In both cases, simply assign the same controller (or pedal, if you're using a standalone like the Boss unit) to both modifiers. Bingo, you're done.

Incidentally, it's exactly the same process to assign a continuous controller to morph between the two amp blocks, except you also have to play around with the curves of the modifiers (using the middle value, as well as other parameters such as slope), to get a smooth blend in all pedal positions. It's simpler with a simple toggle switch (like what you're currently looking for), because the middle position and anywhere in between doesn't matter at all.

Daniel
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Yep, that what I do.
 
Thanks for the replies, I'll set it up tonight. I am pretty much set with just using one set of effects in my band, and just switching between clean and dirty tones, so this will work out well. I wanted to set something up similar to how Timmons does it (and lots of other guitarists) where they have a clean and a mid-gain sound, then use a boost on either sound to kick it up a notch.

creek_devil said:
I have a LF and use one of the IA's to do the switch. Don't know how you could actually do it while playing on the Axe itself.
Click to expand...
I guess my question was a little misleading, I do want to use my foot controller to do the switching, I just don't want to get into programming the controller itself. It's an MPX-R1 and everything on it isn't usable with the Axe-Fx, so I'll hold off on controller programming until I get to stomp around on an MFC101. :)
 
So I set things up like you guys said, and there's a problem. I have the modifiers attached to the level control on the amps, set to the same CC. The switching is working fine, but the amps aren't totally getting silenced when the level is set to zero. I can still hear the dirty amp quietly under my clean amp, and I'm just guessing that the clean is "bleeding" into the dirty amp, but it's just not audible since the dirty amp covers it up.

Any ideas? Shouldn't an amp be dead silent when the level is set to zero?
 
Although I'm talking about the FCB1010 in the following post, it should work with any toggle-capable CC button...
viewtopic.php?f=14&p=18152#p18152

Don't know why the level isn't totally gone in your prior attempts... I haven't experimented with that.

Summary: use the Bypass Mode instead. Assign it to an External controller, assign the button's CC to that External.
 
Finaldo said:
So I set things up like you guys said, and there's a problem. I have the modifiers attached to the level control on the amps, set to the same CC. The switching is working fine, but the amps aren't totally getting silenced when the level is set to zero. I can still hear the dirty amp quietly under my clean amp, and I'm just guessing that the clean is "bleeding" into the dirty amp, but it's just not audible since the dirty amp covers it up.

Any ideas? Shouldn't an amp be dead silent when the level is set to zero?
Click to expand...

Why are you setting the levels? Use the bypass modifiers, that is what they are there for. I assume you meant amp level set to -50db, at 0 it would be pretty loud.
 
Thanks guys, I'll switch it up and give it a shot. I used the levels since Dpoirier suggested it, but I'll give the bypass modifiers a try.
 
Finaldo said:
Thanks guys, I'll switch it up and give it a shot. I used the levels since Dpoirier suggested it, but I'll give the bypass modifiers a try.
Click to expand...

Ahhh, modifier setting to 0% is correct.

If you use the bypass modifier, just make sure your bypass mode is set to mute or the disabled on will bleed a signal thru.
 
I guess setting the modifier to 0% is just -50db on the Level control, which explains why there's still some sound from the dirty amp coming through on the clean one. I never really looked at the Level control when it was all the way down, I kind of figured at the lowest setting it might do a -Infinity thing like some stuff does, but you know what happens when people assume... :)
 
Thanks for the help guys... It's working good now, at least in terms of no sound "bleeding" through.

I might've found a bug though. When I had the modifier hooked up to the level control, if I fiddled with the level directly on the Axe-Fx, then disconnected the modifier, the volume went wacky. Now when the level control is at 12 o'clock, it says the level is -18.50db. Anyone else run into this? I haven't turned it off yet or switched patches to see if that would straighten it out.
 
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