any way to run 2 distortion pedals in paralles w/ 1 in and 1 out?

justinhedrick · July 20, 2011, 03:02:40 PM

i want to run a fuzz and a distortion pedal in parallel (as opposed to stacking them in series) into 1 amp. is there anything that can do this cheaply? i thought about one of those boss pedals, but i don't know if it would allow me to do this.

any thoughts? i thought about having a passive pedal built, with 1 in, 1 out, and 2 loops for the fuzz/distortion, but i thought that might cause ground loop problems.

justinhedrick · July 20, 2011, 04:42:45 PM

got my answer: boss LS2 or one of those loooper brand true bypass boxes . . . hmm. buffered, or passive? can't decide.

Hemisaurus · July 20, 2011, 05:45:37 PM

What's wrong with two of these?

What are the two boxes your running it with?

justinhedrick · July 20, 2011, 07:44:28 PM

i've read that those really fuck up your signal.

i'm running a rat in parallel with a dano french toast pedal. so a nice distortion with a fuzzy fuzz.

Hemisaurus · July 20, 2011, 07:59:30 PM

Well those cables are the equivalent of a passive switcher with both channels engaged.

Both pedals are buffered, at least when engaged, depends on your RAT some are true bypass in bypass mode, all Dano's are buffered even in bypass.

It would also be easy to build a simple resistive mixer to split and recombine the signals, but a buffer is just an amp, an amp is just a pedal, and a pedal is just a buffer if you follow. If you buffer a signal you run it through a low gain, typically unity gain, amplifer, every distortion pedal is a kind of amplifier, so in effect it's a buffer. So add a buffered looper and you are just buffering a buffer. Add a passive switcher and your in effect just splitting the two inputs like a Y cable, and mixing them back together again.

Lumpy · July 20, 2011, 08:25:02 PM

LS-2 will allow you to dial in individual fuzz volumes to taste. Great pedal, it's like a swiss army knife, it does so many things. Some people don't like the Boss buffers (?) but I don't even know what that means.

johnny problem · July 20, 2011, 10:01:53 PM

I have no idea what any of this means. This Chardonnay made me stupid. Can someone explain the parallel thing?

Baltar · July 20, 2011, 10:36:26 PM

Sometimes a buffer is a good thing in a pedal.

Lumpy · July 20, 2011, 11:33:27 PM

Quote from: johnny problem on July 20, 2011, 10:01:53 PM
I have no idea what any of this means. This Chardonnay made me stupid. Can someone explain the parallel thing?

He wants a little bit of this fuzz w/ a little bit of that fuzz, both at the same time. The Y cable is an option. The LS-2 lets you blend the 2 fuzzes (or anything) into the signal separately, to taste. Actually, the Y cable probably works fine, since all fuzzes will have their own volume knob (duh).

johnny problem · July 20, 2011, 11:57:07 PM

Ok. So will doing this allow you to have a more controllable sound/tone when both the fuzz and distortion are engaged?

Lumpy · July 20, 2011, 11:59:29 PM

I think on paper, it gives you a more complex, possibly richer sounding tone. In real life, I dunno. Worth a try for sure.

Slow · July 21, 2011, 12:06:09 AM

Just run a stereo rig, you pussy!

dogfood · July 21, 2011, 12:26:40 AM

Quote from: Slow on July 21, 2011, 12:06:09 AM
Just run a stereo rig, you pussy!

what he said!

Hemisaurus · July 21, 2011, 12:49:37 AM

Quote from: Slow on July 21, 2011, 12:06:09 AM
Just run a stereo rig, you pussy!

Or a two channel amp, like the HD130

Slow · July 21, 2011, 01:00:48 AM

I have the 2x12 version of that now! yayyyy. Herb, I'm curious as to how loud it really should be. I can't talk over it, but cranked hard, it doesn't seem as loud as 130 watts should be... is it just because it's a 2x12 openback?

Hemisaurus · July 21, 2011, 01:48:35 AM

Mine was the older version, I think that was silver on black, or vice versa? The one with a 12AX7 phase splitter.

Anyway it was probably the loudest quad ever, did run out of juice a bit on deep (5 string) bass, but I think at that point I was trying to be clean. It blew away the Traynor YBA200 and the Ampeg SVT.

Did you see the amp Dave Chambers did 800V plate on a quad of EL34? I think the HD130 is probably capable of >150W it was a total beast.

Hemisaurus · July 21, 2011, 01:55:05 AM

I wonder what the primary impedance is of the output transformer in that?

Look at the EL34 datasheet, for a pair at 725V with an 11K primary, they are talking 90W, so if that OT is around 7.5K you could be making 180W

Lumpy · July 21, 2011, 02:01:52 AM

Quote from: Slow on July 21, 2011, 01:00:48 AM
I have the 2x12 version of that now! yayyyy. Herb, I'm curious as to how loud it really should be. I can't talk over it, but cranked hard, it doesn't seem as loud as 130 watts should be... is it just because it's a 2x12 openback?

That's what a Fender Twin Reverb is, and those are loud enough to pop your eyeballs. Chovie D has a MusicMan 2x12, he should be able to chime in.

Hemisaurus · July 21, 2011, 02:07:13 AM

Could be someone changed out the speakers, or got them reconed rather inefficiently.

I used to use mine with an 18" BW, or a 2x15, I only had one at that point. I'd have loved to hear it driving two.

Hemisaurus · July 21, 2011, 02:21:26 AM

Hmm, Heyboer replacement says 5.5K primary, and I realise 11 / 2 is 5.5 not 7.5 (hey it's late), which explains why the MM was so damn loud, 180 W @ 6% THD, depending on the screen, ie. how it's biased.

VOLVO))) · July 21, 2011, 08:30:34 AM

So, Mine is sick in one way or another. Time for a recap!

justinhedrick · July 21, 2011, 09:12:40 AM

i have the capability to run a stereo rig, but i didn't want to mess with the extra cabling, amp, blah blah blah.

plus the only other amp i have is a peavey bandit. it is probably the loudest 100 watts of solid state i've ever heard. so i guess it could work?

Hemisaurus · July 21, 2011, 11:32:24 AM

Quote from: SunnO))) on July 21, 2011, 08:30:34 AM
So, Mine is sick in one way or another. Time for a recap!

Before that, check the plate voltage, and the bias point. Do you have the schematic? You sould be able to get it at Ernie Ball's website.

Also, does yours have the 12AX7? Some people think it makes a difference.

Hemisaurus · July 21, 2011, 11:46:07 AM

Quote from: justinhedrick on July 21, 2011, 09:12:40 AM
i have the capability to run a stereo rig, but i didn't want to mess with the extra cabling, amp, blah blah blah.

plus the only other amp i have is a peavey bandit. it is probably the loudest 100 watts of solid state i've ever heard. so i guess it could work?

Well a stereo rig only saves you one cable

How would you split it, do you have a Boss tuner or something like that? If you do, that too is buffering your signal. I guess the absolute easiest way, without Y cables even, would be to split the signal with a tuner pedal (or any twin out pedal, I have a couple) and if you have an amp with high and low input jacks, try using both? Or if you have a passive ABY box, you can use that to recombine the signals, or split them for that matter.

Of course, when a guitarist asks for a way to do this cheaply he usually means a way to conince my missus I need yet another piece of gear

justinhedrick · July 21, 2011, 11:57:10 AM

i have a tuner pedal w/ two outs. i would split it, run 1 into my rat/pedalboard and then 1 into the fuzz straight into an amp.

hmm.

i do have a peavey power amp. could i just split it off the tuner, and run the fuzz pedal directly into that?