Stupid Question - stereo setup and amp footswitches

JDE

Ahoy, contemplating going back to a stereo setup, but for the first time I'll be using amp distortion rather than pedals. Amps would be a pair of Boss Katana's. The question is - is there a way to split the signal from the Roland GA-FC footswitch, so I can change the channel on both amps simultaneously, using one footswitch? Will a regular splitter/ABY box after the footswitch work even though it's connecting to the amps via a TRS cable rather than a regular guitar cable?

hotpickups

Would this newly launched product from the GigRig do what you want @JDE ;:-

https://www.thegigrig.com/aby-baby

JDE

@hotpickups that would indeed be poifect were I splitting straight from my guitar or pedals into the front end of two amps, but I want to split the footswitch commands into two amps, not my signal. 

edit - in other words, when I click Channel 2 on the footswitch, I want it to change to Channel 2 on both amps. My guitar and pedals in the "front end" of my amps will be split by something like the ABY-BABY (actually, by probably exactly that as it looks wicked and is small). The effects in the fx loops of the amps all have stereo ins and outs, so splitting the delays etc should be fine. I just want to change the channels of both amps at the same time.

professorben

Are you using different amp setting on each side?

if not would it not be simpler to just use one as the master and the other as the slave stereo?

route the fx outs to the fx in on the other amp. 

Legionreturns

I think you'd need a stereo aby with all 3 jacks being stereo, but I can think why it wouldn't work after that. If you want identical signals you'd have to copy across the settings from tone studio though because channel 1 on amp 1 night not be the same on amp 2 otherwise. 

Sporky

JDE said:

is there a way to split the signal from the Roland GA-FC footswitch, so I can change the channel on both amps simultaneously, using one footswitch? 

From a quick google image search I'd say probably not. It does a lot of stuff down that TRS connection, and there's a lot of stuff inside the footswitch.

JDE

Yeah, I thought it was the TRS connection that was going to cause issues, as my simpleton brain understands it, it's actually sending instructions to the amp, so you can't just bang it through an ABY. 
Back to the old standby of a dirt pedal in front split with an ABY! Shame, as I quite like the dirt on the Katana, especially the "Brown" channel. 

John_A

Don't see why a stereo splitter wouldn't work, i.e.  something like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRO-6-35mm-Stereo-Splitter-Cable-1-4-Plug-To-2-x-Jack-Socket-Headphone-Adapter/331924326164?_trksid=p2045573.c100508.m3226&_trkparms=aid=555017&algo=PL.CASSINI&ao=1&asc=20160706105120&meid=d84935f50f274c2e969b82ebf12c97f1&pid=100508&rk=1&rkt=1&

ecc83

John_A said:

Don't see why a stereo splitter wouldn't work, i.e.  something like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRO-6-35mm-Stereo-Splitter-Cable-1-4-Plug-To-2-x-Jack-Socket-Headphone-Adapter/331924326164?_trksid=p2045573.c100508.m3226&_trkparms=aid=555017&algo=PL.CASSINI&ao=1&asc=20160706105120&meid=d84935f50f274c2e969b82ebf12c97f1&pid=100508&rk=1&rkt=1&

It probably wouldn't John but I very much doubt it would do any harm. Worse case would be random and different results on the two amps.

Dave.

steamabacus

JDE said:

edit - in other words, when I click Channel 2 on the footswitch, I want it to change to Channel 2 on both amps. My guitar and pedals in the "front end" of my amps will be split by something like the ABY-BABY (actually, by probably exactly that as it looks wicked and is small). The effects in the fx loops of the amps all have stereo ins and outs, so splitting the delays etc should be fine. I just want to change the channels of both amps at the same time.

professorben said:

Are you using different amp setting on each side?

if not would it not be simpler to just use one as the master and the other as the slave stereo?

route the fx outs to the fx in on the other amp. 

As @professorben ; says, you can do it by using one amp's preamp section and then splitting to stereo with the effects in the loop - one side goes back to the 'master' amp and one to the 'slave' amp. You then only need to switch channels on one amp.

i.e.

gtr
> ['front of amp' fx] > input of amp 1* > fx send of amp 1 >
> [stereo fx in loop] > fx rtn of amp 1
                                              > fx rtn of amp 2

* amp 1 controlled by footswitch

JDE

But if I do that, how is the footswitch controlling amp 2? The foot switch is going into the dedicated input on amp1, innit

steamabacus

Amp 2 is simply being used as a power amp to amplify the signal generated by the preamp of amp 1. The preamp tone generated by amp 1 is being sent to BOTH amps via the stereo fx in the loop.

Or, to put it another way...

What you hear from amp 1's speaker will be the sound from preamp 1 (including any front of amp fx), left channel of the stereo fx in the loop and then the power amp of amp 1 driving speaker 1.

What you hear from amp 2's speaker will be the sound from preamp 1 (again, including any front of amp fx), right channel of the stereo fx in the loop and then the power amp of amp 2 driving speaker 2.

The footswitch is controlling the sound of preamp 1 which is being sent to the power amps of both amp 1 and amp 2 (via the stereo fx).

Unless you want different amp models on the left and right channels there is no need to use both preamps. Hope that makes sense.

JDE

@steamabacus - total sense! I love you, son. 

professorben

JDE said:

@steamabacus - total sense! I love you, son. 

Oi!!! Lol

Sporky

John_A said: 

Don't see why a stereo splitter wouldn't work, i.e.  something like this:

Because it's a communication bus, not a simple contact closure. There's two-way communication between the amp and the footswitch.

It'd be like putting a simple splitter on a network cable.

JDE

professorben said:

JDE said:

@steamabacus - total sense! I love you, son. 

Oi!!! Lol

Love you, too!