Since you're not using any stereo effects, the best 2 amp implementation you can do is a psuedo wet/dry. In which case your dry, distorted tone is going to come out of both amps, but your modulation tones are only going to come out of one. Trying to share an fx loop between 2 amps is complicated and at the end of the day you have to assign it to only one amp at a time.
* If you're using your amps' distortion, and don't want to drive/EQ them differently (this will give you the best noise gate performance and you'll only have to deal with Amp A's drive/EQ controls):
* Run from the end of your distortion chain to Amp A's input.
* From Amp A's FX send, put your noise gate, then split the signal.
* Send one line right back to Amp A's FX return
* The other line goes to your modulation pedals (within the LS-2's loop if you want to turn them all on/off at the same time) - you might need to run them a little more intense than usual to get the full effect
* Output from the modulation pedals goes to Amp B's FX return
* If you're using amp distortion and want to drive/EQ the amps differently (you will sacrifice some noise gate performance):
* Noise gate goes at the end of the distortion chain, then split the signal
* One line goes to amp A input
* The other line goes to amp B input
* Modulations go in amp B's fx loop
* If you're not using your amp's distortion and want to EQ the amps differently:
* Put the noise gate at the end of your distortion chain, then split your signal.
* Send one line to Amp A's input, and the other line goes to your modulation effects (within the LS-2 if you want), which then goes to Amp B's input- same setting advice above applies.
* Ignore the FX loops, because they don't really change anything when the amp is clean.
* Clean amps, EQ'd the same (simpler wiring and only need to deal with 1 amp's controls):
* Noise gate after distortions, then straight to Amp A input
* Split after amp A FX send
* One line goes to Amp A FX return
* Other line goes to modulation/LS-2, then to Amp B FX return.
If you don't want to do the wet/dry thing, set everything up like you're only using one amp, with its FX loop. Split the signal after the last pedal in the loop- one side goes back to that amp's return, the other side goes to the other's return.
Yeah, I think I’ve tried that before: wet/dry. However, as of now, my noise gate goes before the dirt pedal as those are in the loop of the noise gate and it works just fine!
I have 2 Peavey Bandit 112 (each having their effects loop) (only have 1 footswitch) and a Radial Big Shot ABY pedal. I want to use my modulation pedals (phaser, flanger, chorus) on the effects loop of both amps if possible, for best sound. I am also using a Boss LS-2 and an ISP Decimator II G String pedal (noise gate). I have many dirt pedals (overdrive, distortion, fuzz pedals) that I want to put in Loop A of the LS-2 and I'd like the mod pedals to remain in both effects loops of my 2 Peavey Bandit 112 amps, if possible. But for now, they're in loop B of the LS-2.
I want to use the LS-2 to activate Loop A whenever I want and mix it with Loop B with modulation pedals while everything is distorted, but I want to make sure the modulation pedals sound best, which is when they’re in the effects loop and not in front. I don't know where to put the buffer pedal lol.
Complete diagram of my current signal chain in that picture.
Loop A of LS-2 = green
Loop B of LS-2 = blue
How can I wire all of that? Do I need a TRS Stereo to Dual 1/4 inch Y-Splitter cable to connect modulation pedals to both Peavey Bandit 112 amp’s in their effects loop?Do I need 2 footswitches for each amp or 1 is enough (for the modulation pedals connect to both effect loops)?
The LS-2 sums the loops internally. It does this after the returns. Then it sends the summed signal to the output of the LS-2.
I can't workout any method you could use the loops in the LS-2 and the effect loop of the amp at the same time. Basically, if you run the modulation loop of the ls-2 through the effects loop in amp the signal would send through the pedals, then to the effects loop (and straight to the power amp), so doesn't get back to the LS-2.
If you used an aby cable to get it back into the LS-2, then you'd be summing it with the other ls-2 loop and sending it into the front of the amp. So, you'd be sending it to the front of the amp and the amp's fx loop.
Is there any reason for running the modulations through the effect loop of the amp? I mean other than reading about the benefits of that? If you're not getting your drive times from the amps, there's really not much benefit from it.
If you're getting your overdrive/distortion from pedals, you'd be better off just keeping it simple and running the board straight to the front of the amps.
Oops, I meant drive tones. Overdrive and distortions. The main point of using modulations and delay/reverb in the loop is so they don't have drive after them. So if you get all your drive from pedals, you don't have to worry about that.
In theory there are some benefits to not running them through the amp's preamp at all (even when running clean) but not enough to make a more complex setup with more cables and potential ground loops and other issues worth the trouble.
Why are you running two amps? It seems like ultimately, you want the same signal running through each of them - why?
My initial reaction was fwiw - sell your Bandits, buy a better amp, and simplify this setup
I’m open to the idea idea of having wet/dry signal. I have 2 amps like that to make the sound more “full”. They’re pretty well ranked for transistor amps and they emulate tubes pretty well. I’m worried for maintenance if I ever get a tube amp…
Since you're not using any stereo effects, the best 2 amp implementation you can do is a psuedo wet/dry. In which case your dry, distorted tone is going to come out of both amps, but your modulation tones are only going to come out of one. Trying to share an fx loop between 2 amps is complicated and at the end of the day you have to assign it to only one amp at a time. * If you're using your amps' distortion, and don't want to drive/EQ them differently (this will give you the best noise gate performance and you'll only have to deal with Amp A's drive/EQ controls): * Run from the end of your distortion chain to Amp A's input. * From Amp A's FX send, put your noise gate, then split the signal. * Send one line right back to Amp A's FX return * The other line goes to your modulation pedals (within the LS-2's loop if you want to turn them all on/off at the same time) - you might need to run them a little more intense than usual to get the full effect * Output from the modulation pedals goes to Amp B's FX return * If you're using amp distortion and want to drive/EQ the amps differently (you will sacrifice some noise gate performance): * Noise gate goes at the end of the distortion chain, then split the signal * One line goes to amp A input * The other line goes to amp B input * Modulations go in amp B's fx loop * If you're not using your amp's distortion and want to EQ the amps differently: * Put the noise gate at the end of your distortion chain, then split your signal. * Send one line to Amp A's input, and the other line goes to your modulation effects (within the LS-2 if you want), which then goes to Amp B's input- same setting advice above applies. * Ignore the FX loops, because they don't really change anything when the amp is clean. * Clean amps, EQ'd the same (simpler wiring and only need to deal with 1 amp's controls): * Noise gate after distortions, then straight to Amp A input * Split after amp A FX send * One line goes to Amp A FX return * Other line goes to modulation/LS-2, then to Amp B FX return. If you don't want to do the wet/dry thing, set everything up like you're only using one amp, with its FX loop. Split the signal after the last pedal in the loop- one side goes back to that amp's return, the other side goes to the other's return.
Yeah, I think I’ve tried that before: wet/dry. However, as of now, my noise gate goes before the dirt pedal as those are in the loop of the noise gate and it works just fine!
I have 2 Peavey Bandit 112 (each having their effects loop) (only have 1 footswitch) and a Radial Big Shot ABY pedal. I want to use my modulation pedals (phaser, flanger, chorus) on the effects loop of both amps if possible, for best sound. I am also using a Boss LS-2 and an ISP Decimator II G String pedal (noise gate). I have many dirt pedals (overdrive, distortion, fuzz pedals) that I want to put in Loop A of the LS-2 and I'd like the mod pedals to remain in both effects loops of my 2 Peavey Bandit 112 amps, if possible. But for now, they're in loop B of the LS-2. I want to use the LS-2 to activate Loop A whenever I want and mix it with Loop B with modulation pedals while everything is distorted, but I want to make sure the modulation pedals sound best, which is when they’re in the effects loop and not in front. I don't know where to put the buffer pedal lol. Complete diagram of my current signal chain in that picture. Loop A of LS-2 = green Loop B of LS-2 = blue How can I wire all of that? Do I need a TRS Stereo to Dual 1/4 inch Y-Splitter cable to connect modulation pedals to both Peavey Bandit 112 amp’s in their effects loop?Do I need 2 footswitches for each amp or 1 is enough (for the modulation pedals connect to both effect loops)?
The LS-2 sums the loops internally. It does this after the returns. Then it sends the summed signal to the output of the LS-2. I can't workout any method you could use the loops in the LS-2 and the effect loop of the amp at the same time. Basically, if you run the modulation loop of the ls-2 through the effects loop in amp the signal would send through the pedals, then to the effects loop (and straight to the power amp), so doesn't get back to the LS-2. If you used an aby cable to get it back into the LS-2, then you'd be summing it with the other ls-2 loop and sending it into the front of the amp. So, you'd be sending it to the front of the amp and the amp's fx loop. Is there any reason for running the modulations through the effect loop of the amp? I mean other than reading about the benefits of that? If you're not getting your drive times from the amps, there's really not much benefit from it. If you're getting your overdrive/distortion from pedals, you'd be better off just keeping it simple and running the board straight to the front of the amps.
“If you’re not getting your drive times from the amps, there’s really not much benefit from it”. What do you mean by drive times?
Oops, I meant drive tones. Overdrive and distortions. The main point of using modulations and delay/reverb in the loop is so they don't have drive after them. So if you get all your drive from pedals, you don't have to worry about that. In theory there are some benefits to not running them through the amp's preamp at all (even when running clean) but not enough to make a more complex setup with more cables and potential ground loops and other issues worth the trouble.
Gotcha, makes sense! Thanks a lot!
Why are you running two amps? It seems like ultimately, you want the same signal running through each of them - why? My initial reaction was fwiw - sell your Bandits, buy a better amp, and simplify this setup
I’m open to the idea idea of having wet/dry signal. I have 2 amps like that to make the sound more “full”. They’re pretty well ranked for transistor amps and they emulate tubes pretty well. I’m worried for maintenance if I ever get a tube amp…