Pedalboard for both guitar and synth

[Willem]

Hi guys,
I gonna buy an analog synth. I have couples of cool pedals on my board I would like to use with the synth. I don't have the money and room to build a second board, that's why I wanted to share the board.
First thing is that it cannot be running through my guitar amp. The signal has to be splitted somewhere.

I already own a LS-2 if it can help. I thought that a patchulator could be an idea but I don't see myself banging on the board each time I want to play the other instrument. Maybe I missed something.
What do you guys all think about it? Is it too tricky and let buy a cheap delay + reverb + modulation for the synth needs?

thanks!

[frodog]

I don't have experience with the LS-2 so I don't know if it can work as a straight A/B input selector to one output, but here's what I do:

On my board, after the first couple fuzzes, there is a Zvex Loop Gate. From there, the (guitar) signal goes into the A input of an ABY switcher, and a mixer (where I plug in all my electronic instruments) is connected to the B input. The output (or, what is normally the input but it doesn't matter) then goes on to the pedals that are in the loop, but is split by a stereo chorus, so one output comes back to the Zvex looper, and the other goes through a few more pedals and out to a second amp. This way I can select between guitar/synth/both, and gate out or turn down the guitar effects chain, so I'm only using the secondary amp, or the other way around. I'm not sure if I'm explaining it well, but hope that helps?

The Loop Gate is a little pricey, but any loop switcher/ABY box/stereo output pedal combo will do I think. As long as you have pedals after it with volume control if you want to not use the main/guitar amp for keys.

[01010111]

I think the patchulator would be a good way to go. You'd have additional routing options you don't have now, plus it'd make it really easy to run parallel signal chains with what you currently have.

[fcknoise]

I played a synth through my board today. Pitchfactor, el capistan and space sounded awesome. None of them are really cheap, but any of them are worth it if you can swing it

[oscillateur]

Many effect pedals can handle line level without any problem but some (dirt mostly) are picky with input levels and could be an issue.

Beyond that, if you only want to play one instrument at a time and switch between them then just use a simple switcher pedal. The LS-2 could be used to do more fancy stuff, though, it all depends on which pedals you want to use only with synths, only with guitar or with both.

[Bartimaeus]

You can setup the LS2 to select between inputs or select between outputs, but not both at once.

EHX Nano switchblades are quite cheap, so maybe just one of those to stick at the front of your board (to select input instrument), and put the LS2 at the end (to select amps)? Two stomps to switch instruments though.

You should consider a small mixer at the start of your board, and just stick the LS2 at the end to choose which amp it goes to.


Honestly, you should find someone who will build you a custom box with two inputs, an effects loop, two outputs, and a footswitch that switches both the input and output simultaneously. I doubt it'd be any pricier than the Patchulator.

[Willem]

Thanks for the answers guys.

@frodog: if you have time to make a simple routing draw, it would be nice.

Here are the pedals I have:
Rm-1n -> mini -> Bitquest -> CT5 -> iStomp -> volume roller -> moby Dick -> procession

+ LS-2

I preorderd the Tonal Recall but as the others it's mono. The only stereo pedal I have is the iStomp until I buy the 720 looper.

[oscillateur]

All of these handle line level nicely I think (I have a couple of SS/BS Minis and always use one with synths), which is good news .

Do you want to use all of them with both guitar and synths ? If so, you just need a 2 to 1 splitter (you can use the LS2 like that, it will also give you volume control for each instrument) and plug this into the first pedal of the chain. Then switch the input you use when desired. You could also use the LS2 as a simple 2 channels mixer and process both instruments at the same time.

If you want to use some pedals with both and some with only the guitar or only the synth, then the wiring would be a bit different.

[Willem]

I want to use all my pedals with the synth. But I have to put a simple AB box at the end of my chain if I use the Ls-2 as mixer?

[oscillateur]

Ah, I missed the thing about the amp being only used for the guitar.
Yeah, you're right, you'd need another small AB switcher after the last effect to select the ouptput (amp or something else).

[Willem]

I think the Fender micro aby can do the trick.

Last question: if I put the ab box before my stereo Looper (EHX 720), I'm able to loop each instrument?
Ab box output A (guitar) to 720 input L -> output L to guitar Amp
Ab box output B to 720 input R -> output R to PA

I hope the Looper won't mix the signal, doesn't it?

[01010111]

The inputs/outputs are connected right (right input>right output, left input>left output), but I don't know if the looped signal is handled that way? It would be really silly if they didn't do it that way?

[Willem]

It seems that TC Electronic Dittos stereo and X4 handle that way. You can play 2 mono instrument simultaneously and each signal goes to the adequate output and don't mix it at all.

[frodog]

Yo, here's the routing drawing, Willem. My board has changed a little since, but it's the same signal routing. The green line is the guitar, as you can see it kind of goes back around (long cable) after the Bit Cmndr and goes through the top row of pedals and out to amp A. The pink line is the synth/anything connected to the mixer, and is split at the Ibanez TC10 chorus so one output goes back into the loop and the other goes to the DS10 distortion>Ghost Echo>amp B. Oh and both outputs go into a JamMan Solo XT looper before the amps, so I can loop in true stereo.

So if you used a setup similar to this, you would only need an ABY switcher, using the loop on the LS-2 and the iStomp at the end of that loop. That is, if the iStomp can split a mono signal to stereo even when off. Or, you could, like you said, just have an ABY at the end of the chain before the 720 and the LS-2 at the beginning as an input selector. That would probably be the easiest solution. The only advantages to a setup like mine is that you can adjust the level of each channel independently (with the DS10 for ch. B and the Accountant compressor for ch. A) and you also don't get volume loss if you have a passive splitter at the end of yr chain.

Damn, I feel like I'm just complicating things... I'm sure you'll find a way to do it, though. You have a very cool collection of pedals, good luck!

[Willem]

Thanks for taking time to let it more explicite with a picture. LS-2 let me mix the output, that's a nice feature.
I actually already used the iStomp as splitter in order to isolate my tuner which is always on if I use my CT5 in order to fine tune my loops with mode 2 and 3.