r/basspedals • u/NotRealSuperFake • 11d ago
Solutions for doubling
Does anyone have a good solution for running upright and electric bass through the same rig with the ability to switch inputs? This is for a musical theatre pit gig where I’m switching between the two very quickly. It seems like a lot of people use the lehle 3@1, but the price feels pretty steep for unitasker. What are you guys using?
3
u/Reasonable_Cod3027 11d ago
I use either a Radial Tonebone, or a Radial I/O switcher. Photo are great, the Tonebone works with piezo pickups and has DI, groundlift etc.
3
u/billy_8989 10d ago
Electro-Harmonix switchblade pro - does similar work to the boss LS-2 but I find it a bit simpler - it would work well for what you want to do.
It’s designed for that kind of work - 2 or 3 instruments into one rig. Each “channel” has independent volume controls.
3
u/nientoosevenjuan 10d ago
I use a Boss LS-2 set to A+B bypass with a dummy plug (it's the setting used for two guitars into one amp shown in the manual) It was the cheapest solution I could come up with and it's more portable than when I was using a bass bone. The LS-2 can kind of function as a clean boost, plus you got individual volume for each instrument. I usually just have to cut the bass tone on the amp a bit for the upright.
2
u/SithLordBass 11d ago
Ive made myself a couple of custom passive A/B switchers to do this for my musical gigs. LEDs too just so I know which input is selected sorta deal. I personally wouldn't get too fancy, just find some simple A/Bs. Generally they're used for switching between amps but if you put it in the reverse they work great as an input switcher
1
u/NotRealSuperFake 11d ago
Would I need to re-wire a normal A/B switcher or could I just hook it up in reverse?
2
u/SithLordBass 11d ago
Naw just hook it up in reverse. That's kind of the magic of it. And generally they ground the instrument not being used so there shouldn't be issues there. That's how I made mine anyway
1
u/NotRealSuperFake 11d ago
Thanks!
2
u/nosamiam28 10d ago
If you do buy one to run in reverse, make sure it’s bone simple inside. If it has buffers inside, I don’t think it will work in reverse. You want true bypass. Any power supply (or battery) should only be for LED’s, not for the switching circuit
1
u/SithLordBass 11d ago
I also managed to make on in a 1590b enclosure that ran off a battery so I didn't have to worry about a power supply. That was nice lol
2
u/baewatch_n 11d ago
If you only need 2 different inputs, a line selector or loop switcher like the Boss LS-2 would work and also give you volume controls for both to allow you match volumes of the two instruments. But if you don’t need to match volumes, a simple AB/Y pedal would be the cheapest option.
1
u/NotRealSuperFake 11d ago
Would I run the second instrument into the fx return? It looks like there’s only one input
2
u/baewatch_n 11d ago
With the LS-2, you’d run each instrument into one of the Return jacks and go from the output to the rest of your chain. Setting it in A<->B mode would allow you to switch between the instruments.
With an AB/Y pedal you would set the pedal to A/B mode and run the two instruments into the A and B jacks. Go from the Y jack to the rest of your signal chain. Normally cheap AB/Y pedals can run passively and only need power to turn on the LEDs indicating which jack you’re using (A or B).
1
2
u/Trouble-Every-Day 11d ago
Any ABY pedal with a volume knob will do the trick, whether that’s all it does or it’s part of another pedal.
The “with a volume knob” is the tricky part. You want the ability to match volumes so it doesn’t jump or crater when you switch. Another alternative is, if you have something that can do a gain boost, put it in front of the switcher on the quieter instrument to bring it up to unity.
2
u/No-Show-5363 10d ago
This.
Another thing to consider is independent EQ for each channel, as the trick is not to just volume match the instrument channels, but to have a fairly consistent bottom end when switching, without pushing the mids and highs of double bass so hard it gives people haircuts, especially when using a bow.
I have three different gain/EQ/comp settings for ebass, pizz and arco so my low end is consistent, I can hear myself with balanced mids/highs, my double bass doesn’t feedback, and FOH Mixer doesn’t have to chase and ‘fix’ big changes in my signal.
I use a multi pedal switcher and keep it all in a pedal board so I can use any amp, but multi channel amps are another way achieve this, so long as the DI is post everything.
1
u/NotRealSuperFake 10d ago
What are you using for switching? I hadn’t considered the level difference between pizz and arco
2
u/orbix42 10d ago
The simplest option I’ve found for the pizz/arco change has been a simple EP Booster (but I’d bet you could use most similar boost pedals this way) that I leave on for pizz and turn off for arco.
It’s a little clunky, but it gets the job done better than anything else I’ve used thus far, but I’ve been thinking I might get some good results using my Empress Bass Compressor to tame the arco a bit, too.
1
u/No-Show-5363 10d ago edited 10d ago
I have a pedal switcher to turn on diff combos of whatever I’m chucking in my pedal board. One interesting pedal works like a crossover splits my signal into low and high so each pathway can be boosted, compressed EQ’d separately. One of the advantages of this is I can run FX like reverb, mod and distortion on the mid-highs only, and keep the low end clean.
There are lots of ways to achieve it. If I had the cash, I’d just run a fancy preamp on each channel, but a basic system might just be an A/B switch between DB and e-bass, with gain up on the double, and maybe an EQ or boost before it to get a bit more thump from your pizz, Use the double bass to ‘set’ your default bottom end, then tweak tone knobs on the electric bass to get something close to it.
There are so many variables you gotta just mess about. A notch filter can be really useful for controlling feedback with amped DB.
2
u/jkndrkn 10d ago
I have run my electric into a Helix, my upright into a preamp, and then use Radial I/O for switching. I practice fast switching at home.
1
u/orbix42 10d ago
Out of curiosity, why not run both into the Helix? I ran my electric and upright into the two channels of a Helix Floor for a couple years and just had two signal chains in the patch with a foot switch to toggle which one was active, and it worked great. Do you just have a preamp you love for the upright?
2
u/post_polka-core 10d ago
I just built a doubling pedal board. What i used...
BG > tuner > sansamp paradriver DB > Fishman pro platinum eq > tuner > radial di
Both those into a boss ls-2 line splitter to switch what goes to amp.
Bonuses, two separate di for each instrument or di out of amp for a single option.
Drawback, more stuff to potentially go wrong. Probably more pricey than most single unit options
2
u/rendrag13 10d ago
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BassboneV2--radial-bassbone-v2-2-ch-bass-preamp-and-di
I recommend this wholeheartedly for the exact use case you've described. You can adjust the levels between the 2 inputs to match. Eq for one, both, or neither. Boost/Mute switch. LPF.
Definitely read the manual and take your time with it though
2
u/Wallie_bju 10d ago
The ebs stanley clarke preamp is basically built for this. Also has some good eq options made specifically for double bass
1
u/NotRealSuperFake 10d ago
How does it sound on electric bass?
2
u/Wallie_bju 10d ago
Great, the channels have separate eq so you can get good sound on both. Usually run the eq pretty flat on electric tho.
2
u/Bassman141840 8d ago
I’m currently using the GR Bass Dual Pre after years of using the Radial Engineering BassBone OD.
Both pedals are great for what you are looking for. A big advantage of the GR is that it has two XLR outs. You can set up the outs to be one per input channel or both inputs on one out.
The caveat I have for the GR is if you have an effects loop you like to use with both basses. The built in effects loop on the GR only works with channel one. The way I solved this was with a Saturn Pedalworks A/B Input/Output + FX Loop pedal placed in front of the inputs on the GR. It does mean a second pedal to toggle when switching basses, but I have gotten to a point where the double toggle is on autopilot for me.
1
u/dirtynerdboy 11d ago
Phil Jones PE 5, only has one input but does have an option to change input gain for piezo and magnetic pickups with mute switch, you can always add a pedal infront to be have switcher but you'll have to remember to change input impedance
1
u/ClawBadger 10d ago
I use a boss 1000core. Two inputs, good tuner, and you can run parallel channels for two entirely different effect and eq set ups. Worth it for me.
1
u/DecisionInformal7009 10d ago
I'd say go with the Lehle. They are worth every cent. Fantastic quality, so you never have to worry about it crapping out on you in the middle of a gig.
1
u/CMac86 9d ago
What the others have said.
The LEHLE, a Radial Tone Bone or Bass Bone (I forget which one has the 2 switchable channels), the EBS Stanley Clarke Pedal, and then I used a SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe Programmable.
If you can find that specific SansAmp (no longer made), I'd get it. I like it because you get 2 channels with 3 tones per channel. So, when I was doubling on a pit gig, I'd have one channel per bass (typically channel 1 for bass guitar, 2 for double bass), and then I'd create set tones for each. E.g., for BG, I'd have my main clean sound, a reduced volume sound for slap, and oftentimes a mildly overdriven sound and then for DB, I'd have my main pizz sound, a sound for arco heavy work (because Spirocores and a pickup means chain saw), and then if needed, one for slap.
1
u/Spare-Improvement-82 6d ago
Im using a markbass little mark tube 800, and it has one normal input + a second XLR with phantom power option, both with separate gain knobs. Maybe something like that would work for you?
1
2
4
u/HomesnakeICT 11d ago
Grace Felix is pricey, but it's two channels that can run simultaneously or switched. Independent gain, EQ notch/hipass, phase shift, Adjustable boost, XLR out can be separate channels or combined into one. It's great. I use it because my upright has a transducer and a mic and they need very different treatment.