A/B Box

Can anyone recommend an a/b box to use with my new T5? I see a lot about the Whirlwind A/B Selector box. I have an electric amp and an ultrasound and want to be able to more easily switch back and forth. Also, anything I should know about or look for concerning the cables to run these connections?

Sorry for the newbie questions, I know most of you can do this sort of thing in your sleep, but I'm pretty new to the electric side of things.

Thanks!

John

[trpullen]

The Radial has great reviews. Very solid gear.

[coldshot]

john,i dont know much about other a b boxes but am using the taylor one.
one thing i'd make sure about is,it has the both button.my t5 really has taken on another dimension since i started playing through both the amp and the pa to together.if i ever need to replace it i'll also look at the radial gear mentioned.

[taylorman22]

Originally Posted by coldshot

john,i dont know much about other a b boxes but am using the taylor one.
one thing i'd make sure about is,it has the both button.my t5 really has taken on another dimension since i started paying through both the amp and the pa to together.if i ever need to replace it i'll also look at the radial gear mentioned.

Are you using the T5 for an acoustic or an electric? What is the benefit of running it to the amp and the PA? Is the amp just acting as a monitor, or is it also sending a signal to the PA?

[hdhoo73]

Originally Posted by trpullen

The Radial has great reviews. Very solid gear.

Plus one on the Radial...I've got one and it works very well and it is very well made.

Jim

[jyee]

if you can perform a basic solder, build your own.
good diagram here (no need to be able to read schematics):
http://smallbox.zeonhost.com/projects/abbox/
the diagram has 2 resistors on the + terminal... you can just replace them both with a single 10k resistor before the wire splits. you can also wire it up to a 9v if you don't want to use a dc power jack. oh, and you can save yourself an extra $5 by eliminating the LEDs and going down to a dpdt switch if you wanted.
good parts supplier here:
http://www.effectsconnection.com/oscommerce/index.php

seriously, while radial makes some good products, they're way overpriced for simple A/B switchers. for a one time build, with no experience (other than basic soldering) it takes about an hour and $20 to build a really high quality true bypass A/B switch.

I owned a Morley A/B/Y box before building my own... it was ok and pretty cheap. not true bypass switching, but i didn't ever notice noise from it.

[coldshot]

Originally Posted by taylorman22

Are you using the T5 for an acoustic or an electric? What is the benefit of running it to the amp and the PA? Is the amp just acting as a monitor, or is it also sending a signal to the PA?

i use my t5 for both acoustic and electric tones.i mic the fender amp straight to the desk then through my digital recorder.i run the pa side through a g natural then to desk and on to my recorder.that way my electric tones are played through the pa.
i also use a zoom G21U electric effects pedal i have 1 patch set fairly clean with the pa being dominant and another patch for the electric tones being dominant.
i also find that playing through both the pa and amp together fills out the tone on the electric side sweetly especially the bass.

[David Eastwood]

I've used a Morley A/B/Y switcher for a variety of functions, for a number of years. It's always done what's needed, with no noise and no discernible affect on the sound.

[makikogi]

Originally Posted by taylorman22

Are you using the T5 for an acoustic or an electric? What is the benefit of running it to the amp and the PA? Is the amp just acting as a monitor, or is it also sending a signal to the PA?

Typically you run your acoustic signal straight to the board and your electric signal to your mic'd amp

[mojito]

+2 on the Radial. Works well, built tough and doesn't take up much real estate.

May I assume that this is the animal of which you all speak?
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...her?sku=153931

There is another, but more expensive than I am willing to pay...
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...one?sku=153908

Also, why does no one seem to like this one
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...Box?sku=156400

Thanks for all the replies and help!

John

[trpullen]

The Radial will out-perform the Whirlwind. Even the BigShot is totally isolated so you don't get any of the nasty ground loop stuff so common with amp switching of this type. You will not regret getting anything from Radial.

[jyee]

I don't think it's that nobody likes the whirlwind... it's just overpriced, so few people have spent the money to buy it and test it. you get much more functionality out of the first radial you linked to, and it costs less.

as i'd mentioned, an AB box is a really stupidly simple and really cheap thing to build... the only reason you should be paying anything more than $20 or so would be extra features. the radial does polarity switching and incorporates an isolation transformer to eliminate hum... those features can be really valuable to some people.

the whirlwind box... it has the "added" feature of converting signals to optical and uses and optical switch to eliminate popping when switching... the thing is if you have a good mechanical switch that's clean, it shouldn't pop. popping and crackling generally occur from faulty or dirty switches. So really, it's not an added feature... it's just a slight improvement.

[konavet]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Lehle products. Not cheap, but maybe the best switches out there. I've got a Lehle Dual and a Little Lehle and they are great. Built like tanks, too.

http://www.lehle.com/frameset.php?co..._Link=products

[makikogi]

there is a hotshot in the agf classified section....check it out...nicely priced