splitting the signal for playing through two amps?

yevveh

I've got a Boss BCB-60 (pic) and as you can see, in the top left there's a Return A and Return B which lead to their respective outputs A & B. What I'm trying to do is split the signal after my last pedal (which doesn't have two outputs like the DD-6 in the pic) so that I can have my own bass monitor in front of me at gigs (some sound engineers don't put the bass in my monitor as audible as I'd like). Alternatively I may put everything through two amps (one clean, one gained up). I haven't thought about the latter too much though I guess what I'd do would be split the signal before it goes through my pedals and have the clean signal go through Return & Output B.

What I'm looking for is a female 1/4" mono > dual 1/4" male mono splitter, but the closest I can find is female 1/4" stereo > dual 1/4" male mono. Anyone know if this would do for what I'm looking for? Any advice appreciated.

Doctor J

Would you not think of your own DI box? It would have a 1/4" input, a 1/4" output and an XLR output to keep the engineers happy.

yevveh

Aye, that'd get it into the PA alright, but unless it had two outputs could it function as a splitter or could it do what I'm looking for? I didn't think about this option, I don't really know much about DI boxes. Seeing as I'd be facing it towards me at a reasonable volume I hope I wouldn't be annoying too many engineers

Doctor J

Yeah, it spilits the signal, one XLR to keep the engineer happy and a 1/4" for you. As with everything, you get what you pay for.

yevveh

Aye, that's not what I'm looking for though. I'll need a DI box to put it through the PA but what I want to do is basically to have a specific bass monitor in front of me (as well as the PA monitor with everything coming through); that or having one amp for clean bass and one amp for effects.

what i was thinking of was more something like this - except it'd have to be mono to mono as opposed to stereo to mono. Or would stereo to mono be alright too?

Gaspode

yevveh wrote: »

Aye, that's not what I'm looking for though. I'll need a DI box to put it through the PA but what I want to do is basically to have a specific bass monitor in front of me (as well as the PA monitor with everything coming through); that or having one amp for clean bass and one amp for effects.

what i was thinking of was more something like this - except it'd have to be mono to mono as opposed to stereo to mono. Or would stereo to mono be alright too?

I think This what you're looking for.
I havent seen those in Maplins myself, though I got a stereo to mono splitter recently.
A bit like yourself I was experimenting with two amps. I was splitting the stereo output from my effects box and sending the right hand signal direct to one amp, and the left signal to some further effects set up before a second amp. Got some really nice effects, especially using ping-pong type delay effects in the first effects box. Havent tried it live yet tho'!

Doctor J

yevveh wrote: »

Aye, that's not what I'm looking for though. I'll need a DI box to put it through the PA but what I want to do is basically to have a specific bass monitor in front of me (as well as the PA monitor with everything coming through); that or having one amp for clean bass and one amp for effects.

what i was thinking of was more something like this - except it'd have to be mono to mono as opposed to stereo to mono. Or would stereo to mono be alright too?

Why don't you point your amp at you instead of the punters then? Since the bass is coming out of the PA there is no point at all in you pointing it at the punters too, so why not just direct it to where you want to hear it? That splitter is a piece of **** and you're only asking for trouble introducing it into a highly amplified live environment. You've got a monitor behind you, your amp, if you can't hear it, move it to somewhere you can hear it.

kranog

Actually....what you want is this...
I have one and it's absolutely fantastic....I've used a few ABY switches and this is by far the best one I've used.

Doctor J

Nah, having a second bass amp onstage just adding to the sonic mush is the wrong way to solve this problem. If anything, it's just going to make things worse, everyone else will turn up and nothing will have changed except it will all be a lot louder, meaning worse sound out front for the punters too. Adding another noise source isn't the answer.

The goal should be to be as quiet as possible onstage.

Yevveh, have you considered in-ear monitors?

Eoin Madsen

Doctor J wrote: »

Why don't you point your amp at you instead of the punters then? Since the bass is coming out of the PA there is no point at all in you pointing it at the punters too, so why not just direct it to where you want to hear it? That splitter is a piece of **** and you're only asking for trouble introducing it into a highly amplified live environment. You've got a monitor behind you, your amp, if you can't hear it, move it to somewhere you can hear it.

+1

fish-head

The Doc knows what he's farting on about.

yevveh

deswalsh, that's exactly what i was thinking of. good to hear it's workin well! might pick up the planet waves one and see how it goes.

kranog that could be an idea, probably a more expensive idea than i was thinking though, cos i wasn't planning to switch between the amps at any time. still if i do go for the clean/effects setup that could be an idea.

doctor j, the ideal thing for me would probably be to rock the bass amp back but i'd rather have a small amp in front of me (but not pointing towards the rest of the band) just so i can hear myself. a couple times i've been on the opposite side of the stage compared to my amp and the problem was that the monitors weren't sufficient (or actually existent) enough for my liking. in-ear could be an idea (i already have moulded musician earplugs) but then again it's all down to trusting the sound engineer, and i'd rather have a sort of insurance that nomatter how ****ty it sounds through the PA i'd be able to hear myself.

Eoin Madsen

The more sound sources you introduce, the messier things get in terms of phase and interference problems. Ideally, your amp should be your primary monitor in most situations - and it definitely shouldn't be over on the other side of the stage in any situation.

What kind of amp are you playing with? If you still want to run a dedicated monitor in addition to the amp, the best way to connect it would be use a small active monitor and insert a line in signal from a line out on the amp. Splitting your instrument signal will affect the load on your pickups or instrument electronics. Less of a problem with active pickups, but less than ideal in either case.

yevveh

It was over on the other side of the stage because we were support and the bass amp and better of the two guitar amps happened to be on the other side. I'm playing through an Ashdown ABM 410 at the moment. I'll try that with the line out, cheers.

Seziertisch

Kranog is spot on with that Radial. Very importantly it has a phase reverse switch for one of the outputs. Two amps out of phase with one another = very bad