Question for Techs: Effects Loop Setting

[Ch0jin]

I think it's totally possible, it's just a matter of drawing out the switching and building, or commissioning someone to build, a little loop box. I'll have a play today and post back if I sus it out.

OK I think I have it. You can even get away with a 'standard' 3PDT stomp box switch if you don't bother with LED's to indicated whether your in "A" or "B". Adding an LED indicator is still possible but you'd need a slightly more expensive 4PDT switch and a bi-color LED and (obviously) a power source.

Basically I see it like this.

You'll need a whopping 9 sockets in the loop box for:

1. Guitar in
2. Amp A out
3. Amp B out
4. FX Loop SND A
5. FX Loop SND B
6. FX Loop RTN A
7. FX Loop RTN B
8. FX IN
9. FX Out

Then you wire up a 3PDT switch like this: (using the numbers from above)

2 4 6
1 9 8
3 5 7

If you want an LED and use a 4PDT switch, the signal wiring is the same but I'd use a tri-colour LED in bi-colour "mode" meaning we'd only use red OR green not red AND OR green giving two colours. These babies have three legs and you'd just run power to the middle pole (via a limiting resistor) and connect the other two legs of the LED to the top and bottom poles like this...

2 4 6 "LED Green Anode"
1 9 8 "Power"
3 5 7 "LED Red Anode"

You might need pull down resistors in a couple of places for the FX loop part if there is any "POP" when you switch, but that requires some practical experimentation.

I think that'd all work to do what you want.