switching between high and low inputs on OTR

[lunavista]

hey, there! i was a member of this forum years ago, and i’m back with a question:

i’m wondering if the OTR amps can be setup as a two channel amp with an a/b switch. low input for clean, high input slightly dirtier and more present.

cheers!

[MojoBlaster]

I'm sure that would work just fine, but I also think the volume knob on your instrument would work just as well, if not better.

[lunavista]

thanks for the reply! i think you’re right, i’ve just never really used my volume control much- it’s always on full.

does anyone know for sure if this will work? i know that some amps will cancel the second input if there’s an instrument plugged into the other.

[Rlw59]

On most Fenders that have hi + lo inputs, plugging into both makes them equal. Doesn't matter if you use an a/b/y. It's the way the input resistors are laid out, if both jacks have plugs in them they're equal.

Do you have a couple of guitars? Or any sort of pedal? If so you can test if it'll work.

Plug your main guitar into the high input. Start playing, then plug in the other guitar to the low input. Does the volume, tone, gain change?

Next, plug your guitar into the low input. Start playing, then plug the other guitar into the high input.

Now you know if both inputs keep working, and if they retain their hi/low characters.

If you don't have another guitar, plug the second cable into the output of a pedal instead. (If you just stick a cable into the amp with nothing hooked up at the other end you'll get lots of humm and buzz).

Having said all that, I think you'd be better off using your guitar's volume, or using a boost or OD pedal.

The difference between the amp's inputs is a fixed level, and it's not really huge. It'll go from dirty to a little less dirty. Not like a clean channel and a dirty channel. And less difference than your guitar volume knob can do.

Depends on how dirty and how clean you want. If you want super dirty and super clean, guitar volume knob can't really do that without a big drop of volume. For that, it's better to set the amp for a clean tone and use a pedal for dirt.

[fiveightandten]

There’s very little difference in the gain level between the 2 inputs. It’s definitely not enough where it would act like a 2 Channel amp.

As mentioned above, learn to use the volume knob on the guitar. Once you do this, you will never go back to leaving it full open all the time. It’s infinitely more useful when you, um, use it. Haha. The knobs on the guitar are there for a reason! The tone knob too!

If you absolutely have to have the switching functionality at your feet, you can use a volume pedal, or an EQ pedal.

For a volume pedal, set the minimum volume so the amp is clean when you kick it back. Full on is overdrive, heel down is clean. You can do in between sounds as well.

For an EQ pedal, set it with the level reduced for your clean sound. You can also take away some low and and boost the highs for more sparkle. Off is overdrive, on is clean.

There are also a few pedals on the market that are designed to operate like this. When you activate them, they reduce the signal and sweeten the sound for a clean tone.

The OTR doesn’t have a ton of headroom, and doesn’t clean up as well as some other amps. But these methods will work great if you don’t mind a little hair on the clean tone. It will clean up best with the FAC set towards the right. Fatter (left) FAC settings don’t allow the amp to clean up as nicely.

Hope that helps.

[a.hun]

thanks for the reply! i think you’re right, i’ve just never really used my volume control much- it’s always on full.

As mentioned above, learn to use the volume knob on the guitar. Once you do this, you will never go back to leaving it full open all the time. It’s infinitely more useful when you, um, use it. Haha. The knobs on the guitar are there for a reason! The tone knob too!

Yep. Like this...

Yeah, I'd suggest getting used to using the controls on your guitar first, just like they did 'back in the old days'. Some of us still prefer it to just stomping on a box anyway...

Basically you use the volume on the guitar to control gain. Then you adjust the tone control to suit for any particular level of gain.

For cleaner sounds you probably want to open up the guitars tone control near full. When you go for more drive though, try backing it off a bit. It's a balancing act, but there is always a 'sweet spot' there between gain and tone. Generally the higher the gain, the more you have to back off the tone to find it.

Set the amp with enough treble so that it sounds good clean when you back off the guitars volume and open its tone control. Thats when you'll probably need most treble from the amp. As you hike the guitars volume control for more gain you can always cut treble as required from the guitar. You'll find working this way opens up a whole spectrum of fantastic sounds to you and really is a great way to drive a simple but responsive valve amp.

Couldn't have put it better myself!


Andy.

[Jondog]

Yeah, I'd suggest getting used to using the controls on your guitar first, just like they did 'back in the old days'. Some of us still prefer it to just stomping on a box anyway...

Basically you use the volume on the guitar to control gain. Then you adjust the tone control to suit for any particular level of gain.

For cleaner sounds you probably want to open up the guitars tone control near full. When you go for more drive though, try backing it off a bit. It's a balancing act, but there is always a 'sweet spot' there between gain and tone. Generally the higher the gain, the more you have to back off the tone to find it.

Set the amp with enough treble so that it sounds good clean when you back off the guitars volume and open its tone control. Thats when you'll probably need most treble from the amp. As you hike the guitars volume control for more gain you can always cut treble as required from the guitar. You'll find working this way opens up a whole spectrum of fantastic sounds to you and really is a great way to drive a simple but responsive valve amp.

Couldn't have put it better myself!


Andy.

You and that guy think a lot alike