Question Majesty Piezo/Mag pedal board connection

[vanil]

Hi,

I've purchased an arctic dream 6 string majesty earlier this year (still waiting for it to arrive) and I've started giving thought on how I am going to connect it to my pedal board. I can honestly say I've spent hours searching the net and still haven't came up with a viable solution.

Here's what I want (might be impossible):
1. Control over the piezo/mags selection (piezo/mag/both) using the guitar switch solely, without the need to press pedals.
2. Route the mag signal through the pedal board, mix it with the piezo signal to amp A.
3. Route the piezo signal through a TC Electronics Bodyrez, mix it with the wet mag signal into amp A (yes, the same amp).
4. I prefer to plug a TRS cable to the guitar (not a Y cable).

As far as I understand Petrucci connects his guitars (using a TRS cable) to a Framptone ABY amp switcher (no longer manufactured) which splits the signals to the pedal board and a Bodyrez pedal.
My problem is I don't know how to combine the signals back together in a permanent "both on" state (and leave the switching to the guitar itself) without the pedal board noising the piezo signal when only the piezo is selected.

If anyone has any idea I would really appreciate it

Thanks,
Lior

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

You could probably run the signals into a mini 2 channel mixer (after you have them split to their individual effects) and then use a mono out from the mixer to your amp.

 

[vanil]

You could probably run the signals into a mini 2 channel mixer (after you have them split to their individual effects) and then use a mono out from the mixer to your amp.

Thanks
but...
Wouldn't there be a lot of noise coming from the pedal board (assuming effects such as fuzz are turned on) even if I select only the Piezo pickup?

Also, couldn't I do the same with another ABY switcher at the end instead of the mixer?

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

Thanks
but...
Wouldn't there be a lot of noise coming from the pedal board (assuming effects such as fuzz are turned on) even if I select only the Piezo pickup?

Also, couldn't I do the same with another ABY switcher at the end instead of the mixer?

I have no idea as to noise levels, I use separate amps when using the piezo. The mini-mixer idea came from setting up the backline at a few Steve Morse clinics (2 channels for a short delay and long delay in the FX loop going to a wet amp). Maybe adding a noise gate at the end of each pedal chain would do it?

 

[vanil]

I have no idea as to noise levels, I use separate amps when using the piezo. The mini-mixer idea came from setting up the backline at a few Steve Morse clinics (2 channels for a short delay and long delay in the FX loop going to a wet amp). Maybe adding a noise gate at the end of each pedal chain would do it?

Even when using 2 amps, I'd suspect leaving both amps (and the pedal board) on would have a lot of noise on the mag pickups amp when using just the piezo, is that not the case?

As for the noise gate, I'll read into it thanks

 

[beej]

If you want to mix both signals together at the end (so you could potentially hear both at the same time) then you'll need a small mixer. Lots available. (I've used a RJM mini line mixer and one from General Guitar Gadgets on my boards for ages.)

TRS cable -> splitter. Mags to pedalboard, piezo to TC pedal. Both outputs in parallel to the mixer -> amp.

If you don't want to mix them, but simply want one at a time, then replace the mixer with an A/B pedal and you're good to go. But then you're using the A/B pedal to select mags/piezo rather than the guitar.

 

[vanil]

If you want to mix both signals together at the end (so you could potentially hear both at the same time) then you'll need a small mixer. Lots available. (I've used a RJM mini line mixer and one from General Guitar Gadgets on my boards for ages.)

TRS cable -> splitter. Mags to pedalboard, piezo to TC pedal. Both outputs in parallel to the mixer -> amp.

If you don't want to mix them, but simply want one at a time, then replace the mixer with an A/B pedal and you're good to go. But then you're using the A/B pedal to select mags/piezo rather than the guitar.

That is exactly the chain I want but the question still remains, won't the noise coming from the pedal board be heard even when I am selecting the Piezo (using the guitar switch)?

And referring to your illustration:
TRS cable -> splitter. Mags to pedalboard, piezo to TC pedal. Both outputs in parallel to the mixer -> amp.

Do you have any recommendation for the "splitter" mentioned above?
I've looked into quite a few but so far the only one I found with a TRS input is the StarTouch ST2-S (ABY stereo) pedal.

 

[beej]

It's not so much a 'splitter' as something to route TRS to two TS jacks (one for tip, one for ring). There are lots of options from various vendors, including making it yourself. Pete Dubaldo makes a great one:
http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-ball-music-man-guitars/68075-dubaldo-custom-splitter-box.html

As for the noise- well, it really depends on what's in your signal chain. In to a clean amp (which I assume you'd have to use in order to use the piezo), you shouldn't hear much hiss from anything. If you have a particularly noisy distortion/fuzz pedal, I would just turn it off when you're using the piezo. If it's still an issue beyond that, then, yeah, I would look at a noise gate (again, lots on the market).

 

[vanil]

It's not so much a 'splitter' as something to route TRS to two TS jacks (one for tip, one for ring). There are lots of options from various vendors, including making it yourself. Pete Dubaldo makes a great one:
http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-ball-music-man-guitars/68075-dubaldo-custom-splitter-box.html

As for the noise- well, it really depends on what's in your signal chain. In to a clean amp (which I assume you'd have to use in order to use the piezo), you shouldn't hear much hiss from anything. If you have a particularly noisy distortion/fuzz pedal, I would just turn it off when you're using the piezo. If it's still an issue beyond that, then, yeah, I would look at a noise gate (again, lots on the market).

Wow, the Dubaldo splitter boxes look great, unfortunately it seems he does not ship to Israel :-(

Anyway I've been thinking and doing some more research and I realized that I really should handle the noise itself rather than worry about it noising my piezo sound. So first thing I have to get rid of is my daisy chains and the ground loops they create, I think I'll get me a GigRig Distributer and a couple of Isolators:
https://shop.thegigrig.com/distributor/
https://shop.thegigrig.com/isolator/

The next step is realizing the Majesty has Humbucker PUs (I currently own a start with single coils) so noise will automatically be reduced due to the PUs themselves.

I believe this will rid me of noise almost entirely and thus my dilemmas are solved

What do you think? does it make sense?

Thanks a lot for the suggestions.