Opinions on Switching Systems (Preamps, Effects, Amps)

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itsgoodnow

Well-known member
Hey All,

I am preparing a new studio setup right now (future build) and wanted to get some opinions on switching systems. As a heads up none of this gear is leaving my studio. I really just care about being able to hit some switches on a rack and play mix and match with amps/cabs/effects.

I have about 10 amp heads, 3 cabinets, a waza tube expander (for IRs), 6 preamp rack units, and a boatload of pedal and rack effects. I am looking for the best system for an amp/cab selector, effects selector, and preamp selector to feed into the power amp.

I was originally looking at KHE audio switcher for the amps and thinking about a bradshaw system or RJM effects gizmo for effects. Maybe another loop setup for the preamps?

This is a big project and I will probably do it in chunks but if anyone has any guidance or, alternatively, suggestions for products they like in this category I would appreciate it. Thanks.
 
KHE is probably the best amp/cab switcher, Ampete has too many drawbacks comparatively for studios. RJM are pretty good but not that into effects. Funny to think about running the effects switcher with the preamp switcher into poweramps into the amp switcher with loop effects switchers into...
 
What about good old fashion patch bays?
Not sure the setup, but if it’s studio and will not move, sounds like a patch bay may meet those needs. It’s not like an amp switcher but loads of flexibility.
 
stratjacket said:
What about good old fashion patch bays?
Not sure the setup, but if it’s studio and will not move, sounds like a patch bay may meet those needs. It’s not like an amp switcher but loads of flexibility.
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It's funny you bring this up, I (despite having a patchbay in my last studio) didn't think of it. I am wondering for a loop switcher if that may give some of the advantages of the patchbay fo routing without having to manually move cables and press a button, but the patchbay may be the best overall solution.
 
For punching effects in and out of the chain, the RJM Effects Gizmo is basically the industry benchmark for that.

For amp and cab switching, I think KHE has the most robust product line and a lot of guys seem to like them a lot. Their largest amp switcher has 8 amp inputs which is two short of your 10 amps, but that's the same with the other popular switcher companies as well. All of them seem to be expandable though, meaning you can connect two switchers and program them to work together so both units route to the same cab, and selecting an amp on Switcher A will disable all amps on Switcher, B, etc.
 
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RockyStar said:
What are the drawbacks of the Ampete?
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I went with KHE due to a few reasons. Some Ampete users complain of high end loss. Only 1 model and it's 8 amp/8 cab. No simple solution for TAE, etc. in chained system. Technical specs unclear anywhere. No fidgety switches to douse your ADHD

Ampete advantages... 300w power handling, cheaper if you have equal amps/cabs, easy A/B button on the controller, cool light-up buttons.

itsgoodnow said:
It's funny you bring this up, I (despite having a patchbay in my last studio) didn't think of it. I am wondering for a loop switcher if that may give some of the advantages of the patchbay fo routing without having to manually move cables and press a button, but the patchbay may be the best overall solution.
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Not familiar patching amps, I guess a lot of bigger/older guys do it... If I remember it's more downtime compared to a switch/button in exchange for being cheaper, more worry with turning amps on/off, speaker signal power, etc...
 
khprojects said:
Yes De Lisle is another one but like Kayahan/etc I don't think they do a modular expandable system
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They may not but the little I have looked into them and the videos I have watched it seems like they are built very well and have some other features some of the other choices may not have and they are priced better. Additionally, it sounds like some folks thought the Kahayan was noisy and the build quality wasn't as solid. Who knows, just sharing what I learned as I was unaware of DeLisle until today. They do make a good amount of products in this vein so maybe more are in the works to handle the modular expandable system, etc. For the price, you could almost buy two units and double up that way. I guess it depends on the users needs really. :)
 
I'm partial to Bob.B. I live close to him tho lol..He's made me some amazing stuff over the years..If he can't solve an issue,nobody can.He's done some pretty crazy stuff for artists.
But,yes,there are some other great products out there.Ive even seen a major complex switching system with the flash and great divide rack units from years ago..Radial just put out a nice multi amp switcher too..lots of ways to go.
 
Little B said:
I'm partial to Bob.B. I live close to him tho lol..He's made me some amazing stuff over the years..If he can't solve an issue,nobody can.He's done some pretty crazy stuff for artists.
But,yes,there are some other great products out there.Ive even seen a major complex switching system with the flash and great divide rack units from years ago..Radial just put out a nice multi amp switcher too..lots of ways to go.
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You're in Lancaster too? He's built a few things for me since he moved his shop out here.
 
I’ve toyed with this as well, as I am doing a build in the next few months. Kahayan is probably the way I’ll go personally, as the other units don’t seem to offer anything extra at a more substantial price point. Tim pierce seems to love the kahayan, so it’s good enough for me. I have 8 amps or so as well, but understand it’s more of a pain than you may realize, due to grounding issues. Having to stack amp heads with transformers on the same side etc, it’s a whole thing when you have that many amps on. I also am having a hard time trying to figure out how I’m going to have quick access to all of my amps within arms reach, without screwing up my stereo image on my monitors etc, that may sound like a stupid problem but it’s something I’ve been trying to figure out. Curious what you are planning to do with that. All my cabs are going out in a shed im building out for isolation outback behind my house, all controlled with a Dynamount. Should be pretty slick if I get it set up right… keyboard, if.
 
RockyStar said:
I did do some more digging because of this thread and found another company (DeLISLE) making various switching products. They seem legit and a few youtube videos by users dropped some info about the other companies in comparison. They are USA made and priced well in comparison.

https://www.delisleguitar.com/shop/amp-and-speaker-cabinet-selectors/
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khprojects said:
Yes De Lisle is another one but like Kayahan/etc I don't think they do a modular expandable system
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I personally have a DeLisle 8x8 pro. For me it was the best bang for the buck and worked perfectly for my home setup. They are very well made and I think will hold up just fine over time. I've certainly had no issues with mine.

There is some tradeoff with DeLisle that would be deal breakers for some. They lack some features that other have but include some things that others do not. The biggest thing they lack is MIDI which I know is important for some users. They use a rotary dial vs push button also. They're not expandable, but do offer models with more than 8 amps. There's a 12x12 and a 20x1 (yes 20 amps on 1 switcher). But then once you get over an 8 amp switcher a rotary dial seems like it would be cumbersome and MIDI would be a must. I would imagine dialing back and forth between amp 1 and amp 20 would be a pain in the ass on a rotary switch. They are the only brand I know that offers a built in attenuator plus the option to add your own. They make units that are all in one unit: switcher, FX loop switcher, attenuator, attenuator loop to add your own, DI out, and expansion cab. I don't think any other company offers an all in one unit like that.

Conversely KHE, Ampete, Kahayan all have their tradeoffs too. The most they offer is up to 8 amps on one switcher. They all have MIDI/push button. KHE does have the option for what appears to be unlimited expansion not only in amps but cabs, FX loops, etc. SO being modular you can mix and match exactly how you need.

The standouts I found were DeLisle not having MIDI but do offer all an all in one unit and KHE being expandable. Everything else between the different switchers is pretty comparable. Personally I found that DeLisle gave me the most for my money and had all the features I required.

KHE, DeLisle, Ampete, Kahayan... they're all quality units so no worries on quality. It's really going to come down to cost vs features and what options you need most. No MIDI, no more than 8 (maybe 12) amps and no plans on expansion then DeLisle is probably the way to go. MIDI required, no more than 8 amps and no need to expand then Ampete, Kahayan or KHE would work. MIDI required, more than 8 amps, and/or need for expansion later then KHE would be the top option.
 
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