Hi. I’m trying to decide if the PS-2A and Cyclops are the fit for my goals.
I have a combo amp and a pedalboard. The pedal board includes a tube preamp pedal (currently used for playing through studio monitors/headphones using power amp emulation and speaker IR from my Two Notes Opus and then into my Scarlett Focusrite audio interface), and then your standard overdrive pedals and wet effects pedals.
Here is what I’d like to do:
Run my combo amp through the Power Station to attenuate it and go back out to the combo amps speaker.
Run my tube preamp pedal through the Power Station for power amp duties and then ultimately to my Two Notes Opus for speaker IR and then into my Scarlett Focusrite audio interface to play through studio monitors/headphones.
Be able to switch between the two playing options (attenuated combo amp vs. studio monitors/headphones).
Use my overdrive pedals into both my combo amp front of amp and into my tube preamp pedal.
Use my wet effects pedals into both options.
In my research, it feels like I can utilize the PS-2A and Cyclops to achieve this but it feels like I might need an ABY switcher for the overdrive pedals to be able to send them into the front of the combo amp or tube preamp pedal depending which scenario I want to play through. And then run my wet effects through the FX in/out.
Is someone able to confirm if I’m on the right track and perhaps diagram out how to make sure I do this properly?
Looking at what you are trying to do, the Cyclops and PS-2A will work just fine. The issue you’ll have is actually getting the information to your interface for use with your headphones. The easiest way I could come up with was actually an A/B unit right before the return of the PS-2A effects loop. This would give you the ability to either run your amp or run into the Opus. If you weren’t concerned about your “post effects” going out to the Opus, then you could simply use the XLR line out on the PS-2A and send that to the line in on the Opus and wouldn’t need an A/B unit. If you want the effects on everything though, then the A/B before the PS-2A effects return would be the way to go.
Thanks Terry for the reply! I want to make sure I’m understanding as well as ask a few new questions.
I think I want to start by understanding use of the Amp In and Line In. If I want to run my pedalboard into my combo amp and then also be able to run my pedalboard into a pedal preamp and switch back and forth with an AB switcher, could I run the pedalboard into the AB switcher and then run the A line to my combo amp and then speaker out of combo amp to the Amp In on the PS-2A and then run the B line to my preamp pedal and from there to the Line In of the PS-2A? Is there a switch/setting on the PS-2A that allows you to choose whether to take a signal in from the Amp In or the Line In? Trying to understand if I can flip back and forth between the two options (combo amp vs. preamp pedal) without having to plug/unplug any cables.
For the B line option in the scenario above where I’m using the Line In, what do I need to do from a PS-2A settings perspective (aside from making sure the PS-2A is plugged in and powered on) to leverage the power amp functionality of the PS-2A? Goal being to go guitar > pedalboard > preamp pedal > PS-2A power amp > line out to IR and audio interface for silent recording or studio monitors OR speaker out to cab speaker? On this last piece of my signal path above, is there a switch/setting that allows you to choose if you want to send the signal to a real cab speaker vs. an IR and audio interface? Again, goal being that I don’t have to plug/unplug any cables.
Once I understand these items I can ask some other more detailed questions if need be. As you can imagine, I want to make sure I fully understand the capabilities and limitations before making such a big purchase. Appreciate all of your help!
Hi Patrick, Joe here. First, answering point one- the Cyclops was designed to do exactly what you are asking about here. It’s entire gig is managing the use of the Power Station in conjunction with both an amp and a preamp at the same time. You’ll just plug your guitar into your board and then take the out of your board into the input of the Cyclops. After that, the box takes care of the level-matching and ground isolation for you.
To answer your second question, once both your amp and your preamp pedal are connected to the PS-2A via the Cyclops, you’ll be able to choose via the big button on the Cyclops which unit is being fed into the PS-2A. When the PS-2A is turned “on” and the bypass switch is in the “operate” position, it is simultaneously running signal to both the power amp section of the PS (for live playing/practicing through your cab) and also to the line out. In this scenario, both outputs are seeing the “attenuated” signal from the reactive load so you are actually able to play your amp through your cab while also routing the line-level signal into your interface. As far as switching between the two, an often overlooked aspect of the PS that it doesn’t even need to be turned on in order for the reactive load to be engaged- it’s still sending signal through the line out regardless. So to accomplish what you are asking it would be as simple this: turn on and use the PS in “operate” mode in order to play through your cab. In this scenario you’re using the power section of the PS. For recording/monitoring and sending signal to an interface/DAW/IR product, just use the PS turned off in order to run the amp/preamp out through the line out. Switching between the amp and the preamp pedal is all the same in these examples and done via the Cyclops. No additional cables or gear needed.
Hope this is clear- I’m thinking it through after midnight! Please lemme know if you have any further questions and we’ll get 'em answered. Thanks!
This is super helpful thank you! Couple follow up questions:
If I want to run my preamp to the speaker cab leveraging the power amp section of the PS-2A, I simply have the PS-2A turned on and set to Operate and the Cyclops button selecting the preamp instead of the combo amp correct?
If I want to run my preamp to the audio interface for silent recording but, want to use the power amp section of the PS-2A to give it that full amp/preamp feel and tone, obviously I’d have the Cyclops button selecting the preamp and I’d need the PS-2A to be powered on but, how do I avoid the signal going to the speaker cab? Is that achieved using Standby instead of Operate?
Do all of the front panel knobs and switches (volume, presence, etc.) function when the PS-2A is powered off and/or in Standby mode?
If I am understanding you correctly, I think you are asking if the PS-2A can self attenuate and the answer… yes, it can! Here’s what you’ll do: you’ll take the Line Out of your preamp into the Line In of the PS. Then you’ll take the Speaker Out of the PS back into the Amp In of the PS- which means you’re feeding the power section of the PS into it’s own reactive load. After that just take the Line Out of the PS into your DAW and you’re ready to go. You’ll be using the PS turned on and in ‘operate’ mode for this and all of the controls will be active. Fwiw, I made a video illustrating this a few years ago here.
When the PS-2A is off or in Standby mode the front controls are inactive as you aren’t engaging the power section at all.
Sorry I didn’t reply sooner! I didn’t have notifications turned on and now I do in case you have more questions.
Let me lay out the use case scenarios and perhaps you can help me think through the layout of it all to avoid damaging any gear but also to be efficient in how I approach this to achieve as much of the scenarios as possible with as little cable switching, etc. And curious how the Cyclops can be leveraged in all of this as well.
I have an Alessandro AZZ Amp (25 watts, Class AB) and a Kingsley Preamp tube pedal. In a perfect world, I’d like to be able to do the following different scenarios with ideally little to no cable switching:
Guitar > Pedalboard > Kingsley Preamp > PS-2A (for Power Amp and Line Out) > IR Loader > Audio Interface for Silent Recording/Studio Monitors/Headphones
Also, one thing that is unclear to me in general is if the PS-2A is able to flip between sending the signal to the Speaker Out vs. the Line Out or no?