Bright Onion Pedals Stereo AB Input Switch

The Bright Onion Pedals Stereo AB Input Switch is a passive utility pedal for players running stereo rigs. It selects between two stereo inputs and routes whichever one you choose to a single stereo output, all through one footswitch¹. It is a switching pedal in the simplest sense: no tone circuitry, no buffering, nothing in the signal path but the switch contacts and wiring.

Bright Onion describes it plainly: "This is a stereo AB switch that enables you to select between two stereo inputs that are routed to a single stereo output"¹. A typical use is choosing between two stereo sources, such as two stereo pedalboards or two instruments with stereo outputs, feeding one stereo amplifier or interface setup.

Two stereo inputs into one stereo output

The pedal's whole job is input selection. Two stereo sources go into the pedal's two stereo input pairs, and the single footswitch chooses which pair is connected to the stereo output. Because the switching is done by a 4PDT (four pole, double throw) heavy duty footswitch, both legs of the stereo signal are switched together, so the left and right channels always stay in sync¹.

The signal path is passive and wired point to point, which means there is no active electronics stage between your inputs and the output¹. For a player, that means the pedal does not color the signal, but it also means it does not buffer it: if your cables are long on either side of the switch, the usual considerations about capacitance and impedance apply, and a separate buffer may be worth thinking about.

Build and connections

The construction is straightforward and aimed at gigging use:

• Aluminum enclosure, 110x60x31mm¹
• Neutrik plug sockets for all connections¹
• 4PDT heavy duty footswitch¹
• Point to point wiring¹

Bright Onion also notes that no user maintenance is required on its products and servicing should be referred to Bright Onion Pedals Limited².

Power, LED and battery

Three questions players ask about this pedal all have short answers.

Power: none is needed. The pedal is totally passive¹. If you do connect power, Bright Onion specifies only a 9V DC center negative 2.1mm barrel supply¹.

Status LED: there is none. Bright Onion states that "due to the single switch function of this pedal it is not possible to have a status LED"¹. With one latching switch and no power, there is no way to light an indicator, so you track which input is active by ear or by memory.

Battery: there is no battery option. Bright Onion states its products "contain no batteries or lead"¹.

Version 2 and the Stereo AB Output Switch

Bright Onion makes a version 2 of this pedal, the Stereo AB Input v2 Switch. It keeps the same core function, selecting between two stereo inputs routed to a single stereo output, but adds status LEDs and moves the signal switching to gold plated relays, with the same heavy duty footswitch as the control². For players who found the lack of an LED on the original a drawback, the v2 is the maker's own answer: the original product page points LED seekers straight to it¹.

The maker also offers the mirror image of this pedal, the Stereo AB Output Switch, which takes a single stereo input and routes it to one of two stereo outputs³. It shares the same build features: Neutrik sockets, a 4PDT heavy duty footswitch, passive operation, the same power note, and the same lack of a status LED for the same reason³. It too has a v2 with status LEDs and gold plated relay switching³.

The choice between the input and output versions comes down to which direction your rig needs to switch: selecting between sources feeding one stereo destination points to the input switch, while sending one stereo source to either of two destinations points to the output switch. Within each, the original offers a fully passive, power free path, and the v2 trades that for visible status indication¹³².

Questions