Home FAQs Signal Routing & Cabling

Can Submarine Pickups be used in stereo or summed to mono?

Yes – Submarine Pickups are flexible and can be routed in either stereo or mono depending on your setup.

Stereo – Many players group bass strings to one channel and treble strings to another, creating a natural stereo spread.

Mono – Summing both channels to mono is best achieved using an active combiner, such as an ABY box or a Line Selector (e.g. the Boss LS-2). This keeps levels balanced and avoids signal loss compared with passive combining.

Multi-output (SubPro) – With the SubPro, you can assign strings individually, group them in pairs, or sum them together as needed, giving flexible routing options for different rigs.

Hexaphonic output (SubSix) – The SubSix provides a dedicated output for each of the six strings. This allows you to pan each string across the stereo field, creating a wide and detailed image where every string has its own place in the mix.

The original Submarine Pickup is a 2-string system, and each of its channels can also be routed independently or combined as described above – though bear in mind that the options are more limited compared with the Pro or Six models.