Tech Q: mixer for parallel pedals

[ganesh]

Hi

 

I want to run two lines of pedals so I can have distortion + chorus + wah (say) on one line and overdrive + phaser on the other. I can build a splitter that sends the signal one way or 'tother, but what happens when they come back into the same signal path? Do I need to put some resistance there to equalise the signal into the amp?

 

Slightly more advanced idea would be to hack a volume pedal to act as a mixer between the two chains. Given that the inputs will be unbalanced in terms of voltage and will have half-ish the volts on either side, should I preamp the things at the beginning? Anyone tried this?

 

jim

[brown410lp]

DOD has a mixer that can mix pedals (instrument level). I believe its the 240 Resistance mixer. I use this in order to run my delay in parallel with my overdrive/other effects. Works well. They're pretty cheap too.

[dot-dot-dot]

The way I would do it is this; run the signal into a buffer (I use an op-amp follower), then split it - this prevents signal loss at the split. Then wire the two "returns" one to each end lug of a 250k or 470k linear pot. The pot will then allow you to mix the levels. Slightly crude, but it works.

[IvIark]

The Boss LS-2 will be perfect for what you describe. It can be used to select either line A or line B, or you can mix them together.

[gappie]

i run two synth pedals parallel. a digitech synthwah and a microsynth. i use the clean from the synthwah to feed the microsynth. they both go then to a behringer micromixer. the behringer very silend, small and works well.

 

[IvIark]

 

Originally posted by gappie i run two synth pedals parallel. a digitech synthwah and a microsynth. i use the clean from the synthwah to feed the microsynth. they both go then to a behringer micromixer. the behringer very silend, small and works well.

 

 

 

It doesn't have any returns though so it wouldn't be any good for most pedals, unless you can find one with a separate dry out like your synthwah.

 

You could always use two of them though I suppose and have 4 parallel lines.

[brown410lp]

 

Originally posted by IvIark You could always use two of them though I suppose and have 4 parallel lines.

 

 

 

You can either use two, one that splits and the other that mixes, or get a splitter of some sort (Axess BS2). I use an Axess switcher (GRX4) to send a signal to a EH Deluxe Memory Man. I'm using one of the GRX4 loops to mute the input to the DMM. The output of the DMM is sent to the DOD mixer, while the output of the GRX4 (which would be the dry signal) is also sent to the DOD. This allows me to run the delay in parallel. Basically I do this in order to allow the output of the delay to decay naturally instead of being cut off abruptly by the switcher. I use a Bad Bob booster (constantly on) after the DOD mixer which fattens the signal to the amp, which is set fairly clean.

[IvIark]

 

Originally posted by brown410lp I'm using one of the GRX4 loops to mute the input to the DMM. The output of the DMM is sent to the DOD mixer, while the output of the GRX4 (which would be the dry signal) is also sent to the DOD. This allows me to run the delay in parallel. Basically I do this in order to allow the output of the delay to decay naturally instead of being cut off abruptly by the switcher. I use a Bad Bob booster (constantly on) after the DOD mixer which fattens the signal to the amp, which is set fairly clean.

 

 

 

I use a Nobels MS-4 for MIDI switching and Nobels Alex for loops for pre-amplifier effects, then a Nobels SPX31 (like a Boss LS-2 with greater control over levels and slightly better buffers, but not footswitchable) in the loop. So this allows me use both my G-Force and DSP4000 wet only in a parallel mix.

 

Actually that sounds like I must be sponsored by Nobels! I was actually going to get a GRX4 for my MIDI loops but we get really stung on shipping to the UK by Axess so the Nobels method was far cheaper and I only wanted two loops anyway which left me 2 channels spare for amp switching.

[p00n]

Following this train of thought, anyone tried running 4 fuzzes parallel, it would be kind of like layering their tones right? Or would impedence mess them up?

[ganesh]

I was thinking I would following the route Mr Monkey suggests. Then the 470K pot could be mounted in a volume pedal. This would allow me to do the sort of thing I'm thinking of which would be to stick one chain at kind of high fuzz and the other almost clean, and bring the fuzz up on the decay, or bringing chorus in and out.

 

For the op amp follower I'd just need a signal booster of some sort?

 

As to four fuzzes in parallel would that just sound like one fuzz? You want four fuzzes in series, that's what you want.

[p00n]

Was thinking that instead of stacking them, their characters can be like blended together by running them in parallel

[dot-dot-dot]

 

Originally posted by ganesh For the op amp follower I'd just need a signal booster of some sort?

 

 

Just a unity gain buffer - no need to boost. An op-amp follower is a basic circuit, minimal component count and works well - my apologies for being lazy but I'd suggest googling it as I'm a bit pressed to knock up a schematic right now.

[tocs100]

Originally posted by p00n Was thinking that instead of stacking them, their characters can be like blended together by running them in parallel

This works well with two pedals that are the same model, one gain lower than the other. When mixing brands though (I tried DOD & Dano), different, internal eq-ing will probably cause phasing--not the good kind of phasing either. Then you'd have to buy one of those $$$ phase-correctors, I forget who makes them, but it corrects phase-alignment from 0 to 360 degrees.