HELP ME EFFECTS GURUS! How to feed one chain into another?

matt11 · #1 08-31-2007, 08:50 AM

Hi, Let me preface this by saying I'm fairly new to using effects. What I want to be able to do is to GRADUALLY feed distortion into my main signal chain (i.e. not just on-off). As far as I can tell, the only way to do this is to set up my A-CHAIN (bass plus most effects) and then set up a B-CHAIN off it (using, say, a BIGSHOT ABY switcher), of distortion followed by volume pedal, which would then feed back into the main channel at a later stage (through another BIGSHOT?). So I could run on the A-CHAIN mostly, but then switch to BOTH A+B when I wanted to feed in the distortion using the volume pedal. Does this make sense? I haven't tried it yet b/c I don't have the switchers, and wanted to make sure before buying. Any other suggestions, advice about how to do this? Any problems I need to anticipate? Someone told me that maybe a one BASSBONE would do the trick? Thanks, Matt

speak_onion · #2 08-31-2007, 09:01 AM

Well, if you had an expression-pedal controlled blender, you could gradually fade from clean to distorted (or some mix in between), but I think you want your clean volume to stay the same and have the distorted version fade in, is that right?

In that case you have some options:
1) You could use any non expression-controlled blender pedal (Barge, Radial, Xotic, etc.) and put a volume pedal in the loop with your distortion pedal. With volume pedal all the way down, you have just your clean tone, then use the volume pedal to bring up the distortion.
2) Start with a volume pedal that has a tuner out (EB, Visual Sound, etc.). Send the tuner out to one input of a passive mixer (DOD makes a 4-channel one that is roughly stombox sized). Send the main out of the volume pedal to your distortion and then to another input of the mixer. That way, your clean is always on and the volume pedal controls your distortion pedal volume.

There's other configs I can think of, but those are the most elegant, I think.

Joe P · #3 08-31-2007, 10:00 AM

Don't forget about the Boss LS-2 two-loop line mixer/selector. That, and a volume pedal would do the trick.

I use mine with only a down-octave in one loop, and everything else in the other.

Joe

(edit) That's not exactly right... a compressor is outside and independent of both mixer loops (input-side of the LS-2), the compressor and LS-2 are all in the loop of the NS-2, and the phrase sampler is outside of all of it (output-side of the NS-2).

Yeah; that's it.

olaff421 · #4 08-31-2007, 10:14 AM

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...dal?sku=150255

For what you are describing this would do it. One pedal, and blendable.

speak_onion · #5 08-31-2007, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by olaff421

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...dal?sku=150255

For what you are describing this would do it. One pedal, and blendable.

Well, that would decrease the clean level as the distortion level is increased, which is not what the OP wants, I don't think. Or maybe that's ok.

JanusZarate · #6 08-31-2007, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speak_onion

Well, that would decrease the clean level as the distortion level is increased, which is not what the OP wants, I don't think. Or maybe that's ok.

From what I can tell of the OP... yes, that's exactly what he wants.

The Morley FX Blender pedal or the Barge Concepts VFB-X (expression-pedal version) would work perfectly for this purpose.

Swimming Bird · #7 08-31-2007, 01:36 PM

Boss has a distortion pedal where the gain is controlled via expression pedal. I can't recall what it's called, but they're pretty common in used gear shops.

Jazz Ad · #8 08-31-2007, 02:00 PM

Boss LS-2 in A+B mode, effects in one loop, distortion and volume pedal in the other one.
Plug volume pedal before dist to control gain, after dist to control level.
Done.

olaff421 · #9 08-31-2007, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticBoo

From what I can tell of the OP... yes, that's exactly what he wants.

The Morley FX Blender pedal or the Barge Concepts VFB-X (expression-pedal version) would work perfectly for this purpose.

Is the VFB-X out yet? It's been awhile since I've looked at thier site.

matt11 · #10 08-31-2007, 08:38 PM

Wow. Thanks to you all for the interesting suggestions. I will try to find a store that'll let me try a couple out. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a blender pedal! Ideally, I want to add the distortion to the clean channel, but it might work okay to have it gradually supersede the clean channel (up to a point). I'll have to see which sounds more like what I need. Thanks again, Matt