Xotic X-Blender question
 

I have a question about the signal chain that the X-Blender that I am trying to use. I would like to be able to maintain a clean tone and blend my effects. Now the way I look at it, I would like to be able to run, lets say, two pedals to blend with my clean tone. However, when I do this, at least for certain pedal combos, I generate a lot of feedback. Is the Xotic X-Blender only intended to blend clean signal with "one" effect, or should I still be able to run two effects into the pedal to be blended with my clean signal?

So lets say,

Clean signal path: Bass>>X-Blender>>Amp
Wet/effects path: X-Blender>>MXR BFD>> VT >>back to X-Blender

When I try to blend the above, or something similar, I get the feedback. I can kill the feedback by backing off the drive on the pedals, but that is not what I want to do. Should I be able to run a few pedals to blend with a clean signal, or is it really intended to blend "one" pedal?

Thanks in advance.

Pic of board

You can put whatever you want in the loop, but it will only blend everything together. You can't "mix" between them all.

Right on. When I say blend the effects with the dry signal, I guess I mean what you said. I understand that their total effected sound will only be blended with my dry signal, and not blended on an individual basis.

I was just wondering why all the feedback. I would guess that the the "total gain" on stacked pedals does not play well with the X-Blender. I am able to dial out the feedback by backing off the pedal gain. I would like the option of being able to crank the pedals that I am mixing, but that might not be an option.

Your board consists of five dirt pedals and most of them have the gain dimed or at least set pretty high - you're going to get feedback until you decide to turn those gain knobs down. Maybe experiment with stacking the pedals? A low to medium-gain box going into a low to medium-gain box can get you some nice high-gain stuff, try it out. All the tone and none of the feedback.

Right on. I don't always run the gain dimed out, but I was experimenting to see what pedal combos where my worst offenders. But that seems to be the situation. I can't run everyone in high gear. For instance, I never run the VT too far beyond noon. However, I do like the B3K dimed. I will start to experiment a bit to see what I can get away with.

Thanks for the reply.

I am reasonably sure that the feedback is because of all the gain stages, and not anything to do with the X-Blender per se. Easy test: take the X-Blender away, and set up the dirt pedals in the same way as before (the way that got feedback). Still feedback?

Ok, I misunderstood, so yes +1 to the above. Careful gain staging is required, and can, (as you've learned) get WAY out of control. With that many o/d's in a row, I'd think even unity gain at each pedal, would be too much. Good luck, and lower that gain.