Xotic X-Blender question

[Road Bull]

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.

[Road Bull]

Pic of board

[RickenBoogie]

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

[Road Bull]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

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.

[LSMFT6]

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.

[Road Bull]

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.

[bongomania]

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?

[RickenBoogie]

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.