GM Arts
Fractal Fanatic
In another thread, a user posted techniques for using the PEQ. It was appreciated by many users, while I and others were staggered that this wasn't common knowledge. (What would we know? :lol: ) So in the spirit of sharing sneaky tricks that maybe some folks haven't thought of yet, here's an overview of how you can get different effect variations from a single effect block.
This example uses a single delay block for 3 different types of delay effect from 3 different footswitches:
- Tap delay for a regular 1/4 note delay
- Slapback/Double effect for a short delay effect
- Echo repeats
Of course, you can use this concept to set up whatever delay effects you want from the one block. It doesn't even have to be delay - for example, you could use a phaser block with speed and resonance variations. This is a useful technique to get the most from your AxeFX resources. However, if you have plenty of room left, it's simpler to use multiple effect blocks.
In a nutshell, you can assign your footswitch CC messages to AxeFX external controllers, and by attaching modifiers to your effect parameters using these external controllers with AutoEngage set ON, you can engage and disengage the effect with different parameter settings. The art of this technique is in planning how the different settings you want to use will work together.
So for my delay, I use 3 footswitches:
- A tap button for the tap delay effect (this sends a CC ON message with each press)
- A CC on/off toggle (or IA if you must) for the slapback effect
- A momentary switch for the echo repeats effect (sends CC on when pressed, CC OFF when released)
I use a momentary switch for the echo repeats so I get ongoing repeats while I press the button that fade out when I release the button. You could use a CC toggle (IA) for this effect if you wanted to.
ROUTING
The delay block is a Dual Delay with master mix set to 100% (fully wet). It's connected in parallel with a shunt so your dry signal doesn't drop in volume when using delay effects.
Tempo settings
Tempo: 144 bpm (or whatever you prefer - set this for the slapback delay you want)
Tempo To Use: Preset
AutoDelay: ON
Take care when setting this up in your patches, because whenever you use tap to set a tempo, it changes the master tempo. So you'll often need to reset the master tempo before saving your changes.
Dual Delay settings
Effect Bypass: bypassed (save it bypassed in your patch)
Type: DUAL
Ingain: 100%
Level L: 90.9%
Level R: 100%
Time L: (set by tempo)
Time R: (set by tempo)
Master Pan: 100%
Master Feedback: 15%
- Master Feedback Modifier:
- Source: the external controller attached to your echo-repeats footswitch
- Start 15%, Mid: 57.5%, End 100%
- Slope 50%, Scale: 100%, Offset: 50%
- Damping 0mS, AutoEng: FAST, Off Val: 5%
- PC RST: ON
Tempo L: 1/4
Tempo L: 1/8
Feedback L>L: 70.1%
Feedback R>R: 70.1%
Feedback L>R: 0%
Feedback R>L: 0%
Pan L: -50 (or where you want the tap delay panned)
Pan R: 50 (or where you want the slapback panned)
LowCut Freq: 20 Hz
HighCut Freq: 20000 Hz
Drive: 0
LFO1 Depth: 0%
LFO2 Depth: 0%
Ducker Depth: 0%
Diffusion: 0%
Phase Rev: Off
(other Mod parameters don't matter)
Mix: 100%
Level: -7dB
Balance: 0 (= left delay only)
- Balance Modifier:
- Source: the external controller attached to your slapback footswitch
- Start 0%, Mid: 50%, End 100%
- Slope 50%, Scale: 100%, Offset: 50%
- Damping 0mS, AutoEng: FAST, Off Val: 5%
- PC RST: ON (or OFF if you have this IA attached to the Delay block bypass)
Bypass Mode: Mute FX In
Global Mix: Off
Note that you need to set the feedback and balance values BEFORE you attach their modifiers.
TAP DELAY
The left delay is used for regular 1/4 note tap delay. Pressing the Tap footswitch twice will auto-engage the delay block due to the AutoDelay setting in the Tempo controller. I have feedback set quite low: 70% for the left Delay and 15% for the master (70% x 15% = 10.5%), so there's only one or maybe two audible repeats. Level is set by Level Left (I use 90%) and the Master Level (I use -7dB).
SLAPBACK DELAY
The slapback footswitch turns te balance control from minimum (left delay) to maximum so that the right delay is used. This delay has my slapback settings, with Tempo set to an eighth note, combined with the Tempo bpm for the delay time. You can use a fixed setting (say 160 mS) here if you want to. I like to use the tempo setting for the default delay first, then I can use the tap footswitch to set a 1/8 note delay if I want to (so maybe that's a 4th effect?). Level is set by Level 2 (I use 100%) and the Master level (-7dB).
ECHO REPEATS
The echo repeat effect uses the stored tempo setting if Slapback if off, or the Slapback delay time if slapback is on. Of course, if you've used the tap footswitch to set a tempo since selecting the patch, then the master tempo is adjusted to what you've set.
It works via a controller attached to the Master feedback that turns it up to maximum. The actual feedback used is set separately for each of the delays with their own feedback setting. I have Feedback left and right both set to 70%, but use whatever you like.
You'll need to set the controller to NONE to adjust the Master Feedback to the initial setting you want. 0% for one repeat, but I use 15% for a small number of audible repeats. Then set the Master Feedback modifier to the External controller you're using with the settings above.
BONUS TIP - 3 SETTINGS ON 1 CONTROL
If you've set up a footswitch to control the intensity of an effect parameter, then you can do some more sneaky stuff:
For example, you save your reverb ON in a patch with a low reverb level for ambience. This level needs to be set BEFORE you attach a modifier, to whatever level you want when the patch is selected.
Now attach a modifier with PC RST set ON, and whatever start and end levels you want - these correspond to the off and on levels of your footswitch. The off level doesn't have to be the same as the reverb level in the patch. You could set your footswitch to toggle between a big surf reverb an any other level (maybe a medium level or even off)!
So the way this works is:
- Whenever you select your patch, the patch reverb level is applied
- Use the footswitch to toggle between two different reverb levels
- To return to the original reverb level, just re-select the same patch!
This example uses a single delay block for 3 different types of delay effect from 3 different footswitches:
- Tap delay for a regular 1/4 note delay
- Slapback/Double effect for a short delay effect
- Echo repeats
Of course, you can use this concept to set up whatever delay effects you want from the one block. It doesn't even have to be delay - for example, you could use a phaser block with speed and resonance variations. This is a useful technique to get the most from your AxeFX resources. However, if you have plenty of room left, it's simpler to use multiple effect blocks.
In a nutshell, you can assign your footswitch CC messages to AxeFX external controllers, and by attaching modifiers to your effect parameters using these external controllers with AutoEngage set ON, you can engage and disengage the effect with different parameter settings. The art of this technique is in planning how the different settings you want to use will work together.
So for my delay, I use 3 footswitches:
- A tap button for the tap delay effect (this sends a CC ON message with each press)
- A CC on/off toggle (or IA if you must) for the slapback effect
- A momentary switch for the echo repeats effect (sends CC on when pressed, CC OFF when released)
I use a momentary switch for the echo repeats so I get ongoing repeats while I press the button that fade out when I release the button. You could use a CC toggle (IA) for this effect if you wanted to.
ROUTING
The delay block is a Dual Delay with master mix set to 100% (fully wet). It's connected in parallel with a shunt so your dry signal doesn't drop in volume when using delay effects.
Tempo settings
Tempo: 144 bpm (or whatever you prefer - set this for the slapback delay you want)
Tempo To Use: Preset
AutoDelay: ON
Take care when setting this up in your patches, because whenever you use tap to set a tempo, it changes the master tempo. So you'll often need to reset the master tempo before saving your changes.
Dual Delay settings
Effect Bypass: bypassed (save it bypassed in your patch)
Type: DUAL
Ingain: 100%
Level L: 90.9%
Level R: 100%
Time L: (set by tempo)
Time R: (set by tempo)
Master Pan: 100%
Master Feedback: 15%
- Master Feedback Modifier:
- Source: the external controller attached to your echo-repeats footswitch
- Start 15%, Mid: 57.5%, End 100%
- Slope 50%, Scale: 100%, Offset: 50%
- Damping 0mS, AutoEng: FAST, Off Val: 5%
- PC RST: ON
Tempo L: 1/4
Tempo L: 1/8
Feedback L>L: 70.1%
Feedback R>R: 70.1%
Feedback L>R: 0%
Feedback R>L: 0%
Pan L: -50 (or where you want the tap delay panned)
Pan R: 50 (or where you want the slapback panned)
LowCut Freq: 20 Hz
HighCut Freq: 20000 Hz
Drive: 0
LFO1 Depth: 0%
LFO2 Depth: 0%
Ducker Depth: 0%
Diffusion: 0%
Phase Rev: Off
(other Mod parameters don't matter)
Mix: 100%
Level: -7dB
Balance: 0 (= left delay only)
- Balance Modifier:
- Source: the external controller attached to your slapback footswitch
- Start 0%, Mid: 50%, End 100%
- Slope 50%, Scale: 100%, Offset: 50%
- Damping 0mS, AutoEng: FAST, Off Val: 5%
- PC RST: ON (or OFF if you have this IA attached to the Delay block bypass)
Bypass Mode: Mute FX In
Global Mix: Off
Note that you need to set the feedback and balance values BEFORE you attach their modifiers.
TAP DELAY
The left delay is used for regular 1/4 note tap delay. Pressing the Tap footswitch twice will auto-engage the delay block due to the AutoDelay setting in the Tempo controller. I have feedback set quite low: 70% for the left Delay and 15% for the master (70% x 15% = 10.5%), so there's only one or maybe two audible repeats. Level is set by Level Left (I use 90%) and the Master Level (I use -7dB).
SLAPBACK DELAY
The slapback footswitch turns te balance control from minimum (left delay) to maximum so that the right delay is used. This delay has my slapback settings, with Tempo set to an eighth note, combined with the Tempo bpm for the delay time. You can use a fixed setting (say 160 mS) here if you want to. I like to use the tempo setting for the default delay first, then I can use the tap footswitch to set a 1/8 note delay if I want to (so maybe that's a 4th effect?). Level is set by Level 2 (I use 100%) and the Master level (-7dB).
ECHO REPEATS
The echo repeat effect uses the stored tempo setting if Slapback if off, or the Slapback delay time if slapback is on. Of course, if you've used the tap footswitch to set a tempo since selecting the patch, then the master tempo is adjusted to what you've set.
It works via a controller attached to the Master feedback that turns it up to maximum. The actual feedback used is set separately for each of the delays with their own feedback setting. I have Feedback left and right both set to 70%, but use whatever you like.
You'll need to set the controller to NONE to adjust the Master Feedback to the initial setting you want. 0% for one repeat, but I use 15% for a small number of audible repeats. Then set the Master Feedback modifier to the External controller you're using with the settings above.
BONUS TIP - 3 SETTINGS ON 1 CONTROL
If you've set up a footswitch to control the intensity of an effect parameter, then you can do some more sneaky stuff:
For example, you save your reverb ON in a patch with a low reverb level for ambience. This level needs to be set BEFORE you attach a modifier, to whatever level you want when the patch is selected.
Now attach a modifier with PC RST set ON, and whatever start and end levels you want - these correspond to the off and on levels of your footswitch. The off level doesn't have to be the same as the reverb level in the patch. You could set your footswitch to toggle between a big surf reverb an any other level (maybe a medium level or even off)!
So the way this works is:
- Whenever you select your patch, the patch reverb level is applied
- Use the footswitch to toggle between two different reverb levels
- To return to the original reverb level, just re-select the same patch!