Difference in running Efx in series to parallel???

j8stringer

j8stringer

Inspired
Ok, so this week I got my MIDI floor controller hooked up to my Axe-Fx. I started
to think out how I should lay out my presets and my IA's. As I read through all
the great info in the manual, wiki, and alex's site, I am trying to understand why
I would want to move from having my Efx blocks in series to adding loop send & return
and having additional Efx's in parallel?

Is it just to have more Efx available, or to add a contoller to the Efx's mix knob, so
I can blend in some of the Efx to my main send? Can any one using parallel weigh-in
on why to use this set-up and how to set it up correctly? Is it Efx Loop or Feedback Loop?
A simple explanation please.

Thanks for the help!
 
Difference in running Efx in series to parallel???
Click to expand...

In series both the "effected portion" and the "uneffected portion" are feed into the next effect in the chain.
In parralell all effects get the same "uneffected portion".

:?
 
OK, then someone who uses many efx at the same time would get a cleaner
signal run, but someone who runs comp & revb always, and then adds other
blocks, only one or two at a time, might not see any benefit (other than being
able to add more than 12 blocks)?

With my tube amps, I use my parallel loop for time based efxs. To keep my main
signal cleaner by blending a % of the wet into it, but with my Axe-Fx, running
my efx in series, and using the efx Mix control to blend in a % of the wet, it already
seems to be a great sounding chain. I'm just trying to understand. Does it actually
sound better, or, is it just a more flexable system, once you start using multiple
blocks of the same efx (like chor 1 & 2, delay 1 & 2...)?
 
j8stringer said:
OK, then someone who uses many efx at the same time would get a cleaner
signal run, but someone who runs comp & revb always, and then adds other
blocks, only one or two at a time, might not see any benefit (other than being
able to add more than 12 blocks)?

With my tube amps, I use my parallel loop for time based efxs. To keep my main
signal cleaner by blending a % of the wet into it, but with my Axe-Fx, running
my efx in series, and using the efx Mix control to blend in a % of the wet, it already
seems to be a great sounding chain. I'm just trying to understand. Does it actually
sound better, or, is it just a more flexable system, once you start using multiple
blocks of the same efx (like chor 1 & 2, delay 1 & 2...)?
Click to expand...

No, either would be just as "Clean", but with parallel you can have your delays, pitch shifted or your chorus distorted while not doing the same to your dry tone.
With the send and return you can loop these effects (like what delay does).

This is digital, you signal doesn't get degraded by running in series. Runnuning in parallel w/ the delay can help with a volume drop on bypass, but you can do the same running series by adjusting output levels.
 
Another example, what if you wanted your delay repeats be affected with phaser but not your dry signal? And you wanted the delays not to be affected by reverb?

Then you would use parallel configuration:

--->------>Reverb------------>-----------
|---->Delay--->Phaser-----|
 
+1 ^

One of the coolest things you can do with parallel is adding effects to only a portion of your signal. For example, another neat thing for a special effect type of sound, run your delay followed by a strong flanger (or other mod fx of your choice) in parallel and run them all the way to the end without rejoining the main signal path. That way, your clean signal goes through uneffected, and your delay repeats have the effect. Throw an OD in there for more fun and your main sound is clean, and your delay repeats are distorted. Only your imagination is the limit to what you can do with making creative, unique sounds using parallel routings. :cool:. Look at the routings of the presets. Lots of them have parallel and can be used as a good tool to discover new options.

edit - Albert beat me to the punch on the first part there :oops:
 
Thanks to all... That was very helpful. Sorry if it seems obvious to you, but
I've only had my Ultra a few weeks. If I wanted to test the parallel waters, like having
my delay seperate from revb, do I need to frist add a Send, then efx, then shunts to
the output mix, or is it, add the parallel efx, then Route it with a shunt from
the main signal line, then shunt the rest of the parallel line to the output mix?

I am not trying to loop in any outside efx (like thru output 2 back to input 2).
 
You just need a connection from the main line to the block(s) in the other row. You can join the main line afterward or run another set of shunts to output:

Code: 
---DLY-------
  \    /
   REV

Code: 
---DLY-------
  \    
   REV-------
 
Thanks Bakerman

That's what I needed to know. :D This has been a huge Axe-Fx week
for me. Midi floor unit, add presets and IA's, tweek my rig with
backing tracks playing in the room, the roto cab with control pedal
ramp-up speed. Now some parallel experiments :twisted: , :roll:
 
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