Effects in parallel...?

[jonPhillips]

As a noob to the world of Axe-Fx (but learning fast, thanks to the information in this forum) can someone explain parallel effect routing to me? Not actually how to do it, I understand that, but what benefits / options does it give?

I've downloaded a few user presets and quite often seen a delay block and a reverb block in parallel and can't work out why this has been done. I've seen a similar thing done with a volume-Pan block, which has been placed in parallel to the amp block.

Can anyone school me as to the uses of parallel effect routing? Many thanks

 

[javajunkie]

With parallel effects you can apply effects to the effects.

For example say you want a wacked out distorted reverb but didn't want your guitar signal distorted. You can spit the signal add reverb and distortion on one line, a dry signal on another and mix it back into the signal. The reverb will get distorted but the dry signal will not. if you put them in line the dry signal would get distorted w/ the reverb.

another example: delay to pitch. The delays will get pitched up but the dry signal remains the same.

The feedback send and return can be used in conjunction with delay and other effects for some really interesting stuff.

some people also find it easier to blend in effects in parallel.

 

[joegold]

In the old days, the main reason to use your effects in parallel with your dry signal was to ensure the integrity of your dry signal. There were other reasons too, depending on what type of effect you were after, but the big one IMO was the audio quality of the dry signal.

Most digital effects (Eg. Yamaha SP-90) back then had analog dry signal paths that were not of the highest quality.
If you ran your preamp into the effect then you would normally mix the wet/dry balance within the effect's mixer which would degrade the quality of your dry signal somewhat.
If you ran that effect into another effect in series then you would be doubling the problem. The cables used to connect things would also degrade the signal.
Etc.
By using a parallel path for the dry signal, via a high quality line mixer, you could keep the dry signal as pristine as possible.
If you used two effects in parallel, rather than in series, you could do things like not having your chorused signal go through your reverbs or delays, etc.
But I generally like to have my chorused signal go through my echos and reverbs, so that parallel routing is generally not for me. I prefer things in series most of the time, for the sound.

At some point the manufacturers began digitizing the dry signal too, first at 16 bits then at 24 bits.
In my opinion, because this was generally a bit less noisy than an analog dry path and had a fuller frequency response, many of us didn't notice the more subtle ways that the dry signal was being degraded by things like a harsh tone at both ends of the audible frequency spectrum and the introduction of noticeable latency. But because everything inside the effects was in the digital domain it made less sense to do parallel routing within the effect for the purpose of maintaining the best sounding dry signal. Still, if you were like me and you noticed the degradation of the dry signal by virtue of it being digitized, it was worth it to carry a line mixer around with you and mix the dry signal in parallel thus keeping it in the analog domain the entire time.

The Axe, actually fits the mold of the above description. It digitizes the dry signal at 24 bits 48khz.
But the Axe's digital converters are superior to anything else on the market and Cliff has also designed an electronic front end to the Axe that maintains your signal all the way the through even though it's being sampled. IMO It's a first in the digital guitar effects world. Latency is nearly non-existent and is not normally even noticeable, even when you're looking for it. Plus, any cabling that connects one Effects Block to another is virtual and perfect in that it will not degrade the signal at all. It's really the ideal signal path.

So, IMO, there is less reason than ever to use a parallel effects routing when using the Axe if all you're trying to do is maintain the integrity of your dry signal. The Axe maintains the integrity of your dry signal anyway.

On the other hand, if you really want the sonic effects of what parallel routing can do for you, it's all possible with the Axe, in spades. And there are all sorts of interesting sounds that can only be achieved by putting things in parallel.

Just my 2c.

 

[jonPhillips]

Thanks for the answers guys, very helpful.

 

[tzrider]

Here's another reason: I like to use an expression pedal to blend delay in or out. I began doing this in series with the mix control, but found that it affected the level of the dry signal more than I wanted. If I went from 0% to 20% wet, it didn't just add wet signal to the dry, but reduced the level of the dry a little bit. For a time, I compensated by attaching the amp level control to the same pedal, allowing it to be increased simultaneously to compensate. This worked, but was a relative pain to get right.

Side chaining the delay proved much easier. The delay mix is at 100% and the level control is attached to the expression pedal.

 

[Dpoirier]

Here's another reason: I like to use an expression pedal to blend delay in or out. I began doing this in series with the mix control, but found that it affected the level of the dry signal more than I wanted. If I went from 0% to 20% wet, it didn't just add wet signal to the dry, but reduced the level of the dry a little bit. For a time, I compensated by attaching the amp level control to the same pedal, allowing it to be increased simultaneously to compensate. This worked, but was a relative pain to get right.

Side chaining the delay proved much easier. The delay mix is at 100% and the level control is attached to the expression pedal.

Ah, but if you want to blend the delay in using an expression pedal (with the delay block in series), use the In-Level parameter instead (with the modifier range set to 0% to 100% or to taste), and leave your mix set to what you want as a max. It works like a charm and has zero impact on the dry signal.

 

[Matt_B]

If you run effects in parallel and feed them all into a Mixer block, you can control the level/mix for each effect all on one screen.

 

[tzrider]

Ah, but if you want to blend the delay in using an expression pedal (with the delay block in series), use the In-Level parameter instead (with the modifier range set to 0% to 100% or to taste), and leave your mix set to what you want as a max. It works like a charm and has zero impact on the dry signal.

Interesting. I revisited the manual just now and it says that plain as day. Thanks for mentioning it.

Looking at some other effects, such as pitch shift, it looks as if the ingain doesn't behave the same way, but I'm not sure. When I have a few minutes, I'll set up some test patches to find out.

 

[Bakerman]

Looking at some other effects, such as pitch shift, it looks as if the ingain doesn't behave the same way, but I'm not sure. When I have a few minutes, I'll set up some test patches to find out.

It's the same, adjusts level of signal to be shifted without altering dry level.

 

[guitarmike]

Ah, but if you want to blend the delay in using an expression pedal (with the delay block in series), use the In-Level parameter instead (with the modifier range set to 0% to 100% or to taste), and leave your mix set to what you want as a max. It works like a charm and has zero impact on the dry signal.

Thanks for that!!! See, thats the problem with the axe - there are so many options that you really have to be very thoughtful about the process. I beleive "many options" is a problem I can live with.