How to cross-fade from one signal path to another?

A

atquinn

Power User
Take a look at the layout for the following preset (full details here: http://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/the-last-shimmer-preset-i-promise.109345/)

smooth-shimmer-png.29616


There are a variety of ways to have either the top branch or the bottom branch active (I did it by bypassing the Cab (bypass type set to mute) or bypassing the Vol block right under the cab (bypass type set to mute)). But what would I do if I wanted to be able to crossfade between the two paths using an expression pedal?

I'm already using both Vol blocks. So it seems like the best approach would be to use 2 filter blocks (assuming I have enough CPU to do so) and set them to the same expression pedal with opposite slopes)? Would there be an easier way to do this on the rack units? I know they have a Mixer block, but I never used it on my Axe2 and don't really know how it works.

This might be kind of useless for this specific preset, but I was thinking it might come in handy with a guitar with piezo and magnetic outputs (instead of using the controls on the guitar).
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Austin
 
I usually use two volume blocks for this kind of thing but you can attach a modifier to the level control of any block you want. For example: you could attach a modifier to the cab level and to one of the volumes. Then you wouldn't have to add any blocks!

Out of couriosity why do you have your volume blocks set like that?
 
lwknives said:
I usually use two volume blocks for this kind of thing but you can attach a modifier to the level control of any block you want. For example: you could attach a modifier to the cab level and to one of the volumes. Then you wouldn't have to add any blocks!

Out of couriosity why do you have your volume blocks set like that?
Click to expand...

The left-most Vol block is doing an slowgear-esque fade-in. The right-most volume block is attached to a foot control to change the level very slightly (from loud to too loud :D). So in this case, I would want to use a modifier with the Cab block and then since Vol blocks are both already attached to modifiers (envelope and another expression pedal respectively), I could use the level in the MTD block. Makes sense.
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Austin
 
Instead of the left VOL block you can assign Envelope to the Compressor block's LEVEL parameter?
Instead of the right VOL block you can assign the foot controller to the MULTI DELAY's LEVEL parameter?
 
Or, you could actually get rid of both volume blocks! You can do your auto swell by attaching a modifier to the input gain on the MTD and control the level by attaching a modifier to the level control in the MTD block.
 
yek said:
Instead of the left VOL block you can assign Envelope to the Compressor block's LEVEL parameter?
Instead of the right VOL block you can assign the foot controller to the MULTI DELAY's LEVEL parameter?
Click to expand...

I assigned the MTD level to the expression pedal and that worked great. But setting the compressor or the mtd to the envelope didn't sound right so I left in the left volume block. Thanks again.
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Austin
 
atquinn said:
I assigned the MTD level to the expression pedal and that worked great. But setting the compressor or the mtd to the envelope didn't sound right so I left in the left volume block. Thanks again.
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Austin
Click to expand...

Did you attach the envelope modifier to the input gain on the MTD?
 
lwknives said:
Did you attach the envelope modifier to the input gain on the MTD?
Click to expand...

Yes. It's not that it didn't work. But for some reason' it sounded different. With the separate volume block, you can't hear the separate repeats in the MTD; they're all smeared together. But putting the envelope on the input gain on the MTD results in leas smearing. I also tried it on the pitch block and it seems a little bit better. But it was still best as a separate block. The cross fade settings worked well too. Although crossfading turns out to be useless (IMO) on this particular preset :D
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Austin
 
atquinn said:
Yes. It's not that it didn't work. But for some reason' it sounded different. With the separate volume block, you can't hear the separate repeats in the MTD; they're all smeared together. But putting the envelope on the input gain on the MTD results in leas smearing. I also tried it on the pitch block and it seems a little bit better. But it was still best as a separate block. The cross fade settings worked well too. Although crossfading turns out to be useless (IMO) on this particular preset :D
-
Austin
Click to expand...

I think you could probably make it work by adjusting max and min on your modifier, maybe adjust the curve. Not sure why it would sound different. Not that it really maters unless you run out of blocks or CPU!

Interesting that you mention cross fade being useless in this preset because I had a preset almost just like it where the song required cross fade to do what I wanted! Music is so amazing!!!
 
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