How to switch between two preamps

B

Big Kurka

Member
So long story short I finally got all my gear and I'm ready to hook it all up and get it going.
My gear consist of two rackmount preamps one for clean and one for dirty, the fx8ii, a stereo power amp and two 2x12 cabs.
I have it all hooked up in 7 cable method.
So my question is how do I set up the fx8 to have my pre amp effects be mono then be able to select one of the preamps to go through then go out in stereo out for a wet/dry signal.
preamp1 speaker cab
guitar----effects---< selectable >===stereo effects===stereo power amp====
preamp2 speaker cab

I've read something about using a vol pan block but I have no idea on how to do that yet.
Thanks in advance Mike
 
Big Kurka said:
So long story short I finally got all my gear and I'm ready to hook it all up and get it going.
My gear consist of two rackmount preamps one for clean and one for dirty, the fx8ii, a stereo power amp and two 2x12 cabs.
I have it all hooked up in 7 cable method.
So my question is how do I set up the fx8 to have my pre amp effects be mono then be able to select one of the preamps to go through then go out in stereo out for a wet/dry signal.
preamp1 speaker cab
guitar----effects---< selectable >===stereo effects===stereo power amp====
preamp2 speaker cab

I've read something about using a vol pan block but I have no idea on how to do that yet.
Thanks in advance Mike
Click to expand...
 
Draw a block diagram of the connections, describe both multi-effects - why should you connect them in series, one by one?
 
Hi there Jurek . Sorry my diagram didn’t post the way it was supposed to. All effects will be from the fx8. I want to use two different preamps that I switch between for different scenes (one clean and one dirty). I also want my post preamp effects to be stereo out. My power amp is stereo with two separate speaker cabs. I hope this makes sense. Thank you
 
You're using a stereo out/in as two mono loops for the real preamps?

I will still be away from Axe-Edit for some days, but what I think to remember from the past...

If a scene change for these amps will result in a gap, you can indeed put one panning pedal [VolPan block?] in front of the both, allowing you to mix them or quickly switch w/o gaps (forgot if mixing them results in increased volume or not, but doesn't seem your first concern).

IIRC, your amp out "cables" can join into the stereo FX, or you can have a path per amp where you join the two stereo signals in a stereo mixer block (or maybe that is built into the out block).

About anyone up-to-date with Axe-Edit should be able to explain it better... :D
 
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Hello there Brewce, I don't want to two mono loops. I want two be able to switch between my clean preamp and my dirty preamp for different patches but I want the output to be stereo for stereo effects.
FYI I'm very new to using the FX8 (first fractal unit ever for me)
I've read that it can be done by using a pan/vol block using the expression pedal to switch from one preamp to the other or blend between the two which would cool to do for certain songs. Do you know if its possible to switch between the preamp with one of the switches and not the expression pedal.
I do have one expression pedal but I would like to use it as a wah pedal

My fx8 is wired in the seven cable method.
Thanks Mike

It's probably pointless but here is a diagram of my connections.
 

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Big Kurka said:
Hello there Brewce, I don't want to two mono loops.
Click to expand...
I am thinking of pro rack preamps, which I think are mono?

So if you use your (one?) stereo Send, one cable to each amp, and receive the mono Returns of those, AFAIK that is called a loop. So you would have two mono loops in a sense, using the one stereo loop.

I totally forgot how to use these blocks, so better read about it and don't trust my example.
I haven't used Axe-Edit in many years. This is an example with a 10-year-old version.

To maybe be more sure to not get noise from the unused amp, maybe it's better to put the VolPan after Return.
This mono signal then goes into your effects that make it a stereo signal.

That's the simplest way, but you could also have a parallel path for each amp if you want different FX for them. Don't ask me how, ATM :p It's pretty clear by looking in the manual.

You can also put (mono) effects before the Send (Compressor as example).

old Axe-Edit example.jpg

Big Kurka said:
Do you know if its possible to switch between the preamp with one of the switches and not the expression pedal.
Click to expand...
I told almost everything in my previous post.
So yes, AFAIK you set things up like you want for each amp/FX and save it as a different scene. Then you wouldn't need the pedal for the VolPan; just set the Balance by hand and save as a scene. Maybe you don't even need that block and can do this in the first stereo effect by choosing the input, or use a mixer block.

I'm probably the worst person to ask at the moment. Keep shouting for others who are up-to-date with using Axe-Edit :)
 
@Brewce Hi there Brewce. Thanks for the help I do appreciate it. Looks like when I get several hours of free time I’m going to exploring the fx8 in depth. I still need to update the software and setup the fx editor.
Quick question if you know, when placing the block in the return will the post effect still in stereo???
 
Big Kurka said:
Quick question if you know, when placing the block in the return will the post effect still in stereo???
Click to expand...
Not sure what you mean, but the send will send your mono guitar signal to both Sends (I hope), each going to one amp.
The left and right of the Return will be your two amps in mono.
The Balance knob of the VolPan is at least one way to pick which amp you send into the FX (I think; if not, another knob).
IIRC, most FX automatically convert mono into stereo FX.

If you blow up everything, it was not me! :p
Please do check if I've demo'd the Send/Returns correctly.
Reading about the VolPan may also give the correct example (in case I was wrong).
 
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Haha no worries. If I blow it up I’ll just go back to my boss gt10.

It sounds like the output should be stereo (wet/dry). Hopefully this weekend I’ll get it figured out
Thanks again
 
In my example, sound will be stereo FX.
If you want 100% wet/dry, you'll have to make some changes.
Maybe one line going straight to the out (your dry), and also into a parallel FX row going to the out.
The Out has a few mixers built in with Balance and Level.
Good luck :)
 
I can try to mimic what you're trying to accomplish. I was looking into a similar setup about a year ago, but ran into problems because the FX8 does not utilize the grid system like other Fractal units use, and the FX8 does not contain any FX loop block or send/return block.
 
@SacredGroove Hi there, just to be clear all I'm trying to do is use two separate preamps as it they were a clean and dirty channels on a amp head and switch between them using the fx8. I'm not trying to add any external effects. I've read somewhere that I can use the pan/vol block in conjunction with a expression pedal to blend and switch between the two preamps. I would also like to have a different patch were only one preamp is working no panning or switching if thats possible. Thanks for any help that you can provide.
PS I'm completely new to fractal products, I used to use the boss gt10 multi effects unit for years.
 
Big Kurka said:
@SacredGroove Hi there, just to be clear all I'm trying to do is use two separate preamps as it they were a clean and dirty channels on a amp head and switch between them using the fx8. I'm not trying to add any external effects. I've read somewhere that I can use the pan/vol block in conjunction with a expression pedal to blend and switch between the two preamps. I would also like to have a different patch were only one preamp is working no panning or switching if thats possible. Thanks for any help that you can provide.
PS I'm completely new to fractal products, I used to use the boss gt10 multi effects unit for years.
Click to expand...
You might be better off using a midi controlled loop switcher like the rocktron patchmate.
 
That funny that you said that because I originally was going to go that route but the cost is more than I want to spend. Looks like I'll be scouring ebay for some more used gear.
Thanks for help SacredGroove
 
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