Is the dry-signal-path still digital ?

Thomas Larsson

Experienced
Does anybody know if the dry signal-path on the fx8 is still digital ?
I asked before and was informed that there maybe was a possiblity to have an analog dry path.
That would be a really cool option for purists. I know a couple of guys that would bye the unit the same day this was solved.
 
Does anybody know if the dry signal-path on the fx8 is still digital ?
I asked before and was informed that there maybe was a possiblity to have an analog dry path.
That would be a really cool option for purists. I know a couple of guys that would bye the unit the same day this was solved.
If you put the FX8 into True Bypass mode, you get a passive analog signal from one end to the other—nothing but metal from input to output. But that's all you get.

On the other hand, if you turn off True Bypass mode, and bypass every block, you cannot hear a difference in a blind test—and neither will your friends. But they might not believe you if you tell them that. :)
 
If you put the FX8 into True Bypass mode, you get a passive analog signal from one end to the other—nothing but metal from input to output. But that's all you get.

On the other hand, if you turn off True Bypass mode, and bypass every block, you cannot hear a difference in a blind test—and neither will your friends. But they might not believe you if you tell them that. :)

Ok !
Sounds cool.
So far I have not had one digital unit, that was so transparent that I couldn´t hear / feel the difference when I pulled it out and in to the FX loop of an amp.
I have tried the ax8 in a marshall JVM HJS loop and the sound is colored to much for my taste.
I think Cliff wrote that the FX8 could have the ability to run the direct chain analog under the right circumstances.
 
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Interesting. That's not been my experience. Can you describe what you heard?

Totally different attack and sound. The sound was richer and more open without the AX8 Try and turn all effects off and switch the effect loop in and out with your pedal as you play. It will probably give you a different experience. I did the same experiment with just a guitar cable in the loop and I couldn´t notice any difference. Just to be shure that the loop circuit itself wasn´t doing the coloration.

Just to be clear. The loop in the JVM HJS is serial.
 
Were the levels the same? A hotter level will highlight the attack and give a richer tone.
 
Maybe @Thomas Larsson just has a good ear.. What he says makes sense, even according to Cliff
Doesn't surprise me at all that a device with no analog path sounds different in the loop of an amp. The fx send on the amp will have harmonic content well beyond the bandwidth of the converters. You can't hear that but it will change the response of the power amp as those harmonics mix in the power amp and create intermodulation products. They also affect the behavior of the PI and power supply.

The AX-8 is first-and-foremost a standalone processor. When used in the loop of an amp and you want the most transparent sound you should use a mixer along with it. The FX-8 is specifically designed for use with an amp and has a cleaner analog path. No where do we advertise the AX-8 as being intended as a processor in the loop of an amp. I'm sure it will work okay but that's not its intended function. The FX-8 can actually operate with an analog dry path and a digital wet path on the Post I/O but I don't recall if we ever implemented that in the software (due to the fear of support issues w/ people not understanding they have to set the mix to 100%, yada-yada).
 
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