Signal blending

[electric nate]

[i]Short version[/i]: Boss LS-2 is tone-sucking, can anyone suggest a more 'hi-fi' alternative for blending one signal into another? Rack gear or pedal or whatever else.

[i]Long version[/i]: I'm currently using a Boss LS-2 line selector to blend the overdrive signal from one preamp with a clean signal before running it through my main pre and poweramp setup. This works perfectly but the Boss pedal adds unwelcome noise to my signal and the bypass sound is much more detailed sounding than when the pedal is engaged, even with no preamps or FX in the loops. - Basically, it's the weak link in my signal chain and is sucking my tone. Is there a better unit I could get for this purpose? The Xotic x-blender looks like it could be good, but I'm concerned it might have similar issues to the LS-2. It's hard to tell just from watching demos online because in most of them you can't hear the real fine detail anyway.

I did wonder about some kind of rackmount mixer or something, but I'm not entirely sure how that'd work. I was hoping there'd be a company making a rackmount blendable FX loop or something but I can't seem to find much. I'm looking for something that will keep my clean signal completely high definition, so that if I were to adjust the blend to 100% clean I would then hear absolutely no tonal difference between the unit engaged and the unit bypassed.

[woodyratm]

Maybe get something from max at SFX?

[nick]

I built myself a Moosapotamus Paralooper for this purpose ([url="http://www.moosapotamus.net/THINGS/paraloop.htm"]http://www.moosapota...GS/paraloop.htm[/url]), but as Woodraytm says above, SFX do something very similiar that would sort you out.

Edit: SFX 'Split & Mix' [url="http://www.sfxsound.co.uk/mainpage.asp?page=sm"]http://www.sfxsound.co.uk/mainpage.asp?page=sm[/url]

Edited April 15, 2012 by nick

[1970]

check out Tym big bottom, for nothing else than it's a cool concept.

[phil.i.stein]

aswell as sfx, Wounded Paw are worth a look. i got a super-blender after having similar problems with two LS-2's linked up.

[url="http://www.woundedpaw.com/effects/"]http://www.woundedpaw.com/effects/[/url]

Edited April 15, 2012 by phil.i.stein

[GremlinAndy]

there's a very tasty looking blender in the Effects Pedals for sale secion right now. Never seen one 'used' on BC before, and nearly bought it myself! Still tempted in fact...
Here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173670-fs-xotic-x-blender/"]http://basschat.co.u...otic-x-blender/[/url]

(I hope I understood your needs right? Forgive me if not)

Good luck!
Andy

Edited April 15, 2012 by GremlinAndy

[thisnameistaken]

SFX 'Loop Logic' on [url="http://www.sfxsound.co.uk/mainpage.asp?page=custom_shop"]this page[/url]. It was designed to replace my LS-2, and to be the only pedal that is always in my signal path so it had to have an excellent quality line driver in it. Not cheap but was literally designed to do exactly what you're asking for.

[Ghost_Bass]

[url="http://www.zcatpedals.com/?dir=view&id=200910290108414IHj"]http://www.zcatpedals.com/?dir=view&id=200910290108414IHj[/url]

This one seems good and cheap.

[hamfist]

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1334585334' post='1618004']
[url="http://www.zcatpedals.com/?dir=view&id=200910290108414IHj"]http://www.zcatpedal...910290108414IHj[/url]

This one seems good and cheap.
[/quote]

Good find ! Just contacted them about shipping costs, which would be 7 euros to the UK.

[Sibob]

The ZCat stuff looks interesting, I'd be interested in what you think of it if you order?!
I've gotten a quote from Max at SFX, so that's an option, he makes great pedals.
I've also got a quote pending from these guys: http://buzzelectronics.co.uk/index.php
They don't make a blender, but am asking about custom, I'm not fussed about fancy paint etc lol

Si

[mistermark]

A great pedal option to blend two signals is the 2 channel mixer from FEA Labs:

[url="http://www.fealabs.com/products/2CH-MIX-0001.html"]http://www.fealabs.c...H-MIX-0001.html[/url]

Has some really nice features which include:

-summing both singals to mono for single amp use
-variable phase knob for making both signals phase coherent
-variable gain for each channel
-optional boost switch with a variable volume knob for setting the boost
-option to boost channel 1, channel 2 or channel 1 AND 2 simultaneously
-FET amp selection

Can't stress enough how important the variable phase control is... I use this pedal for blending a clean and distortion for my bass. But as some of you may already know summing two singals together with a simple ABY pedal can sound thin if they are not completely phase coherent. Phase issues arise from one of the signals arriving to the amp later than the other due to differences in length and variations of the signal paths. This more often than not results in certain frequencies being cancelled out.

Sure some combining pedals like the Xotic x-blender have a 180º phase [i]switch, [/i]but this won't guarantee 100% phase coherency. By having the variable phase control of the FEA 2 channel mixer you can turn the knob until you hear both signals coming through 100%.

-Mark

Edited April 19, 2012 by mistermark

[phagor]

Another couple to add to the list - Barge Concepts VB-JR and VFB-2:

[url="http://www.bargeconcepts.com/vbjr.html"]http://www.bargeconcepts.com/vbjr.html[/url]

[url="http://www.bargeconcepts.com/vfb1.html"]http://www.bargeconcepts.com/vfb1.html[/url]

I've got the VB-JR and it works well - clean sounding. They do various custom options too.

[cheddatom]

I've never seen that FEA mixer before - I bet that's ace.

[Sibob]

The FEA looks nice, but it's not really catering for a pedal channel switching/mixing setup?!.
Only two channel inputs, which means that you have to have an extra splitter at the start of your chain, send through the relevent pedal loops, then into the channel mixer.
It also looks like you can only swap channel 2 in and out, so you couldn't select it independantly of channel 1 without bending down and turning the gain for 1 all the way down?!

Si

[mistermark]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1334840908' post='1622173']
The FEA looks nice, but it's not really catering for a pedal channel switching/mixing setup?!.
Only two channel inputs, which means that you have to have an extra splitter at the start of your chain, send through the relevent pedal loops, then into the channel mixer.
It also looks like you can only swap channel 2 in and out, so you couldn't select it independantly of channel 1 without bending down and turning the gain for 1 all the way down?!

Si
[/quote]

True all that Sibob... but still most other options don't have a variable phase control. I don't think people realize how much of their combined signal is being compromised when blending with most of the other devices out there. Phase conherency is a big deal when using two signals in parallel in the studio, and it should be with your live set up. Here is a video demonstrating phase alignment in the studio. They use a 2 mic set up on a guitar cabinent for the demonstration, but just imagine the 2 mics really being the 2 versions of your signal. The end result of 2 signals being out of phase is best demonstrated starting around 2:25:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCtOuhqg7Mk

All manufactures who make any kind of combining pedal should be including a variable phase control.

-Mark