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I play in a trio and most of the time I like to bypass my loop effects for a tight, dry sound for definition and responsiveness. However, most of the songs we play have some change, some breakdown where I want a very wet sound to open things up.
I like my Lexicon unit for general utility, but it's matrix for mixing effects usually robs the dry signal of some volume and fullness. Sometimes that works perfectly, but often it's just an unacceptable loss of... balls.
Enter a Rane Line mixer. I asked around and I couldn't find anyone to tell me if putting a line mixer in a fx loop would work, so took a gamble and snagged one. So, now the fx send on the amp goes to the lexicon, where the signal goes stereo to the Rane mixer. Also feeding the mixer is the output of a computer interface - yes laptop in the loop
(laptop gets a split signal from the lexicon insert send, so it gets the lexi's compression, wah, and whatever is patched in before the amp.) This allows me to design crazy fx patches with Reaktor and Guitar Rig, monstrous delay stacks, pitch shifters or anything else you can imagine - even modelled amps. The combined signals feed from the mixer to the amp and its satellite.
Is it quiet? Yes. is it a perfect recreation of the source signals. No. Though the signal is changed a bit, it is not poor. It is extremely close to the dry, but with a little less low end. It's nothing that can't be corrected with eq on the amp or in the loop. In my case, it gives me a different dynamic that I'm able to switch in and out via the amp.
The joy of this setup is the analog mixing of fx, unlike what happens with digital boxes. It takes some listening to find the right gain structure. but the reward is great. By setting the fx, too high, you can saturate the mixer to various degrees for some interesting tones. Conversely, if all you want is a little color, you add less fx in the loop and you lose none of your dry tone.
The Rane mixer also has direct outs for the inputs so setting up other amps as dry or fx satellites is as easy as pluggin in a cable. It's a great little audio tool to have around and now it's the perfect tool for flexibility in my rig.
I like my Lexicon unit for general utility, but it's matrix for mixing effects usually robs the dry signal of some volume and fullness. Sometimes that works perfectly, but often it's just an unacceptable loss of... balls.
Enter a Rane Line mixer. I asked around and I couldn't find anyone to tell me if putting a line mixer in a fx loop would work, so took a gamble and snagged one. So, now the fx send on the amp goes to the lexicon, where the signal goes stereo to the Rane mixer. Also feeding the mixer is the output of a computer interface - yes laptop in the loop
(laptop gets a split signal from the lexicon insert send, so it gets the lexi's compression, wah, and whatever is patched in before the amp.) This allows me to design crazy fx patches with Reaktor and Guitar Rig, monstrous delay stacks, pitch shifters or anything else you can imagine - even modelled amps. The combined signals feed from the mixer to the amp and its satellite.Is it quiet? Yes. is it a perfect recreation of the source signals. No. Though the signal is changed a bit, it is not poor. It is extremely close to the dry, but with a little less low end. It's nothing that can't be corrected with eq on the amp or in the loop. In my case, it gives me a different dynamic that I'm able to switch in and out via the amp.
The joy of this setup is the analog mixing of fx, unlike what happens with digital boxes. It takes some listening to find the right gain structure. but the reward is great. By setting the fx, too high, you can saturate the mixer to various degrees for some interesting tones. Conversely, if all you want is a little color, you add less fx in the loop and you lose none of your dry tone.
The Rane mixer also has direct outs for the inputs so setting up other amps as dry or fx satellites is as easy as pluggin in a cable. It's a great little audio tool to have around and now it's the perfect tool for flexibility in my rig.