Putting pedals on to insert/Y-cables

[niftyprose]

Hello guys, this is one of those "Hey, surely someone out there's done this?"-type queries. Can anyone give me any pointers?

I'm going to present the issue in an abstract fashion to avoid getting bogged down in "What's on my board?"

I've refined my setup down to six or seven pedals, all of 'em mono. In the ordinary way of things, I'd string them all out on a stock pedalboard and be done.

However, I'm diverging from standard practice in so far as I'm splitting the guitar signal along two or three parallel, but separate, paths. In a given performance, I might assign the pedals that *aren't* involved in splitting the signal to path i., ii. or iii. "Hey, I'll try putting a delay on the harmony line."

I want to be able to play with the order of the assignable pedals, so I don't want to use switches to handle the assignment. Instead I'm looking at building a small 3x3 or 3x4 patchboard that will enable me to assign pedals quickly using Y-splitters: TRS jack into the board, TS jacks into the pedal input and output.

This is a scaled-down version of a familiar studio technique and I can't see any obvious downside, but I've not been able to find anyone else doing it. Am I missing something?

[le lambin]

I feel like you are describing a matrix mixer? I’ve never used one but I have been interested in them- I believe they will allow you to do what you are describing- splitting your input signal 3 ways and having three different chains of pedals. Swapping between pedals on the fly seems like a pain though- but I could be misunderstanding you. Maybe some advanced signal chain gurus can chime in.

[niftyprose]

(EDIT)

[niftyprose]

Thanks Le Lambin. Actually the matrix mixer is a little wide of my intentions, because it seems to be about multiple *blends* -- I'm into *multiple signal chains*.

Here's a longer account with curly brackets to avoid Tedious Gear Namechecks.

I'm running my {dry signal#1) through {harmonizer#2} and {harmonizer#3}. Now I have three signal chains, each of which can be routed through various {additional effects#s4--7} before reaching amplifiers. The additional effects are limited in extent but highly, ah, *effective*. On one song, I might want to put the delay before the swell on chain#2. On another, it might be the freeze and the chorus on chain#1. And so on.

Since I tend to play with pedal order a lot, I fancy building a small 3x3 or 3x4 panel of TRS jacks and using insert cables to allow me to assign pedals to a given chain and position by pushing in the corresponding jacks. Seems fairly straightforward, but no-one seems to be doing it. The Patchulator isn't so far off, but the BoredBrain guys seem to be into multiple effects on a single chain, so Close But No Cigar.

[oldangelmidnight]

You'd need some way to bypass the loop when nothing is plugged in. Are there switching jacks that do that?
Using the Y cable seems like a workable idea, though.

[dubkitty]

seems like there should be some sort of patch bay that already exists for synths, especially now that modular synths are such a big thing.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

art tpatch maybe?

[niftyprose]

Doc Sherman, would you have a URL for the Art TPatch please? And, guys, can I say how nice it was to have a bunch of people chime in on a tech topic on ILF? (See "stop not posting" thread passim.). NP.x

[niftyprose]

Oh, wait, this is Art who do those tube preamps? Cool, that's a good steer. I'm just reading the manual.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

yes sorry art pro
https://www.artproaudio.com/product/tpa ... patch-bay/
^ just in case this is helpful for others somewhere down the line

not sure if its exactly what u were looking for but they are handy
i got 2 on my desk that i run into various things different chains different channels on the mixer etc etc
so everything on and around my desk can be easily routed and rerouted into my setup without much hassle

also just wanted to add generally speaking just because something has a send and return doesn't mean u have to use them like that
a send is basically just an output
a return is just an input

i dunno u said something above about something being more for a single chain
obv i could be missing something as i'm not super familiar w/ the specifics and inner workings of each device
but i dont think thats true
u just use your sends as outputs and leave the returns open and viola u got 3 (or as many as it allows) separate chains

[friendship]

Following with interest as I've been trying to do something similar with two chains but am simply too stupid to think it through on my own. I was thinking a patch bay too but I've never used one before.

[niftyprose]

For all those ILFers following this thread with bated breath:

I liked both the ART Tpatch namechecked above and the DF Audio Minibay which I turned up myself:

https://www.dfaudio.com.au/minibay

However, neither one quite hits the spot for me. The ART product doesn't have enough insert points. The Minibay appeals because it relies on the insert cables which occasioned my original post, but the makers seem to want effects connected semi-permanently to the back and then assigned to mixer channels via patch cables. I want put all the fx connections on the front panel, thus identifying them as temporary/expedient.

May have to build my own. Grr.

[D.o.S.]

Thanks Le Lambin. Actually the matrix mixer is a little wide of my intentions, because it seems to be about multiple *blends* -- I'm into *multiple signal chains*.

Here's a longer account with curly brackets to avoid Tedious Gear Namechecks.

I'm running my {dry signal#1) through {harmonizer#2} and {harmonizer#3}. Now I have three signal chains, each of which can be routed through various {additional effects#s4--7} before reaching amplifiers. The additional effects are limited in extent but highly, ah, *effective*. On one song, I might want to put the delay before the swell on chain#2. On another, it might be the freeze and the chorus on chain#1. And so on.

Since I tend to play with pedal order a lot, I fancy building a small 3x3 or 3x4 panel of TRS jacks and using insert cables to allow me to assign pedals to a given chain and position by pushing in the corresponding jacks. Seems fairly straightforward, but no-one seems to be doing it. The Patchulator isn't so far off, but the BoredBrain guys seem to be into multiple effects on a single chain, so Close But No Cigar.

I was going to suggest the patchulator, but if that's not want you want, I think you might need to be doing it yourself. You could also try a combination of something like a Tpatch with one of those Klein Bottle-alike signal blenders if you have three set chains? EHX does one, OBNE does one.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

yea dude
always best idea to DIY if u can
esp these kinds of specfic tastes signal routing type things

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

Following with interest as I've been trying to do something similar with two chains but am simply too stupid to think it through on my own. I was thinking a patch bay too but I've never used one before.

drawing a diagram even a primitive one usually helps me sort out stuff like this
help you help yourself if ya na mean


ps man i really missed and and