PART I : EFFECTS ROUTING AND SOUND SHAPING

The ways in which the Switchblade can integrate signal processors, audio sources, and audio destinations is vast. Some simple techniques such as series and parallel effects are shown here as are some not so obvious techniques such as multi tap points, isolated group functions, and such bizarre setups as cross fading between effects that are wired in series. Other examples in this section include ways to use the Switchblade's level controls to preset drive or distortion in a preamp. Of course, all applications here can be achieved without touching a single patch cord!

ROUTING: Effects in series

One of the more basic things any switching system can do is string your effects together in series. The Switchblade is the only switching system, however, that has the capacity to swap the order of effect positions instantaneously.

Why swap sequence? With just 3 effects (A, B, C) there are 6 possible ways to connect in series (ABC, ACB, BAC, BCA, CAB, CBA.) All will sound different, and while some will be highly usable others will not. With the Switchblade, you can save time in determining what world's best, and then switch between your favorites at the touch of a button.

ROUTING: Effects in parallel

Placing processors in parallel (side by side instead of one after the other) opens sonic territories not available in normal patch cord land. Take the simple example of a distortion and a reverb. Traditionally, the two devices are strung in series. If the guitar signal is fed to the distortion device first and then the reverb, the effect can easily be muddy or overbearing. Reversing the order can be worse as the distortion is now acting on a complex signal from the reverb.  This results in decreased ability to "play" the distortion and loss of feel.

 
An interesting alternative is to split the guitar signal into both the distortion and the reverb, then mix the outputs together to the amp. The result is "up front" punchy transients, playable distortion, and shiny reverb on a cleaner tone.

If you're using 2 or more amps you can patch the preamp output to one amp and the stereo outputs from the reverb to the other 2 amplifiers. This gives a very refreshing three dimensional sound with plenty of "finger" sensitivity.
 

An additional enhancement is send a blend of clean and distorted signals to the reverb until you have the balanced tone you're after. You can learn more about complex applications like this in Part III, Combination Networks and Bi-Amping

ROUTING: Combination Networks of Series and Parallel

The best combination of effect sounds often comes from combinations of some effects in series and others in parallel. This is evidenced by the increasing number of multi effects racks which offer flexible routing and level management. But you (the illuminati) know that no multi fx box can do everything as well as a combination of devices. You've got a dream compressor, maybe two or thee overdrives, vintage analog chorus, flanger, phaser, then a high tech modeling delay, a state-of-the-art reverb, and a few multi-effects boxes with a few killer presets.

Combining these effects into combination networks allows you to use different configurations for different sounds, so you can go from what works best for your clean sound, to a crunch rhythm, to a funky effected break, to a wild solo, to the most pure beautiful one-guitar, one-wire, one-amp tone as simply as pressing a button to recall presets. And remember, the switchblade's outputs can feed multiple amps, so you can also include in the equation the difference between shining silver clean, dark brown drive, and deep black thunder.

Learn more about combination networks in Applications, Part III

ROUTING: Preamps in parallel

A wonderful way to kick up the "thickness" of a sound and still maintain a very precise and responsive tone is to use two or more guitar type preamps in parallel. Placing preamps in parallel does not simply pump up the amount of distortion as when preamps are strung in series. Rather, it enriches the tone, adding with a greater variety of harmonic content since each preamp is able to send its own signature sound to the amp without being "bottlenecked" by the next in the chain.

Of course, it is also a simple matter to create multiple presets to mix and match tones. You can have one preset to mix preamps 1 and 2 in parallel, another to mix preamps 2 and 3 in parallel, and a third that will blend all 3.

SHAPING: Using Preset Gain Adjustments for Preamp Control

As most guitarists are aware, preamps and distortion systems are sensitive to the level of the signal at their input. Typically, the higher the input signal, such as from hotter pickups, the more distortion. Quite often the "drive" control on distortions is nothing more than a variable gain input preamp changing the amount of drive to the second stage. When using a preamp or distortion with the Switchblade, both the signal level driving the device and the signal level from the device can be set under preset control. With this in mind it becomes apparent that it is possible to boost the amount of distortion while keeping the overall volume level the same simply by having a preset that kicks up the signal level to the distortion and reduces the signal level from the distortion at the same time.

SHAPING: Tuning Multiple Preamps in Series

The benefit to placing preamps in series is that each preamp in the chain adds its own distortion to the output of the previous preamp in the chain. The result is an accumulation (or buildup) of distortion that can be very pleasing since each preamp is contributing to the overall sound. However, the interaction of 2 or more preamps can cause the sound to become trashed very quickly if not kept in check by careful attention to levels of signal between preamps and the amount of distortion that each preamp is contributing. Therefore with the above two paragraphs in mind, it now becomes apparent that chaining 2 or more preamps in series and adjusting the levels to the first preamp, between preamps, and returning from the last preamp, can have a tremendous effect of the usability of the preamps and the number of useful combinations. In addition (using methods described below), it is possible to mix dry signals across any or all distortions in the chain to greatly enhance the variations in tone.