Basic Mixing
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cracktactics
- Posts: 126
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:08 pm
Basic Mixing
I havent been producing that long and im still shit at mixing. Im tryin to mix a tune but i dont know what order to put effects in, like compression, eq, reverb, delay etc. Does it really matter? It would help me if i could know what order you guys put sounds through when ur mixing them...
theres not really a rule. it depends on how it sounds to you, you certainly will get different results putting them in different orders. think about what the fx do to the sound then think how the next ones gonna effect that.
big difference if a verb is before distortion vs distortion then verb. gotta try them all and see what your going for on that particular sound.imo.
big difference if a verb is before distortion vs distortion then verb. gotta try them all and see what your going for on that particular sound.imo.
Shift./Onset/Requiem/Gamma/Paradise Lost/Sub Pressure/Gradient/WattHZ/2012/Rottun/Kursed/Betamorph
Soundcloud
Soundcloud
Re: Basic Mixing
FX which add something that wasn't there before, like reverb and delay, should be used as a post-fader send. FX which alter the original sound in some way, like chorus and distortion, should be an insert. "Corrective" FX, like EQ and compression, should be the last inserts in the signal chain.cracktactics wrote:I havent been producing that long and im still shit at mixing. Im tryin to mix a tune but i dont know what order to put effects in, like compression, eq, reverb, delay etc. Does it really matter? It would help me if i could know what order you guys put sounds through when ur mixing them...
Standard rule is, EQ before compression. EQ can mess with your levels and headroom, compression can fix all that (or mutilate it completely). Best way I've found of doing it is to add the EQ first, as an insert, then only once you are completely happy with the EQ settings, add the compression. This way you won't have to compress much at all, and you're free to use the compressor more creatively. I do it this way because I'm really, really shit at compression.
However...
Nah. It's electronic music, it's supposed to be experimental. The absolute most important rule is that if it sounds good, then it is good.Does it really matter?
And there's a million examples of that, like using distortion as a pre-fader send, using reverb as an insert, and so on. Learn the rules, sure, but never be afraid to fuck with them.
Try this..
Found this the other day, might contain something useful...
Putting Your Effects In Order
By Craig Anderton
Over the years, keyboard players have settled on using certain effects more than others. The most prevalent effects right now seem to be equalization (graphic, parametric, etc.), envelope controlled filters ("funk machine" et al, which we'll refer to as ECFs), limiters, volume pedals, phasers, and delay lines (flangers, chorusers, doublers, and echo units). While most players know how each individual effect works, there is still some question as to which effects should precede or follow other effects for the best sound in a multiple effects system.
That's what this article is all about: putting your effects in order. By making the right choices, you'll find it easier to minimize noise and hiss while making each effect work up to its potential...and you'll probably create some provocative sounds in the process.
Our procedure will be to select pairs of effects, and describe what happens when you place one before or after the other. Then we'll cover a possible way to interconnect all the above effects in a multiple effects system. Please note, though, that we'll only be describing situations where the effects are hooked up in series (the output of one effect feeds the input of the next effect). Hooking up effects in parallel is a whole other subject, which we can perhaps cover in a future installment of this series.
Ground rules of effects order. The main rule is that there are no rules, except what sounds good to your ears. Experimentation is the key to success; several of the more "novel" sounds you hear on hit records were not caused by premeditation, but by chance. Unfortunately, though, many musicians don't experiment because they are afraid they're going to "blow up" their boxes if they plug them in the wrong order. Well, the only way you can blow up any effect (unless it is poorly engineered) is to plug an input or output into an AC outlet, or stick an explosive inside the case and light it. Sure, you might get feedback, distortion, too much noise, or some other problem - but you won't damage the box just by pushing a few patch cords around.
A word about patching. Speaking of patch cords, since patch cords are the lifeline of your multiple effects setup, make sure they're up to the task. For best results, use plugs with metal - not plastic - bodies. Use the minimum length possible to get from one effect to the next, and beware of ground loops and similar problems. For a full treatment on the nuts and bolts of patching multiple effects together, see my columns in the August and September 1981 issues of Guitar Player magazine. For the lowdown on how to make your own patch cords, see project #22 in the revised version of Electronic Projects for Musicians.
Now, let's move along to some actual examples.
Limiter before and after equalizer. Here is one instance where the order can make a great deal of difference. First, remember that the purpose of an equalizer is to change the frequency response of your signal, whereas a limiter restricts dynamic peaks to a pre-determined maximum level (the limit point).
Suppose you have a graphic equalizer set to add a midrange peak and little bit of treble boost. If you follow this with a limiter, the limiter will try to "undo" these changes by limiting the midrange peak and the treble. Consider fig. 1, which shows the frequency response we've selected with the equalizer. If the limit point is set as shown by the dotted line, there's no real problem since the peaks introduced by the EQ are not limited. However, if we set the limit point as shown by the dashed line, the frequency response peaks now interact with the limiter.
Here's another consideration: suppose you're playing a chord, and one of the notes lies in the range of the midrange peak. That note will be boosted, and if its level exceeds the limiter's pre-determined threshold, the note will be limited. In the process of limiting the boosted note, however, the other notes will appear to get lower in volume to compensate for the fact that the boosted note is being "squashed" into a smaller dynamic range. This can create a highly unnatural effect.
Now let's see what happens when we put the limiter before the equalizer. First off, the limiter now deals exclusively with the volume level (dynamics) of the signal; there are no frequency response considerations. So, signals above the limit point will be clamped, and signals below that limit point will pass unaltered. This processed signal then travels to the equalizer, which alters it in the expected way.
The lesson in all this is that if you want the equalizer to have the greatest possible effect, it should follow the limiter. On the other hand, if the equalization itself causes a dynamic range problem - say, a response peak where one or more notes overload your amp or tape recorder - then the way to control this is by adding a limiter after the equalizer, with the limit point carefully set so as to tame the peaks without creating any undesirable side effects. Finally, remember what we said about no rules: make sure that you experiment with both possibilities so that you have a feel for how these two units work together.
Limiter before and after envelope followed filter. Since an envelope followed filter responds to the dynamics of your signal, it makes sense that you wouldn't want to limit too heavily going into the ECF. On the other hand, some players complain that envelope followed filters can be too sensitive, where playing softly gives too little effect and playing hard gives too much effect. A limiter can prevent this situation by presenting the ECF with a signal which has somewhat more restricted dynamics.
One argument in favor of placing the limiter after an ECF is that many players like to use high resonance settings with filters. A limiter can keep any peaks caused by this high resonance from getting out of hand, thereby preventing possible distortion further on down the signal chain.
Limiter before and after delay lines. In general, I recommend putting a limiter before any kind of delay line (with some special exceptions). Remember that delay lines have headroom limitations, and that signal peaks exceeding the available headroom will cause distortion. Therefore, putting the limiter in front of the delay line will limit any peaks and make for a better match with the delay line, as well as possibly improve the signal-to-noise ratio.
A good reason for not putting the limiter after the delay line is that any residual hiss coming out of the delay may appear more prominent. This occurs because the limiter is restricting the dynamic range of the delay line output, thus bringing the noise floor up as well as bringing the peaks down.
However, there is one case when you might want to put a limiter after a delay line as sort of a "safety valve". If your delay line is set up for flanging with lots of resonance, those resonant peaks can be very sharp and overload your amp or the next effect in the signal chain. Lightly limiting the output of the flanger will prevent this problem.
Limiter before and after volume pedal. In almost all instances, you want a volume pedal at the very end of the effects chain. In the case of a limiter/volume pedal combination, the range of the pedal will be lessened if the limiter follows the pedal. This could also lead to a noisier sound. Putting the pedal after the limiter not only gives you full control over the signal's dynamics, but if the limiter produces any noise, pulling back on the pedal will also reduce the noise coming out of the limiter. If the limiter were after the pedal, even if you pulled the pedal back this residual noise would not go away.
Equalization before and after envelope controlled filter. Placing an equalizer before an ECF can alter its dynamic response in the sense that if you, say, greatly boost the bass, then hitting a bass note will kick the filter open more readily than hitting a high note. This may or may not be desirable, depending on what kind of sound you're looking for. Patching the equalizer after the ECF preserves the original dynamic response of the ECF.
Equalization before and after delay lines. This situation requires an in-depth treatment, as there are several possibilities.
First of all, most delay lines have restricted high frequency response, especially at longer delays. Therefore, in order to compensate for this you might think it would be a good idea to put some treble boosting EQ after the delay to brighten up the sound a bit. However, this can lead to a problem in that any hiss generated by the delay line also gets brighter, which makes the noise more obvious. Often times a better way to get a brighter sound is to stick the EQ before the delay line. This lets you boost going into the delay, which gives a brighter sound at the output but which does not accent any of the delay line hiss.
However, this patch can create one of two problems in some situations. The first problem can occur if the delay line includes pre-emphasis. A pre-emphasis circuit boosts the treble going into the delay line for the same reasons given above - to make up for the loss of high frequencies which occurs through the delay. If you boost the treble going into the delay on top of the existing pre-emphasis, then the unit becomes very sensitive to high frequency notes, which makes it more susceptible to overload at higher frequencies.
The second way in which putting a treble boost in front of a delay can cause problems is if your instrument already puts out a lot of high frequencies. Additional boosting of these frequencies may cause interference with the delay's internal circuitry, producing a phenomenon known as "aliasing" (this sounds like whistling, tuning across a crowded short wave band, or sometimes just a noisy kind of "grunge". For more information on aliasing and delay lines in general, see my article in the August 1982 issue of Keyboard). If neither of these problems occur, then the best option is to put the EQ before the delay line if the main reason you're adding EQ is to create a brighter sound. If you're not concerned with treble response but are mostly adding EQ to the midrange and lower frequencies, then it doesn't make too much difference which effect precedes the other.
Incidentally, by putting EQ before and after the delay line you can add a primitive sort of noise reduction. Set the EQ going into the delay line for a moderate amount of treble boost (pre-emphasis), then set the EQ at the output of the delay line for an equal amount of treble cut (de-emphasis). The de-emphasis restores the signal back to its original (non-boosted) frequency response, while reducing any hiss generated by the delay line.
Equalization before and after volume pedal. Here you want to have the volume pedal after the EQ so that pulling back on the pedal also pulls back on any noise coming out of the equalizer.
ECF before and after delay line. With the ECF after something like a flanger, the response peaks and notches created by the flanger can drastically alter the dynamic response of the ECF. Sometimes this is an advantage; consider an instrument like the organ, which has constant dynamics. Feeding that signal directly into an ECF produces a more or less uninteresting sound...when you play a note the ECF filter opens up, and when you don't play a note, it closes down. However, patching a flanger in between the organ and ECF introduces signal level changes which trigger corresponding changes in the ECF for a more dynamic effect. With other instruments, though, if you want the ECF to precisely follow your dynamics then patch it before any kind of flanger or phaser.
Another possibility concerns using the ECF with a longer delay line, such as an echo unit. Suppose you're playing an electric piano and have the ECF patched in front of the delay. When you play a note, the ECF will do its thing and introduce timbral changes; then, the echo unit will do its thing and repeat each note. If you patch the ECF after the echo unit, then you will have the repeating series of notes created by the echo unit kicking the ECF open and closed. With this second patch, the ECF responds more to the overall "wash" of sound and gives an effect which is less "specific" than having the ECF respond to each note individually, which is the case with the ECF patched in front of the delay.
ECF before and after volume pedal. Clearly, putting the volume pedal in front of the ECF will alter its dynamic response, and in most cases, this is not the preferred way to do things. However, some players I've known have deliberately patched a volume pedal in front of the ECF so that they could have more dynamic control than can be obtained simply through playing the instrument harder or softer. This again points out what I mean about experimentation - there is no "right" and "wrong", only that which sounds more pleasing or less pleasing to your ears.
Delay lines before and after volume pedal. In most instances, you'll want to have the volume pedal after the delay line so that pulling back on the pedal pulls back on any noise contributed by the delay; but there is one musically important exception to this rule.
When placing the pedal after an echo unit, pulling back on the pedal pulls back on the echoed sound as well as the straight sound. However, if you place the pedal before the echo unit, then pushing down on the pedal puts your signal into the echo unit but when you pull back on the pedal, your initial signal goes away while the echoes keep on happening. This is a popular effect you'll find on a lot of records these days (particularly "dub" albums), where one word or musical phrase is selectively echoed.
A note about phase shifters. A phase shifter has properties which are similar to a flanger, so the comments above which apply to flangers also apply to phasers. There is one unique phaser trick, though, that's worth mentioning. By putting two four stage phasers in series, you'll have a more "randomized" sweep as the LFOs go in and out of sync with each other; also, the depth of the effect will change, since when the LFOs sync up the circuit becomes one big 8 stage shifter, and when the LFOs are out of sync you essentially have two 4 stage shifters working against each other. Try it - the effect is pretty tasty. You can try the same thing with flangers, although there's a good chance you'll encounter aliasing problems for reasons which are beyond the scope of this article.
An order for a multiple effects system. Here's the way I would set up the preceeding effects:
1. Envelope controlled filter. By putting the ECF first in the signal chain, it will respond most faithfully to the instrument dynamics.Note: The Alesis Q20 can use the input envelope as a modulation source.
2. Dual phasers. This seems like as good a place as any to put them.
3. Limiter. This placement is designed to tame any peaks created by the ECF or highly resonant phase shifter settings.
4. Equalization. This allows for alteration of the tonal qualities of the limited sound.
5. Volume pedal. In this case, I've taken the minority position and put the volume pedal before the delay for the reasons given earlier.
6. Delay line. With the delay line last, you can echo, flange, chorus, or double the sound created up to this point.
Note, however, that we have had to make a compromise. Because I wanted to put the pedal before the delay, that could lead to a noisier sound. Ideally, what I'd like to be able to do is reverse the positions of the footpedal and delay line at will...which brings us to the closer for this article.
Position reversal switcher. As I said at the beginning, the key to finding out which sound is best for you involves experimentation. Unfortunately, this means that if you want to compare the sound of Effect A before or after Effect B, you're going to have to do some re-patching every time you want to change the position of one effect relative to the other. This creates difficulties since the ear has a tendency to not retain sounds for very long...which means you can find yourself wondering "was it REALLY quieter with the flanger before the EQ", at which point you re-patch it, and try to remember what the previous sound was like...
Editor's Note: The Alesis Q20, with it's Compare function, can be used when experimenting with different orders of effects rather easily.
Summing up. For some of you, figuring out the right order for your effects will be a chore ("do I really have to fool around with this electrical stuff?!?!") and for others, it will be a lot of fun ("let's see what great sounds I can cook up..."). Yet there's another side to experimentation with effects. Just as practicing your instrument makes you more technically proficient, practicing your effects will not only make you feel more comfortable with them, but there's also a good chance that you'll discover some new and exciting sounds along the way. Many times, that's the real payoff of experimentation.
Special effects can greatly enhance your sound, but you have to give them a chance. So after you've finished reading this issue, why not push a few patch cords around and see what you can come up with...the results just may amuse and delight you.
(Note: This article is copyrighted by the author and used by permission. It is expressly forbidden to reproduce this article in any way without first obtaining the author's written permission.)
Putting Your Effects In Order
By Craig Anderton
Over the years, keyboard players have settled on using certain effects more than others. The most prevalent effects right now seem to be equalization (graphic, parametric, etc.), envelope controlled filters ("funk machine" et al, which we'll refer to as ECFs), limiters, volume pedals, phasers, and delay lines (flangers, chorusers, doublers, and echo units). While most players know how each individual effect works, there is still some question as to which effects should precede or follow other effects for the best sound in a multiple effects system.
That's what this article is all about: putting your effects in order. By making the right choices, you'll find it easier to minimize noise and hiss while making each effect work up to its potential...and you'll probably create some provocative sounds in the process.
Our procedure will be to select pairs of effects, and describe what happens when you place one before or after the other. Then we'll cover a possible way to interconnect all the above effects in a multiple effects system. Please note, though, that we'll only be describing situations where the effects are hooked up in series (the output of one effect feeds the input of the next effect). Hooking up effects in parallel is a whole other subject, which we can perhaps cover in a future installment of this series.
Ground rules of effects order. The main rule is that there are no rules, except what sounds good to your ears. Experimentation is the key to success; several of the more "novel" sounds you hear on hit records were not caused by premeditation, but by chance. Unfortunately, though, many musicians don't experiment because they are afraid they're going to "blow up" their boxes if they plug them in the wrong order. Well, the only way you can blow up any effect (unless it is poorly engineered) is to plug an input or output into an AC outlet, or stick an explosive inside the case and light it. Sure, you might get feedback, distortion, too much noise, or some other problem - but you won't damage the box just by pushing a few patch cords around.
A word about patching. Speaking of patch cords, since patch cords are the lifeline of your multiple effects setup, make sure they're up to the task. For best results, use plugs with metal - not plastic - bodies. Use the minimum length possible to get from one effect to the next, and beware of ground loops and similar problems. For a full treatment on the nuts and bolts of patching multiple effects together, see my columns in the August and September 1981 issues of Guitar Player magazine. For the lowdown on how to make your own patch cords, see project #22 in the revised version of Electronic Projects for Musicians.
Now, let's move along to some actual examples.
Limiter before and after equalizer. Here is one instance where the order can make a great deal of difference. First, remember that the purpose of an equalizer is to change the frequency response of your signal, whereas a limiter restricts dynamic peaks to a pre-determined maximum level (the limit point).
Suppose you have a graphic equalizer set to add a midrange peak and little bit of treble boost. If you follow this with a limiter, the limiter will try to "undo" these changes by limiting the midrange peak and the treble. Consider fig. 1, which shows the frequency response we've selected with the equalizer. If the limit point is set as shown by the dotted line, there's no real problem since the peaks introduced by the EQ are not limited. However, if we set the limit point as shown by the dashed line, the frequency response peaks now interact with the limiter.
Here's another consideration: suppose you're playing a chord, and one of the notes lies in the range of the midrange peak. That note will be boosted, and if its level exceeds the limiter's pre-determined threshold, the note will be limited. In the process of limiting the boosted note, however, the other notes will appear to get lower in volume to compensate for the fact that the boosted note is being "squashed" into a smaller dynamic range. This can create a highly unnatural effect.
Now let's see what happens when we put the limiter before the equalizer. First off, the limiter now deals exclusively with the volume level (dynamics) of the signal; there are no frequency response considerations. So, signals above the limit point will be clamped, and signals below that limit point will pass unaltered. This processed signal then travels to the equalizer, which alters it in the expected way.
The lesson in all this is that if you want the equalizer to have the greatest possible effect, it should follow the limiter. On the other hand, if the equalization itself causes a dynamic range problem - say, a response peak where one or more notes overload your amp or tape recorder - then the way to control this is by adding a limiter after the equalizer, with the limit point carefully set so as to tame the peaks without creating any undesirable side effects. Finally, remember what we said about no rules: make sure that you experiment with both possibilities so that you have a feel for how these two units work together.
Limiter before and after envelope followed filter. Since an envelope followed filter responds to the dynamics of your signal, it makes sense that you wouldn't want to limit too heavily going into the ECF. On the other hand, some players complain that envelope followed filters can be too sensitive, where playing softly gives too little effect and playing hard gives too much effect. A limiter can prevent this situation by presenting the ECF with a signal which has somewhat more restricted dynamics.
One argument in favor of placing the limiter after an ECF is that many players like to use high resonance settings with filters. A limiter can keep any peaks caused by this high resonance from getting out of hand, thereby preventing possible distortion further on down the signal chain.
Limiter before and after delay lines. In general, I recommend putting a limiter before any kind of delay line (with some special exceptions). Remember that delay lines have headroom limitations, and that signal peaks exceeding the available headroom will cause distortion. Therefore, putting the limiter in front of the delay line will limit any peaks and make for a better match with the delay line, as well as possibly improve the signal-to-noise ratio.
A good reason for not putting the limiter after the delay line is that any residual hiss coming out of the delay may appear more prominent. This occurs because the limiter is restricting the dynamic range of the delay line output, thus bringing the noise floor up as well as bringing the peaks down.
However, there is one case when you might want to put a limiter after a delay line as sort of a "safety valve". If your delay line is set up for flanging with lots of resonance, those resonant peaks can be very sharp and overload your amp or the next effect in the signal chain. Lightly limiting the output of the flanger will prevent this problem.
Limiter before and after volume pedal. In almost all instances, you want a volume pedal at the very end of the effects chain. In the case of a limiter/volume pedal combination, the range of the pedal will be lessened if the limiter follows the pedal. This could also lead to a noisier sound. Putting the pedal after the limiter not only gives you full control over the signal's dynamics, but if the limiter produces any noise, pulling back on the pedal will also reduce the noise coming out of the limiter. If the limiter were after the pedal, even if you pulled the pedal back this residual noise would not go away.
Equalization before and after envelope controlled filter. Placing an equalizer before an ECF can alter its dynamic response in the sense that if you, say, greatly boost the bass, then hitting a bass note will kick the filter open more readily than hitting a high note. This may or may not be desirable, depending on what kind of sound you're looking for. Patching the equalizer after the ECF preserves the original dynamic response of the ECF.
Equalization before and after delay lines. This situation requires an in-depth treatment, as there are several possibilities.
First of all, most delay lines have restricted high frequency response, especially at longer delays. Therefore, in order to compensate for this you might think it would be a good idea to put some treble boosting EQ after the delay to brighten up the sound a bit. However, this can lead to a problem in that any hiss generated by the delay line also gets brighter, which makes the noise more obvious. Often times a better way to get a brighter sound is to stick the EQ before the delay line. This lets you boost going into the delay, which gives a brighter sound at the output but which does not accent any of the delay line hiss.
However, this patch can create one of two problems in some situations. The first problem can occur if the delay line includes pre-emphasis. A pre-emphasis circuit boosts the treble going into the delay line for the same reasons given above - to make up for the loss of high frequencies which occurs through the delay. If you boost the treble going into the delay on top of the existing pre-emphasis, then the unit becomes very sensitive to high frequency notes, which makes it more susceptible to overload at higher frequencies.
The second way in which putting a treble boost in front of a delay can cause problems is if your instrument already puts out a lot of high frequencies. Additional boosting of these frequencies may cause interference with the delay's internal circuitry, producing a phenomenon known as "aliasing" (this sounds like whistling, tuning across a crowded short wave band, or sometimes just a noisy kind of "grunge". For more information on aliasing and delay lines in general, see my article in the August 1982 issue of Keyboard). If neither of these problems occur, then the best option is to put the EQ before the delay line if the main reason you're adding EQ is to create a brighter sound. If you're not concerned with treble response but are mostly adding EQ to the midrange and lower frequencies, then it doesn't make too much difference which effect precedes the other.
Incidentally, by putting EQ before and after the delay line you can add a primitive sort of noise reduction. Set the EQ going into the delay line for a moderate amount of treble boost (pre-emphasis), then set the EQ at the output of the delay line for an equal amount of treble cut (de-emphasis). The de-emphasis restores the signal back to its original (non-boosted) frequency response, while reducing any hiss generated by the delay line.
Equalization before and after volume pedal. Here you want to have the volume pedal after the EQ so that pulling back on the pedal also pulls back on any noise coming out of the equalizer.
ECF before and after delay line. With the ECF after something like a flanger, the response peaks and notches created by the flanger can drastically alter the dynamic response of the ECF. Sometimes this is an advantage; consider an instrument like the organ, which has constant dynamics. Feeding that signal directly into an ECF produces a more or less uninteresting sound...when you play a note the ECF filter opens up, and when you don't play a note, it closes down. However, patching a flanger in between the organ and ECF introduces signal level changes which trigger corresponding changes in the ECF for a more dynamic effect. With other instruments, though, if you want the ECF to precisely follow your dynamics then patch it before any kind of flanger or phaser.
Another possibility concerns using the ECF with a longer delay line, such as an echo unit. Suppose you're playing an electric piano and have the ECF patched in front of the delay. When you play a note, the ECF will do its thing and introduce timbral changes; then, the echo unit will do its thing and repeat each note. If you patch the ECF after the echo unit, then you will have the repeating series of notes created by the echo unit kicking the ECF open and closed. With this second patch, the ECF responds more to the overall "wash" of sound and gives an effect which is less "specific" than having the ECF respond to each note individually, which is the case with the ECF patched in front of the delay.
ECF before and after volume pedal. Clearly, putting the volume pedal in front of the ECF will alter its dynamic response, and in most cases, this is not the preferred way to do things. However, some players I've known have deliberately patched a volume pedal in front of the ECF so that they could have more dynamic control than can be obtained simply through playing the instrument harder or softer. This again points out what I mean about experimentation - there is no "right" and "wrong", only that which sounds more pleasing or less pleasing to your ears.
Delay lines before and after volume pedal. In most instances, you'll want to have the volume pedal after the delay line so that pulling back on the pedal pulls back on any noise contributed by the delay; but there is one musically important exception to this rule.
When placing the pedal after an echo unit, pulling back on the pedal pulls back on the echoed sound as well as the straight sound. However, if you place the pedal before the echo unit, then pushing down on the pedal puts your signal into the echo unit but when you pull back on the pedal, your initial signal goes away while the echoes keep on happening. This is a popular effect you'll find on a lot of records these days (particularly "dub" albums), where one word or musical phrase is selectively echoed.
A note about phase shifters. A phase shifter has properties which are similar to a flanger, so the comments above which apply to flangers also apply to phasers. There is one unique phaser trick, though, that's worth mentioning. By putting two four stage phasers in series, you'll have a more "randomized" sweep as the LFOs go in and out of sync with each other; also, the depth of the effect will change, since when the LFOs sync up the circuit becomes one big 8 stage shifter, and when the LFOs are out of sync you essentially have two 4 stage shifters working against each other. Try it - the effect is pretty tasty. You can try the same thing with flangers, although there's a good chance you'll encounter aliasing problems for reasons which are beyond the scope of this article.
An order for a multiple effects system. Here's the way I would set up the preceeding effects:
1. Envelope controlled filter. By putting the ECF first in the signal chain, it will respond most faithfully to the instrument dynamics.Note: The Alesis Q20 can use the input envelope as a modulation source.
2. Dual phasers. This seems like as good a place as any to put them.
3. Limiter. This placement is designed to tame any peaks created by the ECF or highly resonant phase shifter settings.
4. Equalization. This allows for alteration of the tonal qualities of the limited sound.
5. Volume pedal. In this case, I've taken the minority position and put the volume pedal before the delay for the reasons given earlier.
6. Delay line. With the delay line last, you can echo, flange, chorus, or double the sound created up to this point.
Note, however, that we have had to make a compromise. Because I wanted to put the pedal before the delay, that could lead to a noisier sound. Ideally, what I'd like to be able to do is reverse the positions of the footpedal and delay line at will...which brings us to the closer for this article.
Position reversal switcher. As I said at the beginning, the key to finding out which sound is best for you involves experimentation. Unfortunately, this means that if you want to compare the sound of Effect A before or after Effect B, you're going to have to do some re-patching every time you want to change the position of one effect relative to the other. This creates difficulties since the ear has a tendency to not retain sounds for very long...which means you can find yourself wondering "was it REALLY quieter with the flanger before the EQ", at which point you re-patch it, and try to remember what the previous sound was like...
Editor's Note: The Alesis Q20, with it's Compare function, can be used when experimenting with different orders of effects rather easily.
Summing up. For some of you, figuring out the right order for your effects will be a chore ("do I really have to fool around with this electrical stuff?!?!") and for others, it will be a lot of fun ("let's see what great sounds I can cook up..."). Yet there's another side to experimentation with effects. Just as practicing your instrument makes you more technically proficient, practicing your effects will not only make you feel more comfortable with them, but there's also a good chance that you'll discover some new and exciting sounds along the way. Many times, that's the real payoff of experimentation.
Special effects can greatly enhance your sound, but you have to give them a chance. So after you've finished reading this issue, why not push a few patch cords around and see what you can come up with...the results just may amuse and delight you.
(Note: This article is copyrighted by the author and used by permission. It is expressly forbidden to reproduce this article in any way without first obtaining the author's written permission.)
The growth of understanding follows an ascending spiral rather than a straight line.
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