# Do you ever run pedals in parallel?



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

The vast majority of pedal users think about pedals as this thing going into that thing, into this other thng, and off to the amp. There are many reasons for that, but I suspect one of the strongest is that nobody starts out with enough pedals to consider parallel chains. Most players will start with one or two and think in terms of what they can add to modify that basic sound. Indeed, even when the pedal presents with stereo output options, few players will exploit that because...well, you need a second amp.

But pedals don't* have *to be used in that manner. Some pedals will mimic parallel processing by including an option to blend in clean sound with the effect (some overdrive and compressor pedals will do this, and to a lesser extent filter pedals). But one's application of effects needn't be confined to only those pedals, or to sticking one pedal in series after another. If you have a splitter and some ability to mix (which could simply be the two inputs of an amp, whether they have separate EQ or not), you can engage in parallel processing, even within the mono universe..

I used to do more of it than I currently do, but I'm still a big fan. So, apart from those who may have things like an Axe-FX or similarly complex virtual routing, how many of you do any sort of parallel processing with your pedals?


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## Voxguy76 (Aug 23, 2006)

I have my pedalboard setup to run parallel paths, 2 channels, 2 amps, or mixed mono to a single amp. 
My signal splits early via an ABY box then into dual effect chains, then back to a mini mixer, out to amp or amps.

Its a very flexible layout, however it took awhile to figure out a few issues (ground loops, switch popping) but now couldn't be happier.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

So what sorts of things do you do with two paths?


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2012)

Not pedals, but definitely blocks in my patch layouts For example:










I have some crazier patches (like a patch I use to cop that watery 12-step phaser sound in Duran Duran's Come Undone) that are less orthodox than that with lots of stuff in parallel.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

One of the things I used to like to do was split the signal, and send one copy into the assorted distortion and filtering units, but run the clean copy to any ambience devices, so that repeats were clean, but the primary signal was more robustly affected.

Personally, the clean+distorted thing has never worked well for me, but multiple parallel overdrives might sound pretty lush.


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## Voxguy76 (Aug 23, 2006)

Sometimes I set them up as 2 channels when running into a single channel amp. One effect path has compression/delay/reverb and the second path usually has a heavy overdrive with no delay. 
I AB them without having to tap dance.

Another use is running both effect chains into 2 amps which is really cool. 
Delay and modulation effect into one amp, then a boost, delay and heavy reverb effect (Line 6 M9 Octo Verb, and Particle verb) into a second amp. Yields some very ethereal sounds.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

GONE


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