Parallel path to create a more polished studio sound

[ricardo_maia]

Hi,

 

In this line6 tone tuturial video:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOrGHc1-pKg

 

 

Rob Math puts Chorus effect on a parallel path to create a more polished studio sound.

 

 

How does this affects the sound?

How is this different from adjusting the mix parameter on the effect block?

 

Thank you very much for your support.

 

regards,

Ricardo

 

PS: I found that you cannot used the word Speciali$t because the antispam is finding the word ciali$ in the post and blocks it.

[jasdadgad]

 

 

PS: I found that you cannot used the word Speciali$t because the antispam is finding the word ciali$ in the post and blocks it.

 

That is very funny!

 

(Sorry to interrupt).

[vmoncebaiz]

I think you are right, it shouldn't affect the tone if there is only one effect involved.  The mix would control the dry sound vs the effect the same way the parallel pathing would.  Unless the circuitry of the effect itself colors the signal, which it might on certain pedals (I'm not sure), and the guys behind Helix went so far as to model all of that circuitry.  

 

I believe he just means it more like the way post effects are added in a studio setting, where you set them up on separate busses and adjust the levels of each.  

 

Parallel pathing does lets you control which effects interact with each other, and later on in the video he adds reverb and then delays that split.  That could be where the "more polished" thing comes into play.  Not all of his delay trails are cluttering up the reverb block that way.

 

Hopefully that makes some sense.

[malhavok]

He doesn't explain it in the video well at all, but he is right and so are you.

 

Putting the chorus on a parallel path does not create a more polished studio sound. It's sonically equivalent to adjusting the mix parameter. However, putting the chorus on a parallel path and putting something different on the other path can create a more polished sound. For example, you can have chorus on one path and reverb on the other. The chorused signal is not reverbed and the reverbed signal is not chorused. In some situations with some effects it can help retain clarity. I'm fond of putting my delays parallel to my reverbs. This way the repeats of the delay do not cause a buildup of reverb. It's not the "right" way to do it but is one of the right ways to do it.

 

Unfortunately due to videos like this people are starting to get the impression there's some magic sound to putting effects in a parallel chain. It's not "more polished studio sound" just a different sound.

 

Also in this video he never actually puts any parallel effects so the sonic equivalent can likely be achieved by adjusting the mix control of both the reverb and the chorus.