Running two instruments into HX FX (left and right inputs) and out to two different places

[brianhaggis]

Hi all -

 

Sorry if this has been covered and I just can't find it. Here's what I want to do:

 

I play violin and guitar with two different bands. In both cases, I'd like to use the HX FX as my main FX processor for both instruments - in one case, running a violin through it (and out to a DI) and an electric guitar in (and out to my amp). I'd do the same for my other band, except instead of running out to an amp I'd use an acoustic guitar which I'd send to a DI as well. I should mention that I don't ever need to be able to play both at once - meaning, ideally, when I'm using one instrument the other will be muted.

 

So my question is:

 

What's the best way to do this? Can I plug two different instruments into the two main inputs and just route each one through its own set of FX, then out one side or the other of the main outs? Can I set the violin to only come out output L, with the guitar only coming out of output R (Basically "in L, out L" and "in R, out R")?

 

Or do I need to stick an A/B pedal before the HX FX to switch between two instruments and have them both run through the mono main input (L)? I guess I'm just not 100% clear on the routing options just based on reading the manual.

 

Another option I thought of was to stick a Send block into a violin-specific preset bank and run out of a Send output to a violin DI with nothing passing through to the main output (which would go to my amp). I'm just not totally sure how the output of Sends compares to the main outputs - is there a downside to doing it this way that I'm not seeing (besides having to use up one of my blocks for the Send)?

 

If anyone has suggestions as to the smartest way for me to set this up, I'm all ears. One more thing - I need both instruments to be running through the tuner, so I'm guessing I can't just run the violin through a return or something.

 

Thanks in advance!

[jws1982]

Sounds like an A/B before the HX effects, and an A/B after, is the way to go. HX effects wasn’t designed around multi-input and multi-output, but rather more towards pedalboard integration. If you wanted to have both instruments plugged in, and outputs to separate locations with separate sounds, a Helix Floor would be the “one-stop ship†piece of gear.

[brianhaggis]

Hmm. I mean, I'm sure you're right that the Helix Floor would be a better solution, but at more than twice the price I was hoping I could figure out a way to do what I needed with the FX. 

 

It seems like I can sort of do it by running in through a return block, running a few FX and then out through a send block - but that apparently doesn't hit the tuner at all (which isn't surprising I guess). That means that if I set up guitar presets that don't use the return, it'll mute the violin until I select the violin preset. 

 

OR... I just use an A/B box like a normal person would do. I was just trying to figure out a way to make the FX my one-stop-shop for fly dates.

[jbuhajla]

Hmm. I mean, I'm sure you're right that the Helix Floor would be a better solution, but at more than twice the price I was hoping I could figure out a way to do what I needed with the FX. 

 

It seems like I can sort of do it by running in through a return block, running a few FX and then out through a send block - but that apparently doesn't hit the tuner at all (which isn't surprising I guess). That means that if I set up guitar presets that don't use the return, it'll mute the violin until I select the violin preset. 

 

OR... I just use an A/B box like a normal person would do. I was just trying to figure out a way to make the FX my one-stop-shop for fly dates.

An A/B box and HXFX is still pretty easy to stash in a small bag for fly dates, still smaller than Helix Floor or LT. 

[dkerwood]

Is it not possible to specify inputs and outputs? I hoped to run my acoustic through the board (either via Variax or my legit acoustic, but always using the same input) and IR and send it to a DI. Are all outputs global?

 

Even if the main outputs are not selectable, couldn't I set up a scene that sends to the loop output at the end? I played with the hxfx at GC yesterday and couldn't immediately figure out how to set that up.

[dkerwood]

Digging through the manual trying to figure out how the OP's problem might be solved. I stumbled across the"volume/pan" block.

 

Let's say the guitar were plugged into the left input and violin into the right. Could you drop in a pan block panned full left and hear only guitar from the main left output (assuming all effects are stereo)? Then couldn't you:

 

A) create a snapshot where that pan is full right to allow the violin signal to pass through output L.

 

B) assign the pan control to a controller and pan as needed.

 

C) drop in a second pan, full right, and set one switch to toggle between the two.

 

Given that the OP doesn't need to play both at the same time, couldn't he set up a separate scene in which the pan allows the violin "channel" to pass through then send to the effects send (so he didn't need to bother keeping the effects on discreet stereo)?

[Euripide]

see the reply of nerven to my post: it is possible & it works through the "Split Y" as the first module and its "BalanceA" & "BalanceB" parameters. And of course by assigning Path A and B outputs independantly at the other end of the chain signal.

here is the link:

http://line6.com/support/topic/32475-line-6-hx-effects-possible-to-have-2-independent-instrument-lines/