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How many individual pedals can the HX effects handle?


Zerathios
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Hi! I was thinking of buying a looper (switching between multiple pedals to avoid tapdancing) but came across the HX effects.

 

This is my setup:

  • Orange TH30
  • Polytuner
  • Digitech Whammy
  • Fuzz pedal
  • Distortion pedal
  • Octaver pedal
  • Hall of fame reverb pedal (might get rid of this one if the HX reverbs are good)

 

What I'm after is being able to control each pedal individually and create snapshots for turning on/off multiple pedals at once. I also want to be able to control the channel of the amp on the snapshots.

 

Is this doable? what is the maximum amount of pedals I can plug into the unit? I'm really new to this whole thing so my knowledge is pretty basic, but I know you can do the 4 Cable method to be able to have HX reverb/delays after the amp distortion.

 

Kind regards, Jeff

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53 minutes ago, rd2rk said:

HXFX has two FX loops. Each one is either ON or OFF. Individual pedals within each ACTIVE loop can be controlled independently IF they can be controlled using MIDI. 

 

Thank you for the quick reply!

Digitech whammy has a midi in so should be able to control through midi!

I was prepared for some compromise ( getting all those effects will be worth it though).

I was thinking if my idea in the picture is possible?

 

 

 

HX effects setup.jpg

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Does your amp have an FX Loop? If so, look into the 4CM setup.

 

Also, your diagram shows you using 2 FX loops for 4 pedals with nothing between them. Why not just use 1 FX Loop and put the 4 pedals connected in series in the same loop? In that case what you want to do involves a very straight forward application of 4CM, with connections and signal chain as follows:

 

Guitar -> Polytune -> HX FX Guitar In -> HX FX pre-Loop FX (e.g.compressor, EQ, ...) -> HX FX FX Loop Send -> your 4 pedals -> amp guitar in -> amp controls (drive, distortion, tone stack) -> amp FX Send -> HX FX FX Loop Return  -> HX FX post-loop FX (e.g. chorus, delay, reverb)  -> amp FX Return

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If you want your reverb/delay in the Amp's FX Loop you'll need to use one of the 2 HXFX Loops for that. The classic 4 cable method looks like this:

 

Guitar>Helix Input>Effects>FX Loop 1 Block>Helix Send 1>Amp Input>Amp FX Loop Send>Helix Return 1>Effects>Helix Left/Mono Out>Amp FX Loop Return

 

That puts the Orange Preamp section after HXFX such as distortion/overdrive. 

That FX Loop would be Always On.

You could put your Distortion/OD pedals BEFORE the HX FX, use FX Loop 1 for the Orange preamp with your Octaver and /or Whammy in between (before or after) the HXFX and Orange, then put the second FX Loop wherever you want it with whatever sounds best in it. The BOLDED part of the chain goes LAST, after FX Loop 2.

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43 minutes ago, silverhead said:

Does your amp have an FX Loop? If so, look into the 4CM setup.

 

Also, your diagram shows you using 2 FX loops for 4 pedals with nothing between them. Why not just use 1 FX Loop and put the 4 pedals connected in series in the same loop? In that case what you want to do involves a very straight forward application of 4CM, with connections and signal chain as follows:

 

Guitar -> Polytune -> HX FX Guitar In -> HX FX pre-Loop FX (e.g.compressor, EQ, ...) -> HX FX FX Loop Send -> your 4 pedals -> amp guitar in -> amp controls (drive, distortion, tone stack) -> amp FX Send -> HX FX FX Loop Return  -> HX FX post-loop FX (e.g. chorus, delay, reverb)  -> amp FX Return

My Amp has an Fx Loop. This seems way out of my league knowledge-wise haha.

 

I did some sketching.

What I wanted was 2 different real pedal chains (into amp distortion) that I could switch between and then Have a send/return between the unit and the amps FX loop. and last take output into front of amp. This in order to skip out some of the pedal tapdance.

But I guess you'd need 3 x Send/Return to do that and the HX FX only has two.

The Helix seems to have 4 but it's a bit too expensive as I already have an amp.

 

Is it not possible to put the Digitech whammy before the HXFX-unit and toggle it on/off with a midi command tied to a patch/snapshot?

 

 

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48 minutes ago, Zerathios said:

Is it not possible to put the Digitech whammy before the HXFX-unit and toggle it on/off with a midi command tied to a patch/snapshot?

 

 

Yes. You can put anything anywhere you want. See my previous post for how to wire it. Your biggest concerns are: What do I want BEFORE the Orange preamp section, and What do I want BETWEEN the Orange preamp and the Orange poweramp?

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8 hours ago, Zerathios said:

My Amp has an Fx Loop. This seems way out of my league knowledge-wise haha.

 

Check out the HX FX manual, page 9. It describes the 4CM setup. Expand your knowledge!

 

After experimenting with this, and checking out all the FX models in HX FX, you may even decide you don't need any of your existing 4 pedals. The HX FX has alternatives to all of them.

 

For instance, your Digitech Whammy pedal is directly modelled in HX FX. It's called the Pitch Wham. Try it out and compare it to your pedal. Similarly, try the HX FX Twin Harmony (based on the Eventide H3000) as an alternative to your octaver pedal. Experiment with the fuzz and distortion HX FX models.

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I agree with Silverhead. When I first got my HXFX, I had many pedals that I planned to use with it, but once I started getting familiar with the HX's effects, I started ditching more and more 

of my pedals. With the pedals that I still use, I run them into a Morningstar ML5 looper, which the HX controls via midi. I use this with snapshots and it works great.

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Thanks a lot for the replies guys!

 

10 hours ago, rd2rk said:

 

Yes. You can put anything anywhere you want. See my previous post for how to wire it. Your biggest concerns are: What do I want BEFORE the Orange preamp section, and What do I want BETWEEN the Orange preamp and the Orange poweramp?

I have tried a lot of configurations before when it comes to order and what I've found that I like best is this:

Guitar -> Whammypedal -> Fuzz -> Octaver oc3 -> Distortion pedal -> Front of amp

Effects loop [ Delay -> Reverb]

If I configure it like in this picture, is that correct for this?

3 hours ago, silverhead said:

Check out the HX FX manual, page 9. It describes the 4CM setup. Expand your knowledge!

 

After experimenting with this, and checking out all the FX models in HX FX, you may even decide you don't need any of your existing 4 pedals. The HX FX has alternatives to all of them.

 

For instance, your Digitech Whammy pedal is directly modelled in HX FX. It's called the Pitch Wham. Try it out and compare it to your pedal. Similarly, try the HX FX Twin Harmony (based on the Eventide H3000) as an alternative to your octaver pedal. Experiment with the fuzz and distortion HX FX models.

I looked it up and tried to make some sort of schematic I'd like in the picture.

What is this talk about ungrounding the cables to get rid of noise? is that true for all amps' effects loops?

 

I've read that the built in Pitch Wham isn't polyphonic and that is very important to me as I also use it for chords, some big some small. Have they updated it to be polyphonic yet?

Would the HX FX be able to let's say do a timebased interval change in the pitches for digitech whammy /Pitch wham (for example Muse - Map of the problematique) through midi control?

 

My Octaver oc3 pedal also supports some Polyphony and it overdrives beautifully when pressed. Does the Twin harmony support polyphony?

 

I've heard good things about the Fuzz emulation on the HX! some sort of capacitor built-in that they then control.

 

2 hours ago, C4TH said:

I agree with Silverhead. When I first got my HXFX, I had many pedals that I planned to use with it, but once I started getting familiar with the HX's effects, I started ditching more and more 

of my pedals. With the pedals that I still use, I run them into a Morningstar ML5 looper, which the HX controls via midi. I use this with snapshots and it works great.

That's really cool man! I've found it difficult to search for a pedal loop switcher as they seem to be interchange the names switcher and loops! Add wanting midi control of the switching and it gets even more difficult!.

 

Do you just need the Morningstar ML5 looper and control it with the HX effects? Let's say I use it in one of the send/returns of the HX. Can I then program patches/snapshots to control which pedal attached to the Morningstar ML5 looper is on/off? if so, that's something I will have to look into!

 

I see it also has a Midi out, can I plug that into the Midi in of the Digitech Whammy and program the HX to send Midi triggering through the Morningstar ML5 looper to the Digitech whammy?

 

I made another picture to explain how I'd like it.

 

HXFX Setup 3 pedals in 1 fx loop.jpg

HXFX Setup 3 pedals in 1 fx loop with Morningstar ml5.jpg

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No problem. Yes, I think you should be able to do what you've pictured. I'm not 100% about midi triggering the Whammy, but I'm sure someone else will have more knowledge on that one.

 

42 minutes ago, Zerathios said:

Do you just need the Morningstar ML5 looper and control it with the HX effects? Let's say I use it in one of the send/returns of the HX. Can I then program patches/snapshots to control which pedal attached to the Morningstar ML5 looper is on/off? if so, that's something I will have to look into!

 

 

Yeah, that's exactly what I do. I have only have two pedals now that are connected to the ML5 (TC Quintessence Harmony and Way Huge Pork Loin), so I'm not getting the most out of it, atm. But at one time I had 4 connected to the ML5 (all through HX loop), and would turn could turn them all on/off between snapshots, all controlled via the HX.

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27 minutes ago, silverhead said:

You're right about the HX FX being monophonic, not polyphonic.

Yeah, let's hope they can add polyphony in the future! :) 

17 minutes ago, C4TH said:

No problem. Yes, I think you should be able to do what you've pictured. I'm not 100% about midi triggering the Whammy, but I'm sure someone else will have more knowledge on that one.

 

 

Yeah, that's exactly what I do. I have only have two pedals now that are connected to the ML5 (TC Quintessence Harmony and Way Huge Pork Loin), so I'm not getting the most out of it, atm. But at one time I had 4 connected to the ML5 (all through HX loop), and would turn could turn them all on/off between snapshots, all controlled via the HX.

Yeah, Would be cool if I at least could change the program that way but it's just me wanting to be lazy haha!

 

Sounds like the optimal setup for me! do you have to program CC messages to trigger pedals on/off or can you just use the learn function on the HX?

Looks like I have to save up som cash to splurge on this! :)

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That's a good point about using the learn function. That may work, but I'm not sure. I used Instant commands, (and I'm not sure if this is the right way), but I used Bank/Programme -

MIDI Channel 2

Bank CC00 64

Bank 0032 0

Programme - for which ever pedal set up I have in the ML5. 1-2-3, etc.

 

It's best to programme your pedal order in the ML5 first, before you set the HX Commands.

 

Only drawback with the ML5 is you can't swap the pedal order. So It's best to programme your pedal order in the ML5 first, before you set the HX Commands, etc.

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1 minute ago, C4TH said:

That's a good point about using the learn function. That may work, but I'm not sure. I used Instant commands, (and I'm not sure if this is the right way), but I used Bank/Programme -

MIDI Channel 2

Bank CC00 64

Bank 0032 0

Programme - for which ever pedal set up I have in the ML5. 1-2-3, etc.

 

It's best to programme your pedal order in the ML5 first, before you set the HX Commands.

 

Only drawback with the ML5 is you can't swap the pedal order. So It's best to programme your pedal order in the ML5 first, before you set the HX Commands, etc.

Instant commands is probably the way to go! but I'll have to try it when I buy it.

 

Yeah switching the order could be fun, but I'm fortunately pretty satisfied with the order I have so it will work for me. :) 

 

Thanks for the help guys! This thread will be of great help when I get this stuff later!

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