HX Stomp FX Loop and Crosstalk

[dr_ironbeard]

I recently learned about "crosstalk," where a split signal can have "bleed over" effects (changing the volume on one signal will also decrease the other, vice versa). If I'm using my HXStomp with two distinct inputs, immediately splitting to two different paths inside the HXStomp, and also using the FX loop, is this something I have to worry about? I wonder this because the stereo FX Loop out is a TRS, so I'm having to use a TRS > TS TS Y cable, which I believe can introduce crosstalk. I know there are companies like SaturnWorks that make active splitter boxes, but I'm wondering if one of those would be necessary to avoid crosstalk or if the HXStomp somehow manages this.

My simplified path is

Instrument A > L input > A path |> FX Loop Block |> Tip of TRS to TS/TS split cable > Instrument A effect pedal > L FX Input  |> Mixer Block > Reverb & Compression Blocks > Output Block 
Instrument B > R input > B path |^               |> Ring of TRS to TS/TS split cable > Instrument B effect pedal > R FX Input |^

I use both L and R output jacks to connect to my FRFR speaker. I use an expression pedal to "mute" one channel or the other (via the volume of one of the HXStomp blocks), although they often play at the same time as well.

If I need to provide more details, please let me know. Thanks for any help you guys can provide!

[rd2rk]

29 minutes ago, dr_ironbeard said:

I recently learned about "crosstalk," where a split signal can have "bleed over" effects (changing the volume on one signal will also decrease the other, vice versa).

 

Where did you learn this? I suspect that context would be important here.

 As to whether you should worry about it, no. Insert cables (TRS to dual TS) have been around and used in professional sound applications forever.

Just buy good quality cables and don't sweat it..

[dr_ironbeard]

@rd2rk Thanks for the swift response! Most of my knowledge comes from this FAQ page by SaturnWorks, relevant part quoted below:

EDIT: Perhaps this is more relevant to combining two signals, and not splitting one signal. Still, I'm a bit uncertain and hoping to both learn more and make sure my rig setup takes into account these kinds of things if necessary, since it's a bit unconventional.

 

Quote

 

If you just wire two signals together (like a y-cable), they essentially become the same circuit. Being simply hooked together, whatever you do to one side you do to the other. With nothing to prevent interaction between the two channels, if you turn one side down the other will get softer as well. This is called crosstalk. Passive mixers are a step up from a y-cable in that they use summing resistors to combine the signals. This reduces (but does not eliminate) crosstalk. Depending on the types of signals being mixed, with a passive mixer, if you turn one side down completely the other side gets about 15% softer. While you can minimize crosstalk with a passive mixer, you cannot eliminate it altogether.
 

Passive mixers can have problems when trying to mix signals with different impedance. If you’re trying to mix a standard high-impedance guitar signal with a low-impedance signal from a keyboard or MP3 player, for example, the stronger low-impedance signal can cancel out the guitar signal altogether. So while inexpensive and simple, passive mixers work best when you’re okay with some degree of crosstalk, and you’re combining signals that have more or less the same impedance.
 

Active mixers/summers are often a bit larger, more expensive, and require power to function. However, they do offer some key performance advantages. Active mixers and summers eliminate crosstalk between channels. This means that you can turn one channel down without the other channel(s) being affected at all. Active mixers/summers also balance mismatched impedance so that you can combine a wider range of signal types.

Which type of mixer/summer will be best for your depends on your setup, and the types of signals you’d like to combine. Passive mixing/summing works well in a lot of cases, and Saturnworks has provided passive mixers/summers to thousands of happy customers. But all things considered, from a technical perspective, active summing/mixing is the best way to combine two signals.

 

 

[rd2rk]

I think he's talking about summing two signals into one, or splitting a mono signal into two. The Stomp FX loop is sending separate signals to TIP and RING, each of which are going to separate Mono TS jacks. Think of it this way. It's the same level signal as the L/R channels of your CD player send to your Stereo amp thru molded together, mostly REALLY CHEAP, RCA cables.

[dr_ironbeard]

@rd2rk Yeah, I think I agree with your assessment, thanks for helping me think this through!

The only other "knot" in my setup is that I don't actually have separate instruments, but rather it's

Guitar > Compressor > EHX HOG2 |> Dry Output @ 150 ohms > HXStomp L input > Path A |> Stereo FX Block Out (Insert Cable to additional effects for Dry & Wet Signals)
                               |> Wet Output @ 60  ohms > HXStomp R input > Path B |^

Given that I'm using the EHX HOG2 to split my signal, I'm uncertain if this could introduce something like crosstalk (although admittedly that's a question for EHX). It's important to me that these signals are more or less completely independent for my purposes since the HOG2 split gives me "two" instruments, a guitar signal (dry HOG2 output) and a Hammon B3 organ sound (wet HOG2 output + rotary speaker pedal in the HXStomp FX Loop), and I often like to change the volume/mute one signal or the other (but again, I realize that might be out of the scope of these forums).

Thanks again for all your help!

[rd2rk]

Wet and Dry outputs are separate signals on separate circuits.

This cross-talk thing is like the boogeyman under your bed.

Let it go, it's causing you unwarranted agita!

[dr_ironbeard]

@rd2rk

lol, okay okay! :) Thanks for putting my mind to rest! Hope you have a great evening!
 

[cruisinon2]

If you don't hear anything weird, then there is no problem. Not much point in searching for a gremlin that ain't there....