HX Effects patch cables help!

[wildcatstrat41]

So I'm trying to integrate my HX Effects into my PedalTrain Novo24 pedalboard using the 7 cable method with my Humboldt DSM Simplifier DLX, and I'm having some trouble finding info on patch cables that would work with the stacked jacks that are on the back of the HX Effects.  

 

 

The homemade patch cables that I'm currently using are too large to fit between the channels between the exp pedal, send, and return jacks.  Are there any RIGHT ANGLE patch cables out there that anyone has successfully connected to all six of those jacks?  I suppose I could sacrifice exp pedal 1 and orient the plugs for send/return 1 horizontally, but I'd rather be able to use all of the connections if possible with different cables.

[kduck]

I don't have an HX Effects, but I do have a Boss ES-8, which also has the jacks spaced very tight.  I'm using both Lava Tightrope and George L's without any issues routing the 20 or so cables.

[PierM]

Rockboard angled flat. I did some crazy tight routing with these, and they works just great.

 

[Beckybrown]

Hi Wildcatstrat41,

I’ve got the Simplifier deluxe also and would love to know exactly how you have done the 7 cable method w HX effects. 
Can you please give me an exact run down of your exact signal chain? That would be excellent! 
 

[wildcatstrat41]

Sure thing! 

Guitar -> Mono input

HX Effects SEND 1 - > DLX Input

HX Effects SEND 2 - > DLX L Input using provided trs y cable switched to parallel amps setting. Doing this allows to send different FRONT END effects to each channel. I haven't tried panning effects L or R, but I'm sure you could do so using a Stereo patch and panning

 

DLX effects loop send R-> HX Effects RETURN 1

DLX effects loop send L-> HX Effects RETURN 2

 

HX Effects MONO output -> DLX R return

HX Effects STEREO output -> DLX L return

 

The key to getting full stereo here is using the insert cables to connect the DLX effects loop send into the HX Effects returns, and a second insert cable to go from both of the HX Effects sends (TS) into the TRS Input on the DLX. You could NOT do 7 cable method on the original Simplifier because the effects loop send for it was Mono. 

 

Now how you incorporate the idea behind 4 cable and 7 methods is by inserting an effects loop block (mono for 4cm and stereo for 7cm.) All effects placed AFTER the effects loop block will be running through the DLX's effects loop, and everything before will be into the front end. 

[Beckybrown]

This is an awesome explanation - can’t thank you enough. After hours of searching this is the clearest ‘method’ I’ve seen. Thankyou! 
I have one issue - I’m running a HX stomp (not a HX effects) but thought I could adapt your method to fit. I ALMOST can except the stomp only has ONE effects send. It’s labelled ‘STEREO’ - am hoping it’ll still work in full stereo. Perhaps this limitation has me stuck on 4CM. Thoughts? 
This stuff is so much fun but kinda doing my head in! This is my last question..won’t take any more of your time! :) Thanks again. 

[Beckybrown]

3 hours ago, wildcatstrat41 said:

DLX effects loop send R-> HX Effects RETURN 1

DLX effects loop send L-> HX Effects RETURN

So…looks like I’ve answered my own question. 

I’ve hooked it all up as you’ve instructed except for the above - there’s only ONE send on the DLX so that’s in the right return of the HX stomp. 
 

I’ve set up a stereo FX loop in one of the 4CM presets and it sounds like I’m getting full stereo. Ping pong delays are moving right to left. The DLX is in parallel mode and I’m absolutely wrapped with how it sounds. Dunno whether I’m in 4CM or 6CM lol but I don’t think I could get this sounding much better as my starting point!!! Much appreciated:) 

[wildcatstrat41]

Glad I was able to help out! Someone else correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that the stereo send on the hx stomp would work with a trs -> ts x2 insert cable. Just uses a single trs jack instead of two ts jacks as with the hx effects.

 

Now that I've figured out the connections on my hx effects. I REALLY want to figure out how to run different blocks into the two front end inputs on my Simplifier dlx. With the 7 cable method, I understand that placing a Stereo effects loop prior to stereo effects that I want in the effects loops of my amps will result in stereo effects in the loop. What I'm looking to do, in addition to that and just as an example, is the ability run a Teemah and Boost block into my first amp and a Fuzz and octave block into my second amp. Initially I thought that paths a and b could be configured as left and right, but it seems like each path is it's own stereo path, which doesn't help in my case. Essentially what I want is the ability to pan each effect entirely to one side (i.e. One amp) or the other. Seems like as complex as the hx effects is, this should be a pretty simple thing to configure. What am I missing? 

[wildcatstrat41]

28 minutes ago, Beckybrown said:

So…looks like I’ve answered my own question. 

I’ve hooked it all up as you’ve instructed except for the above - there’s only ONE send on the DLX so that’s in the right return of the HX stomp. 
 

I’ve set up a stereo FX loop in one of the 4CM presets and it sounds like I’m getting full stereo. Ping pong delays are moving right to left. The DLX is in parallel mode and I’m absolutely wrapped with how it sounds. Dunno whether I’m in 4CM or 6CM lol but I don’t think I could get this sounding much better as my starting point!!! Much appreciated:) 

 

You are almost there! So the DLX actually has two sends, but it's just packed into one 1/4" jack....same goes for the hx stomp. If you plug a regular patch cable (TS 1/4") into either of those send jacks, it will function as a Mono send. If you plug an insert cable, like the one included with the dlx, you'll plug the TRS 1/4" plug side  into the send of the DLX and that will split into two 1/4" TS plugs, which go into the discrete left and right returns of the hx stomp. 

 

Since your hx stomp has a Stereo TRS send jack and the DLX has a Stereo TRS input jack, you could use a plain TRS patch cable (rather than your standard TS patch cable) to connect from hx stomp send to the input of the DLX. This connection is what should allow running stereo in to the front end as well as the effects loop. 

 

Re:  Parallel mode and stereo effects loop on the DLX... you can get stereo effects loop return (i.e. Ping pong delays, etc,) but unless you're connecting the effects send of the DLX with an insert cable (one 1/4" TRS->two 1/4" TS,) it will actually disable parallel mode bc it requires discrete R and L sends AND returns. It still sounds awesome, but it's even awesomer in parallel mode believe it or not. That's actually what made me opt for putting the hx effects back on my board rather than my TC Electronic Plethora x5 that I had been running, as it only has a single Mono send and return. Check out the manual on the DLX... It does a good job explaining how to set the switches and whatnot for parallel mode. 

 

So here's what you need to do in a nutshell :

 

DLX FX send -> 1/4"TRS end of insert/Y cable, which splits into two 1/4"TS plugs.

One plug->HX Stomp return 1

2nd plug->HX Stomp return 2

 

HX Stomp send->1/4"TRS patch cable ->DLX Input