How should I hook up my new HX Effects?

[Gongoozler]

I have an HX Effects on the way to me and I have a Two Notes Opus.  I’m hoping to get some advice for the “best” way to get it hooked up and integrated into my setup.

 

I use the Opus for preamp and power amp sim as well as cab sim/IR loading.  I’ll be using the HX Effects for all my non-dirt effects for the most part.  Lots of dirt pedals in front of the Opus.

 

I’d like to somehow keep a phaser and tremolo in front of my dirt, but I may just have to keep my standalone phaser and get a standalone tremolo to achieve that, and that’s fine. 

 

I was initially thinking about putting all my drive pedals in the loop of the HX Effects and then putting that block where I want it in the chain (after phaser and poly capo for example), but I think I’d lose a lot of character of the pedals by not having them running directly in front of my amp sim.

 

I’m wondering what signal chain makes the most sense for my setup. Final output goes to my audio interface and then either to monitors or headphones.

 

Option 1:

Dirt -> Opus -> HX Effects

 

Option 2:

Dirt -> HX Effects -> Opus in the FX Loop of the HX Effects

 

Option 3:

Dirt -> HX Effects -> Opus (not in the loop of the HX Effects)

 

Option 4:

My initial plan. Guitar -> HX Effects (With drive pedals in the loop) -> Opus. Am I wrong in my fear that this method will rob the drive pedals of their character? Just feels to me like they belong in front of the amp sim.

 

Option 5:

Anything I haven’t thought of

[rd2rk]

I would go for Option 2.

 

Things you may not have thought of:

 

External drive pedals in the HXFX Loop could be too noisy (IMO) due to the small amount of noise added by the Loop.

With "Lots of dirt pedals" you'll already have plenty of noise.

YMMV depending upon the pedals, but that has been my experience.

If you haven't spent much time with the HXFX dirt pedals, try them and compare. You might end up selling the physical pedals.

 

Option 2 also allows you to put your MOD FX before the Opus and your time-based FX after, as would be done in a studio in post production.

There's no reason to further complicate your signal chain with external MOD pedals, the ones in the HXFX are quite capable.

 

Also, keep in mind that every time you go from analog to digital and back you're introducing latency which, even if not enough to throw off your timing, can still affect the "feel" of your rig.

 

More external pedals=more cables=more potential failure points.

 

"KISS" theory applies.