Mixing Gain Pedals In Parallel For Ultimate Versatility – That Pedal Show

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Life too short for long YouTube videos? Please see the ‘Interesting bits and go-to sections’ information below.

In this episode we explore the useful and inspiring possibilities offered by parallel gain staging… among various other tangential observances. Most of us are familiar with series signal chains because that’s what happens when you connect any two pedals together: one flows into the other. Parallel is where the signal is split before two effects, then hits them separately and is mixed back together again afterwards. You might think that combining two pedals would produce the same results however you connect them. Well, not so, as we discover.

For anyone asking how to combine two pedals in parallel and what you might need to do so…
The Wetter Box by TheGigRig can do this. We’re not sure about other stuff, but whatever you choose, you need to be able to split the signal before the two devices you want to mix in parallel… then mix them together again afterwards.

Enjoy the episode!


Pedals & stuff in this episode…

• TheGigRig Three2One


• TC Electronic Polytune 3 Mini Noir
UK & Europe:
Australia:

• Boss JB-2 Angry Driver
UK & Europe:
Australia:

• Empress Multidrive
Australia:

• Mythos Argo
UK & Europe:

• Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini
UK & Europe:

• ProCo Rat
UK & Europe:

• Keeley D&M Drive
UK & Europe:
Australia:

• Maxon AD-9 delay
UK & Europe:

• TheGigRig Wetter Box
UK & Europe:


• TheGigRig G2


* Why do we have preferred retailer links? Find out here:


Interesting bits and go-to sections…
- Intro playing: 0:00
- What’s that chord? 1:30
- What are we looking at today?: 1:40
- An explanation of series and parallel signal paths: 2:09
- Cascading gain staging in amps: 4:45
- The Boss/JHS Angry Driver: 6:06
- Dual concentric knobs for the two circuits:…7:48
- Today’s amps?: 8:18
- Blues Driver side of the Angry Driver: 8:45
- Angry Charlie side of the Angry Driver: 9:11
- Blues Driver intro Angry Charlie in series, and vice versa: 10:31
- Comparing series and parallel modes in the Angry Charlie with exactly the same settings: 13:25
- …and then changing the relative volumes : 14:55
- What about different EQ in the two parallel sides? 16:00 (17:15)
- The Empress Multidrive:19:02 (20:38)
- Three modes of distortion in the Empress: 21:43
- And finding a blend of fuzz, OD and distortion: 22:25
- Zoom 505. Eh? 24:45
- Do all pedals sound best with all controls at two o’clock? 26:00
- Using HP and LP filters on the Multidrive: 26:35 (26:54)
- The ‘But can it sound like a Tube Screamer?’ tangent: 30:15 (30:58)
- Are there any states that start with B? 35:50
- Tangents before making our own parallel sounds? 38:40
- The importance of phase in parallel. And indeed in general: 39:43
- Do out-of-phase pickups ever sound good? 42:54
- Another tangent about phase and Mick’s Tele: 43:50
- Tube Screamer and RAT in parallel using the Wetter Box: 45:41
- And some more about phase: 46:40
- Octave-fuzz in parallel with the RAT or D&M Drive: 47:25
- That sound really needs a Strat… 50:30
- And in summary?: 52:16


Guitars in this episode:
• Fender Custom Shop 1963 Telecaster - watch Dan’s video at
• Gibson Memphis 1958 ES-335 - no video yet
• Fender Highway One Texas Tele - no video yet
• Fender American Vintage ’62 Stratocaster - Mick’s video at

Amps in this episode
• Matchless HC-30 with Hughes & Kettner Vintage 212 / Celestion G12M Greenback
• Victory V140 The Super Duchess and V212VCD cab/Celestion G12M-65 Creamback Speakers


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UK & Europe: Andertons Music
USA: Riff City Guitar & Music Company
Australia: Pedal Empire

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