HX parallel effects path?

[Baba]

Help me here. Is there any reason to run an additional, parallel path, in my Helix, for just delays and reverb?

VERY IMPORTANT: In my use case, it is a strictly MONO signal, NO MODELING, just 4CM into an amp, and I only use 1 delay block at about 30% mix, and a long hall reverb at 50%, but only sparingly, (like 1 song). That's it. That's all the effects I use, so, I'm not an atmospheric player, or even close to that.

BUT, I'm wondering if running a parallel path, or running my delays on a 2nd "Y" path and then bringing them back to the main path, before the output, yields ANY kind of benefit at all, for me?

 

[Lele]

VERY IMPORTANT: In my use case, it is a strictly MONO signal, NO MODELING, just 4CM into an amp, and I only use 1 delay block at about 30% mix, and a long hall reverb at 50%, but only sparingly, (like 1 song). That's it. That's all the effects I use, so, I'm not an atmospheric player, or even close to that.

BUT, I'm wondering if running a parallel path, or running my delays on a 2nd "Y" path and then bringing them back to the main path, before the output, yields ANY kind of benefit at all, for me?

The "mix" parameter in the delay and reverb blocks just do that work: it mixes the dry and wet signal according to your choice, so just for that there's no reason to have a separate parallel path for delay and reverb, because it would be exactly the same. BUT if you want to have some other specific effects affecting ONLY the delay/reverb path then it makes sense, and you can build fascinating sounds adding compression, extreme eq, modulation or even distortion to the delay/reverb effects. Just adding some compression to the delay or reverb path can help to get a smoother effect for example.

 

[dk_ace]

The only real benefit over just putting them in the path and using the mix control is the ability to put effects on the delay and reverb that only effect the delayed/reverbed signal.

One other thing you might consider is running the delay and reverb in parallel with one another so that the delay isn’t going into the reverb or vice versa. That’s my preferred way of running them, but I’m hugely in the minority.

D

 

[laxu]

Yeah running delay and reverb in parallel can give you some extra clarity because the delay repeats are not affected by the reverb.

But if you put the delay or reverb in parallel, make sure you set the mix of the parallel block to 100% and use its level (or the mixer where it joins back to the main path) to control how much of it you want mixed into the sound, so only the wet sound is mixed back in, instead of 2nd dry+X% wet.

Just try it out for yourself and see if you find any benefit for how you use it.

 

[Baba]

Yeah running delay and reverb in parallel can give you some extra clarity because the delay repeats are not affected by the reverb.

But if you put the delay or reverb in parallel, make sure you set the mix of the parallel block to 100% and use its level (or the mixer where it joins back to the main path) to control how much of it you want mixed into the sound, so only the wet sound is mixed back in, instead of 2nd dry+X% wet.

Just try it out for yourself and see if you find any benefit for how you use it.