Adding Effects - Alesis X2 Reference Manual

Adding Effects

Effects such as reverb, chorus and delay are typically wired in a loop from an
Auxiliary Send to a Stereo Aux Return (see Chapter 3, "Interfacing Aux Sends and
Returns to Outboard Effects"). There are two basic stages to getting a low-noise,
distortion-free signal flow from an effects device:
1 Adjust the send level from the X2 to the effect device using the channel Aux
Sends, the Aux Master, and the input controls of the effect device itself. This
level should be as strong as possible without clipping the effect device.
2 Assign the Stereo Aux Return to its destinations:
• Aux 1-2, if you want effects in the headphone mix,
• L-R, if you want to hear effects in the control room or record them onto the
mixdown deck,
• A Group (1—8), if you want to record effects onto the multitrack tape deck.
Most complaints of "noisy effects" are due to send levels that are too low and return
levels that are too high. You must structure the gain properly between the X2 and
the signal processor.
Selecting an Aux Send:
First, you must decide which Auxiliary Sends to use. There are six post-fader sends
from the X2.
• To send a signal to the effects device from the monitor section, press the AUX
SOURCE button down. This selects the post-monitor fader signal as the source
of the two AUX 3/7 and AUX 4/8 knobs directly above the switch. In a typical
installation, Aux 3 and 4 are used for effect sends from the monitor.
• To send a signal to the effects device from the channel, use AUX 5/7 or AUX
6/8. The signal source for these two controls always comes from the channel
fader. In a typical installation, Aux 5 and 6 are used for effect sends from the
channel.
• To send signal from the monitor and the channel to the same effect device(s),
press the AUX SOURCE button down and press both 7/8 switches. Use AUX 7
and 8 for a combined effect send.
• It is possible to send signal from the channel to six different Aux Sends
(including Aux 1-2) simultaneously when the AUX SOURCE switch is in the up
position.
To set the level going to the effects device:
1 Set the Aux Send(s) in the input module to about "2 o'clock."
2 Start the signal source(s); i.e., play the tape or instrument at typical levels.
3 Raise the appropriate Aux Master to about "2 o'clock."
Alternatively, you can press the AFL switch of the Aux Master you're using, set the
SOLO level to 0 (12 o'clock), and set the Aux Master to a setting that gives an average
meter reading of "0 dB" on the L-R meter.
X2 Reference Manual
Applications
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