You can connect pedals to a mixer primarily by using the mixer's auxiliary send and return jacks, treating the pedal as an external effect. This method allows you to apply the pedal's effect to multiple channels simultaneously and control the mix of the dry and effected signal.
Using Pedals as a Send Effect
The most common and flexible way to integrate pedals into a mixer setup is by utilizing the mixer's auxiliary (aux) sends and returns. This configuration is often referred to as a "send effect" or "effect loop."
As stated in the reference: "If you use a mixer, for example, you can try hooking the pedal(s) up to the mixer's line I/O as a send effect, and use a channel's aux send to control how much signal is sent to the pedal."
Here's how the connection typically works:
- Signal Sending: Audio signal from one or more channels on the mixer is routed out of the mixer via an Aux Send jack.
- Processing: This signal travels into the input of your pedal(s).
- Returning: The processed signal from the pedal's output is then sent back into the mixer via an Aux Return jack or a standard Line Input channel.
- Mixing: The returned, effected signal is mixed in parallel with the original dry signal from your channels, allowing you to control the blend.
Connection Steps
Connecting your pedal(s) involves a few simple cable runs:
- Connect a cable from the desired Aux Send output on your mixer to the Input of your pedal.
- Connect a cable from the Output of your pedal to an Aux Return jack or an available Line Input channel on your mixer.
Connection Table:
| From Mixer | To Pedal/Mixer | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Aux Send (e.g., Aux 1) | Pedal Input | Send signal to be processed |
| Pedal Output | Aux Return or Line Input | Return processed signal to mixer |
Controlling the Effect
Once connected, you control the amount of effect applied to each channel using the individual channel's Aux Send knob corresponding to the Aux Send you used (e.g., the "Aux 1" knob if you used Aux Send 1).
- Turning up a channel's Aux Send knob sends more of that channel's signal through the pedal.
- The signal from the pedal's return is then mixed back into the main mix.
This method is highly flexible because you can apply varying amounts of the effect to different channels simultaneously (e.g., delay on vocals and reverb on a guitar, both from the same pedal if it supports stereo or specific modes, or using separate pedals on separate aux sends).
Using a Line Input instead of an Aux Return gives you more control over the returned signal, including EQ and fader level, but requires using up a full input channel strip.
Connecting pedals as a send effect via Aux Send/Return is an effective way to incorporate external processing into your mixer workflow, providing granular control over the effect blend for each source.
