Mixer pedal

[RollingBender]

Anyone build or have any ideas on a pedal size mixer? I want to build something with 4 inputs, 3 send/returns and 1 output.

My live rig consists of 2 guitars, and two keyboards. First, all instruments need to send a dry signal to 3 different vocal harmony pedals (one for me, one for the bass player and one for the drummer). After that, my electric needs to go through my pedal board and then to the amp. My acoustic and the two keyboards just need to go directly to the amp.

Currently, I’m using a little 4-channel line mixer to mix the 4 signals. The vocal harmony pedal signal is just to feed those pedals chords for creating the vocal harmonies. Currently doing that with a couple “Y” cables…pretty messy. The other stuff works ok until I forget to kick off the overdrive pedal when I’m playing the piano.

One pedal I had to take off the board with the current setup was my EH B9. I had used it coupled with a volume pedal on the B9’s organ output but I was getting some weird signal attenuation and crosstalk when the pedal was engaged.

A big full-featured mixing board would do all the things I want to do but I don’t have room for one on my pedalboard.

 

[Skyhook]

Anyone build or have any ideas on a pedal size mixer? I want to build something with 4 inputs, 3 send/returns and 1 output.

My live rig consists of 2 guitars, and two keyboards. First, all instruments need to send a dry signal to 3 different vocal harmony pedals (one for me, one for the bass player and one for the drummer). After that, my electric needs to go through my pedal board and then to the amp. My acoustic and the two keyboards just need to go directly to the amp.

Currently, I’m using a little 4-channel line mixer to mix the 4 signals. The vocal harmony pedal signal is just to feed those pedals chords for creating the vocal harmonies. Currently doing that with a couple “Y” cables…pretty messy. The other stuff works ok until I forget to kick off the overdrive pedal when I’m playing the piano.

One pedal I had to take off the board with the current setup was my EH B9. I had used it coupled with a volume pedal on the B9’s organ output but I was getting some weird signal attenuation and crosstalk when the pedal was engaged.

A big full-featured mixing board would do all the things I want to do but I don’t have room for one on my pedalboard.

Without maybe grok:ing your setup 100%... how about adding another tiny mixer?
Or go 6/8-channel. There are reasonably compact 6/8-ch mixers out there. Still more compact than a full board.

 

[runstendt]

I use a Behringer MX400 mixer as part of my keyboard/other instruments rig. It has four 1/4 inputs and one output and is about the size of a standard pedal. It lets me run both of my keyboards through the same channel on the band's PA system, plus I have two channels left to connect extra instruments such as a banjo or trumpet.

Behringer | Product | MX400

www.behringer.com

 

[JuneauMike]

Here's a handy one that I've been jonsing for for a year or so:

Old Blood Noise Endeavors Signal Blender A/B/Y Pedal | Reverb

Old Blood Noise Endeavors Signal Blender A/B/Y PedalThe Signal Blender provides a number of parallel routing solutions through its use of a pair of send/returns, primary input and output, switching, and volume control.Signal Blender can be used as a:Parallel effect blender3-to-1 mixer1-to-3 split...

reverb.com

But I think maybe what you are looking for is something like this:

Tri Parallel Mixer | Effects Loop Mixer / Switcher - Electro-Harmonix

A powerful effects creation and mixing hub with flexible controls for multiple configurations!

www.ehx.com

Or maybe something like this if you are real adventurous (I know nothing about this):

Saturnworks 4 Channel 4:1 Active Mixer Pedal for Guitar + Bass + Keyboard + More | Reverb

ONE CHANNEL IS CURRENTLY NOT WORKING AND ONE OF THE KNOBS IS LOOSE, hence the low price. Still works great as a 3 channel mixer, my guess is that it would be an easy fix?The Saturnworks 4-channel active mixer mixes four inputs to one output with and volume controls for each channel. While simple...

reverb.com

 

[schmee]

Yeah, a small mixer does it good and cheap. I have an older 4 channel Peavey I got for like $75. Not very old, just not the latest model. The only thing I dont like about it is it uses a big wall wart instead of direct AC plug in.

 

[radiocaster]

You can get a small 4 in 1 out pedal sized mixer easily, some are even passive, but if you want 3 effect sends you'll have a hard time even finding a large tabletop mixer.

You probably need someone to make one. Or possibly use 2 small mixers and run one into the other. (actually never mind, that parallel loop thing a couple of posts up exists, but you still need a mixer for it)

Not really sure I understand...

 

[Old Deaf Roadie]

There used to be plans for a small mixer in Craig Anderton's "Electronic Projects For Musicians". I had an early edition, but do not know where it is today.

 

[SRHmusic]

A small mixer plus one or more splitters before it might do what you need. It's not going to be as small as a single pedal unless you're okay with 1/4 inch TRS balanced or two conductor unbalanced connectors (xlr jacks are pretty big).

I'm actually in the middle of designing and prototyping something similar for a personal monitor mixer. The problem I found with available small mixers is that they don't have thrus or aux busses like larger mixers (among other things specific to my situation). So it was either cobble a handful of things together or build something.

If all your signals are line level then the input buffers are simpler; a lot less gain is required and balance (for CMRR) is less critical than for low level mic signals.

A good resource for circuits and ideas is the ESP Elliot Sound Products pages at https://sound-au.com .

 

[SRHmusic]

I want to build something with 4 inputs, 3 send/returns and 1 output.

But I think maybe what you are looking for is something like this:

Tri Parallel Mixer | Effects Loop Mixer / Switcher - Electro-Harmonix

A powerful effects creation and mixing hub with flexible controls for multiple configurations!

www.ehx.com

This is a cool little mixer.
@RollingBender I'm not sure it has the clean thru's you want?
Could you sketch a diagram of the signal paths you need?

 

[JuneauMike]

You could probably get away with using a bypass looper at the start of the chain as well with each instrument plugged in to the output via a 1/4 jack. Then you are just switching each on and off.