One of the greatest features of the HeadRush Pedalboard is the complete set of inputs, outputs, sends, and returns that are free for you to get creative with your routing. Use it to loop in some additional gear and even connect your amp and additional pedals with the illustrious four-cable method. This guide will focus on using the alternative outputs for customized routing and how to set up for the popular four cable method.
Assigning Alternative Outputs
One of the great features of the Headrush pedalboard is the ability to split your signal chain to separate outputs. The Alternate Output setting will allow you to route a copy of the signal from certain points in your signal chain to any output. This is most commonly used to split wet and dry signals to send to different destinations, like separate amps. In this example, we'll send a wet signal to a speaker for live playback and a dry signal to a recording device for recording and processing later on.
- Arrange a rig with an amp and a cab, followed by a delay or reverb.
- Press the
in the top right corner of the display to go to the Global Settings. - On the first page, you'll find the section labeled Alternate Output. The Source option determines at what point in your signal path the alternate output is taken. This can be switched between Amp Output, Cab Input, Cab Output or IR Input. Keep in mind that whatever point you choose, any pedal included before that point in the signal chain will be heard through the alternate output.
Below Source, you'll find the three possible outputs on the Headrush and the option to choose whether this output receives the signal from the end of the pedal chain, or from your selected alternate output source. - To send a dry signal with amp/cab emulation to the XLR outputs for recording and the signal with delay/reverb to the amp/line output for live playback, assign each option as follows:
- Source: Cab Output
- XLR Out: ALT
- AMP/Line Out: RIG
- The alternate signal will now be taken from the output of the cab, which in this case will include all amp and cab emulation while excluding the delay or reverb.
The Four Cable Method
The Four Cable Method is a technique that allows you to place effects before or after different stages of your amplifier. It is generally agreed that effects such as overdrive and compression sound best before your pre-amp, while reverb or delay sound best when plugged in after your pre-amp. The Four Cable Method allows you to do this with, well, four cables! Check out our video and instructions below.
Note: In order to complete this setup, your amp will need to have an FX Send and Return, like the one pictured below:
Connect your four cables as follows:
- Guitar/Bass to HeadRush Input
- Amp FX Send to HeadRush FX Return
- HeadRush FX Send to Amp Input
- HeadRush Output to Amp FX Return
Now that the physical setup is complete, touch an empty effect slot in your HeadRush rig and add an FX Loop block (Default) to your chain.
Wherever you place the FX Loop will determine what effects are sent to the Loop, and which ones are sent to your pre-amp. Any effects placed before the loop will be sent to the FX Loop, while any placed after will go to the pre-amp. The final signal chain will sound like this: Guitar/Bass > Pre FX Loop HeadRush effects > Amplifier Pre-amp > Post FX Loop HeadRush effects > Amplifier Output
Again, the general rule of thumb is to place distortion, compression, overdrive, etc. before the FX Loop and delays, reverbs, modulation, etc. after the FX Loop, but the sky is the limit! Move around the FX Loop block to see how it sounds at different points of the pedal chain.
Note: With more cables, try adding your analog pedals between the FX Sends and FX Returns of the HeadRush and the amp to loop your analog sounds into the chain.