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7 LEVELING PRESETS
BYPASS AND LEVEL
Block bypass settings also contribute to preset levels. Here are some tips to help you dial in effects so that levels
can remain under control as you bypass or engage blocks.
Sometimes, you WANT an effect to boost or cut levels. Other times, you want the volume to stay very
much the same as an effect is switched in or out. In either case, there’s an easy method you can use
to make correct settings. First, with an effect engaged, set its Mix so the blend of wet and dry sounds
just right to you. Then, with one hand on the block’s Level parameter and the other on its Bypass button
(Push-knob B), switch the effect on and off, making level adjustments until the desired volume is achieved
when the effect is on or off. You can also use a footswitch if one is congured to control the effect.
Time-based effects like delay and reverb are usually best in series with their Bypass Mode set to “MUTE
FX IN”. This ensures that the dry level remains constant (“unity”) when you engage or bypass the block.
Because this setting masks possible changes to your dry level, you should use the Meters page of the Layout
menu to ensure that the level is roughly the same before and after these effects when they are bypassed.
Parallel effects should have Bypass Mode set to “MUTE”, “MUTE IN”, or “MUTE
OUT” to avoid increasing the dry signal level when the effect is bypassed.
Pitch and certain other effects require special consideration. Depending on the particular type and settings,
you may wish to treat them like a time-based effect with Bypass Mode set to “MUTE FX IN” , or you try a totally
different approach with one of the other settings such as “THRU”. Try it and see what works best for you.
The various Bypass Modes are detailed in “The Fractal Audio Blocks Guide”.
PRO TIP: Unless you use multiple parallel paths to prevent effects from feeding into one another,
time-based effects sound exactly the same in series or parallel. Using parallel effects, however, can
make it easier to keep dry levels the same as you switch effects in or out, or adjust their settings.
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