Chaining Effects

Using effects together can yield combinations of effects that you come back to again and again.

Stereo amplifier stack

Here's a chain of effects that simulates a large stage amplifier for an instrument of your choice.

It uses two Scream 4 Damage sections for amplification and two Scream 4 Body sections to simulate left and right speaker cabinets.

To cable the effects

1.	With a Mixer selected, create a Combinator and label it "Stack." This will automatically route the outputs of the Combinator into an open Mixer channel (Figure 9.47). Figure 9.47. Auto-route the outputs of the new Combinator into an open Mixer channel.
2.	Click in the Combinator device area, hold Shift and create a Scream 4 (Figure 9.48). Figure 9.48. Create a Scream 4 inside the Combinator.
3.	Hold Ctrl (Win)/Cmd (Mac) and drag-copy three more Scream 4s in the Combinator device area.
4.	Label the Scream 4 units "Pre-Amp," "Main Amp," "Left Cabinet," and "Right Cabinet" (Figure 9.49). Figure 9.49. Label the Scream 4 devices according to their stage in the sound process.
5.	From the back panel, cable the left and right Combinator To Devices audio outputs to the left and right audio inputs of the Scream 4 Pre-Amp (Figure 9.50). Figure 9.50. Create a basic audio path in the Combinator.
6.	Run the Scream 4 Pre-Amp audio outputs to the Scream 4 Main Amp audio inputs (Figure 9.51). Figure 9.51. Chain the distortion stages in stereo.
7.	Hold Shift and run the Scream 4 Main Amp left audio output to the Scream 4 Left Cabinet left audio input (Figure 9.52). Figure 9.52. Split the left signal for the left cabinet body.
8.	Hold Shift and run the Scream 4 Main Amp right output to the Scream 4 Right Cabinet left audio input (Figure 9.53). Figure 9.53. Split the right signal for the right cabinet body.
9.	Cable the Scream 4 Left Cabinet left audio output to the Combinator From Devices left audio input and the Scream 4 Right Cabinet left audio output to the Combinator From Devices right audio input (Figure 9.54). Figure 9.54. Complete the effects chain by returning the audio signal back to the Combinator.
10.	Click the Combinator Save Patch button and save your setup as Amp Stack.

Now that your amp stack is set up, you can run any instrument through it.

To connect an instrument

1.	With your Combinator Amp Stack patch loaded, hold Shift and create the instrument you want to amplify.
2.	Plug the instrument's audio outputs into the Combinator External Routing Combi input jacks (Figure 9.55). Figure 9.55. Run an external instrument into the Combinator.

To configure the settings

1.	Enable the Damage section of the Pre-Amp and Main Amp Screams and make sure that the Cut and Body sections are disabled (Figure 9.56). Figure 9.56. Disable the Cut and Body sections for the distortion stage, leaving Damage only.
2.	Choose analog damage types like Overdrive, Distortion, or Tube for the Pre-Amp and Main Amp distortions (Figure 9.57). Figure 9.57. Choose an analog damage type for the Main Amp and Pre-Amp.
3.	Set the Pre-Amp Damage Control at about 75 percent and the Master knob around halfway. Otherwise, unintended signal level distortion could carry over into the Main Amp stage.
4.	Set the Main Amp Damage Control knob slightly lower than the Pre-Amp stage and use the P1 and P2 parameter knobs as your primary tone controls.
5.	Enable the Left Cabinet and Right Cabinet Body sections and disable the Damage and Cut sections for both.
6.	Choose a small resonant body type (A or B) for the Left Cabinet Scream and a large resonant body type (D or E) for the Right Cabinet Scream (Figure 9.58). Figure 9.58. Choose different cabinets for the left and right sides.

Tip

• Though you can adjust the Auto, Scale, and Reso knobs on the Left and Right Cabinet effects for additional tonal effects, they aren't necessary for straight amplifier simulation.