Accomplishing a Wet/Dry/Wet Setup with Multi-effects Pedals

Wet/dry/wet (WDW) is all about definition. It’s a 3-amp technique where you route the dry signal (with no effects) to a center amp and the wet signals (left and right) to amps on either side of the center amp. This routing approach allows the guitar’s pristine articulation and transients to cut clearly through a mix, even if it features dripping-wet reverb and awe-inspiring delays. This 3-amplifier method gives more of a studio-polished sound than what is possible in most live venues.

You can also achieve a similar sound by using one of several highly portable and affordable multi-effects pedalboards. While we’re exploring how to get the WDW effect using the Line 6 Helix — a favorite of many Sweetwater employees who play at their own churches — this will also work with other multi-effects devices.

Traditional MethodStep 1: Create Your Signal PathStep 2: Place Additional EffectsStep 3: Add Some GloryManaging DSPExtra WDW FunHybrid WDW with Helix & Traditional Amps

Traditional Method

The traditional WDW approach typically uses a 5-cable method (more on this later) to combine a powerful, dry center amplifier with two smaller clean amps running stereo wet effects. Although you have to have three amplifiers and lug them around every time you play, the sound is fantastically lush.

Step 1: Create Your Signal Path

Creating a WDW Helix preset starts with creating two separate signal paths. Those outputs will be sent to the mixing console at front of house (FOH) via your Helix stereo XLR Out or Instrument 1/4-inch output jacks like other presets. Path 1 is your dry mono signal containing effects you’d traditionally place before an amp, followed by a mono amp and cab to create a pristine drive channel.

Path 2 uses the same input as Path 1. This is your ambient stereo path. It contains effects traditionally placed in an amp’s effects loop, like modulation, delay, and reverb. On its own, Path 2 may sound muddy or washed out, but when mixed with Path 1, the result can be awe-inspiring. The amount of ambient signal is controlled by the Level setting in the Path 2 output block, by snapshot settings, or by a volume pedal inserted before the delay/reverb to preserve trails. Add your choice of a clean stereo amp/cab block, adjusting the delay of one of the cabs by five to 16 milliseconds to widen your sound. Hard pan the dual cabs on Path 2 so that they’re 100% left and right for maximum stereo imaging.

Step 2: Place Additional Effects

In Path 1, add Wah, Compression, and Drive. While Path 1 effects are usually placed in that order, you may find that breaking the rules gives you a special tone — like adding a simple dotted-eighth delay before your drive effect for an Edge-like sound or a Poly Capo to change key. Use mono effects in Path 1.

Begin Path 2 before the cab block with mono effects like pitch shifting, EQ, highpass or lowpass filter, compression, or tremolo. Consider placing a volume control here to adjust Path 2 on the fly without affecting delay and reverb trails. After the cab block, place stereo delays and reverbs. Unless you’re creating a wide, ambient-free drive, there must be at least one stereo effect in Path 2 that’s always active with a Mix setting of at least 50% to 100% wet. All effects after the cab block must be stereo.

Pro tip! Preserve the delay’s pristine ping by placing your reverb on a parallel path.

Step 3: Add Some Glory

Once your WDW signal path is created, fill in remaining blocks with your favorite effects. Fine-tune your settings and adjust tone controls. Balance the overall amount of stereo ambience with the Path 2 output block’s Level setting. Create your favorite effects/settings combinations with snapshots.

Pro tip! Copy effects blocks to your Favorites folder from presets you already like so you can easily drop them into your new WDW patches. Sweetwater’s exclusive Helix worship packages include downloadable song presets designed by Worship Tutorials, along with additional training material and advance emergency replacement.

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Managing DSP

A little planning and experimentation can help you squeeze the most out of your available Helix DSP. Use mono effects before the dual cabinet in Path 2. Snapshots allow you to change settings on multiple-featured effects, like the Pillars overdrive (which offers three distinctly different types of clipping circuits), so you get three pedals for the DSP processing power of one.

Pro tip! Expand the Path 2 DSP by borrowing from Path 1. Place a Y-split on Path 1 that outputs to Path 2, and start adding your Path 2 effects there. Reclaim even more DSP by placing the split after Path 1’s mono amp or cab, and eliminate Path 2’s amp/cab block entirely.

For a better idea of the DSP percentage usage for each effect, check out BenVesco.com’s “Helix DSP Allocations” chart, “Amp Model DSP Allocations-3.50.0.”

Extra WDW Fun

Get the most out of your Helix wet/dry/wet setup with these techniques:

Give your audio technician more control to adjust the wet/dry blend to the room and create an in-ear monitor mix that makes it easier for musicians to hear clearly. Route Path 1 to Send 1, and send that separately to the mixing board.Similarly, when recording, routing your dry signal separately through a send allows you to add new effects processing or to re-amp later.When placing delay and reverb effects in series, put the delay first at 100% wet and set the reverb’s Mix to approximately 50%. Your delay pings will come through with greater clarity.Add a snapshot-controlled reverb to the parallel delay path so you can turn the crisp pings into ambient echoes.If you’re playing legato leads or ambient swells, then experiment with boosting your wide stereo wet tones into ultra-exaggerated territory.Incorporate your favorite outboard effects pedals with a send/return block. You’ll free up additional DSP!You can create a WDW effect on an HX Stomp by using an A/B split block and still have up to five blocks for compressors, drives, and stereo wet effects. These HX Stomp models all include the exclusive Sweetwater worship package.

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Hybrid WDW with Helix & Traditional Amps

You can create a Helix-based amped WDW setup using a 5-cable method.

Output Path 1 through a send set to Instrument in Global Effects. Run that signal to Amp 1’s Guitar In.Route Amp 1’s Effect Output to the Helix Return In set to Line level in Global Effects. Set Path 2’s input to the Return. Path 2 will not need an amp, but you can add a stereo cab before the stereo effects.Route Path 2’s output to the Left and Right 1/4-inch Outs (set to instrument level in Global Effects), and run the Right Out to Amp 2’s Effect Return and the Left Out to Amp 3’s Effect Return.

Our article below explains the 4-cable method. The 5-cable method simply adds one more cable from the second stereo pedal output to an additional amplifier’s Effect Return.

What is the 4-cable Method for Connecting an Amp to a Multi-effects? -…

Pro tip! If Amp 1 has no Effects Line Out, then mic the amp and send that signal to the Helix Mic In. Set the mic to be the input for Path 2. Likewise, the Helix Out can be set to Instrument in Global Effects and routed directly to the guitar input of Amps 2 and 3.

How to Use Your Amp’s Effects Loop

Instead of physical amps, consider incorporating amp simulation pedals to free up the Helix for more complicated effects combinations or an increased palate of tones. Here are some amp-sim pedal comparisons for your consideration:

Compare Amp Simulation Pedals 1

Compare Amp Simulation Pedals 2

For long cable runs with a 5-cable method, consider using a buffered splitter like the JHS Buffered Splitter or the Vertex Effects Pedalboard Buffer Interface.

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Take the WDW Plunge!

Though this article has focused on using the Line 6 Helix to accomplish wet/dry/wet, Sweetwater offers other products that will do the same thing, such as the Neural DSP Quad Cortex, the Headrush Prime, and the Fender Tone Master Pro.

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The wet/dry/wet technique opens up an inspiringly immersive space for worship guitarists. Call your expert Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700 today to get hooked up!
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