MFX & IFX Effects

[trancept]

So what exactly is the difference between MFX & IFX? My understanding is MFX (master EFX) go to every channel but IFX can follow whatever signals goes to 3,4 or 5/6, etc.

Is that a correct assumption?

Thanks,
Barry

[SanderXpander]

Almost correct; IFX are only applied to sounds that you specifically send to them. The sound goes "through" them in that case, and on the other end of the insert effect (on the IFX routing page) you can choose where the sound goes next (e.g. main outputs or the next insert effect or any of the individual outs).
MFX can process signal from all generated sound or none, depending on your preference. For each sound, you can choose how much (or none at all) to "send" to the MFX. This is why it's most often used for FX such as reverb and delay. If the sound is going through IFX, then you have to set it at the exit of the IFX in question.

It's not set in stone, but generally speaking and for most convenience, IFX are used for processing and actually altering a sound. FX such as EQ, distortion and wah for instance. MFX are more suited when they are set to generate FX that actually add sound - reverb, delay, chorus etc.

[X-Trade]

MFX are like a mixer's traditional 'send' effects. They can't by design be 100% wet because they don't handle the dry signal at all, that instead passes through the 'mixer'.

Insert effects are a bit more like your traditional guitar pedal or FX module.

This is why MFX are more suited to sounds that always have a web and dry element - like reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, phaser - where the wet signal is mixed back in with the dry. The other important point is that you can pass multiple signals to them this way. Handy if you need varying amounts of reverb for different instruments. Effectively you have a mix amount for each input you send to it.

[SanderXpander]

I thought of that as well but technically you can have the MFX as 100 percent wet as well; you can tell a sound to go to "no output", effectively muting it, but still have it send to the MFX.

[X-Trade]

I thought of that as well but technically you can have the MFX as 100 percent wet as well; you can tell a sound to go to "no output", effectively muting it, but still have it send to the MFX.

Yeah that is a handy workaround that I've used before, but the point is to take advantage of the utility it offers rather than to force it into something else.

but yes, whilst MFX have a dry/wet control, the 'dry' portion doesn't actually do anything because that actually passes through the mixer stage. If the sound is routed to 'Off', then dry/wet effectively becomes a volume control.

[jg::]

The diagrams on the various pages of IFX and MFX give you a good idea of where the signal is going.

jg::