Switchblade Pro Switching Station Review

Useful functionality and user interface--but for amateur use only due to but poor reliability

I've been using the Switchblade Pro in my home studio for 20 months. I've used it to switch between an Eventide H9 Max and Line 6 Helix Stomp via my mixer's Aux Send. First failure occurred after warranty expiration. The rarely used bypass switch became locked in bypass mode. Kudos to Sweetwater for facilitation a repair! The second failure occurred shortly after I had laboriously… read more wired the Switchblade into my new Temple Audio DUO 34 pedalboard. The B-side of the Switchblade stopped working. The problem was a real pain to diagnose. This time, I decided to see if I could eliminate use of the Switchblade and arrive at a simpler solution that met still my needs. I ended up removing the Switchblade from my pedalboard then assigning the H9 and Helix Stomp to two separate mixer channel inserts. The result was simpler and the audio improved. Though I don't currently play professionally (switched to computer tech to support my family), I definitely would not include a Switchblade in a performance setup and expect reliability.

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Mix it up!!

They could make it MIDI controllable to make it better. Other than that, they so nailed this thing. I bought this first and left it in the box. I bought a competitor's pedal with momentary on/off buttons. I had to send it back to Oklahoma to get fixed. I grabbed the Switchblade out of its box and never looked back. The Send and Return connections have mutes so the tails on my reverb… read more and delay always go through. With Two Effects Loops, I can run both loops side by side or press one button and switch between the two. I can also run the two loops one into the other. A/B or B/A and switch back and forth with one button press. For everything that it does, it is a small enclosure. The Tri-Parallel Mixer by EHX is bigger and easier to press buttons with feet but the problem is when you connect all the wiring to this pedal. If you used all straight cables you'd be fine. No one does that on their pedal board though. I used EBS flat cables on my whole board and saved a ridiculous amount of space. They are very solid and i recommend them for boards. My only wish is that I could add/delete my dry signal at will. Unfortunately, i have to bend down to twist it up or down. Great Mixer!!

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Awesome flexibility and construction

This is a great accessory for me. I have Mel9 and a C9 plugged in, and the switch set to parallel. They sound great together for the few times I can really use them both on a song. Having the bypass button front and center is perfect, too. I really love the momentary push-buttons. It's a shame that EHX chooses to put such crappy (push-on, push-off) switches on their individual boxes.… read more Every time a switch one of those, there’s a springy-sounding "clunk" audible from my speaker. 4.5/5 because the buttons are a little close together. I think if the box were an inch wider it would be perfect for me. I'm sure others will appreciate the compactness more.

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Parallel !

What sets this looper apart is the parallel feature. I'm running a Morely wah into a BigMuff in loop A and a Dynacomp in B. I had never been able to run the three in series before without a massive wall of noise, but in parallel it's quiet enough that the Hush cleans it up completely. Key is the Dry knob which controls the level of the signal that gets sent to loop A. This way I… read more can lower the input gain of the Muff, like you do when you use a Fuzz Face and roll off your guitar's volume control and it cleans up. Plus, I still get to run the compressor for clarity, and switch them all off with one button tap...too cool.

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Down with the swirl.

This is a utility box that will solve a lot of signal routing issues. Where the fun begins is creating two different effect chains and playing around with combining them in either series or parallel, mixing their volume levels, and mixing in the pre-box signal volume level, too if you like. I have yet to try all the various ways to twist my guitar signal, but so far my favorite… read more is running two versions of dirt, mod, + time chains in parallel. I'm looking forward to trying this box as an amp switcher. It has internal phase reversal switches, but it does not have a ground lift. Aside from the sound effects rabbit hole, the Switch Blade Pro sounds good. Having individual volume adjustments makes blending easier. I noticed no alteration of my input signal (aside from level changes with knob turns). EHX included a power supply, so that's a bonus. Have fun with this, it's well worth your time and money!

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