Running your pedalboard in series—one pedal into the next—is the standard move. But if you want to preserve the character of multiple sounds at once, parallel signal paths can open up a whole different world.
In our latest episode of Steal It From The Pros, Tibor breaks down how parallel effects work: splitting your signal into separate lanes, treating each one differently, then blending them back together. It’s a studio-style trick that can make your tones bigger, clearer, weirder, and more flexible than a traditional chain.
Using the Old Blood Noise Endeavors Signal Blender Stereo, Tibor builds parallel-inspired sounds from Frank Zappa’s "Peaches en Regalia," pairing a bright, pick-heavy acoustic-like tone with envelope-filter movement and EHX Mel9 textures. From there, he tackles Radiohead’s "My Iron Lung," blending clean signal, octave-up tones, and glitchy modulation to approximate that fractured, digital-artifact feel.
He also digs into parallel drive sounds, inspired by Oasis’ mix of tube warmth and solid-state bite. By blending a Tube Screamer and RAT, Tibor shows how two very different drive tones can combine into something heavier and more articulate than either pedal alone.
And you don’t need a massive rig to try it—there are simpler ways to experiment, from utility splitters and passive boxes to drive pedals with clean blend controls. The takeaway is that parallel routing can give new life to pedals you already own—and help you build sounds that don’t happen in a straight line.