External Devices (effects pedals ) with CTX 700/800

[keroleen]

Anyone know how to connect effect guitar pedals to CTX and what adapters may be needed? Saw a video of this type of set up on analog synth but perhaps the inputs should be same as arrangers?

[Chandler Holloway]

Most guitar pedals have mono inputs, so unless you know your pedal has stereo (left and right) inputs, you'll want to run a 1/4" mono instrument cable from the CT-X's headphone output into whatever pedals or effects units you have. Any regular old 1/4" guitar cable should work fine. You can tell a mono cable apart from a stereo cable depending on how many rings the connectors have. Mono cables will only have one ring on the plug, whereas stereo cables have two. Mono cables are sometimes labeled as TS cables, which stands for Tip and Sleeve. The tip carries the single audio signal, and the sleeve is the electrical ground for the signal. Stereo cables are classified as TRS (for Tip, Ring and Sleeve). The tip carries one channel, the ring section carries another audio channel, and the sleeve section is still the ground.

 

The CT-X has a stereo audio output jack for the headphones (a TRS jack), so if you plug in a mono guitar cable, you're only going to get the left channel of keyboard audio. However, as long as you're not using a tone that really needs to be heard in stereo (like a grand piano, string ensemble, or brass section), you can get away with sending one mono output just fine. Synth pads and leads, organs, most of the EPianos, basses, guitars, solo wind instruments (not sections) are all totally fine to use in mono without losing much.

 

Of course, if you want to make full use of the CT-X with external effects pedals, splitting the stereo output into two separate mono channels is the best way to do that. This will let you add specific effects to one of the two channels, so you could have a synth bass sound going through an overdrive on the lower split, as well as a dual layered synth lead sound on U1 + U2 going through chorus, reverb and delay.

 

 

This video, this thread and the attached adapter guide should help you get up and running with effects and split outputs.

 

I see from that thread that you found the MIDI control banks very useful, glad that it all worked out for you!

 

CT-X700 X800 Individual Outputs Adapter Guide.pdf

Edited October 29, 2021 by Chandler Holloway