Manley BACKBONE Mastering Insert Switcher 2003 - present - Manual (Page 23)

PARALLEL PROCESSING DIAGRAMS
One term you may have heard over the years is “parallel processing” - but what exactly IS that, you may ask?
When you duplicate a signal path and modify the duplicate in some way (compress it, add reverb to it, EQ it, or use
any sort of processing), then mix it back in with the original, THAT is parallel processing. It allows you to add an
effected sound to a mix (or a submix, or a single track) without losing the character or dynamic range of the original
mix.
Imagine a really great, larger-than-life rock drum sound - thick, compressed, but still punchy and dynamic. If
you heavily compress a drum mix, you have the potential to squeeze all the transients out of it. No more sizzle. It also
loses dynamic range - now the cymbal crash on the downbeat of the chorus is barely louder than the high-hat during
the verse! Instead, try parallel processing. Duplicate your drum mix onto two other tracks, then send those two new
tracks through your favorite compressor. Squash them, beat them up, make them sound gritty and aggressive. Then,
in your mixer - with your original sound up in the mix already - bring up the parallel mix. You’ll hear a weight and
punchiness added to the sound, but you still retain all the transient response and dynamic range of the original signal.
Find a balance between the two mixes, and...voila! You are now a master of parallel processing.
As stated on page 15, the BACKBONE’s MIX/FADE knob can be used to mix the main signal path with
whatever is sent to the “MIX INPUT” jacks on the rear panel. Page 15 discusses using the SUM and DIF outputs to
feed the MIX/FADE knob; in the cases shown below, the knob is being used to mix the BACKBONE’s main signal
path with the the duplicated signal sent to the MIX INPUTS.
Your Favorite
processOr
Your Favorite
processOr
Here, your main BACK-
BONE signal path is the
“wet” signal, and the
direct routing shown is
the “dry” signal with no
processing to mix in with
the main signal path.
Here, the parallel chain is
fed by the selected input
on the BACKBONE.
Here, the parallel chain is
fed by the PATCHABLE
SEND, which can be set
to send from anywhere in
the signal path. See page
18 for instructions on
patching.