The Xotic X-Blender is an effects loop blender pedal: instead of your whole guitar signal going through a pedal in the loop, the X-Blender keeps a clean dry path and lets you dial in how much of the effected, or wet, signal you mix back in with a knob. Xotic describes it as incorporating "pro-audio engineering technology to solve the sonic imperfection some effects produce"1. It runs in two modes, Series and Parallel, and Xotic says it is designed to be completely transparent2.
Where this matters most is with effects that eat your core tone, such as vintage fuzz or wah pedals: blending the dry signal back in restores body and low end that the effect on its own can strip away.
The controls
The X-Blender's front panel centers on a large wet/dry blend control. Xotic says the large control pot allows a wide range of sweeping control over your signal and can be operated with your foot, so you can ride the blend while playing2. EarthQuaker Devices' pedalboard guide, written by Patrick Benson, calls it out as a loop pedal that "has a big wet/dry knob and even a boost/EQ section to really make your presence known"4.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Blend knob | Sets the mix of wet (effected) and dry signal2 |
| Volume | Sets the level of the blended output2 |
| Treble and bass | EQ on the pedal's signal path2 |
| Boost switch | +6dB volume boost, works only when the blend switch is on2 |
| Phase Inv. switch | Inverts phase, for vintage type wah or booster effects whose outputs are out of phase21 |
The phase switch is worth a note for anyone running vintage gear in the loop. Xotic's manual says the Phase Inv. switch is for use with vintage type wah or vintage type booster effects, whose output signals are normally out of phase with the dry path1. Without the flip, an out-of-phase wet signal can cancel against the dry signal when the two are blended.
Series and Parallel modes
The X-Blender has two operating modes, set by how you wire it1:
- Parallel Mode: the blend, EQ and boost controls are active, and the wet and dry signals are mixed by the knob.
- Series Mode: the loop is wired in series with your signal. Per the manual, "In the series mode, all the controls are disabled. The input signal and the output signal are not buffered in this mode"1.
To activate Series mode, the manual says to connect the send jack to the input of the effect1. In this mode the pedal is effectively a straight pass-through of the loop.
Power and connections
The X-Blender runs on 9V DC through an AC adapter jack (DC 9V)23, and also takes a 9V (006P) battery2. The current draw is 20mA1.
Input impedance is 1M ohm (min) and output impedance is 1k ohm3, the kind of low output impedance that drives long cable runs and later pedals without loading down your signal.
The battery option means the X-Blender can run without a power supply, but with a 20mA draw1 a battery will not last as long as it would in a simple boost pedal.
Price
Analog Man listed the X-Blender at an MSRP of $260, with its own price of $230, as of 20155. That is a dated street price, not a current one.
Videos
Sweetwater
Xotic Video
Xotic Video
Questions
Is the Xotic X-Blender true bypass?
Yes. Xotic lists the X-Blender with true bypass switching, so when the pedal is off your signal passes through without active circuitry in the path. In Series mode the input and output signals are not buffered, and all the controls are disabled.
What does the phase switch on the X-Blender do?
The Phase Inv. switch inverts the phase of the signal. Xotic says it is for use with vintage type wah or vintage type booster effects, whose output signals are normally out of phase. Flipping the switch puts the wet and dry paths back in phase so they combine instead of canceling.
Does the X-Blender boost work in series mode?
No. The boost switch gives a +6dB volume boost, but Xotic states this function only works when the blend switch is on, meaning parallel mode. In Series mode all the controls are disabled and the pedal simply passes your signal through the loop.
Is the X-Blender buffered?
In its parallel blend mode the X-Blender runs active circuitry with a 1M ohm input impedance and 1k ohm output impedance. In Series mode, Xotic's manual states the input and output signals are not buffered.
Sources (5)
- XB Manual P1 10-22-09Converted, Xotic Effects USA, 2023
- X-Blender, Xotic California
- X-Blender, Xotic (Prosound Communications, Inc.)
- A Beginners Guide To Pedalboards Pt. 1: Choosing Your Pedals, EarthQuaker Devices, 2021-12-06
- AC-Booster, Analog Man (www.analogman.com), 2015