Table of Contents Thank You... 5 What is the Liquid Router?... 5 Operating Guidelines... 6

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2 Table of Contents Thank You... 5 What is the Liquid Router?... 5 Operating Guidelines... 6 Powering the unit... 6 Which MIDI Cables Should Be Used... 6 Care and Cleaning... 7 Installing Expansion Devices... 7 Product Support... 7 Hardware Overview... 8 Wiring Diagram and Considerations... 9 Routing / Switching System Wiring Overview... 9 Un- Buffered Optional Wiring Switches FRONT <- > REAR SWITCH Channel 1 (in) RETURN <- > Channel 2 (in) RETURN Channel 1 (in) RETURN <- > Channel 2 (out) SEND Channel 2 (in) RETURN <- > Channel 3 (out) SEND Routing and RETURN Signal Attenuation What Are RETURNS (inputs)? What Are SENDS (outputs)? What are Loops? How are they Used? Working our example presets How Does Spill Effect Our Loops? Multiple Groups Restrictions When Creating Loop Definitions What is Routing? How is it used? Special Routing Features / Techniques MIDI Volume Controlled (attenuation) Audio Channel Configuration Liquid Router

3 Using the Liquid Router as a PreAmp Multiple Guitar Chains The User Interface Buttons What do the Button Colors Indicate? LOOP MODE: ROUTE / MIXER MODE: Navigating the Liquid Router Selecting Preset Level Quick Menus Changing Presets or Selecting a Preset to Edit Editing Names Main Menu Select Preset Menu Selecting a Preset Editing the Preset Define Loops Menu Selecting a Loop Definition Editing the Loop Definition Global Menu Utility Menu Loading Firmware (Editor and MIDI Implementation) Memory Backup / Snapshots Erasing the Memory Clear/Copy Quick Menu GLOBAL - > PRESET PRESET - > PRESET LOOP - > MIX MODE CLEAR MIX DATA CLEAR LOOP DATA Mode Quick Menu Loop Switch Mix/Route Fade Mute Liquid Router 3

4 Hard Mute Route/Mix Quick Menu Editing Loop Groupings 1 & 2 when a Preset is in Loop Switch Mode Editing Routes (RETURNS to SENDS) when a Preset is in Mix/Route Mode Gain Quick Menu Trim Quick Menu AMP Chan Switch Quick Menu MIDI Implementation Liquid Router Specifications Liquid Router

5 Thank You Thank you for purchasing the Liquid Router. We hope you enjoy the product and have many years of great use from it. With its vast amount of built in capabilities, and a design geared for upgrades and expansion, we hope you find this product meets your demanding performance and/or production work needs. Like other Liquid Products, Liquid Router was designed to be flexible and full featured. As time goes on, additional features and functions will be added. You can expect to receive these benefits for free in the form of firmware updates that can be downloaded from our web- site and installed in seconds. Additional hardware capabilities will come in the form of expansion modules and will plug- in to one of the expansion ports. We look forward to your feedback! Thank you for your support and enjoy your new Liquid Router. TEAM FAMC What is the Liquid Router? Is it an audio switcher? Is it an automated mixer? Is it a multi- channel attenuation controller? It is all the above, and more. There are many uses for the Liquid Router and the complexity or simplicity is defined by how you program your presets. It is easy to achieve simple audio switching control, and it can go all the way to very complex mixing and routing. In a simplistic summary, the Liquid Router is a device that allows the management of audio inputs and outputs. Inputs (referred to as RETURNS) are actually the output of other devices, such as effects units, a guitar, a line- out from an audio device, etc Outputs (referred to as SENDS) are actually inputs to those same real world devices. So for example, a distortion pedal for guitar would have a physical Input and Output. The input to the actual pedal is a send from the Liquid Router. The output of that distortion pedal is a RETURN back into the Liquid Router. The Liquid Router allows you to take up to 16 Returns and Sends, and route them, mix them, or combined them in any way you choose. There are real world limitations to this discussed later, but essentially each preset can have a different route/mix designed by you. There are two fundamental modes of use, selected at the individual preset level. Route/Mix mode allows you to define the exact wiring route for all RETURNS and SENDS. Loop/Switch mode adds intelligence to the unit and allows you to manage loops which you can then switch ON and/or BYPASS. Each preset can define the order of the loops, providing a much Liquid Router 5

6 improved capability over simple hardware switchers on the market. The Liquid Router will reprogram the RETURNS and SENDS automatically. Loop mode also includes the concept of Spills, which allow bypassed Loops to continue sending their outputs (think delay spill, etc ). All of this is done for you automatically when in Loop/Switcher mode. So as you jump from preset to preset, and mode- to- mode, the Liquid Router will automatically re- wire your RETURNs and SENDs to match your programming. The Liquid- Router can be managed using the front panel user interface, the software editor for PC or Mac, or via a MIDI controller and/or sequencer. And entire MIDI implementation guide at the end of this User Guide will let you know what commands the Liquid Router will accept. Operating Guidelines Powering the unit The Liquid Router device does not have a power switch. It will always be on while power is applied. Phantom Power will be supplied at all times. Never power down or unplug your unit while doing a Firmware upgrade. This could render your unit unusable until serviced by FAMC. Which MIDI Cables Should Be Used The MIDI in connector should be used to connect to any device that will be used to control the Liquid Router. Typical devices would include your computer, a MIDI foot controller such as the LF+ Series made by FAMC, or perhaps another Liquid Router. The Liquid Router will respond to any valid MIDI messages as defined in the MIDI Implementation section at the end of this User Guide, when such MIDI message is transmitted using the Liquid Router s MIDI channel (see global menu section for setting this value). The MIDI IN connector also carries phantom power (12V 1000ma Min) via the top two pins (6/7). DO NOT connect a 7 pin cable between the Liquid- Router and any device not capable of accepting the phantom power as 6 Liquid Router

7 indicated above. Phantom Power is ALWAYS ON when the unit is powered. For non- conforming devices, please use a standard 5 pin MIDI cable The MIDI Out port by default will function as a MIDI SEND only. This means that only data transmitted from the Liquid Router itself will be sent. The MIDI out port can be changed to act as MIDI THRU (transmit a copy of the data received from the MIDI IN connector) by the MIDI THRU setting found on the Global menu. Care and Cleaning NEVER CLEAN THE UNIT WHILE IT IS POWERED ON. Do not use solvents to clean the front or back panel of the unit. A lightly damp (water only) cloth can be used. A soft cloth is recommended, as the LCD screen will scratch if rubbed with an abrasive material. DO NOT use liquids around the unit and do not pour water, solvents or any other type of liquids on the unit. Yes, it is a Liquid Router- but it is not tolerant of Liquids! Go figure. Installing Expansion Devices Always connect expansion devices while the power is off on all units involved. Each device interconnection might have a different installation setup guide. Please seek guidance with the expansion modules user guide for specific instructions. If connecting a LF+ Series MIDI Controller (such as the LF+ JR , or PRO+), make sure NET- END device is turned ON (default). Make sure Global expander setting is set to (LF+ Processed). Make sure your LF+ MIDI Controller is using V1.87+ Firmware. Product Support I know, we don t read user guides. In fact, in writing this user guide, it is assumed no one will read this very paragraph. Kind of like asking if a tree makes noise when it falls and no one is around! Should you have questions or issues, please start by referring to this user guide for basic operating information. Also, check for the latest firmware, user guide updates, video tutorials and access to the user forums. If your questions are still unanswered, feel free to fill out a trouble ticket on the web and we will provide an answer as soon as possible. Liquid Router 7

8 Hardware Overview (1) LCD Display (2) 16 Multi- Color Interface Buttons (3) Chan 1 Front Input (Return) (4) 16 (Return) Channels (5) 16 (Send) Channels (9) MIDI (7) 2 Expansion in/out/thru/ Ports (8) USB phantom power (6) 4 Independent AMP switch Channels (10)90-240V AC INPUT (3) Channel 1 input (RETURN) source will be the front panel connection when it is used. With nothing inserted in the front panel, the rear input will become the RETURN Source. A global setting (with preset overrides) allows for an un- buffered connection between the front panel and rear- panel CHAN1 RETURNs- basically connecting them together as inputs, pass- throughs, etc. (4) Channels 1,2,7: accepts Hi- Z inputs. Chan 1-16 accepts Lo- Z inputs. Global settings allow you to route RETURN Chan1 to SEND Chan 2 un- buffered, RETURN Chan2 can route to SEND 3 un- buffered. RETURN1 can route to RETURN 2 un- buffered. Channels 3-16 have Trim control. (5) Channels 7-14 are balanced outputs when TRS cable is used, Channels 1-16 can be unbalanced outputs SENDS 7-14 have Gain control. (7) Expansion connectors allow interconnection of multiple A- 16 units as well as LF+ Series MIDI Foot Controllers. When LF+ MIDI Controller is connected, power and MIDI communications are transferred back and fourth. (9) MIDI IN connector has Phantom Power 1000ma) available. MIDI out connector has software selectable MIDI THRU. 8 Liquid Router

9 Wiring Diagram and Considerations Routing / Switching System Wiring Overview Below is an illustration of the wiring diagram for the Liquid Router. There are four user controlled un- buffered wire route switches that can be turned on for custom routing of certain signals. See Un- buffered Wiring Description section below for details. With all un- buffered switches turned off, all RETURN s are wired directly to the Analog Mixer / Routing and Loop Engine (post the Trim control on certain channels), and SENDS are wired directly from output blocks. Liquid Router 9

10 Un- Buffered Optional Wiring Switches FRONT <- > REAR SWITCH By default, if an input is connected to the front panel input, it will automatically become the source for RETURN Channel 1. Without an input connected to the front panel, The source connected to RETURN Channel 1 on the rear panel will become the source to the Router. If the Front<- >Rear optional switch is turned ON, then the Front Panel source is connected directly to the Rear Panel Source and they act as if they were wired together in an un- buffered form. This could allow the rear- panel to be used as a source Thru as the example above shows. 10 Liquid Router

11 Channel 1 (in) RETURN <- > Channel 2 (in) RETURN By default, all inputs (RETURNS) are routed 1:1 into the mixer/router engine using an FAMC unity buffer. There maybe a need or desire to interconnect RETURN 1 and RETURN 2 prior to the buffering step. Should this be needed or desired, you can turn the CHAN 1 in <- > CHAN 2 in switch ON. This will connect the two input channel sources together prior to the buffering of the router as if they were physically tied together with wire. This can allow complex input scenarios, it could also allow one of the RETURNS to act like a SEND or Pass- Through as well. A splitter of sorts without the prior to the buffering stage. Liquid Router 11

12 Channel 1 (in) RETURN <- > Channel 2 (out) SEND By default, all inputs (RETURNS) are routed 1:1 into the mixer/router engine using an FAMC unity buffer. There maybe a need or desire to interconnect RETURN 1 and SEND 2 prior to the buffering, and while bypassing the mixer/router completely. Should this be needed or desired, you can turn the CHAN 1 in <- > CHAN 2 out switch ON. This will connect the input channel source of Channel 1 RETURN to the SEND Channel 2 Jack as if they were physically tied together with wire. An example usage of this would be if you had a WAH or other effects device that is sensitive to the input impedance. When the WAH is used, you could have the preset flip this switch and route the Guitar directly to the WAH s input. When this switch is turned on, the mixer/router output to SEND Channel 2 is ignored and not passed to the output. 12 Liquid Router

13 Channel 2 (in) RETURN <- > Channel 3 (out) SEND By default, all inputs (RETURNS) are routed 1:1 into the mixer/router engine using an FAMC unity buffer. There maybe a need or desire to interconnect RETURN 2 and SEND 3 prior to the buffering, and while bypassing the mixer/router completely. Should this be needed or desired, you can turn the CHAN 2 in <- > CHAN 3 out switch ON. This will connect the input channel source of Channel 2 RETURN to the SEND Channel 3 Jack as if they were physically tied together with wire. An example usage of this would be if you had a WAH or other effects device that is sensitive to the input impedance. When the WAH is used, you could have the preset flip this switch and route the Guitar directly to the WAH s input. When this switch is turned on, the mixer/router output to SEND Channel 3 is ignored and not passed to the output. Liquid Router 13

14 Routing and RETURN Signal Attenuation The Liquid Router was designed from the ground up to be a purely analog audio system. There are no digital conversions (A/D or D/A) made within the unit which would dramatically colorize, modify the tone and/or otherwise negatively shape the pristine audio inputs. While audio can be mixed or routed in any conceivable matrix of 16x16 inputs/outputs, it s important to realize the real world implications of certain configurations. In particular, the most important signal routing warning would be that because the system is fully analog, there will be attenuation compensation required for RETURNS that are routed to more then one SEND at a time. For instance, in a scenario whereby RETURN channel 1 is routed to SEND Channel 1 and 2, the output from RETURN 1 will be a lowering of input level to each SEND. The attenuation level will be directly related to the number of SENDS it routes too at a given time. With the above information, it may make sense to plan accordingly. Use SEND channels 7-14 to place device SENDS that will frequently attach to RETURNS that are connected to multiple SENDS at the same time. Why? Because the Gain controls will allow you to increase the overall volume above unity on those channels. This will allow you to compensate completely for RETURN attenuation when connecting too two or three SENDS. AMP Channel Switch Connector AMP Pins CHAN 1 3 / / / / 6 14 Liquid Router

15 What Are RETURNS (inputs)? There are 16 RETURN channels, each of which represents an audio source that is coming into the Liquid Router. Why are audio inputs into the Liquid Router called RETURNS? Commonly audio equipment has Send/Return ports that allow an audio source (effects unit, synth, amp, etc ) to send an audio signal to a device, and then modify that signal and return the audio back to a device. The Liquid Router utilizes this same concept. In the Liquid- Router, audio sources can be just about any device within a 24V signal range. Most devices should be peak more than 3Vpp (6V total). Care should be taken when arranging your RETURNS. Place your HI impedance sources (like the output of your guitar) to each channel 1,2 or 7. Low impedance sources can connect to any of the 16 channels. In the example below, the output of a guitar effects unit is connected to RETURN channel 5. The Fuzz effect now has an audio source of RETURN 5. Liquid Router Effect Liquid Router 15

16 What Are SENDS (outputs)? There are 16 SEND channels, each of which represents an audio source that is going from the Liquid Router. Why is audio that is coming from the Liquid Router called a SEND? Commonly audio equipment has Send/Return ports that allow an audio source (effects unit, synth, amp, etc ) to send an audio signal to a device, and then modify that signal and return the audio back to a device. The Liquid Router utilizes this same concept. In the Liquid- Router, audio from any of its RETURNS can be routed to any of its SENDS. The output level of a SEND is equivalent to all of the audio sources routing to it (as modified by the gain setting if applied). Care should be taken when sending audio to a SEND. You need to make sure you adjust your gain/attenuation so that you do not exceed the input capability of the device receiving the audio signal. Clipping will occur otherwise. Damage could occur as well should you send a very hot signal to a device that can t handle the input levels. Sends can be transmitted in a Balanced or unbalanced form. See hardware description for details on channels outputs. In the example below, the output of SEND channel 3 is delivered to the input of the Fuzz effect. Liquid Router 16 Liquid Router Effect

17 What are Loops? How are they Used? A loop in its simplest form is a pairing of a SEND channel (output audio from the Liquid Router) to a RETURN channel (input audio source). By creating a Loops, we can use Loop/Switcher mode to program the Liquid Router to arrange the Loops in any order we choose at a preset level. Once loops are placed in a group, the user can turn ON or BYPASS a loop at any time. The Liquid Router will then automatically re- wire your loops and continue the audio chain as you would expect. Lets create two presets to illustrate the basics of loops. First we define the loop order, and then discuss the outcomes of this programming on the next page: Lets say Preset 001 is set with Group 1 programmed as follows: GROUP1: 01 GTR in 02 Loop 5 03 Loop 7 04 Loop 6 RETURN CHANNEL 5 SEND CHANNEL 5 RETURN CHANNEL 7 SEND CHANNEL 7 RETURN CHANNEL 6 SEND CHANNEL 6 Lets further say the Preset 002 is set with Group 1: GROUP1: 01 GTR in 02 Loop 7 03 Loop 6 04 Loop 5 RETURN CHANNEL 7 SEND CHANNEL 7 RETURN CHANNEL 6 RETURN CHANNEL 5 SEND CHANNEL 6 SEND CHANNEL 5 Liquid Router 17

18 Working our example presets When we trigger preset 001, the loop/switcher engine will wire the router so that the Output of GTR in will go to the input of the FUZZ. The output of loop 5 (FUZZ) will go to the input of loop 7 (PHASE SHIFT). The output of the Phase shift will go to the input of loop6 (DISTORTION). If we were to bypass say Channel 7 (Phase shift), the Liquid Router will automatically rewire (in real- time) connections such that the Output of Channel 5 (FUZZ) will now go to the input of channel 6 (DISTORTION). Effectively the Phase shift will have been removed from the chain. If the user changes the loop from BYPASS to ON, then it will be rewired in automatically. If on the other hand, we changed from preset 001, to preset 002. The Liquid Router will notice that Group1 has a different looping order. The router will automatically rewire the loops in the order it was programmed. In the case of preset 002, that order would be Guitar to Phase shift, to Distortion, to Fuzz. This would not be a pleasant sounding preset I am guessing (some humor helps). So in summary, creating loop definitions will allow us to define the SEND/RETURN pairs. We can then program our presets (if different from the default settings), into a group order that we are seeking. This can come in use when we are auditioning sounds, or when we would like to hear how a certain effects order modifies our sound. It could be to re- amp a signal. It could be to split outputs to different amplifiers. There are so many uses and reasons you will come up with your own. For those who do not change ordering all that much- no problem. Use the default settings you create and go from there. How Does Spill Effect Our Loops? Lets assume for a second that our phase shift (loop 7) happens to be a delay. Lets also assume that when we turn the delay off (bypass), we still want the output of the delay (its tails and repeats) to continue to play through. Then how would we do that? Obviously if we just bypass and re- wire, the sound of the delay will simply be cut out. This is where spill comes in. When a loop is programmed with Spill on, its output will continue to be a source of input to the next active effect in the Groups chain. So not only will the re- wiring take place, but all of the spills will continue to play through as well. Very simple- and very powerful. 18 Liquid Router

19 Multiple Groups Why have two groups available? What advantage is there to having two separate groups of loops? A quick answer would be to ask you to think about Stereo loops. One set of devices for the Left channel, and one for the right. But what about amps? What if we wanted to manage a handful of effects for one amp, and another for a second amp? However, it gets more complicated (I mean flexible) then that. Keep in mind that Loop Definitions can be ANY pair of SEND/RETURNS. While this can be a problem if you create an infinite loop (that would cause some terrible feedback, clipping and worse!), but it is plausible to leak a signal using a loop definition between the two groups, all the while keeping the audio chain separate from a processing standpoint. You will come up with a lot of uses, but most importantly it is there because one day you may want it. Your production or Rig environment will require the idea of splitting the unit into separate audio switchers. In fact, it s like having two switchers for the price of one! And there is no set definition of how many loops each group can use at a given time. They can both have as many or as few as you need for the preset in question! Keeping in mind the fact that you really only have sixteen (16) channel in total to work with. Restrictions When Creating Loop Definitions The fact is there are none. This can be a blessing and a problem. You could define Loop 01 to pair channel 1 SEND with channel 1 RETURN. You could create another Loop Definition (Loop 02) that pairs channel 5 SEND with channel 1 RETURN. And you could create one more Loop Definition (Loop 03) that pairs channel 7 SEND with channel 2 RETURN. Notice the circular pairing? So if you had a group programmed as Loop 01 followed by Loop 02 followed by Loop 03, you would effectively have routed Loop 01 (Channel 1 RETURN) to Loop 2 (Channel 5 SEND), and Loop 2 (Channel 1 RETURN) to Loop 03 (Channel 7 SEND). This would essential create a parallel programming whereby RETURN channel 1 would send its audio to both SEND 7 and SEND 5. How? Look again at the Loop Definitions. This is why we allow the Liquid Router to have up to 30 Loop Definitions instead of just 16. You may want to create various modifier type definitions that get thrown in some of your presets from time to time. Parallel splitting is one good example. Depending on how complex you need things, sometimes its just easier to use Route mode and hand- wire your signal path manually. Liquid Router 19

20 What is Routing? How is it used? When you set a Preset to the Mix/Route mode, you are telling it to ignore the Group 1 and 2 programming, and instead utilize the specific connection routes you ve established. The picture to the right shows a sample of a small route created using the Software Editor. As you can see, a guitar input is routed to both the input of a Pitch shifter, as well as a Delay. This could be considered a parallel route as both inputs receive the guitar signal. The Pitch effects unit then sends its audio to the input of Amp1. The Delay s left output signal is routed to Amp1 as well, and the Delays Right output is routed to Amp2. While this is a very simplistic routing scheme, the fact is that each preset in Mix/Route mode can route ANY RETURN (input into the Liquid Router) to ANY SEND (output from the Liquid Router). This allows you to create any matrix of routing that you can think of. When creating presets, its plausible that you can create overlapping presets- whereby you are jumping from one routing scheme to another. Perhaps the picture above is the routing of Preset 001. And lets say we created a Preset 002 which looks almost the same- it's a copy of Preset 001, however, we delete the route between the Guitar and the Delay In. What would happen if we switched from Preset 001 to Preset 002? Did you figure it out? It would act like an effects Spill. The Guitar input would be cut from the Delay- this would have the effect of allowing the Delay to continue sending its output (which is essentially the delays feedback loop with no additional input), while not effecting the remaining routes. Switch back to Preset 001 and now the delay is receiving input again! Routing allows the user to create unique routing schemes that may not be practical using the loop/switcher technique. There are no loop configurations however that can t be routed using multiple presets. 20 Liquid Router

21 Special Routing Features / Techniques MIDI Volume Controlled (attenuation) Audio Channel Configuration If you create a 1:1 route for any (or all) of the channels between 7 and 14, you can then automatically start sending the appropriate CC# ( ) with a volume level (0-127). CC#107 will control channel 7, and so on. The picture on the right shows channels 7 and 8 properly routed to accept attenuation midi messages. Using the Liquid Router as a PreAmp Suppose you want to split a guitar signal into multiple inputs. The issue could be that there simply isn t enough signal to handle the split effectively. What to do? Route the guitar signal to a channel with Gain control (7-14). Connect a patch cable between the gain channel s SEND and RETURN. On the preset, increase the GAIN as appropriate. This effectively uses the Liquid Router itself as a PreAmp. It will double the input signal level in a full gain setting. The routed example to the right shows an example using Channel 7 as the PreAmp channel. There is simply a patch cable between Chan 7 RETURN and Chan 7 SEND. Multiple Guitar Chains The Liquid Router has three (3) channels that accept Hi- Z inputs directly. You could use these to accept up to three guitars directly. Not only does this allow guitar mixing, blending, switching, but could allow you to create separate looping groups, our routes that are distinct (or combined) with each other. Since all RETURN channels contain a buffering capability, your signals will remain pristine even in a mix/route condition. See un- buffered switch section for details on handling effects that require un- buffered inputs. There is only a small list of effects that require this (such as some WAH units that are impedance sensitive). Liquid Router 21

22 The User Interface Buttons There are 16 buttons for you to control the entire system. Labels above and underneath the buttons indicate the functions available. When not in a menu system, you are in normal operating mode and programmed according to the active preset. In this mode, each individual button will either turn On/Off a loop (loop mode), or turn On/Off the RETURN signal (Mix/Route mode). To enter a particular menu system, press the two corresponding buttons at the same time. For instance, to enter the main menu system, press button #1 and Button #2 at the same time. Within the menu system, various buttons will light up. This tells you they will do something when you press them. The SELECT/SAVE button will usually turn GREEN when edits were made. Pressing SAVE will save those changes. If the buttons is used for something other then SELECT/SAVE (such as selecting channel #15)- then pressing and holding the SAVE button will trigger the save command (and usually blink the interface to let you know its complete). The same holds true for button #16 when you need to EXIT a menu, or current operation. Press EXIT, or if its being used to select channel #16, then press and hold EXIT until the interface changes or blinks. What do the Button Colors Indicate? LOOP MODE: A bright GREEN button indicates that the loop in Group 1 is Active. A dimmed GREEN button indicates that the loop is part of Group 1, but is bypassed at this time. A bright RED button indicates that the loop in Group 2 is Active. A dimmed RED button indicates that the loop is part of Group 2, but is bypassed at this time. 22 Liquid Router

23 ROUTE / MIXER MODE: A bright GREEN button indicates that the Channels Output is active and has a RETURN sending audio to it. Because it is Green, you know that this channel does not have its RETURN (input) sending audio to any of the SEND (output) channels. A bright RED button indicates that the Channel s RETURN (input) source audio is being routed to a SEND (output). Because it is Red, you know that this channel does not have its SEND (output) receiving audio from any of the RETURN channels. A dimmed RED button indicates that the Channel s RETURN (input) source audio is routed to a SEND, however, it is currently bypassed and is thus not sending audio at this time. An ORANGE Bright button indicates that the Channel has both its RETURN sending audio to at least one channel, and that its SEND (output) is receiving audio from at least one RETURN. Liquid Router 23

24 Navigating the Liquid Router Preset # 001 Preset #001 Loop Switch Preset Name Current Mode of Preset (Loop. Route/Mix, Fade) Upon power up, the Liquid Router will load the last used Preset. The LCD will look similar to the above illustration. The number and name of the preset will occupy the top line, while the mode that the preset is programmed to manage will show on the bottom line. At this point you are able to manage loop (or Route/mix) enable and bypass settings by pressing the corresponding channel s button. The buttons colors will change to represent the state of that loop or channel. You can find a legend that explains the colors above in the section The User Interface. NOTE: You will trigger a menu system if you press the associated two buttons together. This could happen by accident if you are quickly pressing buttons and slip your finger. No problem. The fastest way to exit a menu system is to actually press B1 + B2 together. Pressing MENU will exit the menu system. Some of the menu systems (such as CLEAR/COPY) will require you to press EXIT (B16). Pressing and holding EXIT (B16) will also exit from whatever menu location you are in. Selecting Preset Level Quick Menus While a preset is active and the unit is not in a menu system, you have the ability to modify the current preset directly. Underneath each pair of buttons on the front panel you will notice a menu choice. If you press the two buttons together, you will find that the Liquid Router will switch to that menu. Several Preset level menu items are available from the buttons directly to speed preset modifications when using the Liquid Router itself for programming. For instance, the AMP switch (B15 + B16), RETURN Trim Settings (B13 + B14), SEND Gain settings (B11 + B12), Route/Mix (B9 + B10), and Mode Selection (B7 + B8), each are parameters for the preset. You may make live changes to the preset within these menus. Your changes will process on the unit in real- time so you can hear what you are doing. Simply saving those changes automatically updates the system. Like what you have done? Press and hold the SAVE (B15) button for 2 seconds- you will see the buttons flash. All changes are now saved in the current preset! That simple. 24 Liquid Router

25 Changing Presets or Selecting a Preset to Edit When you want to change presets directly from the Liquid Router, press the Preset Select menu (B5 + B6). This will now allow you to scroll UP and DOWN. Find the preset you want, and press SELECT (B15). Press EXIT (B16) to exit from any menu system without making changes. Pressing SELECT will jump out of the menu system, load and activate the selected preset. If scroll through the list of presets and then press MENU LEFT (B6), the system will immediately take you into the selected presets edit menu. Make your changes and save it, exit, or select it. Editing Names When editing names (presets or loops), you will be presented with a screen similar to below: Edit Full Name [Preset #001 ] UP (B3) and DOWN (B4) Using the UP (B3) and DOWN (B4) buttons will change the letter/character located above the cursor line. Letters go from SPACE, NUMBERS, Characters, a- z, and then A- Z. The character list will start at a space (empty) and then go up to capital Z. When you get to the top of the list it will stop and go no further then Z. When you press DOWN and get to the bottom of the list, it will stop at SPACE. CURSOR MOVE LEFT (B7) and RIGHT (B8) Pressing B7 and B8 will move the cursor Left and Right. NOTE: Pressing MENU LEFT (B5) or MENU RIGHT (B6) will shift menu position not the cursor position. It will take a little getting used to before you don t make that mistake again. CHARACTER JUMP (B9) As a way to get to the needed letter or character fast, a jump button will move the character through the cycle of SPACE, 0, a, A. Press B9 until you jump to the nearest character. So if we wanted E, we could use the jump button to get to A, and then press UP (B3) until we get to E. SAVE or EXIT Press Save to store your name edits, or press Exit to cancel your changes. SAVE will turn GREEN when changes are made. Liquid Router 25

26 Main Menu Press B1 + B2 together to enter the main menu system. Use the MENU LEFT (B5) and MENU RIGHT (B6) buttons to switch between the menu items available. Press SELECT (B15) when you are ready to select the menu being shown on the screen. Press EXIT (B16) to return to the normal processing mode. Preset menu allows you to select a preset, and modify all of its parameters. Please note that the if you plan to edit the Trim, Gain, Amp Switch settings, or loop/routing of the current preset, it is faster to use one of the Quick- Menu button combinations directly from the interface. For instance, to edit the Gain settings of the current preset, press B11 + B12 to enter the Gain menu system. Define Loops menu allows you to select a loop definition and modify all of its parameters. Global settings menu allows you to modify overall system level parameters, as well as general default settings which can be overridden at the preset level. Utility menu allows you to get firmware (via MIDI), create, switch and select backup memory, and erase all of the memory to original system defaults. MAIN MENU Presets MAIN MENU Define Loops MAIN MENU Global MAIN MENU Utility 26 Liquid Router

27 Select Preset Menu Selecting a Preset Select Preset 001: Preset #001 The preset menu will allow you to select a preset to Edit. Use the UP (B3) and DOWN (B4) buttons to select the preset, Press SELECT (B15) or MENU RIGHT (B6) when ready to edit. Editing the Preset For the remaining preset parameters to edit, use the MENU LEFT (B5) and MENU RIGHT (B6) buttons to scroll back and fourth between the settings available. Use the various other lighted buttons to process the editing of the current parameter on the screen. Press SAVE (B15) after each and every change you wish to keep, or it will not commit to memory and your modification will be lost. Always save your changes prior to changing parameters. Edit Full Name [Preset #001 ] Edit the full name following the User Guide section on Editing Names. The full name is used in certain menu commands and is also displayed on the top of the LCD when a preset is active. Edit the nick name following the User Guide section on Editing Names. Nick names are used in various menu system prompts, as well as displayed at various times on the LCD displays of PRESET buttons. Nick Edit Nick Name names will also be used in certain special commands. [Pre -001] Remainder of Preset Parameters: Liquid Router 27

28 Mode Loop Switch DEFAULT: Loop Switch. Available items are: Loop Switch, Mix/Route, Fade Mute, Hard Mute. Mix/Route/Loop [SEL] to Edit Press SELECT to enter Mix/Route edit system. See section on Mix/Route Editing below. Press and HOLD EXIT button when you are ready to exit (or press MENU (B1 + B2)). [SEL] TRIM Adjust Press SELECT to enter Trim Adjustment system. See section on Trim Quick Menu Editing. Press and HOLD EXIT button when you are ready to exit (or press MENU (B1 + B2)). TRIM MIDI CC# [SEL] to Edit TRIM CC Invert [SEL] to Edit Press SELECT to enter MIDI CC# entry system. Press and HOLD EXIT button when you are ready to exit (or press MENU (B1 + B2)). When asked Which Trim Chan, select the chan by pressing the button to edit. Now use UP/DOWN buttons to select the CC# for this channel to respond to. Press MENU LEFT and MENU RIGHT to move to next or previous channel. PRESS SAVE when you make a change. Moving to another channel without pressing SAVE will restore the previous value. Select DISABLED if the channel should not respond to any CC expression pedals. Press SELECT to enter MIDI CC Inversion indicator. Inverted Trim channels will lower volume when the expression pedal is increased, and vice versa. This allows cross- fades between two channels when one is normal and the other inverted. Press and HOLD EXIT button when you are ready to exit (or press MENU (B1 + B2)). When asked Which Trim Chan, select the chan by pressing the button to edit. Now use UP/DOWN buttons to select the Inversion State (ON/OFF). Press MENU LEFT and MENU RIGHT to move to next or previous channel. PRESS SAVE when you make a change. Moving to another channel without pressing SAVE will restore the previous value. 28 Liquid Router

29 [SEL] Gain Adjust Press SELECT to enter Gain Adjustment system. See section on Gain Quick Menu editing. Press and HOLD EXIT button when you are ready to exit (or press MENU (B1 + B2)). Gain MIDI CC# [SEL] to Edit Press SELECT to enter MIDI CC# entry system. Press and HOLD EXIT button when you are ready to exit (or press MENU (B1 + B2)). When asked Which Gain Chan, select the Chan by pressing the button to edit. Now use UP/DOWN buttons to select the CC# for this channel to respond to. Press MENU LEFT and MENU RIGHT to move to next or previous channel. PRESS SAVE when you make a change. Moving to another channel without pressing SAVE will restore the previous value. Select DISABLED if the channel should not respond to any CC expression pedals. Gain CC Invert [SEL] to Edit AMP CHAN: 01 OFF Press SELECT to enter MIDI CC Inversion indicator. Inverted Gain channels will lower volume when the expression pedal is increased, and vice versa. This allows cross- fades between two channels when one is normal and the other inverted. Press and HOLD EXIT button when you are ready to exit (or press MENU (B1 + B2)). When asked Which Gain Chan, select the Chan by pressing the button to edit. Now use UP/DOWN buttons to select the Inversion State (ON/OFF). Press MENU LEFT and MENU RIGHT to move to next or previous channel. PRESS SAVE when you make a change. Moving to another channel without pressing SAVE will restore the previous value. Press UP/DOWN to change from Do Nothing, Force OFF, Force ON. Press AMP CHAN LEFT (B7) or AMP CHAN RIGHT (B8) to switch between AMP Chan 1 AMP Chan 4. After changing an individual AMP setting, press SAVE (B15) to store the changes. Changing AMP channels without saving first will reset the AMP channel to its previously saved setting. Press EXIT when done with editing AMP Channels to go back to Preset Menu. Liquid Router 29

30 Front/Rear Tie Use Default DEFAULT: Use Default. Options (Use Default, Connected, Not Connected). When Set to use default- it will use the Global settings. When Set to Connected, it will toggle the state ON, or leave it on. If set to Not Connected, it will turn the switch off if not off. IN1 IN2 Tie Use Default DEFAULT: Use Default. Options (Use Default, Connected, Not Connected). When Set to use default- it will use the Global settings. When Set to Connected, it will toggle the state ON, or leave it on. If set to Not Connected, it will turn the switch off if not off. IN1 OUT2 Tie Use Default DEFAULT: Use Default. Options (Use Default, Connected, Not Connected). When Set to use default- it will use the Global settings. When Set to Connected, it will toggle the state ON, or leave it on. If set to Not Connected, it will turn the switch off if not off. IN2 OUT3 Tie Use Default DEFAULT: Use Default. Options (Use Default, Connected, Not Connected). When Set to use default- it will use the Global settings. When Set to Connected, it will toggle the state ON, or leave it on. If set to Not Connected, it will turn the switch off if not off. Fade In Time 000 Time in milliseconds for Fade- In sweeps Loop Group 1 ON 01 Loop #001 This section allows you to place your Loops in an order of your choosing. Presets that do not define their own loop order, and are set to Loop/Switcher mode, will utilize the global default settings. UP (B3) and DOWN (B4) will select the Loop position (1-16), BACKWARDS (B8) and FORWARDS (B9) will change the Loop to place in the current slot. B11 will toggle the initial state (ON/OFF) The initial state of the current slot will display on the TOP/RIGHT of the LCD. Press SAVE (B15) for each SLOT change or it will not save your modifications. SEE SECTION ON LOOPS for introduction and understanding of loops. 30 Liquid Router

31 Loop Group 2 ON 01 Loop #001 This section allows you to place your Loops in an order of your choosing. Presets that do not define their own loop order, and are set to Loop/Switcher mode, will utilize the global default settings. UP (B3) and DOWN (B4) will select the Loop position (1-16), BACKWARDS (B8) and FORWARDS (B9) will change the Loop to place in the current slot. B11 will toggle the initial state (ON/OFF) The initial state of the current slot will display on the TOP/RIGHT of the LCD. Press SAVE (B15) for each SLOT change or it will not save your modifications. SEE SECTION ON LOOPS for introduction and understanding of loops. Liquid Router 31

32 Define Loops Menu Selecting a Loop Definition Select Loop 001: Loop #001 The Loop Definition menu will allow you to select a loop definition to Edit. Use the UP (B3) and DOWN (B4) buttons to select the loop, Press SELECT (B15) or MENU RIGHT (B6) when ready to edit. Editing the Loop Definition For the remaining Loop Definition parameters to edit, use the MENU LEFT (B5) and MENU RIGHT (B6) buttons to scroll back and fourth between the settings available. Use the various other lighted buttons to process the editing of the current parameter on the screen. Press SAVE (B15) after each and every change you wish to keep, or it will not commit to memory and your modification will be lost. Always save your changes prior to changing parameters. Edit Full Name [Loop #001 ] Edit the full name following the User Guide section on Editing Names. The full name is used in certain menu commands and for organization purposes. Edit the nick name following the User Guide section on Editing Names. Nick names are used in various menu system prompts, as well as various special commands and future synchronization with external Edit Nick Name devices. [Loop-001] 32 Liquid Router

33 Remainder of Loop Definition Parameters: Allow Spill NO Set the default value to use for Loop Groups using this Loop Definition. If SPILL is set to YES, then when this loop is bypassed in a group, the output of the loop (RETURN) will continue to send audio to the next active loop in the group. This allows effects units as an example to continue the audio signal without that bypassed effect from receiving INPUT. A good example maybe a Delay unit. When you bypass the delay, you may want the tails of the delay to continue without the delay receiving continuous input. Send channel 01 Out - 1 Each Loop Definition has a SEND Channel that can be assigned (NOTE: the first loop used in a group usually has an input only (GTR- IN for instance)) This is the channel whereby the Audio Signals will go from the Liquid Router, to the device in this particular loop. It is the INPUT signal of the external device. Press UP / DOWN to select the Channel number (1-16). The name of the channel as defined in the global settings will display for convenience. Press SAVE when you have made your selection to store it. Return Channel 01 Gtr In Each Loop Definition has a RETURN Channel that must be assigned. This is the channel whereby the Audio Signals will come into the Liquid Router, from the device in this particular loop. It is the OUTPUT signal of the external device. Press UP / DOWN to select the Channel number (1-16). The name of the channel as defined in the global settings will display for convenience. Press SAVE when you have made your selection to store it. Liquid Router 33

34 Global Menu Front/Rear Tie NO DEFAULT: NO. When turned on, the Router will interconnect (Un- buffered) the Front and Rear RETURN Channel 1 input sources. Please review Wiring Diagram section for specific information. IN1 IN2 Tie NO DEFAULT: NO. When turned on, the Router will interconnect (Un- buffered) the RETURN CHANNEL 1 Source with the RETURN Channel 2 input source. Please review Wiring Diagram section for specific information. IN1 OUT2 Tie NO DEFAULT: NO. When turned on, the Router will interconnect (Un- buffered) the RETURN CHANNEL 1 Source with the SEND Channel 2 output connection. Please review Wiring Diagram section for specific information. IN2 OUT3 Tie NO DEFAULT: NO. When turned on, the Router will interconnect (Un- buffered) the RETURN CHANNEL 2 Source with the SEND Channel 3 output connection. Please review Wiring Diagram section for specific information. Loop Group 1 ON 01 Loop #001 This section allows you to place your Loops in the default order. Presets that do not define their own loop order, and are set to Loop/Switcher mode, will utilize these default settings. UP (B3) and DOWN (B4) will select the Loop position (1-16), BACKWARDS (B8) and FORWARDS (B9) will change the Loop to place in the current slot. B11 will toggle the initial state (ON/OFF) The initial state of the current slot will display on the TOP/RIGHT of the LCD. Press SAVE (B15) for each SLOT change or it will not save your modifications. SEE SECTION ON LOOPS for introduction and understanding of loops. 34 Liquid Router

35 Loop Group 2 ON 01 Loop #001 This section allows you to place your Loops in the default order. Presets that do not define their own loop order, and are set to Loop/Switcher mode, will utilize these default settings. UP (B3) and DOWN (B4) will select the Loop position (1-16), BACKWARDS (B8) and FORWARDS (B9) will change the Loop to place in the current slot. B11 will toggle the initial state (ON/OFF) The initial state of the current slot will display on the TOP/RIGHT of the LCD. Press SAVE (B15) for each SLOT change or it will not save your modifications. SEE SECTION ON LOOPS for introduction and understanding of loops. Sysex ID (*) 122 Defines the SYSEX ID of this controller. The default is 122. MIDI channel 15 Defines the receiving MIDI channel for this Unit. This value is needed if MIDI control messages are going to be sent by external sequencers, MIDI foot controllers, or other equipment. Sync ID 001 Defines the sync ID if multiple units are connected together via the expander ports. A Sync ID maybe required if other equipment is connected to the expansion ports. Instructions will be given based on the equipment connected. Net End Device YES Default is YES. This parameter maybe required depending on the equipment connected to the expansion ports. Instructions will be given based on the equipment being connected. If a LF+ Series MIDI Foot controller is connected, most likely this setting must be set to YES. Liquid Router 35

36 Expansion Device No Device Define the Device Processing for connected devices to the Expansion port. Current choices are No Device, LF+ (Processed), LF+ (Hard Thru). Allow MIDI CMDS YES Default YES: This allows you to block the acceptance of MIDI commands to the Liquid Router. It will NOT impact external MIDI THRU and other processing. Normally this should always be set to YES. MIDI THRU NO The MIDI OUT connector has the ability to transmit the data coming into the controller via the MIDI IN connector. Set this to YES should you desire a MIDI THRU functionality. Normally this should be set to NO. AMP SW 1 Type Latch/Toggle AMP Switch 1 Type: Latch/Toggle, or Momentary. AMP SW 1 Time 000 If the switch type is Momentary, this parameter will tell Switch 1 how many milliseconds (ms) to wait before toggle back. AMP SW 2 Type Latch/Toggle AMP Switch 2 Type: Latch/Toggle, or Momentary. 36 Liquid Router

37 AMP SW 2 Time 000 If the switch type is Momentary, this parameter will tell Switch 2 how many milliseconds (ms) to wait before toggle back. AMP SW 3 Type Latch/Toggle AMP Switch 3 Type: Latch/Toggle, or Momentary. AMP SW 3 Time 000 If the switch type is Momentary, this parameter will tell Switch 3 how many milliseconds (ms) to wait before toggle back. AMP SW 4 Type Latch/Toggle AMP Switch 4 Type: Latch/Toggle, or Momentary. AMP SW 4 Time 000 If the switch type is Momentary, this parameter will tell Switch 4 how many milliseconds (ms) to wait before toggle back. Return Names: 01 [GTR IN ] Each of the 16 RETURN (input) channels can have a readable name assigned. Use the UP (B3) and DOWN (B4) buttons to select the RETURN channel. Press CURSOR RIGHT (B8) to begin editing the name. See section on EDITING NAMES for button actions. Press CURSOR LEFT (B7) one time when in the first character position to move back into selection of Channel #. Press SAVE (B15) to save your edits before selecting another Channel. Pressing SAVE will advance you to the next Channel. Liquid Router 37

38 Send Names: 01 [Out - 1 ] Each of the 16 SEND (input) channels can have a readable name assigned. Use the UP (B3) and DOWN (B4) buttons to select the SEND channel. Press CURSOR RIGHT (B8) to begin editing the name. See section on EDITING NAMES for button actions. Press CURSOR LEFT (B7) one time when in the first character position to move back into selection of Channel #. Press SAVE (B15) to save your edits before selecting another Channel. Pressing SAVE will advance you to the next Channel. 38 Liquid Router

39 Utility Menu Loading Firmware (Editor and MIDI Implementation) Load Firmware Load Firmware Firmware is provided from time to time via download from the website ( If using the software editor for Mac or PC, the editor will determine if new firmware is available automatically. When the Liquid Router is powered up, a welcome screen will tell you the Model of hardware, along with the current version of firmware. Compare this to the latest version available. If a newer version (greater firmware version #) is available, then it is recommended that you allow the editor to update your firmware, or you can download the file and do a firmware upgrade via MIDI. MODEL (A16) Liquid - Router MODEL A16 V1.10 Firmware Version # (v1.10) DO NOT USE THIS FEATURE IF YOU ARE PROCESSNG A NORMAL FIRMWARE UPGRADE VIA THE SOFTWARE EDITOR FOR PC OR MAC. IF USING THE SOFTWARE EDITOR: MAKE SURE YOUR LIQUID ROUTER IS IN EDITOR MODE AND FOLLOW FIRMWARE LOAD PROCEDURES IN YOUR EDITOR ITSELF. IF YOU HAVE A NEED TO UPGRADE VIA MIDI, THEN YOU WILL USE THIS FEATURE. DO NOT UNPLUG THE LIQUID ROUTER, PRESS ANY BUTTONS, OR DISCONNECT THE POWER DURING THIS PROCESS. YOU COULD DAMAGE THE UNIT DURING THIS PROCESS IF POWER IS LOST. ALWAYS MAKE A BACKUP USING THE MIDI DUMP FEATURE, OR VIA THE PC/MAC EDITOR PRIOR TO AN UPGRADE. Liquid Router 39

40 TO LOAD FIRMWARE VIA MIDI: Press SELECT (B15) to let the Liquid Router prepare to receive and process a firmware update. Wait for: Waiting For Firmware Send firmware file via MIDI. If successfully read, it will automatically update the device and then restart itself. REPEATED NOTE: TO LOAD FIRMWARE FROM THE PC OR MAC EDITOR, DO NOT use this utility menu system. It is ONLY for loading firmware via MIDI. When using the PC or Mac based software editor- it will determine if new firmware is available and let you install it with the click of a button. Memory Backup / Snapshots The Liquid Router has the ability to Store a snapshot of the current configuration into a protected area of memory. This memory can be recalled to overwrite the active memory, or swapped back and fourth. This allows for A/B testing of a good configuration, and new configuration being created. It is up to the user to determine and remember which configurations are where. The system will not track A or B, it will just save, restore or swap based on your request. MIDI dumps, transfers and editing work are only handled with the Active memory area and will not impact, protect or otherwise see the storage area. It is plausible to download a certain configuration into the Router. Then Create a snapshot. Then Load another configuration into the Router. Effectively you now have two setups, which when Swap CURRENT/Stored is used, will allow A/B ing of two setups. While you can only access the Active data while running in an operating mode- it does effectively allow multiple configurations on the fly if required. The MEMORY functions are: Make Memory Snap [SEL] to Program 40 Liquid Router

41 Restore the Snap [SEL] to Program Swap Active/Snap [SEL] to Program Erasing the Memory Erase MEMORY [SEL] to Program You will be asked two (2) times if you would like to erase the memory. After the second time, the controller will erase all data in the active memory system (not the storage/snapshot area), and will load default settings to all the Presets, Loops and Global Settings. FULL MIDI DUMP [SEL] to Program If you are making a MIDI based backup, then load your MIDI software. Prepare it to receive a Sysex dump. When the software is ready, then press SELECT (B15) to begin the FULL MIDI DUMP. Store the file in a safe location as it is your backup of the entire controller s active memory information. If a system restore is required, this file will be used. This utility function will transmit the information out of the MIDI- OUT port. Make sure the computer s MIDI input cable is connected to the MIDI- OUT connector of the controller. Files created by this MIDI dump function are loadable within the Mac and PC editor. Just open the editor and load the file. In fact, there is limited reason to use this function if you have configured and installed the Mac or PC software editor. Every time you connect the editor to the Liquid Router, it will sync completely as if you just did a full MIDI DUMP. That file can be saved directly from the editor. It is MUCH faster to use the editor. Liquid Router 41

42 Clear/Copy Quick Menu GLOBAL - > PRESET Copy Global Settings (Loops) to the currently selected Preset. Why would you Want to do this? If you need to make a few changes to the default Loops, then Its quicker to make a copy and edit only the changes needed. It also allows you Copy / Clear Global -> Preset To reset the preset if needed. Normally if a Preset is using the Global Default Loop settings, then you DO NOT want The preset to have any loop programming. By selecting DISABLE as the first item in the preset s loops- it will utilize the global settings automatically. PRESET - > PRESET Allows you to copy a Preset to another location Copy / Clear Preset -> Preset LOOP - > MIX MODE This function will look at the programming of the current Default Loops, and it will program that routing into the Preset s Route Table. As you start Copy / Clear LOOP -> MIX MODE creating advanced presets, you may want to take the core loop configuration and make various tweaks. Instead of hand- routing the preset, this function will force the Liquid Router to do the initial route programming for you. CLEAR MIX DATA If you want to clear the current presets Mix/Route data so that you can start clean. Use this function to clear out the current presets Mix/Route settings. Copy / Clear CLEAR MIX DATA CLEAR LOOP DATA If you want to clear the current presets loop data settings so that it defaults to the main global settings, then select this option. The Preset will clear all custom loop data and set to disabled at the preset level. Copy / Clear CLEAR LOOP DATA 42 Liquid Router

43 Mode Quick Menu Enter the Presets Mode selection menu by pressing B7 + B8 together. Press EXIT (B16) to return to the operating mode. Press SAVE to save you modified selection to the current Preset. Loop Switch Each Preset can have a defined operating mode. When using either one or two of the default global groups, or using a custom defined group at the preset level, we will need to make sure the mode is set to Loop Switch. Select Mode Loop Switch Upon loading of the preset, if a Loop Switch mode is selected, the preset will determine if it has its own defined loop groups. If so, they will become active. If the presets own groups are disabled, then the global groups will be active for the preset. Mix/Route When complex audio routing is required, then utilizing loops will be more restrictive then simply hand wiring your routes. When such a configuration is required, place the preset into Mix/Route mode. Then create your custom routing. Usually by combining one of more presents, you can create the illusion of transitions, spill effects, and many other various configurations that maybe hard or impossible to duplicate otherwise. Select Mode Mix/Route Fade Mute Fade mute will force the preset to do one thing. Take each channel that has a trim or gain control, and softly bring the channel down to mute. This happens within 100ms. Only one preset would need to set as a FADE MUTE. Select Mode Fade Mute Hard Mute Hard mute will immediately silence (MUTE) all trim controlled channels. Only one preset would need to be set as HARD MUTE. Select Mode Hard Mute Liquid Router 43

44 Route/Mix Quick Menu Enter the Route/Mix menu by pressing B9 + B10 together. Press EXIT (B16) to return to the operating mode. Press SAVE to save you modified selection to the current Preset. When a Preset is in Mix/Route mode, this menu system will allow you to edit the Presets routing (wiring) of RETURNS and SENDS. When the Preset is in Loop Switcher Mode, this menu will allow you to edit the global and preset level Group1 and Group2 Loops. Editing Loop Groupings 1 & 2 when a Preset is in Loop Switch Mode Groups are simply an ordering of Loops. Group 1 will process all loops within at as one chain and set of rules, and Group 2 will process its own loops as another chain. Each of the groups will run independently. This means that they will ignore the other (except in the case whereby you overlap loops in both groups!). If a Preset s first loop position within a group is set to NO LOOP, then the Global loops will process for this particular preset. The same holds true for Group2. See section on Loops and Definitions for details about Loops. Select a Group to edit: Preset[GRP 1] 01 NO LOOP Preset[GRP 2] 01 NO LOOP Global[GRP 1] 01 Loop #001 Global[GRP 2] 01 NO LOOP Press MENU LEFT (B5) and MENU RIGHT (B6) to select which group to edit. The screens above show you the four choices on the top line of the display. Selecting the Loop position within a Group: Press MENU UP (B3) or MENU DOWN (B4) until the loop position number on the button row indicates the loop you would like to edit. There are 16 positions within a group. Preset[GRP 1] 01 NO LOOP Selecting the Loop Definition and INITIAL STATE OF THE LOOP to use for the current Position: Press LEFT (B8) or RIGHT (B9) will cycle from NO LOOP, up to LOOP Definition 30. Press B11 to toggle between ON and OFF as the initial state of the loop. The Initial State will be shown on the top right of the display. SAVING CHANGES: Unless you press SAVE (B15), changes will not be saved in the current preset as you cycle through. 44 Liquid Router

45 Editing Routes (RETURNS to SENDS) when a Preset is in Mix/Route Mode In the most simplest form, editing routes isn t that complicated. Each Input into the Liquid Router is a RETURN. Each of those 16 RETURNS can connect to zero, one or more output channels (SENDS). If we first select a RETURN, and then choose each SEND that we want it to send its audio to, we have a route plan for that RETURN channel. If we do this for all sixteen channels, we have a completed routing table. You have total flexibility on which RETURNS are used in a given preset. None, one or more can be routed. And each RETURN can route to as many SENDS as you need for the given preset. Select the RETURN channel to edit Our first screen asks us to select the RETURN channel we want to route. All buttons should be orange at this point indicating they are selectable. When you are complete with your edits, press and hold EXIT (B16) for a couple seconds and you will be returned to the main operating mode. Pick IN (return) Channel To Edit Connecting the chosen RETURN to SENDS Once a RETURN is selected, the buttons will now indicate for each of the 16 channels your current routing. RED indicates the RETURN is not connected to the SEND, and GREEN indicates it is connected. The display will cycle every couple seconds between three screens as show to the right. By holding SAVE (B15) for a couple seconds, the RETURN Channels routing will be saved and you will be asked to select a RETURN again (above). If you hold EXIT (B16) for a couple seconds, you will return without saving your edits. SEL Outs (sends) Connected to IN Hold EXIT = EXIT Hold SAVE = SAVE Route IN Chan:01 Name: GTR In These edits are LIVE. Meaning, you will hear what you are doing as the system will change in real- time to reflect your modifications. The third screen to the right will change each time you press a SEND channel button. It will tell you what the name of the SEND is, and it will tell you the state of the routing. This is to help you during your programming efforts. Liquid Router 45

46 Gain Quick Menu If you need quick access to the gain level settings of the current Preset, Press B11 + B12 together. This will turn on the Gain Level Menu system. Select the Gain Channel Each channel that has Gain Level capability will turn Orange indicating that it is selectable. Choose the channel you wish to edit. Press EXIT to return to the main operating mode of the Router. Adjust the Gain value of the Channel At this point you can begin to adjust the value. Gain can cycle from 0 to 255. You will hear the changes as you press the UP (B3) or DOWN (B4) buttons. You can save your changes by pressing SAVE (B15). You can cancel your changes by pressing EXIT (B16). If you press MENU LEFT (B5) or MENU RIGHT (B6), you Which Gain CHAN? Adjust Gain Chan:07 GAIN:127 can quickly cycle through each of the Gain Channels. You will see the Gain Channel number change. When you reach Channel 7 and try to go lower, the system will automatically take you back to the user interface button selection of Gain channel. Likewise, if you try to use the MENU RIGHT button to go past channel 14, you will again be taken to the channel selection screen. When you press save, changes will be saved into the currently selected preset. 46 Liquid Router

47 Trim Quick Menu If you need quick access to the trim level settings of the current Preset, Press B13 + B14 together. This will turn on the Trim Level Menu system. Select the Trim Channel Each channel that has Trim Level capability will turn Orange indicating that it is selectable. Choose the channel you wish to edit. Press EXIT to return to the main operating mode of the Router. Adjust the Gain value of the Channel At this point you can begin to adjust the value. Gain can cycle from 0 to 33. This follows a DB scale, so 0 is Unity (no attenuation). 33 is MUTE. You will hear the changes as you press the UP (B3) or DOWN (B4) buttons. You can save your changes by pressing SAVE (B15). You can cancel your changes by pressing EXIT Which Gain Trim CHAN? Adjust Trim Chan:07 TRIM:127 (B16). If you press MENU LEFT (B5) or MENU RIGHT (B6), you can quickly cycle through each of the Gain Channels. You will see the Gain Channel number change. When you reach Channel 7 and try to go lower, the system will automatically take you back to the user interface button selection of Gain channel. Likewise, if you try to use the MENU RIGHT button to go past channel 14, you will again be taken to the channel selection screen. When you press save, changes will be saved into the currently selected preset. Attenuation Table: 0 = 0dB 4 = 39dB 8 = 51dB 12 = 60dB 16 = 68dB 20 = 76dB 24 = 81dB 28 = 85dB 32 = 89db 1 = 30dB 5 = 42dB 9 = 54dB 13 = 62dB 17 = 70dB 21 = 78dB 25 = 82dB 29 = 86dB 33 = MUTE 2 = 33dB 6 = 45dB 10 = 56dB 14 = 64dB 18 = 72dB 22 = 79dB 26 = 83dB 30 = 87dB 3 = 36dB 7 = 48dB 11 = 58dB 15 = 66dB 19 = 74dB 23 = 80dB 27 = 84dB 31 = 88dB Liquid Router 47

48 AMP Chan Switch Quick Menu While you can modify a presets AMP Switching settings via the Preset Edit menu system, it is quicker to simply press B15 + B16 (Amp Chan Switch) menu system for the currently active preset. AMP SWITCH 1 Do Nothing Currently select AMP switch channel to edit Press UP/DOWN to change from Do Nothing, Force OFF, Force ON. Press MENU LEFT (B5) or MENU RIGHT (B6) to switch between AMP Chan 1 AMP Chan 4. After changing an individual AMP setting, press SAVE (B15) to store the changes. Changing AMP channels without saving first will reset the AMP channel to its previously saved setting. Press EXIT when done with editing AMP Channels to go back to Preset Menu. 48 Liquid Router

49 MIDI Implementation FEATURE MIDI COMMAND DATA NOTES Preset Change and Bank Switch Bank Selection CC#0 0,1 Bank 0 or Bank 1 Preset Selector Preset Change PC# Trigger Preset within current bank Assignable Gain Volumes Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Gain Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Gain Volume Control Assignable Trim Volumes Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Trim Expression Pedal CC# Assignable Trim Volume Control Liquid Router 49

50 FEATURE MIDI COMMAND DATA NOTES Turn Loop / Group1 ON/OFF Loop / Group #1 : 01 CC#37 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 02 CC#38 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 03 CC#39 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 04 CC#40 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 05 CC#41 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 06 CC#42 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 07 CC#43 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 08 CC#44 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 09 CC#45 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 10 CC#46 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 11 CC#47 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 12 CC#48 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 13 CC#49 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 14 CC#50 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 15 CC#51 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #1 : 16 CC#52 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Turn Loop / Group2 ON/OFF Loop / Group #2 : 01 CC#53 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 02 CC#54 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 03 CC#55 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 04 CC#56 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 05 CC#57 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 06 CC#58 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 07 CC#59 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 08 CC#60 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 09 CC#61 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 10 CC#62 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 11 CC#63 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 12 CC#64 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 13 CC#65 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 14 CC#66 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 15 CC#67 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop / Group #2 : 16 CC#68 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON 50 Liquid Router

51 FEATURE MIDI COMMAND DATA NOTES Turn Defined Loop ON/OFF Loop # 01 CC#71 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 02 CC#72 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 03 CC#73 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 04 CC#74 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 05 CC#75 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 06 CC#76 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 07 CC#77 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 08 CC#78 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 09 CC#79 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 10 CC#80 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 11 CC#81 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 12 CC#82 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 13 CC#83 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 14 CC#84 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 15 CC#85 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 16 CC#86 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 17 CC#87 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 18 CC#88 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 19 CC#89 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 20 CC#90 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 21 CC#91 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 22 CC#92 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 23 CC#93 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 24 CC#94 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 25 CC#95 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 26 CC#96 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 27 CC#97 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 28 CC#98 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 29 CC#99 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Loop # 30 CC#100 0,127 0 = Turn OFF 127= Turn ON Liquid Router 51

52 FEATURE MIDI COMMAND DATA NOTES AMP Switching Turn Amp Switch ON CC#17 1,2,3,4 Turn Amp Switch ON (switch # defined in DATA) Turn Amp Switch OFF CC#18 1,2,3,4 Turn Amp Switch OFF (switch # defined in DATA) Toggle Amp Switch CC#19 1,2,3,4 Toggle Amp Switch (switch # defined in DATA) Momentary Toggle Amp Switch CC#20 1,2,3,4 Momentary Toggle Amp Switch (switch # defined in DATA) Attenuation Channel Volume Chan # 07 CC# Expression pedal for Chan 7 Return- >Send Volume Chan # 08 CC# Expression pedal for Chan 8 Return- >Send Volume Chan # 09 CC# Expression pedal for Chan 9 Return- >Send Volume Chan # 10 CC# Expression pedal for Chan 10 Return- >Send Volume Chan # 11 CC# Expression pedal for Chan 11 Return- >Send Volume Chan # 12 CC# Expression pedal for Chan 12 Return- >Send Volume Chan # 13 CC# Expression pedal for Chan 13 Return- >Send Volume Chan # 14 CC# Expression pedal for Chan 14 Return- >Send Volume 52 Liquid Router

53 Liquid Router Specifications Physical and Electrical Size: 1U Rack Mount Enclosure w/ Rack Ears and Looped Handles Weight: approx. 7 LBS Power: v AC 50-60hz User Interface Display: 16x2 LCD Display Buttons: 16 Buttons (Bright and Dim Red, Green and Orange Colors Input / Output Specixications Hi- Z Inputs (RETURN): Channels 1,2,7 (can accept balanced signals) Lo- Z Inputs (RETURN): Channels 1-16 (can accept balanced signals) Balanced Outputs (SEND): Channels 7-14 Un- Balanced Outputs (SEND): Channels 1-16 Phantom Power: 12V 1000ma Minimum Amp Channel Switches: Each channel is fully Isolated Physical Connections 1 x 1/4 th inch TS jack on front panel for RETURN Channel 1 14 x 1/4 th inch TS Jacks on rear panel for RETURN Channels x 1/4 th inch TRS (stereo) Jack on rear panel for RETURN Channels x 1/4 th inch TRS (Stereo) Jacks on rear panel for SEND channels x RJ45 connectors for expansion devices 1 x USB for connection to PC or Mac 1 x MIDI 5 pin connector for MIDI OUT / THRU 1 x MIDI 7 pin connector for MIDI IN / Phantom Power 1 x DIN 8 connector for 4 isolated AMP Switch Channels 1 x IEC standard International Power Cable Liquid Router 53

54 54 Liquid Router