The Steel Mixer is connected between the steel guitar and amplifier; the volume pedal and effects pedals are patched into dedicated inputs and outputs. The primary job of the Steel Mixer is to ensure the signal path from the guitar to the amplifier is maintained as pure and clean as possible. To a guitar signal it's like a piece of glass! The dry guitar signal never passes through an effects unit, it only passes through the Steel Mixer. Effect signals are added to the pure dry signal using controls on a leg mounted remote box that is ideally positioned for the steel guitarist.

Using a unique switching system the order of the volume pedal and effects pedals can be changed to achieve popular pedal arrangements. In addition to handling the signal path, the Steel Mixer also generates a number of power supplies that can be used to power up common volume and effects pedals.