  We present and implement a new scheme for extended multi-channel selective
femtosecond coherent control based on symmetry properties of the excitation
channels. Here, an atomic non-resonant two-photon absorption channel is
coherently incorporated in a resonance-mediated (2+1) three-photon absorption
channel. By proper pulse shaping, utilizing the invariance of the two-photon
absorption to specific phase transformations of the pulse, the three-photon
absorption is tuned independently over order-of-magnitude yield range for any
possible two-photon absorption yield. Noticeable is a set of two-photon dark
pulses inducing widely-tunable three-photon absorption.
