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Pedalboard splitter?

G

G-Lol

Jun 5, 2019
52
161
#1
Does anyone know of a device that will allow you to split the signal coming from your pedalboard into probably eight separate outputs? What I'm trying to do is take the signal from the last pedal on my board and run it out to multiple amplifiers/preamps at once. Everything I'm seeing appears to take the signal from multiple inputs and combine it, like a mixer, and what I'm looking for is essentially the reverse of that

It feels like there's probably some really easy solution here that I'm missing so if I'm being an idiot, feel free to point that out.

Thanks,
 
#3
G-Lol said:
Does anyone know of a device that will allow you to split the signal coming from your pedalboard into probably eight separate outputs? What I'm trying to do is take the signal from the last pedal on my board and run it out to multiple amplifiers/preamps at once. Everything I'm seeing appears to take the signal from multiple inputs and combine it, like a mixer, and what I'm looking for is essentially the reverse of that

It feels like there's probably some really easy solution here that I'm missing so if I'm being an idiot, feel free to point that out.

Thanks,
Click to expand...
I’ll second looking into what Saturnworks(or Loop-Master, possibly) could make for you, but my curiosity is piqued…what exactly is your endgame with that proposed set-up?
 
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#5
Michedelic said:
I’ll second looking into what Saturnworks(or Loop-Master, possibly) could make for you, but my curiosity is piqued…what exactly is your endgame with that proposed set-up?
Click to expand...
Bear with me, this is the first time I've explained this to anyone who would know what I'm talking about.

So, I'm strictly silent practice at home, and a few years ago I decided to build a "preamp board" in addition to my pedalboard, so basically I could replicate pretty much any amp setup/tone I want. So think 8 different analog preamps/amp DIs/etc going into a Scarlet 18i20, and then into the computer. You then use Focusrite's Mixcontrol software to get everything at the levels you want, and then you feed the results into your DAW of choice, or just into your headphones along with your music player of choice. I have all the stuff already, I just need the splitters so I can get all the pedals into the chain instead of having to use the "through" outs from the various pedals to send signals out.

So the signal chain is:

Bass-pedalboard-"new splitter boxes" - Preamps/DI-18i20-computer.


Or, you could think of it like the bass section of a Helix, but analog.

Hopefully that makes sense.
 
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#6
G-Lol said:
a device that will allow you to split the signal coming from your pedalboard into probably eight separate outputs
Click to expand...
From all the gear that I already own, I'd use the Roland Octa-Capture audio interface to split 1-to-8.
The great thing – or rather one of many great things – about the Octa-Capture is that it works as a standalone device, and you have 8 in and 8 out (plus coaxial S/PDIF I/O as a bonus if needed).

For a simple 1-to-2 splitter, just last week at a recording session I gave the guitarist my old Boss CE-3 chorus pedal (in off mode, of course), so that I could record his "naked" guitar sound to re-amp it later in the mix, while he would run the other output through his pedal board for monitoring.
 
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#7
G-Lol said:
Bear with me, this is the first time I've explained this to anyone who would know what I'm talking about.

So, I'm strictly silent practice at home, and a few years ago I decided to build a "preamp board" in addition to my pedalboard, so basically I could replicate pretty much any amp setup/tone I want. So think 8 different analog preamps/amp DIs/etc going into a Scarlet 18i20, and then into the computer. You then use Focusrite's Mixcontrol software to get everything at the levels you want, and then you feed the results into your DAW of choice, or just into your headphones along with your music player of choice. I have all the stuff already, I just need the splitters so I can get all the pedals into the chain instead of having to use the "through" outs from the various pedals to send signals out.

So the signal chain is:

Bass-pedalboard-"new splitter boxes" - Preamps/DI-18i20-computer.


Or, you could think of it like the bass section of a Helix, but analog.

Hopefully that makes sense.
Click to expand...
Hmm, I don’t really deal with that sort of stuff, but a drummer I work with is deep into it, and he uses Reaper to record…why couldn’t you just use a variety of plug-ins(amp models and effects)to switch back and forth?
 
#8
You probably could, but when I started this project, I was running across all kinds of cheap rack stuff, and I thought it would be fun to be able to leave it all plugged in, or run it all at once. It's definitely the hard way to do it, but if I ever decide to get out of it, I'm not going to lose money.

Plus it sounds phenomenal.
 
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#9
G-Lol said:
You probably could, but when I started this project, I was running across all kinds of cheap rack stuff, and I thought it would be fun to be able to leave it all plugged in, or run it all at once. It's definitely the hard way to do it, but if I ever decide to get out of it, I'm not going to lose money.

Plus it sounds phenomenal.
Click to expand...
It sounds like a huge pain in the arse, and a lot of buggering about to boot, but damn if I don't respect it. If you email that Saturnworks bloke, I can't imagine he'd be unreceptive to a custom 1 to 8 splitter instead of you needing two of the 4 ways.
 
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#10
G-Lol said:
Bear with me, this is the first time I've explained this to anyone who would know what I'm talking about.

So, I'm strictly silent practice at home, and a few years ago I decided to build a "preamp board" in addition to my pedalboard, so basically I could replicate pretty much any amp setup/tone I want. So think 8 different analog preamps/amp DIs/etc going into a Scarlet 18i20, and then into the computer. You then use Focusrite's Mixcontrol software to get everything at the levels you want, and then you feed the results into your DAW of choice, or just into your headphones along with your music player of choice. I have all the stuff already, I just need the splitters so I can get all the pedals into the chain instead of having to use the "through" outs from the various pedals to send signals out.

So the signal chain is:

Bass-pedalboard-"new splitter boxes" - Preamps/DI-18i20-computer.


Or, you could think of it like the bass section of a Helix, but analog.

Hopefully that makes sense.
Click to expand...
Why not just use a Quad Cortex and call it a day?!?
 
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#11
BaltBass5 said:
Why not just use a Quad Cortex and call it a day?!?
Click to expand...
Sometimes it's fun to do things the hard way, I guess. At least part of it was seeing if I could actually build this thing that I had a vague idea of in my head, and as I think I said upthread, I didn't pay much for anything I'm using, and I really enjoy flipping gear anyway. So part of it is amusement, part of it is tone chasing, and part of it is the idea of collecting stuff from a certain era and making it functional for every day use.

Maybe someday I'll sell it all and go digital, who knows. I definitely won't lose money if I do.
 
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#12
G-Lol said:
Sometimes it's fun to do things the hard way, I guess. At least part of it was seeing if I could actually build this thing that I had a vague idea of in my head, and as I think I said upthread, I didn't pay much for anything I'm using, and I really enjoy flipping gear anyway. So part of it is amusement, part of it is tone chasing, and part of it is the idea of collecting stuff from a certain era and making it functional for every day use.

Maybe someday I'll sell it all and go digital, who knows. I definitely won't lose money if I do.
Click to expand...
I think you'll need an active splitter system if you want to run into 8 preamps simultaneously so you have a strong enough signal at the input of your preamps.
Just thought I would let you know that I know where you're coming from as I also enjoy using different preamps to shape my tone, especially for my home studio rig. Pedals are great, but having the tone sculpting available in a full preamp is hard to top.
I had several rack units which I've accumulated over the years. I wanted to be able to run my rack-mount compresor and eqs with different preamps, and switch between different preamps into my amp. Switching the compressor and eqs in and out of a preamp is similar to what you're thinking of doing as they may all be running at the same time, but switching between the preamps is different than you as I only want to run through one preamp at a time.
For the compressors and eqs, I couldn't find anything readily available, so I built a box with an input/ouput with 4 effects loops, with toggle switches to switch the loops in/out, as well as relays to use footswitches to control the toggle switching. Pretty cheap and easy to do if you understand basic electronics.
I planned to build a second box to switch the preamps, but then I found some NUX PML-2s for cheap which have an input/output and a switchable A/B effects loop that you can control with footswitches, so I used these units in a cascaded configuration. This setup allowed me to switch between my amp's preamp and 3 other preamps, and add the compressor and/or eqs.
I've reconfigured my rig a few times over the years. Right now, I've dropped the EQs, so I use my homemade box to first direct the bass signal into my amp's preamp or send it to the NUX units controlling the other 3 preamps. The homemade box also switches the compressor in/out, as well as my passive DI, and a signal mute. With the cascaded Nux units I can switch between my SVP, BBE and Ashly preamps, as well as the pure bass tone. I also use the footswitches to control extra features on the preamps, such as the SVP EQ or the BBE Sonic Maximizer.
I guess it's a little convuluted, but not really complicated - just some switches, relays and patch cords.
Here's a few pics. First pic is of the rack. Top to bottom is a tuner (always on), Rane compressor, Ashly preamp, BBE preamp and SVP preamp. On the bottom right is my homemade box, and 2 of the NUX units on the bottom left (there's a 3rd NUX hidden that switches to the pure bass signal)..
Second pic shows my pedalboard with the bank of BOSS footswitches used to control all this stuff (the switches are actually on a second lower pedalboard. Usually, I just grab the smaller top pedalboard along with a small amp when I go out to play.)
Third pic is of the whole rig, along with a few other goodies I use. Sounds killer, especially when I combine it with my old Mesa 400+ and the 2x12 cabs. It doesn't leave home very often, but I do drag it down to the barn every so often when we want to really jam hard and let all the neighbors know that the boys are back in town.
IMG_20250212_193214560_HDR.jpg

IMG_20250212_193243903_HDR.jpg

IMG_20250212_193308373_HDR.jpg
 
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#13
DDawg said:
I think you'll need an active splitter system if you want to run into 8 preamps simultaneously so you have a strong enough signal at the input of your preamps.
Just thought I would let you know that I know where you're coming from as I also enjoy using different preamps to shape my tone, especially for my home studio rig. Pedals are great, but having the tone sculpting available in a full preamp is hard to top.
I had several rack units which I've accumulated over the years. I wanted to be able to run my rack-mount compresor and eqs with different preamps, and switch between different preamps into my amp. Switching the compressor and eqs in and out of a preamp is similar to what you're thinking of doing as they may all be running at the same time, but switching between the preamps is different than you as I only want to run through one preamp at a time.
For the compressors and eqs, I couldn't find anything readily available, so I built a box with an input/ouput with 4 effects loops, with toggle switches to switch the loops in/out, as well as relays to use footswitches to control the toggle switching. Pretty cheap and easy to do if you understand basic electronics.
I planned to build a second box to switch the preamps, but then I found some NUX PML-2s for cheap which have an input/output and a switchable A/B effects loop that you can control with footswitches, so I used these units in a cascaded configuration. This setup allowed me to switch between my amp's preamp and 3 other preamps, and add the compressor and/or eqs.
I've reconfigured my rig a few times over the years. Right now, I've dropped the EQs, so I use my homemade box to first direct the bass signal into my amp's preamp or send it to the NUX units controlling the other 3 preamps. The homemade box also switches the compressor in/out, as well as my passive DI, and a signal mute. With the cascaded Nux units I can switch between my SVP, BBE and Ashly preamps, as well as the pure bass tone. I also use the footswitches to control extra features on the preamps, such as the SVP EQ or the BBE Sonic Maximizer.
I guess it's a little convuluted, but not really complicated - just some switches, relays and patch cords.
Here's a few pics. First pic is of the rack. Top to bottom is a tuner (always on), Rane compressor, Ashly preamp, BBE preamp and SVP preamp. On the bottom right is my homemade box, and 2 of the NUX units on the bottom left (there's a 3rd NUX hidden that switches to the pure bass signal)..
Second pic shows my pedalboard with the bank of BOSS footswitches used to control all this stuff (the switches are actually on a second lower pedalboard. Usually, I just grab the smaller top pedalboard along with a small amp when I go out to play.)
Third pic is of the whole rig, along with a few other goodies I use. Sounds killer, especially when I combine it with my old Mesa 400+ and the 2x12 cabs. It doesn't leave home very often, but I do drag it down to the barn every so often when we want to really jam hard and let all the neighbors know that the boys are back in town.
View attachment 7150391
View attachment 7150392
View attachment 7150393
Click to expand...
This guy gets it⬆️
 
#20
Although very cool, that
DDawg said:
I think you'll need an active splitter system if you want to run into 8 preamps simultaneously so you have a strong enough signal at the input of your preamps.
Just thought I would let you know that I know where you're coming from as I also enjoy using different preamps to shape my tone, especially for my home studio rig. Pedals are great, but having the tone sculpting available in a full preamp is hard to top.
I had several rack units which I've accumulated over the years. I wanted to be able to run my rack-mount compresor and eqs with different preamps, and switch between different preamps into my amp. Switching the compressor and eqs in and out of a preamp is similar to what you're thinking of doing as they may all be running at the same time, but switching between the preamps is different than you as I only want to run through one preamp at a time.
For the compressors and eqs, I couldn't find anything readily available, so I built a box with an input/ouput with 4 effects loops, with toggle switches to switch the loops in/out, as well as relays to use footswitches to control the toggle switching. Pretty cheap and easy to do if you understand basic electronics.
I planned to build a second box to switch the preamps, but then I found some NUX PML-2s for cheap which have an input/output and a switchable A/B effects loop that you can control with footswitches, so I used these units in a cascaded configuration. This setup allowed me to switch between my amp's preamp and 3 other preamps, and add the compressor and/or eqs.
I've reconfigured my rig a few times over the years. Right now, I've dropped the EQs, so I use my homemade box to first direct the bass signal into my amp's preamp or send it to the NUX units controlling the other 3 preamps. The homemade box also switches the compressor in/out, as well as my passive DI, and a signal mute. With the cascaded Nux units I can switch between my SVP, BBE and Ashly preamps, as well as the pure bass tone. I also use the footswitches to control extra features on the preamps, such as the SVP EQ or the BBE Sonic Maximizer.
I guess it's a little convuluted, but not really complicated - just some switches, relays and patch cords.
Here's a few pics. First pic is of the rack. Top to bottom is a tuner (always on), Rane compressor, Ashly preamp, BBE preamp and SVP preamp. On the bottom right is my homemade box, and 2 of the NUX units on the bottom left (there's a 3rd NUX hidden that switches to the pure bass signal)..
Second pic shows my pedalboard with the bank of BOSS footswitches used to control all this stuff (the switches are actually on a second lower pedalboard. Usually, I just grab the smaller top pedalboard along with a small amp when I go out to play.)
Third pic is of the whole rig, along with a few other goodies I use. Sounds killer, especially when I combine it with my old Mesa 400+ and the 2x12 cabs. It doesn't leave home very often, but I do drag it down to the barn every so often when we want to really jam hard and let all the neighbors know that the boys are back in town.
View attachment 7150391
View attachment 7150392
View attachment 7150393
Click to expand...
Although really interesting/cool....that rig gives me serious anxiety looking at the pictures. LOL
 
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