Splitting guitar signal for recording

  • Thread starter Thread starter dansted
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dansted

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How do you split a guitar output into 2 or more signals without quality loss? The idea is to record one track clean and one with effects.

What would happen if I put it through a headphone amplifier like Millenium HA4 Millenium HA4 - Thomann danske Cyberstore would that work?
 
Use a decent active direct box. It will have the needed impedance and a "through" connection. Guitar to DI, DI XLR to recording system input, DI "through" output to effects to another recording system input.
 
Or use a splitter Y cable, send one output to an amp on clean setting, send the other to an effects unit or a pedal or another amp with effects and mic both amps or go line out. There's actually a few ways you can get a guitar signal simultaneously to two or more outputs.
 
Depends on if you are recording the effects through an amp or not, use a DI passive or active is personal preference but if you are recording through an amp/effects then mic the amp for the second channel, if you are going straight out of effects/amp sim you should then have another DI for the signal.

You could also just record the clean DI and then reamp later and add whatever effects you want and an unlimited number of channels/effect combinations.
 
Remember also that some amps have a DI out so instead of just having a straight clean DI signal you could record the DI signal from the amp for a more natural sound.
 
DI boxes are pretty much the standard way to do this.

guitar > jack > DI input > DI (instrument or thru) output > jack > effects etc.
> DI output (XLR!) > XLR > DAW

this is quite a common technique to bypass an amp too - you put the DI after the effects but before the amp, and then mic up the amp. Then you get an 'amp' sound and a 'direct' sound.
bypassing effects is a bit less common as usually the guitarist has got those sorted out first ;) but of course does mean probably you have more control in your DAW should you need it
 
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