guitar distribution?

planet red · 12th July 2002

OK I need to buy some sort of splitter to send a signal into two different amps... something real simple, but that wont degrade the signal too much. Should I build something simple myself or is better to buy something..... (i couldnt imagine their would be too much to it). Anyone have any thoughts?

Midlandmorgan · 12th July 2002

believe it or not, there are lots of those things on the market...one is called the "Studio-Ho" , another is the Kendrick A-B-C (I think) several others, some with tubes, some without......anyway, they are active devices that route guitar level signal in several different directions, all fully buffered and in phase.

One thing I have found very useful is the VHT Valvulator...splits signals while providing a great tube buffering...also gives a filtered regulated power supply for your stompboxes...

K

sonic dogg · 13th July 2002

I gotta agree with that 'valvulator' post....tried one...liked it...christmas wish list now one item longer....peace

planet red · 13th July 2002

The idea of the VHT unit scares me. I like the sound of the amps I have for recording and dont want to take a chance with something else messing with the tone so I want something as clean as possible.

So where would I go about finding a 1 in to 2-4 out box? And how much should I expect to pay?

ZEUSS · 13th July 2002

Little Labs PCP distro. Check it out at littlelabs.com. The thing is the shit. Has a great DI in it as well.Use it all of the time. Very reliable and great build quality.

-Z-

Jules · 13th July 2002

I did a review of the PCP Distro in Tape Op a while back, I like mine...

Then theres the Lucas Deciever

A new Jenson transformer buffered box

Several

The PCP is super cool but a tad spendy, it does many things extra.. The Di is excelent IMHO and it can act as a re-amp box & some other stuff...

http://www.littlelabs.com/pcp.html

planet red · 13th July 2002

I cant do spendy right now. Anyone know of anything cheap? I've been looking at the jenson site and might try to build one of their splitters they have a schematic for if I cant find something usuable under 2-300ish.

All I really NEED is one in... two out. Even though at some point I want to pick up the little labs distro.... just dont have the cash at the time.

At this point I dont think I'd like trying to get more then 2 miked amps in phase with each other anyway.

Mike Tholen · 13th July 2002

If you only NEED 2 outs and you don't have alot of dough, then I would just use a stereo pedal.
I use Lovetone pedals but you can simply use a Boss chorus in bypass and you'll be fine.

planet red · 14th July 2002

Well I have a morley A/B box right now... but it sounds way better to go straight to the amp.... so I just want something thats not going to F with the tone as much, but still split the signal. Going thru a boss pedal sort of scares me, but i do have a stereo delay laying around and ill try and see if its better then my A/B box.

ZEUSS · 14th July 2002

Here is another box that is similar to the PCP. Looks decent but don't know how expensive it is.http://www.radialeng.com/News/HighLights/JD7.cfm

**mwagener** · 14th July 2002

planet red

the problem with the A/B box is: it's loading your guitar. The input impedance of a tube guitar amp is at about 1M ohm and the output of a "normal" guitar is at about 250 K ohm. So, when you combine (parallel) two 1 M ohm resistors (as in amp inputs) your impedance goes down to about 500 K and that is low enough to affect the 250 K output of your guitar by bringing down the (already minimal) output current of the pickups. The best way around this is buffer amps which separate the guitar amp inputs from each other. I've used a Boss chorus pedal before, as Mike sugested, and it works pretty well. Maybe the signal in the Boss goes through a couple of buffers, dunno. I also tested the unit at http://www.radialeng.com/News/HighLights/JD7.cfm
and it sounds great. I think the streetprice is somewhere around $ 500.
My advice: use a Boss pedal until you can get the LittleLabs PCP.

alphajerk · 14th July 2002

i use my moogerfoogers for the best path, but i get trailer park sometimes and use the morley a/b box. its good enough for rock and roll man.... plus it allows me various fx runs and combinations while playing.

Fletcher · 14th July 2002

The Littlelabs "PCP" does so many things it's frightening... from guitar signal "distribution" to "reamping" to "DI" to damn near anything else you can think of... it's one of the most powerful guitar oriented tools I've ever met...

Best of luck!!

Bonemeister · 10th October 2002

There are three things you need to consider before buying a guitar distribution system:

1. The sound

Will the original tone of the guitar shine through or will it sound like you have converted the guitar from passive to active. Loading is also a problem as your guitar will have no balls. You must however compensate if there is 'no loading'. If not the guitar will no longer sound right. This is important.

2. Isolation

You have to make sure the amplifiers are isolated from one another or else you will probably have problems with ground humm and buzz. Also, be very careful when using older amps that do not have 3 pins as this can be dangerous!

3. Control

Make sure you can reverse the polarity, lift grounds and turn on and off the amps and effect devices as needed. Changing the polarity (phase) can be huge!

One other point...

Reamping is great fun!

Record a dry track and then send the signal into your amps afterwords.

blackcatdigi · 10th October 2002

Fletcher,

I'm shocked you didn't mention the Alan Smart guitar distros...

We're digging ours alot! One guitar in the control room to 4 amps around the studio.

Mercenary sells 'em, folks.

12th July 2002	#1
planet red Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: historic richmond va Posts: 764 Thread Starter	guitar distribution? OK I need to buy some sort of splitter to send a signal into two different amps... something real simple, but that wont degrade the signal too much. Should I build something simple myself or is better to buy something..... (i couldnt imagine their would be too much to it). Anyone have any thoughts?

12th July 2002	#2
Midlandmorgan Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Midland TX Posts: 1,120	believe it or not, there are lots of those things on the market...one is called the "Studio-Ho" , another is the Kendrick A-B-C (I think) several others, some with tubes, some without......anyway, they are active devices that route guitar level signal in several different directions, all fully buffered and in phase. One thing I have found very useful is the VHT Valvulator...splits signals while providing a great tube buffering...also gives a filtered regulated power supply for your stompboxes... K __________________ Ken Morgan Wireline Studio Midland, TX Good Sound Starts With Good Gear - Great Sound Starts With Great Players

13th July 2002	#3
sonic dogg Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: pacific northwest Posts: 787	I gotta agree with that 'valvulator' post....tried one...liked it...christmas wish list now one item longer....peace __________________ the clubhouse studio....home of drool'n dogg rekords

13th July 2002	#6
Jules Gearslutz.com admin Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: A Yank in London, UK Posts: 17,340 1 Review written	I did a review of the PCP Distro in Tape Op a while back, I like mine... Then theres the Lucas Deciever A new Jenson transformer buffered box Several The PCP is super cool but a tad spendy, it does many things extra.. The Di is excelent IMHO and it can act as a re-amp box & some other stuff... http://www.littlelabs.com/pcp.html __________________ Jules Add your reviews to the new reviews area! Gearslutz on Facebook Follow my GS picks on Twitter

14th July 2002	#11
mwagener High End Moderator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Music City USA Posts: 3,579	planet red the problem with the A/B box is: it's loading your guitar. The input impedance of a tube guitar amp is at about 1M ohm and the output of a "normal" guitar is at about 250 K ohm. So, when you combine (parallel) two 1 M ohm resistors (as in amp inputs) your impedance goes down to about 500 K and that is low enough to affect the 250 K output of your guitar by bringing down the (already minimal) output current of the pickups. The best way around this is buffer amps which separate the guitar amp inputs from each other. I've used a Boss chorus pedal before, as Mike sugested, and it works pretty well. Maybe the signal in the Boss goes through a couple of buffers, dunno. I also tested the unit at http://www.radialeng.com/News/HighLights/JD7.cfm and it sounds great. I think the streetprice is somewhere around $ 500. My advice: use a Boss pedal until you can get the LittleLabs PCP. __________________ Michael Wagener http://www.michaelwagener.com Next Production Workshop scheduled for February 4th through 10th, 2012 Please read reviews about the production workshops here Click here for production workshop DVD updates.

13th July 2002	#5
ZEUSS Gear addict Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 377	Little Labs PCP distro. Check it out at littlelabs.com. The thing is the shit. Has a great DI in it as well.Use it all of the time. Very reliable and great build quality. -Z-

13th July 2002	#8
Mike Tholen Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chicago Posts: 855	If you only NEED 2 outs and you don't have alot of dough, then I would just use a stereo pedal. I use Lovetone pedals but you can simply use a Boss chorus in bypass and you'll be fine.

14th July 2002	#12
alphajerk There is only one Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: asheville NC Posts: 5,260	i use my moogerfoogers for the best path, but i get trailer park sometimes and use the morley a/b box. its good enough for rock and roll man.... plus it allows me various fx runs and combinations while playing.

14th July 2002	#13
Fletcher member no 666 Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 9,438	The Littlelabs "PCP" does so many things it's frightening... from guitar signal "distribution" to "reamping" to "DI" to damn near anything else you can think of... it's one of the most powerful guitar oriented tools I've ever met... Best of luck!! __________________ CN Fletcher Professional Affiliations: R/E/P Professional Recording Engineer and Producer forums - serious hobbyists welcome TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik SoundPure.com mwagener wrote on Sat, 11 September 2004 14:33 We are selling emotions, there are no emotions in a grid Roscoe Ambel once said: Pro-Tools is to audio what fluorescent is to light

10th October 2002	#14
Bonemeister Gear nut Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 82	Guitar Distribution Splitter There are three things you need to consider before buying a guitar distribution system: 1. The sound Will the original tone of the guitar shine through or will it sound like you have converted the guitar from passive to active. Loading is also a problem as your guitar will have no balls. You must however compensate if there is 'no loading'. If not the guitar will no longer sound right. This is important. 2. Isolation You have to make sure the amplifiers are isolated from one another or else you will probably have problems with ground humm and buzz. Also, be very careful when using older amps that do not have 3 pins as this can be dangerous! 3. Control Make sure you can reverse the polarity, lift grounds and turn on and off the amps and effect devices as needed. Changing the polarity (phase) can be huge! One other point... Reamping is great fun! Record a dry track and then send the signal into your amps afterwords. __________________ Peter Janis Radial Engineering Primacoustic Tonebone

10th October 2002	#15
blackcatdigi Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: upstate, sc Posts: 1,739	Fletcher, I'm shocked you didn't mention the Alan Smart guitar distros... We're digging ours alot! One guitar in the control room to 4 amps around the studio. Mercenary sells 'em, folks. __________________ Sincerely, Casey SC Digital Services Bob Olhsson wrote on 17th September 2002, 12:56 PM: "Music is being used to sort consumers rather than to entertain people."

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