Looking to build a nice guitar splitter.....

I want to build a box to split my guitar signal from my guitar to go to multiple guitar amps. I've used some store bought units, but they really affected the tone and I want something that will be "transparent." Any schematics out there?

hmmm easy enough. Check the various trafnsformer websites for schemo's . MOst companies have one.

here is a jensen splitter that is passive 1 into 2

http://www.jensen-transformers.com/as/as013.pdf

Jesen active 1 into 4

http://www.jensen-transformers.com/as/as014.pdf

Anyone have a decent suggested replacement for the expensive Jensen Xfmrs?

I find it funny that they mention the ability to sub out another op amp for the expensive 627 (they're about $15-20 ea), when the transformersare $100 a pop and there's 4 of them.

So how bout it, anyone know some 1:1 edcors or OEPs that will work considering the guitar's freq range is like 60Hz (allowing for detuning) to maybe 5 kHz.

Cheers,

Kris

PS: It mught be nice to put some pads on the input and allow it to take in a line in signal for reamping, and some output pads to control how hard the front end of the amp is driven.

What about switches to turn on/off amp input or change amp?
What's the best way to handle the change without transient noises?

Frank

A few notes on splitters. When you use a splitter you are not going to get the direct guitar to tube amp sound for people with picky ears. A guitar is a mess to model and a tube amp often has a series resistor to the input grids.

A buffer splitter output will not have the same output Z mess the guitar does. It would be nice if all you needed to do was match the input R of the tube amp and buffer.

If there are any effects that use electronic switching in the signal path now a buffer,splitter should have little to no change in sound.

So if you can accept the above what I would do follows.

For two ouputs use the Jensen or geofex circuits. For alot of transformer outputs use the same type circuit but use a higher current output buffer, this can be a opamp with added output transistors like the Line amp circuits in the Jung books.

Try the cheaper transformers R.G. uses in the Geofex circuit and also try other ones, maybe you will find something you like.

IMO a often overlooked part of the guitar and amp is the what can go on at the grid of the input tube.

Here's a very simple, yet well-functioning instrument splitter:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/gyraf/Splitter.gif

We have several of these in the studio, and they get used all the time...

Jakob E.

Jakob, thank you for posting this! I have two short questions if you don't mind:

I don't see the point in using switching jacks, is it because of the circuit drawing software you use or am I missing something?

Did you add ground lift switches on the outputs of your boxes? We often run into ground loop troubles when splitting guitar signals to multiple amps / DI interfaces and it would be cool to have this feature right on the splitter.

martthie,

yes, the switching jacks are due to my drawing software.

And no, there's no groundlift, as the outputs are not transformerbalanced but simply unbalanced. It works nicely though - I've never had any trouble with it acting up in any way..


Jakob E.

thanks Jakob!

I am thinking of putting this into a dual channel splitter / di / re-amp package and racking it up into one box.

cheers, Mart

I want to build the Gyraf splitter - that's just what I've been looking for... just a few questions:

a) Can I leave out the "Loop Through" without changes to the circuit??

b) Can I use two 1N4448 diodes

c) On the inst. input should the Sleeve and Tip go together into the 100n cap??

d) What do you use for the 12V/0,1mA trafo - Duracel???

:wink:

regarding c):

through my uneducated eyes it looks like the 100nF cap is forming a high pass filter with the 10M ohm resistor going to ground, a quick calculation yields a -3dB cutoff point of approximately 0,16 Hz.

With this in mind I would suggest that only the input tip signal should go to this filter input (the cap) and that sleeve should go to ground.

It looks to me as Jakob intended to use a shorting jack to put the tip of the input to ground, when nothing is connected to the splitter. When you insert a plug, the tip gets disconnected from ground - but I think on the drawing it is mixed up, because the tip gets shorted to ground either way. Please correct me if I'm talking BS.

regarding d)
you need pos. and neg. Voltage, so I think you can't use batteries instead of a transformer.

I miss-read the thread. sorry

I built this one off of R.G. Keen's site and it seems to work just fine. The Mouser trannies are cheap, so you could upgrade those with something better if so inclined. I built it with the Mousers and really have no complaint, though I mainly used it for live work.



Cheers,
--
Don

hey Jakob, your schemo is easy as cool..
What do you think in a mod to include a balanced DI-out to record and a ReAmp-in from the DAW out?
I searching for it from a long time..
it can be the most successful stomp box for every studio around here :grin:

that would be great, i think that we need more projects for the unusual but necessary tasks like headphone amplifiers, guitar splitters, di box, reamp, monitor routers, gates, phono preamps, etc

I'm going to build the Gyraf splitter - would this standard trafo work without introducing too much noise or would it be better to use a toroid for less noise??

Shouldn't there be a 315mA fuse on the primarys??

I can read a schematic, but poorly. Looking at Jakob's design....I can't figure out how to build it.

Anyone have a picture of one built? Anyone have some hand holding advice?

Has anybody built this?

What XFMR was used?

What do you need to feed the guitar signal to?

And what kind of guitar?

So you question should read as follows:

"Hi folks! I have a Fender Strat with single coil stock 8 k wound fender pickups.
I want to drive a Marshall Plexi 50 watt AND a Fender Twin, just like Trower.
How do I do this?"

or

"Hi folks! I have a Les Paul with Duncan 59's. I want to drive my Crate, and also send the output into the board for a Direct sound. What do I do?"

or

I have an Danelectro with active EMG's. I want to drive three marshalls, and three twins, what do I do?"

Each of these above scenarios will require a different solution.
If you have a magnificent instrument, and play professionally, including live, you will not want to upset one micron of that tone. Anytime you split, you will change something. Damage control. Thats the key.

It's for splitting the signal from a bass (stingray I think) and going to four different pedals.

After that there will be (this is the next hurdle) a custom dealie that takes all four signals, provides footswitchable on/off (NOT bypass) with level control on each signal indiviually and produces one (and maybe a second direct for FOH) output.

Then all of that mess goes into his amp, which to my knowledge is an svt