Passive splitter box

rico · September 2021

I want to make a very simple passive splitter box that will take a single input and split the signal to two outputs. One will go to the amp and the other to my interface.

It is as simple as just connecting the tips and grounds together respectively?

poopot · September 2021

Pretty much… Chuck in a couple of switches and you have an a/b box… I’ll dig out a diagram

poopot · September 2021

That should do you!.

rico · September 2021

poopot said:

That should do you!.

Mega, thank you!

prowla · September 2021

You can choose whether you want a buffer or not.
There are kit suppliers online.

ICBM · September 2021

No, not like that.

If you're going to make a box like that, you need to mute the unused outputs by switching them to ground and not leave them as open circuits - even near-open-circuit with the 100K resistors - they will hum like that, like a guitar cable plugged into an amp with no guitar connected.

Also, if this is going to be after a guitar or unbuffered pedal, the 100K resistors will load the signal down heavily (50K with both outputs engaged) and muddy the tone. You don't even need the 1M one if the switching is done so that neither output is left unconnected - it's better to use a switching jack (to ground) for the input.

Danny1969 · September 2021

For a passive splitter you don’t need any switch’s but if you just connect the input to both outputs then the interface input will load the amp input and vice versa .

You need to isolate loading one from the other really .., a tuner with 2 outputs would do the job

ICBM · September 2021

Danny1969 said:

For a passive splitter you don’t need any switch’s but if you just connect the input to both outputs then the interface input will load the amp input and vice versa .

You need to isolate loading one from the other really .., a tuner with 2 outputs would do the job

True, although if both are in the 1M ohm range then it won't matter too much.

It's if you add more than two at about 1M each, or go down much below 500K on any of the outputs, that you'll start to notice.

Or, use any buffered pedal before the splitter and then it doesn't matter at all...

Danny1969 · September 2021

Yeah a buffered pedal would be fine and from there an off the shelf mic splitter could also be used . A cheaper one fit 20 ish would be fine at 100Hz and above. If isolation was needed that is

rico · September 2021

Good job I didn’t order all the bits yet...

It’s basically some cable management in my new study, I want to route two cables under my desk and have a splitter mounted onto the underside of the desk as a kind of patch bay.

Actually, a simple 2 in 2 out patch box might be easier...just plug my input cable into whatever patch I want (amp or interface).

sweepy · September 2021

I have a Morley isolated 3.into 1. 1 into 3 switcher if you are interested

digitalkettle · September 2021

Won't a DI box (with throughput) sort this?

BillDL · September 2021

If it is always connected to amp and interface you could do this very cheaply for less than £5 using an inline mono 6.3mm jack splitter adapter. Look for a 2-female in to 1-female out or 1-female in to 2-female out adapter (they work either way). Even if you can only get a two-in female to one-out male (most common), you could buy a 6.3mm inline mono female to female adapter so you can plug one instrument cable into the male jack side and two instrument cables into what would normally be the two inputs, i.e. the two female sockets at the other end. Some might argue about low quality metals in an unshielded adapter degrading the signal, and all that baloney, but if they are metal and make good contact with the jacks you would have to be an owl or fennec fox to hear any difference if there was any at all. It would be worth buying these cheap adapters to test before buying other more expensive, and admittedly neater and more versatile, equipment.