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I hope this is the correct forum for a question like this. I have a signal processing question. I have one guitar, that has it's signal split, with one signal going to a guitar amp, and one going through an octaver and then going into a bass amp. However, I need both to share a pedal last in their respective 'chains'. From what I can figure, I need something (a pedal?) that has 2 inputs and outputs, plus an effect loop. Then, a switch would determine which signal was currently using the effects loop. Something like an ABY with 2 inputs and outputs...

I have done some Googling and can't seem to find a product I could buy that does this, does anyone know of anything like this?

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    I don't imagine it's a very common requirement, so I doubt there's anything on the market that does exactly what you want -- or if there is, it may be more expensive than just buying another one of the pedal you want to share! However, it's a reasonably simple bit of switching, so you could probably put together a solution out of components from Radio Shack.
    – slim
    Feb 26, 2012 at 17:05
  • I agree with @slim that this is unlikely very common. Two A/B-boxes with remote switching, or getting a custom switcher built, will both solve the problem but likely cost quite a lot. I'm not sure I quite understanding the asker's actual signal routing though, and depending on the effect finding one that supports dual-mono could also solve it.
    – morten
    Feb 26, 2012 at 17:52
  • Try this question on the Audio-Video Production SE. avp.stackexchange.com
    – Luke_0
    Feb 27, 2012 at 1:55
  • Don't really see a reason to go to AVP, I've got several possible solutions to the problem, question is what fits.
    – morten
    Feb 27, 2012 at 14:33
  • Well I know it would be pretty easy to make a pedal that would switch which signal was currently using the effects loop, where i'm getting stuck is that I need the option there to have both signals using the loop as well...
    – user2020
    Feb 27, 2012 at 18:10

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You can get stereo pedals which will allow 2 inputs, and some of them do use those inputs together (I have used one which used the two inputs for a Ring Modulator - was very odd, but excellent if you carefully controlled the inputs!) but I don't think that is what you want.

It sounds like you just need a mixer circuit - presents the correct impedance to two inputs and has gain controls for each channel in order to get appropriate levels to feed into the effect, and two foot switches so you can switch one or other, or both in to the final pedal.

That would be very straightforward to buy.

But to be honest, I would just buy a second pedal identical to that last one and pop one on each chain.

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I think I would agree with Dr Mayhem that the easiest solution is a second identical pedal. But, if you have a $300 rack effects unit or similar high-dollar pedal, this may not be feasible.

More clarification may be needed; What I hear is that you have one source (a guitar) that is split with a Y-connector or ABY into two different pedal chains, but those different chains must share one or more pedals.

The closest thing I can think of without soldering your own custom effects-loop switcher is two "true-bypass" effects loop selector pedals and two Y-patch cables. Plug the "single" end of each Y into the in and out of the pedal or pedal chain you want to share, and then one of the "split" ends of each Y into one effects loop, and the other split from each into the other selector. Now, by hitting one or the other selector, you can punch the pedal into one or the other loop. Because the selector pedals will be true-bypass, the use of the Y-connectors shouldn't cause a problem; the output side of the effects loop as well as the input will be disconnected when you punch the pedal out of a particular chain, so there shouldn't be any "bleed-back" of signal.

The problem will be that you won't want to have the pedal punched into both loops at once, because then your signals will be recombined through the pedal and you'll get some octaved signal in the guitar amp and some normal signal through the bass amp. If you need to switch quickly, you'll need to be able to hit both switches with the same foot at the same time; not impossible, but sometimes tricky.

Understand that store-bought true-bypass effects loop selectors start at about $85 for this Keeley model, and you'll need two of them. So, if the pedal you're trying to loop costs less than $170, it'd be cheaper to just buy a second one.

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