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How to Combine Two Guitar Signals

Record producers and dedicated guitarists experiment with guitar tone, which is as much a part of the performance of a song as the notes played. Creating a unique guitar tone is a trial-and-error process of experimentation. Combining two discrete signals produced by one guitar offers a wide range of possibilities, but it requires some special equipment and set up.

Things You'll Need

  • 5 Unbalanced 1/4'' guitar cables
  • 2 Guitar pre-amps
  • 1 Stereo stack
  • 1 Multichannel mixer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Split your guitar signal into two discrete signals by using a mixer. Use a 1/4-inch guitar unbalanced guitar cable to connect the signal out jack of your guitar to the "Signal In" jack of a mixer. Connect two unbalanced 1/4-inch guitar cables of exactly the same length to the 1/4-inch output jacks of your mixer.

    • 2

      Connect one of the discrete signals coming from your mixer to one of your pre-amps. Plug the cable coming from your mixer into the "Input" jack of your pre-amp. Adjust the timbre of the signal by removing the bass and mid-range frequencies and applying gain or distortion, as desired.

    • 3

      Connect the other discrete signal coming from your mixer to one of your other pre-amps. Plug the cable coming from your mixer into the "Input" jack of your pre-amp. Adjust the timbre of the signal by removing high-end frequencies and amping up the low and mid-range frequencies. Apply gain or distortion as desired.

    • 4

      Combine the signals from your two pre-amps in a stereo stack with two 1/4-inch unbalanced guitar cables of equal length. Connect the signal out of your pre-amps to the "Stereo-In" jacks of your stack, ignoring left and right channel data.

    • 5

      Create a balanced mix of the two guitar signals by adjusting the volume on the two pre-amps. When you subtract high-end or low-end frequencies of a signal, you change the volume of that signal. Adjusting the volume knobs of each pre-amp until the final combined signal equally features both your guitar tones creates a unique and sonorous tone.

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