Splitting a guitar signal to mic an amp w. FX and dry signal to interface. Advice?

Hi, guys. So here's the deal. I want to be able to mic my amp with my stompbox(es) effecting the signal as well as have a dry signal that I can apply sims and stuff to after tracking. I have some specific gear that I THINK might be able to make this happen but I'd like to hear what you pros have to say on the matter.

Here's what I've got:

Line 6 Duoverb head: This has two channels that I can either blend or send out separately basically making it two amps in one. It has 2 XLR outs (one for each channel) as well as regular line outs for both channels. It has two sets of effects return/sends... again one set for each channel. It has two speaker outs for each channel (total of four).

Vintage Traynor TS series combo amp: This is a really neat old school transistor amp (I think it's from the 60's) with some interesting routing options as well but I'd be disconnecting the amp section and just using it as a cabinet.

Original Mackie CR-1601 hardware mixer: I don't really want to bring a mixer into this set up but this is my good mixer. It has dedicated line outs for the first 8 channels.

Scarlett 18i6 interface: Two multi ins and six 1/4" line ins.

Now what I'm thinking I can do is this:

I'd have one channel's XLR out from the Line 6 go directly to one of the multi ins on the interface for the dry signal.

The second channel would be sent out of one of it's speaker outputs to the cab. The cab would be mic'd and the mic would go to the second multi in.

Simple enough so far but here's what I'm not sure about because I have never bothered using effects sends before...

I'm hoping that I can hook my stompox(es) to the effects send/return of the second channel so it will only effect the signal going into the cab. I'm not sure if this is how this works so I'm hoping one of you smart fellers may have done this type of thing before. As I said I've never really bothered and the few times I've attempted effects loops like this it's never worked out properly. Like bad signals or no effect at all.

Anyway... that's what's going on. I'm gonna be poking around doing some other stuff and I'm not really anticipating doing this right away (just gonna use the XLR outs straight into the interface for now as usual) but it's something I've been wanting to try. Best of both worlds and all that, yanno?

Thanks in advance and have a great day. 

Thanks but I can't afford any extra gear for this. What I described has worked many times for me in the past but it was an either or type of situation. I'm either recording wet or dry. I'd like to attempt both at once. The Line 6 behaves very much like a DI splitter. Just not sure about the effects loops. I'd use the internal effects but they don't sound very good.

Cheers.

Well you have made realize that I probably should get some kind of DI box/splitter dealymawhosit. I'd imagine they aren't that expensive and would sure make things a lot easier. What do they go for? Like $50-$60? I only need it to split the signal without losing quality.

Cheers.

Right on. Won't be able to buy anything for at least a few months and I've got other purchases on my list but I probably shouldn't piss around with my guitar tone. Might buy a little low wattage tube amp too. Kind of like the looks of the Fender Champ jr.

The Yamaha THR10 would be a nice replacement for the Line 6 as far as modeling but not sure if I wanna drop $300 for more sim based hardware.

Countryman DT85 FET
MY FAVORITE.

OTHERS that should/could be in the running, based on bucks versus bang

Palmer PDI-09 (what i use)


Art Pdb Passive Direct
Radial Engineering Pro RMP
Behringer ULTRA-DI DI100 
Whirlwind IMP 2 Standard Direct Box
Live Wire Solutions ADI Active DI Direct Box
Rapco Horizon STL-1 Stereo Line Direct Box
Radial Engineering X-Amp Active Reamplifier
dbx dB12 Active Direct Box Black
Boss DI-1 Direct Box

The effects loop is more for full blown fx processors rather than foot pedals. I use my effects loop in conjunction with a BOSS GT-6 and the 4-cable method. That allows the GT-6 effects to be used but I can still use the amps pre-amp stage in some sounds and BOSS emulations in others.

Works great in my live rig.

http://www.sweetwater.com/c662--Single_Channel_Preamps/low2high


The ART tube Mp is a nice little tool for splitting.  Sub $50.  A rather fluffly preamp w/ the tube driven, but just consider that a bonus.


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@AT... hmm. Nice looking unit but is it suited for what I'm trying? I'm assuming I'd plug into the 1/4" in, send to the stomp boxes > amp from the 1/4" out and then use the XLR out to send a clean signal to the interface multi in. But wouldn't the pre amp mess with the signal going to the pedals > amp?

Thanks. It does look nice. Just want to make sure it's appropriate for this application. Cheers.

setup the line 6 for the cleanest, flattest, most unaffected tone, but that has enough gain on it to be able to get your style out of that sound..... to be touch sensitive, and have dynamics.....

Yeah, that's pretty much what I use it for. It has a totally dry setting but I prefer using the Hi Watt sim and getting a super crisp clean tone. Then I add whatever effects from there. You make a good point about using the Line 6 for the clean signal and the Traynor for the mic'd signal as the Traynor is a much better sounding amp. I probably would have stumbled into that line of reasoning eventually but thanks for the kick start. I wouldn't be able to use the box AT posted without an XLR to 1/4" adapter though so I'd have to look for a splitter that had two 1/4" outs... unless I'm overlooking something.

Cheers.

A quick warning re DI boxes. Avoid Behringer active ones, or at least get one from somewhere you can return it to, just in case. They used to be pretty good for the price, but changed the pre-amp chip a few years ago with the result that the DI box itself can be very noisy. I've come across examples that produced over 40dB of hiss.

FWIW my Behringer unit is fine. The Samson is good too though. That's a stereo unit as well for about the same price.

Beepster,

I haven't used the art mp for a year or more.  I think it lives w/ my wife's live band set up now.  But as I recall it has a micpre/di input and two outs - balanced and unbalanced.  Anyway, the art can output two signals from one input like a splitter. 

The low voltage tube is on the output and the micpre is a simple but effective transformerless design.  It sounds like a typical interface preamp, which is to say good as long as you don't overdrive it. 

The tube output drive works nice on bass guitar if you want a fluffy sound.  There was a thread on Gearslutz a few years ago w/ an art and high end preamp and people preferred the ARt - until the tester let known which was which.  I loved the crawfishing afterward.

have fun.

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