Hi, guys.
 
So I've been really wanting to get a splitter for my guitar/bass so I can feed an amp and still get a clean DI straight to the DAW or to feed multiple amps while recording. I did not realize that I could use both outputs of the TU-2 at the same time without signal degradation (or so the intertubes seem to suggest). This almost seems to good to be true and if it works it is going to make me love this pedal even more than I already do (which is a LOT).
 
Any TU-2 owners out there tried this? Is this a suitable splitter set up?
 
Cheers.

There are plenty of pedals that give a split output, Boss delay pedals (there are several versions) and stereo chorus pedals are the first that come to mind.
As long as the pedal is in bypass mode you should get exactly the same from each of the outputs.

@Karyn... Awesome. I did also read though that the stereo effects pedals might lower the signal output (like it gets split in half instead of being two full signals) but I'm not sure if that is actually the case because... well it's just random forums I'm reading.
 
Now I'm just trying to remember whether the TU-2 loses signal strength when turned off as the battery dies or not. I'm assuming it would but I'll do a test. Can't believe I don't remember but it has been a loooong time since I used the thing on stage. I usually just used it to tune up the band before hitting the stage then left it in the gig bag to avoid extra technical difficulties due to stage stompers and pit hounds.
 
Either way it's worth the cost of batteries (a brand name 9v lasts a long time in it) and I have a bag of 9v of varying charge states. Don't think I want to introduce an adapter because a) I don't have a proper Boss brand adapter and b) it seems if there is any potential for hum or noise I'm the guy that'll find it. Darn my black thumb.

All Boss pedals are bypassed by using a transistor buffer circuit. If they aren't powered they won't pass signal even in "bypass" mode.

The advantage of a buffer is silent switching plus, if it's well designed it has an (amp-like) high impedance input so the treble and volume loss caused by some pedals in bypass mode is avoided. The Boss buffer has a low impedance output, which means long cables can be used after it without consequent signal degredation. It also tends to negate "tone sucking" caused by non-true bypass pedals placed after the buffer. On the other hand some pedals don't like being placed after a buffer or don't work the same as when directly connected to the guitar. The only way to find out if your setup has these problems is to experiment with where pedals are placed in the chain.

The Boss buffer is pretty good, but putting too many buffers in the fx chain can lead to the clean tone being affected by the cumulative effect of them. Putting nine Boss pedals in a chain means the guitar signal is always going through at least 18 transistors before it reaches the amp....

Thanks, tlw. Very useful and informative.
 
Honestly looking back I recall this pedal allowing signal through to the amp well after the tuner stopped working (unlike my other pedals where the bypass signal decayed with the effected signal) so I wasn't sure. That is good to know. I will keep an eye on my signal and be sure to keep a good battery in it when using it as a splitter.
 
I am glad you mentioned the cumulative effect of multiple pedals with buffers (and particularly regarding Boss pedals) because almost all of the stomp boxes I will use are Boss... BUT likely only one or maybe two after the TU-2.
 
I have multiple possible variations of this set up because of my amps but I'll leave out that part out here for brevity.
 
Basically I want to have one output from the TU-2 going to my interface's multi ins or possibly one of my amps for a clean signal (which would then go out to a mixer or my interface) and the other going to another stompbox then to one of the amps (or any number of other locations).
 
95% of the stompboxes I'd be using are Boss. The main one I want to use is a Keeley modded MT-2 but I have others (yellow and orange and would likely snag more when the cash is available).
 
I hope that the Keeley mod isn't going to cause some kind of weirdness in regards to the buffer thing in a chain like this (because... well it's modded so I don't know if that changes things but I doubt it). It's really cool and I've been dying to bring it back into my recordings (I used to just use it through an amp without any kind of clean DI but now do want the option of other clean tracks for sims, MIDI conversions or whatever). I also have other ideas for my bass signal as well but they are usual DI box style setups (one out to an amp, other to interface... ho hum).
 
I'm sure it'll be fine and definitely better/more flexible than what I've currently been doing but I figure I might as well see what the smart folks here think of all this.
 
Again, thanks for the insights.

Only thing to do is hook the stuff up and see (hear) what happens. I can't see the Keeley mods making any difference. Simplest thing to do is to record the guitar straight into a clean amp, then hook everything up and repeat the recording with all the effects off. See if there's enough difference to be objectionable.
 
Mind you, Hendrix did pretty well with a Sttat hooked into some of the worst "tone suckers" going - a vintage crybay and a fuzz-face.
 
Sounds like we share a common addiction - arranging effects in a complicated way :-)

I remember playing stomp box tetris back in the '80s...
 
 
of course, in those days, we didn't know it would be called tetris.
 
Listen to me...  where's my walking frame!!

That active stage is a good thing, actually essential for stomboxes because without it you'd experience a tone and/or volume change whenever you bypassed the device. A passive bypass might satisfy purists who insist on a "true" bypass, but for your particular application it would be no different than just using a Y-cord.
 
That amplifier is usually an emitter-follower, meaning unity gain, low distortion, low noise and no polarity inversion. Its sole function is impedance matching, so that the box presents a constant impedance to your guitar.
 
As tlw points out, the tiny bit of distortion could eventually accumulate to audible levels if you had a large number of devices in series, but that's not a concern in your application. I'd be more concerned with extra noise picked up by the additional cables and connectors, but that's a very minor concern if you're using quality cables that are no longer than necessary.

I just wanted to update this because I rudely did not reply to and thank bitflipper for stopping in nor did I follow up on some of the other posts. Sorry and thank you. I did read and absorb it all but got sidetracked with meatworld mayhem.
 
I finally got around to trying this configuration out yesterday as described in my recent post regarding using the direct outs vs. aux outs on my mixer. I am indeed able to get a set of two strong, separate signals from the TU-2. My current config (and I have MANY more to test) is:
 
Guit > TU-2 Bypass > Scarlett Inst in 1 > DAW (for amp sims, etc)
                   V
           TU-2 Output > Line 6 > Channel 1 XLR out > Mackie XLR In 1/direct out > Scarlett In 3 > DAW
                                            V
                                            > Channel 2 XLR out > Mackie XLR In 2/direct out > Scarlett In 4 > DAW
 
This is working but the only problem is a bit of extra noise/hum but I attribute that to crummy cables and perhaps partially dead batteries in the pedals. Obviously the MT-2 is a VERY high gain/noisy pedal as it is so when it is turned off the noise is significantly reduced but still there. I swapped out one "high quality noiseless" instrument cable that I had actually bought "new" with an older beat up but working one I had laying around and that reduced the noise significantly but there was still a slight hum. The hum however, even with the MT-2 turned on, gets buried once I started playing. The DI signal seemed to be clean but it may get noisier than usual with a sim applied. I have not reached that point in my testing.
 
So for the sake of resolving the thread and archiving this for the intrepid google crawlers out there the answer is... yes, the TU-2 works pretty well as a splitter. Just use good cables and power sources to minimize hum.

And thanks to all who helped me here. I have very little time (for some bizarre reason) to experiment with such things and I have a LOT of wacky ideas I want to play around with and have limited equipment/resources so getting confirmation that something may work (or won't work) makes that time far more productive and helps me keep an eye out for potential problems when I do actually start poking at stuff.
 
Absolutely awesome forum. Cheers.