ok i got one for everybody...

[beanqsagof]

one that's pretty simple, i thought.

i'm trying to split a mono line level audio signal
from a guitar to two separate effects pedals and then
recombine them into a mono line level input to a
guitar amplifier. i thought two opposing Y splitting
(1 female/2male and 1 male/2 female) cables would
suffice to accomplish this, but i'm only getting a
nasty signal out of both when both are active;
otherwise one works and the other doesn't pass its
half of the signal through at all.

i've been using the exact same effects pedals in
parallel to make sure it wasn't the problem of the
pedals, but i got the same problem. i was told by a
guy at the music store to buy a bunch of expensive
stuff (an expensive line mixer among other things),
but i think he was just trying to get money from me.
what's going on and is there no easier way to
accomplish this? maybe solder in a few resistors
somewhere?

i very much appreciate any effort you put towards this
as i realize it's such a noob-ish-ly simple question and
for little reward other than a bunch of thanks from
me,

[beanqsagof]

tomi engdahl has a suggestion at
Simple mixer
but i don't know if home audio stuff is similar enough to guitar-ing gear...

[TRIBALNILE]

does your amp have an effects loop.. thats how i used to hook up my effects pedal

[beanqsagof]

no effects loop... but i used two inputs on a friend's amp and got a similar enough type of sound out of it. the sounds blended pretty well until one effect turned off and then the other was getting squirrel-ly, making weird noises. the problem i'm having is combining two signals to superimpose their waveforms. and apparently more electrical issues like matching impedances, etc.

[lampposteffect]

i may not be a huge expert at guitar effects but can't you run one line straight through your first effects pedal and then the output of the one into the input of your second, then run out of that pedal into your amp.

i think you can still have both on at the same time.
i could be completely wrong but i thought that was how it worked.

[beanqsagof]

what you (lamppost effect) are describing works but the sound of the lowest frequency in the effect limits the sound of the rest when they're in series like that. it's like the weakest link in a chain, versus putting two links on one other one to split the force on the chain at that point.