Splitting a Signal?

[Harpo]

Hi all.
I've just finished a session with a solo flute player who plays meditative "new age" type music.
She plays through a series of effect boxes, and needs to hear them in real time in order to "inspire" her playing.
I recorded her flute dry on one track, using my Rode NTK going into my Focusrite Voicemaster Pro pre-amp. On the other track, I recorded the flute going through her chain of effects and direct into my MOTU mkII interface.
This worked out well enough for this session, but I am tring to figure out how to best "split" the original signal coming from the flute. For instance:
I originally tried to use a "Y" patch chord, and split the signal from the pickup she uses on her flute, to the destinations described above. However, the signal would only come through "one" side of the "Y" chord!! Why would that happen???
Can anyone givew me a "step by step" approach to "Splitting Signals"??
I would appreciate as many scenarios for this as possible, along with the type of equipment, and/or chords needed to do this.

Thanks
-Harpo

[andyppl4ce]

what software are you recording to? the best method is to assign a send from her track to feed her mix while playing there is no need for splitting signals with any kind of cable splitters the software and hardware interface can do this a lone if you are worried about latency try lowering the buffer setting this will put a little more strain on your cpu but it will do the job also if you have a motu interface you can use the Cuemix software that runs of the interface and give her her own headphone mix latency free. wich motu interface do you have is it the 828?... the 896?.... what computer are you using mac?...pc?... what operating system?... whats your processer and speed ?... how much ram?.. do you have and what software?... if you know this information i will be able to help you further

[DAS]

It sounds to me like you have the wrong type of "Y" cable, or the one you have is defective. The basic concept of how you approached it is fine. To elaborate a little on what I think andyppl4ce is suggesting you could take the dry flute signal (right off of the picup, and/or try a mic, it may sound better) into your hardware and then create a send back to her effects, then return that (effected) signal back to another track.

[Harpo]

It sounds to me like you have the wrong type of "Y" cable, or the one you have is defective.

Thanks DAS
Excuse my ignorance, but I didn't realize there were actually different kinds of "Y" cables.
By that I mean, are there different types of the the same cable? For instance, I'm using a cable that has "one" 1/4" female mono plug, connected to "two" 1/4" male mono plugs. Could there be more than one type of this particular cable?
If so, could you tell me exactly what type of "Y" cable I'd need in order to accomplish the above scenario?
Thanks for your response.
-Harpo

[DAS]

In the land of mono Y-cables there aren't too many variables. I wasn't sure whether the output of the violin may have been balanced (which requires a stereo Y), and that introduces a lot of variables.

It may just be that the cable is defective. Try it on something else, like a keyboard or something.

[dementedchord]

do your self a favor and buy a splitter box... ask for atransformer type if available... some have as many as 4 out's per in... hard to be an eng without one and go ahead and get some kinda DI too...