How can I effectively use the Direct Out for recording on my older GK 400RB?

[Thunder Pulse]

I have an older GK 400RB and would like to record some of the tones I'm getting with it. The Direct Out is of the 1/4" TRS variety. I'm looking at the info about it in the manual, and it says "This output will put out 500 mv into 600 ohms unbalanced. It can be used with a direct box or can be directly connected to the high Z input of a mixer."

The 500 mv is line level, so what kind of results can I expect if I run it to the line-in on my sound card? I don't have a direct box or a mixer, although I do have a Sansamp RPM I'm not using.

Thoughts please.

[JimmyM]

i'd give it a shot as is. maybe you can make up for line level with gain (i'm assuming it's post-eq, btw). worst that happens is you have to dig out the rpm and di through it.

[Thunder Pulse]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

i'd give it a shot as is.

Ok. Just have to sort out the cables/adapters. Could I use a typical RCA cable with the right adapters on the ends of it? I know I have those around here.

As far as pre/post EQ, I won't know until I try it. The manuals for the early GK amps were sparse in information. The 2 sentences I quoted in the original post were all the info there was about it.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Thunder Pulse

Ok. Just have to sort out the cables/adapters. Could I use a typical RCA cable with the right adapters on the ends of it? I know I have those around here.

As far as pre/post EQ, I won't know until I try it. The manuals for the early GK amps were sparse in information. The 2 sentences I quoted in the original post were all the info there was about it.

at least you have that. as you can see in these old 60's and 70's amps, none of that stuff even existed for bass amps back then.

and yes, absolutely you can use rca cables with adapters. or 1/4" cables with rca adapters.

[bongomania]

Line level is typically a lot higher than 500 mV. "Consumer" line level is around 750-1000 mV RMS, and "pro" line level is around 1250 mV RMS. 500 mV is closer to what's usually called "instrument level", i.e. the levels coming directly out of your bass.

That said, if your sound card is the sort that you can plug a bass directly into, and get decent results, then you can certainly plug this GK direct out into the sound card. If not, if your sound card needs some sort of preamp for connecting a bass, then you will probably need a preamp for the GK output too.

If the direct out jack really is TRS (3 connector) and not TS (2 connector), then it is probably balanced, and RCA plugs are not suited for that. RCA plugs are only 2 connector.

What type of inputs does your sound card have?

[will33]

This may sound a little "quick and dirty" but I'd suggest at least trying it. Take either the DI out or pre-amp out from the head, run it into a mixer channel and take an out from the mixer into the computer, using whatever adapters are needed to make it work. Start with all the gains way low, adjust levels as needed on whatever step in the chain sounds best, ie: gain low on the mixer bringing up the amp out or vice versa. Yes, there likely will be "impedance issues", they won't damage anything, just not sound as good as they could.

Will it sound as if you spent $100,000 in a studio.....no. Will you be able to record yourself, and other instruments and sound pretty good.....yes, with some patience and tweaking.

[Thunder Pulse]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Line level is typically a lot higher than 500 mV.

That's what I was thinking. I thought it might have been on the low end of what was considered line level.

If the direct out jack really is TRS (3 connector) and not TS (2 connector), then it is probably balanced, and RCA plugs are not suited for that. RCA plugs are only 2 connector.

Good point. I used "TRS connecter" as a blanket term without thinking. The manual says the Direct Out is 600 ohms unbalanced, so does that mean I *could* use an RCA cable since it's really TS and not TRS?

What type of inputs does your sound card have?

It's just the onboard sound built into the mobo, so it's a 1/8" stereo plug.

Originally Posted by will33

Take either the DI out or pre-amp out from the head, run it into a mixer channel and take an out from the mixer into the computer.....

Whoa whoa man, there is no mixer.

[will33]

The mixer is the part that makes hooking all this stuff together easy. Can even be one of those simple little 2 channel $50 jobs. By 2 channels I mean 2 mic inputs. I don't buy this counting stereo channels with rca plug things. If I say I have a 2 channel mixer, that means I can plug 2 xlr mic cables into it and mix them independently. By the same token, a 12 channel mixer means it can run 12 mics. A lot of these companies advertise 12 channels and you're lucky if there's enough spots to plug 4 mics in.

That brings up another option, get a little mixer and mic your cab. Run an out to the 1/8" TRS into the computer. TRS can be stereo left, stereo right and ground.

This is all my no means high tech at all, it just works. A real studio engineer would laugh at this but when it comes to getting recordings at home for next to nothing, it works. After that, run it through a decent program like SoundForge or something and you'd be amazed at what you can come up with after enough tweaking.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by Thunder Pulse

The manual says the Direct Out is 600 ohms unbalanced, so does that mean I *could* use an RCA cable since it's really TS and not TRS?

Yes! A 1/4" mono (TS) plug on one end, an RCA male on the other. That doesn't affect the question about the levels, but at least that covers the cable.

Originally Posted by Thunder Pulse

it's a 1/8" stereo plug.

Then maybe rather than getting an RCA plug up in this, just make a cable that goes from 1/8" to 1/4". Use a stereo (TRS) 1/8" plug, but only solder the wire to one of the plug connectors (tip or ring, doesn't matter). That way your mono amp signal only goes into one mono side of the sound card. You can start with a regular instrument cable, chop off one end, and solder the 1/8" plug on there.

If the levels aren't quite enough, going direct from the GK to the soundcard, then you could get a clean-boost pedal like the MXR Micro-Amp or EHX LPB, and use that to boost the GK's output.