Quote:
Originally Posted by mambo4  I'm guessing that was their "simplest solution" to your concern.
I'm sure more expert opinions will correct me , but as I understand it, getting your bass signal out of hi-z unbalanced 1/4" into a low-Z balanced XLR is the whole point of a DI.
So running the signal into the 1/4" input on the board must defeat the purpose? |
This actually makes a lot of sense. The 1/4" input is balanced, and it's usually about 10k ohms, vs. anywhere from 600-2000 ohms on the mic preamp. It is a line-level input, which is ideal if you're connecting a line-level source, i.e. most bass amp DI outputs. It potentially keeps you from having to attenuate and then gain the signal again to get the proper gain structures. Just because it's 1/4", doesn't mean it's "high-Z", only that they use a different connector.
However, it depends entirely on the DI and output level and gain available, etc. If you use something like a Radial JDI, with it's 22dB attenuation, and a low-output bass, you may run into gain issues. It also depends on how clean the mic preamps are, and how much they alter the signal ("character").
It's not a fool-proof solution, but it'll work most of the time, and it's sure to be a good alternative with a line-level output such as most amp DIs. I know that my SWR Bass 350 DI sounds fabulous, but it's too hot for the XLR mic inputs on my old Line6 UX2. I haven't tried it on my RME Fireface, though. Will have to do that...
