No balanced out on amp

guroove · #1 07-28-2010, 10:43 AM

I recently bought myself a small combo because I got tired of lugging around a huge beast of an amp to gigs. The amp sounds great on stage, but on any stage with a PA, I need to go through the PA with it.

The problem is, there is no XLR out. The last time I played out somewhere that wanted a line out just tapped the 1/4" line out, and said it was fine. Will most sound guys have no problem using the 1/4" out? Nearly every amp I've ever owned, except for my old ampegs had an XLR out. Should I be saving up for a DI box?

This is slightly unrelated, but does adding an XLR output to a VTbass effectively turn it into a DI box?

ric stave · #2 07-28-2010, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guroove

I recently bought myself a small combo because I got tired of lugging around a huge beast of an amp to gigs. The amp sounds great on stage, but on any stage with a PA, I need to go through the PA with it.

The problem is, there is no XLR out. The last time I played out somewhere that wanted a line out just tapped the 1/4" line out, and said it was fine. Will most sound guys have no problem using the 1/4" out? Nearly every amp I've ever owned, except for my old ampegs had an XLR out. Should I be saving up for a DI box?

This is slightly unrelated, but does adding an XLR output to a VTbass effectively turn it into a DI box?

It shouldn't be a problem to come off the 1/4" out into a DI Box, or use a DI to take your bass's signal before the amp - as long as the soundguy has a DI there for you to use. It wouldn't hurt at all to save up and carry your own.

And yes, adding the XLR out to the VT does make it a DI.

guroove · #3 07-28-2010, 01:04 PM

I didn't go into a DI, AFAIK, the soundman just took a line out from my amp straight into the board.

Is there a huge difference between using the 1/4" line out on the amp vs. a balanced out like my other amps used to have?

ric stave · #4 07-28-2010, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guroove

I didn't go into a DI, AFAIK, the soundman just took a line out from my amp straight into the board.

Is there a huge difference between using the 1/4" line out on the amp vs. a balanced out like my other amps used to have?

The important thing to know to answer this question is: Is your output a balanced 1/4" (TRS) or unbalanced (TS)? If it's balanced, it's wired the same as an XLR, just a different connector. If it's 1/4 TS, then there is a difference in signal level (which he could compensate for at the board), but the main difference would be how long you could send that signal.

craig.p · #5 07-28-2010, 01:58 PM

I agree it's always nice to have your own DI in your kit bag. But any sound man worth his salt should have a few of them rattling around inside his case o' junk, just in case. Also don't overlook the option of a mic, especially if you want to preserve/duplicate (out front) the amp's great stage sound. And then, finally, I've seen single-ended line outs travel way longer distances (to boards) than you'd think they'd be able to, considering the high-ish impedances involved. Some rooms are electrically more quiet than others, and sometimes a little loss of signal "sparkle" due to capacitive loading in a traditional/legacy long snake run is tolerable, so sometimes you can get away with it. This is probably what that sound guy did; or he used a newer-technology stage-to-board feed that makes loading far less of a concern because the stage inputs don't actually "see" the board or the run to it per se. As with most other things, though, it depends on many factors.

guroove · #6 07-28-2010, 02:38 PM

What about 1/4" to XLR adapters? Do these things actually convert an unbalanced into a balanced signal?

Edit:

This is what I'm referring to:
http://www.audiogear.com/cgi-bin/sho...&preadd=action

Will this give me a proper XLR out from my amp?

guroove · #7 07-28-2010, 06:05 PM

Anyone? 1/4" to XLR adapter good or no?

bassmanbiff · #8 07-28-2010, 06:17 PM

No they don't really convert it to a balanced signal, but take advantage of a characteristic of balanced inputs.

Another nice thing is that the shielding can have a better effect if it's wired so it's grounded only on the input end.

It's not an equivalent substitute for a balanced run, but it works.

TimmyP · #9 07-29-2010, 01:27 AM

ldeally you want a DI for the ground isolation. A passive is best in this regard, but an active's higher input impedance will get the best sound from passive pickups. The Audiopile.net active is very good, and at the price you can get one of their passives to have on hand when the active does not have enough ground isolation (I had this problem with a player's Behringer head).