Recording straight into drum machine

[jbtianch]

hey everybody, this is my first post on this forum.

I wanted to record my bass guitar into my drum machine which is a Roland mv-8800. I was planning on running my bass into a markbass littlemark II head (which i have yet to purchase) then run the line-out from the markbass into my mixer, which runs directly into my drum machine.

What I want to know is: are there any better ways to record directly into my drum machine? Also, is the markbass littlemark II as good as people say it is and is it good enough for my recording purposes.

thanks a lot everybody

[bongomania]

Damn, calling that thing a drum machine is like calling a Buell a scooter. Anyway there are lots of different ways to do what you want to do, and yes the MB LMKII is one of those ways.

What you need is a DI. That's a device which converts your instrument's unbalanced output to balanced, and lowers the output impedance, which allows the signal to transfer more cleanly and efficiently into the recorder.

The MB head contains a DI. Most bass preamp units include a balanced output which can be used as a DI, and is sometimes even labeled 'DI'. And there are all kinds of DI boxes out there. The TB search doesn't allow searching on two-letter terms like DI, but if you scan through a few pages of the Live Sound, Recording, Effects, and Amps subforums you will find many, many threads on the subject. Also if you search in the Amps forum on 'Markbass' you will find tons of threads about that particular amp head.

There's also an explanation of preamps in a link in my sig.

The MB head is great if you happen to need to power a speaker cab while recording, but otherwise you might save some money and get a device which doesn't include a power amp section.

[jbtianch]

hmm i see, thanks for the input.
lol at the drum machine comment.

can you suggest some heads that would be a little easier on the pockets but sound as good as the mark?

[rythmicillusion]

bongomania was right on; unless you intend on using an amplifier to power a speaker cabinet (for recording or live purposes), a DI is more what you're looking for.

You may be able to get away with just your instrument cable into your mixer or your drum machine. If it isn't noisy at louder volumes and retains your tone, you should be fine. But if not, or you don't feel that you're getting a "plugged into the amp" feel, a DI is probably your ticket.

If you eventually want to get a rig together you can use to drive a speaker enclosure, you can simply add an outboard power amp to the signal chain and BAM, you have a fully functional live bass rig. Many bassists go this route.

Some things to consider...

*DI boxes are your least expensive off-the-shelf ticket into the DI world. These are quite handy on other instruments as well, especially keyboards and electric/acoustic guitars. Many models are just a little bigger than an effects pedal, and should be of service to you for many years. Beware bells and whistles, as you may not need many of them. In reality, you'll probably end up spending 50-200 on a new DI box.

*There is a whole range of outboard bass guitar specific preamps. This basically take a DI, and adds other signal processing like EQs, compressors, distortion, etc. This might give you a lot more flexibility and power when finding tones. Your bass and/or mixer might already be equipped with all the tone shaping you need, or you may never intend to use a system like this for live purposes. New bass guitar pres can run from $200-1000+.

Hope this helps!