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Advantage of using a DI box rather than...
- Thread starter selftitled907
- Start date
See my previous post. Guitarist wasn't going Di until his amp died at which point he came out of his Line6 into the PA and we finished the night. It's about having the options and flexibility, not which option you choose to go with first.
You asked a somewhat rhetorical question implying that no one DI's a guitar. If you don't want other people jumping in when you do that then PM him.
Also consider this, I prefer a seperate DI not only because a good DI box is better than the one on your amp IMO, but because having a seperate DI is like insurance in case something goes wrong with your amp. If you use the DI from your amp and something goes wrong with the amp well, something just went wrong with both!
I keep a Radial J48 on my pedal board just in case, I can use it if I want to, or if I need to.
PS: My amp has NEVER died on me, almost 17 years old, but you never know.........
I keep a Radial J48 on my pedal board just in case, I can use it if I want to, or if I need to.
PS: My amp has NEVER died on me, almost 17 years old, but you never know.........
I asked him a especific question. But since you want to get involved i'll ask you. How many tube guitar amps get DI just in case they break down during a gig?
As a sound man, and a bass player (I'm not picking on bass players)
the reason I use a DI Box:
-Most amp DI's hum due to ground loops, even it it has a grd lift it does not always fix it, I could make a cable with no ground but
-Some amp DI's have level controls. Sometimes they are to low or too high, then I have to crawl behind the bass players amp and run back and forth to get it dialed in, another thing to effect tone to the FOH. also if the bassist tweaks his pre level it can changes the level at the mixer too.
-Some bass players don't know if their amp DI is selectable to pre or post EQ or even what setting its on. I want it pre EQ
-If the Amp DI is hardwired/designed to be post EQ and the bassist has spent weeks dialing it in at home in his garage then comes to play in a giant room and it sounds bad, I have to undo what he has EQ'd, or explain why his amp thats on 10 with too much low mid is drowning out the mix. You never know the bass players experience level of how to change your EQ for big ugly rooms. (I did not know this when I was starting playing)
- getting a tap right from the bass before the amp from the DI box, with the tone controls on the bass set neutral and the volume all the way on, eliminates most hum and EQ problems and makes it easier to dial in for the room out front, and the bassist can EQ an tweak his amp as desired without changing the house mix.
- Some amp DI's sound good some don't. The DI in my tool box always sounds the same, and I know it will sound good with the Pre amp on my mixer channel from experience.
- Using a DI box instead of the Amp DI saves me time by not dealing with all the above
- Having recorded some of the live gigs, has made it obvious that using a good Quality DI is better.
As a side note I have seen recommendations from some who have more recording experience than I, that active basses sound better with passive DI's and passive basses sound better with active DI's. I have not experimented with that yet.
the reason I use a DI Box:
-Most amp DI's hum due to ground loops, even it it has a grd lift it does not always fix it, I could make a cable with no ground but
-Some amp DI's have level controls. Sometimes they are to low or too high, then I have to crawl behind the bass players amp and run back and forth to get it dialed in, another thing to effect tone to the FOH. also if the bassist tweaks his pre level it can changes the level at the mixer too.
-Some bass players don't know if their amp DI is selectable to pre or post EQ or even what setting its on. I want it pre EQ
-If the Amp DI is hardwired/designed to be post EQ and the bassist has spent weeks dialing it in at home in his garage then comes to play in a giant room and it sounds bad, I have to undo what he has EQ'd, or explain why his amp thats on 10 with too much low mid is drowning out the mix. You never know the bass players experience level of how to change your EQ for big ugly rooms. (I did not know this when I was starting playing)
- getting a tap right from the bass before the amp from the DI box, with the tone controls on the bass set neutral and the volume all the way on, eliminates most hum and EQ problems and makes it easier to dial in for the room out front, and the bassist can EQ an tweak his amp as desired without changing the house mix.
- Some amp DI's sound good some don't. The DI in my tool box always sounds the same, and I know it will sound good with the Pre amp on my mixer channel from experience.
- Using a DI box instead of the Amp DI saves me time by not dealing with all the above
- Having recorded some of the live gigs, has made it obvious that using a good Quality DI is better.
As a side note I have seen recommendations from some who have more recording experience than I, that active basses sound better with passive DI's and passive basses sound better with active DI's. I have not experimented with that yet.
Cool insights uhdinator. Just curious about the following one...
Almost all of my club gigs lately have had my bass going to the FOH using a DI. Some venues have been using their own DI boxes, and some have been using the XLR output from my amp. Have you found any specific amp DI's that have been consistently good? Or is your own DI box more likely to be your first option regardless of the bass amp at the gig?
Almost all of my club gigs lately have had my bass going to the FOH using a DI. Some venues have been using their own DI boxes, and some have been using the XLR output from my amp. Have you found any specific amp DI's that have been consistently good? Or is your own DI box more likely to be your first option regardless of the bass amp at the gig?
Everyone is different..
me..I choose to plugin straight to the mixer or interface when recording, (or to a nice tube mic pe if that's available)..but live onstage,..yes I use DI Box or Di from the Bass (pre)Amp,..whichever is better.
If I'm rich enough maybe I can take that very expensive but very nice tube micpre to the stage to use it as a 'DI Box'..but I think it's too much.
I know many top professional bassist only use output from their Wireless System straight to the FOH..simple.
me..I choose to plugin straight to the mixer or interface when recording, (or to a nice tube mic pe if that's available)..but live onstage,..yes I use DI Box or Di from the Bass (pre)Amp,..whichever is better.
If I'm rich enough maybe I can take that very expensive but very nice tube micpre to the stage to use it as a 'DI Box'..but I think it's too much.
I know many top professional bassist only use output from their Wireless System straight to the FOH..simple.
you never know how the DI circuit is wired internally. IF it is paralleled to the input jack it might be fine. IF not and the pre amp circuit influences it, and its set too low or too high, now you have another variable. Then if there is a DI output level trim as well, yet another variable. Not all amps have a clip indicator for the Pre level. IF the pre is clipping slightly you have the chance of getting a bit of a wooly sound if the bassist is running the pre to hot. If their amp has compression built in, yet another variable. I got 12-15 more tracks to deal with getting mic'd up and EQ'd as well!
I'm pretty sure my rack mount compressors have more control and are higher quality than a built-in comp with one knob to adjust it. I use individual channel inserts for compression of sources that need it. I don't compress the whole mix and I use Limiters on the HF/LF bands of the system so kick drum limiting (if it hits the limiter hard enough) does not squash the vocals too. everyone has/likes different ways.
I record live stuff off the Onyx 1640I firewire mixer as my interface so a DI is needed to get into the mixer/interface from across the room. At home I use an $800 LA610 tube pre with inst DI input to a Motu interface.
Noobie bass players, usually young guys starting out are always searching for something unique in tone and experimenting with pedals/multi effect boxes which is fine and understandable. If it works cool I'll try it once. If it sucks and I work with them again I usually put my DI box first and they can do what they want with their stage sound and I tell them to plug the thru jack on the DI to their pedal. I know its kind of a dirty trick cause most don't realize their pedal effect is not going to the mixer but no one has given me a hard time about it. If they do I'll do it their way but tell them my opinion that their effects are sucking the tone out of their sound. If recording I can experiment with better plugins on the track later. So far guys I have worked with trust my judgement, knowledge and experience. So far the recording does not lie and they realize it when they hear it. So in a round about way I'm helping new guys learn all the things that can affect their tone and helped most of them. Once while helping a guy rig up his gear i handed him a DI and showed him how to plug it in and he handed me a cable that looked kinda thick to me, It said AWG 12 GA on it, and I explained why his tone probably sucked. (umm 12 gauge speaker wire is not a good guitar cable)
I'm pretty sure my rack mount compressors have more control and are higher quality than a built-in comp with one knob to adjust it. I use individual channel inserts for compression of sources that need it. I don't compress the whole mix and I use Limiters on the HF/LF bands of the system so kick drum limiting (if it hits the limiter hard enough) does not squash the vocals too. everyone has/likes different ways.
I record live stuff off the Onyx 1640I firewire mixer as my interface so a DI is needed to get into the mixer/interface from across the room. At home I use an $800 LA610 tube pre with inst DI input to a Motu interface.
Noobie bass players, usually young guys starting out are always searching for something unique in tone and experimenting with pedals/multi effect boxes which is fine and understandable. If it works cool I'll try it once. If it sucks and I work with them again I usually put my DI box first and they can do what they want with their stage sound and I tell them to plug the thru jack on the DI to their pedal. I know its kind of a dirty trick cause most don't realize their pedal effect is not going to the mixer but no one has given me a hard time about it. If they do I'll do it their way but tell them my opinion that their effects are sucking the tone out of their sound. If recording I can experiment with better plugins on the track later. So far guys I have worked with trust my judgement, knowledge and experience. So far the recording does not lie and they realize it when they hear it. So in a round about way I'm helping new guys learn all the things that can affect their tone and helped most of them. Once while helping a guy rig up his gear i handed him a DI and showed him how to plug it in and he handed me a cable that looked kinda thick to me, It said AWG 12 GA on it, and I explained why his tone probably sucked. (umm 12 gauge speaker wire is not a good guitar cable)
