Bad Monkey as a bass DI box?

[Rual1]

Has anyone used the Digitech Bad Monkey as a bass DI box into a p.a.? I'm thinking of obtaining a VT Bass in the near future to use as a backup if my amp goes down, but since I already have the BM I'm wondering if that could be used in the short term. If anyone has used it this way, how did it sound?

 

[bongomania]

The BM does not have a balanced output, therefore it is not a DI, not suitable for running a long cable from the stage to the PA. Yes it can be used as a tone-shaping preamp that can go into a DI box and then to the PA; or straight into a typical computer audio interface.

 

[father of fires]

I know that the BM has a cab sim built in so it might sound OK. It won't technically be a DI but if the output is buffered (most likely) then it should technically work.

I wish I could think of a better word than technically.

 

[bongomania]

What buffering does here is prevents (or at least reduces) the loss of high frequencies associated with cable capacitance. One of the main points of cab sim is to roll off high frequencies.

If you are running a long cable to the snake or the PA, it will pick up a lot of electrical noise. That's what the balancing is for--to stop that noise.

If you are just talking about a tone-shaper going into a recording computer or home practice rig, yeah it will be fine, it does that no prob. It will not serve the noise-canceling function of a DI, not technically.

 

[father of fires]

That is technically correct. The best kind of correct.

 

[Rual1]

Would there be a lot of noise if I ran a cable from the BM straight into the p.a. from about 8 feet away?

 

[father of fires]

Would there be a lot of noise if I ran a cable from the BM straight into the p.a. from about 8 feet away?

That should be fine. That's about the average distance to an amp anyway.

Just try it in practice before a gig.