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BASS DI OR NOT
- Thread starter lyes4string
- Start date
Thats a good question. Here's my answer: personal preference. That's the method that I have found to work out nicely. One less mic to worry about feeding back on stage. Now, I'm not suggesting that the two signals can't be mixed together. Some attack from the direct signal and thump from the mic... it just depends. In the house mix.
Mixing monitors? 95% of the time I will rely on a quality DI.
- Jul 7, 2010
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- Endorsing Artist for: Duncan Pickups; Line6, Hipshot, GHS Strings, Somnium Guitars
As long as I'm on stage playing, I'm never going to know what the FOH sounds like. That's the sound guys job and I trust him/her to do it. Using a DI gives them the cleanest source to work with and EQ for the room.
If I give them "my sound" from the amp (Ie, Mic or post EQ line), it'll only make it harder for them to do their job. We should all be more focused on playing well and getting good tone from our hands and fingers.
. . . of course if they want to send a mic line to the FOH, I'm ok with that too.
If I give them "my sound" from the amp (Ie, Mic or post EQ line), it'll only make it harder for them to do their job. We should all be more focused on playing well and getting good tone from our hands and fingers.
. . . of course if they want to send a mic line to the FOH, I'm ok with that too.
I always have a DI box for backup "just in case". But I have never had a soundman not use the DI on my amp.
When I played a large church venue on a regular basis, I used both. A DI and a feed to my bass head. Had very few adjustments to make. My biggest issue is the presence to hear the tone I need while I'm playing. OTOH the sound board tech has a job to do to get the bass to the FOH and I do whatever I need to do to make his/her life easier.
Happy sound person= best sound mix to me.
R...
Happy sound person= best sound mix to me.
R...
Though using a mic tends to provide the best sound, given a decent amp and speaker cabinet, DI boxes definitely have an important niche. I have used the Direct Out (DI) on my SWR Super Redhead before with good results, but the persons handling the sound have always been top-notch. I also commonly use my ART Tube MP Pro preamp or my little Behringer mixer as DIs along with other amps (as "monitors", with good results. That being said, the sound man can make or break the signal and sound you are getting from your rig when you are using a DI.....
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
Know how your bass sounds direct. Do you like it? If not, add some sort of pre-FOH processing (amp sim, etc.) so you have control over the sound. After that, hit a high-quality DI box. I have a Countryman Type 85 and Radial JDI at my disposal, depending on what bass I am using. I used to trust DI sends from heads till I learned that my Eden DI sends weren't pre-EQ. What's right for the stage isn't always right for FOH, unless your amp is providing the low end exclusively. Then you're at the mercy of stage AND room acoustics and must find a compromise. I know how my bass sounds direct (and like it) and I know what effect the DI choice has. Know your equipment and you'll know what choices to make.
Several sound guys have told me that the XLR out on my Shuttle 12.0 head is the cleanest they have ever heard.
I prefer it when they take a line from my amp, because of the way I set my eq. I also like to be able to mute the signal if I have to tune, or change basses.
That said, I understand why sound engineers pefer to have you use their DI's-some bass players have lousy sounding amps, and one time I attended a show where the band did a soundcheck, and the bass player shut of his amp before the sound guy muted the signal and there was a loud pop through the mains.
IME, Genz-Benz, Mesa, G-K, and Peavey all generally have good quality DIs - Ampeg and Markbass, not so much...
- georgestrings
I'm a bassist who mostly runs sound.
Here's why we like to use a DI: 2 or more less trips to the stage and back to the FOH to compare pre/post and set the levels on your amp's XLR output, all while everyone is impatient to get the next act started.
That's the bottom line--amp outs are rarely set anywhere near how they should be, and running back and forth is time consuming and should be unnecessary.
After a few years of this, a lot of soundman give up on bassists.
I usually work with the same band for years at a time, and will always choose the amp's output over a DI if the amp is any good. We have the time to play with things and decide what's best.
When I have to work big shows with multiple bands, using a quality DI saves me a ton of time that is better spent getting a good kick sound and figuring out the best compression for the lead singer. After a few songs I'll often add a mic to the bass cab or try the amp output, but when the pressure is on it just makes sense to get a good signal as fast as possible.
Here's why we like to use a DI: 2 or more less trips to the stage and back to the FOH to compare pre/post and set the levels on your amp's XLR output, all while everyone is impatient to get the next act started.
That's the bottom line--amp outs are rarely set anywhere near how they should be, and running back and forth is time consuming and should be unnecessary.
After a few years of this, a lot of soundman give up on bassists.
I usually work with the same band for years at a time, and will always choose the amp's output over a DI if the amp is any good. We have the time to play with things and decide what's best.
When I have to work big shows with multiple bands, using a quality DI saves me a ton of time that is better spent getting a good kick sound and figuring out the best compression for the lead singer. After a few songs I'll often add a mic to the bass cab or try the amp output, but when the pressure is on it just makes sense to get a good signal as fast as possible.
i agree about markbass di's, but at the risk of pissing you off, not so much about ampegs. the di on my old svt 3 pro was really good, and though i wish they'd rout the di on svt's through the output transformer, their di's sound good to me as well.
"good" being a relative term, of course. i still would much rather use a mic and skip the di altogether.
"good" being a relative term, of course. i still would much rather use a mic and skip the di altogether.
wow, some bassist you are! sell us all right down the river for the sake of expediency! yeah man, make sure that kick is perfectly dialed in. don't spend more than 2 seconds on the bass because it's not important. all hail the mighty kick drum!
It's all the same to me.
The DI on my pre amp really works well, so I suggest that to the sound guy.
Usually we end up using it,but if he feels safer using his own, that's fine by me.
After all he is supposed to know the room and how to get it all to sound right.
The DI on my pre amp really works well, so I suggest that to the sound guy.
Usually we end up using it,but if he feels safer using his own, that's fine by me.
After all he is supposed to know the room and how to get it all to sound right.
I have always left the option to the FOH sound guy. I let him/her know what I have
for them to use and let them decide. It's not that I don't care, it's just that I can't hear the FOH. I have never had anyone complain that the bass sound sucked.
I always have more to say to the monitor person.
Every musician, but me, must demand the vocals loud as hell in the monitors.
I constantly find myself asking vocals to be turned down in the monitor mix.
for them to use and let them decide. It's not that I don't care, it's just that I can't hear the FOH. I have never had anyone complain that the bass sound sucked.
I always have more to say to the monitor person.
Every musician, but me, must demand the vocals loud as hell in the monitors.
I constantly find myself asking vocals to be turned down in the monitor mix.
th ability to mute is huge, IMO. I guess if you have a tuner/mute pedal you can achieve the same thing. One less thing to carry.
I use the DI on my Shuttle 6.0. There's an in depth comparison to a Countryman 85. The review shows they're just about the same.
Grnd lift, pre/post options. I've had sound men tell me they are very impressed with my Shuttle DI.
Grnd lift, pre/post options. I've had sound men tell me they are very impressed with my Shuttle DI.
Ground Lift, Pre/Post and Line/Mic are all options with the Genz Benz DI. That and the comparison to an "industry standard" like the Countryman 85 and I'm sold. That and I don't think there's a bad sound to be had from a GB amp. Different tones, but never really a bad one.
