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DI or mic'd your opinion
- Thread starter heavyaslead
- Start date
Dying to pontificate? Not really. Plenty written about it online if you care to learn about it.
Musiclogic
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- Aug 6, 2005
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In the studio I've always had the Sound guy say "just DI right here and you're done" while the guitarist mics his 'special' amp tone (which makes me a bit envious).
How many of you DI or prefer mic'd?
I wonder if that sound I get with my rig over years of experimentation with the speaker characteristics and amp nuances is really what I should have on a track.
Am I crazy thinking this way, I know the sound guy will roll his eyes when I insist on it!
Appreciate your feedback.
DI and Mic, if you have enough channels, go with 2 mics, 1 on axis and 1 at about 30 degrees off axis, along with the DI. When done properly, your sound will be layered and really distinct in the mix.
similar to Jimmy, DI when using my JDV or Bassbone. Micing if anything else. I always bring my DI's everywhere.
DI, unless there is an old Ampeg B-15, a great mic, and a good engineer then record both and let the sound serve the song. Truly depends on the track, the sound you and the producer or artist want to capture, the other instruments and players, etc.
If one source gets the job done, why bother with two? Extra cables, more i/o required, phase problems, etc.
I think it was Bob Clearmountain (legendary engineer) that said "One mic, one source. Two mics, two problems."
I think it was Bob Clearmountain (legendary engineer) that said "One mic, one source. Two mics, two problems."
Meh. I get what the guy is saying. However, you don't have to USE both. One may sound better than the other. But you'll never know if you don't take the extra few SECONDS to plug in a cable or two. If you are so entitled that you can't run a cable 6 feet in a studio, you need a nap. When recording, I would think you would want every option possible to choose from. Maybe it's just me.
In the studio, use both. Hell if you use effects/tone shaping I'd take Pre-FX DI, Post-FX DI, and Mic'd. If you're in a studio that can't take two signals at once, get a better studio.
The only thing I'd ever be wary of is the studio that mic's your cab and then looks at you funny when you ask about a DI...
The only thing I'd ever be wary of is the studio that mic's your cab and then looks at you funny when you ask about a DI...
My comment about cabling and i/o needs was targeted more at the guys with limited gear working out of their bedroom. Far more common than a proper studio these days.
As to using two sources... Meh... I'm much more into the idea of "getting it right on the way in" rather than having a safety net. I do it with as few DIs and/or mics for a given source as possible. I just finished tracking for an album tonight using nothing but a post DI from my Streamliner 900. Some of the best bass tones I've ever captured, and knowing the goals of the project, I was able to dial in exactly what I wanted, and as a bonus, the bass will require very little processing during the mixing stage.
As to using two sources... Meh... I'm much more into the idea of "getting it right on the way in" rather than having a safety net. I do it with as few DIs and/or mics for a given source as possible. I just finished tracking for an album tonight using nothing but a post DI from my Streamliner 900. Some of the best bass tones I've ever captured, and knowing the goals of the project, I was able to dial in exactly what I wanted, and as a bonus, the bass will require very little processing during the mixing stage.
The last "pop" album I was involved with, they erased all the old bass tracks after getting a REDDI and re-tracked all the bass for every song with it.
Recently I did an album with a poetry/jazz group that was basically live in the studio. They took a DI track and a mic'ed track. I ended up mixing it myself (budget constraints!) and I didn't use the DI at all. The mic sounded so much better.
Recently I did an album with a poetry/jazz group that was basically live in the studio. They took a DI track and a mic'ed track. I ended up mixing it myself (budget constraints!) and I didn't use the DI at all. The mic sounded so much better.
I don't know what DI they used. A totally black box with no markings on it of any kind. All the other sounds they got in their studio were great (brushes on the snare were amazingly "real" sounding), but the DI sound didn't work in the mix.
My point being that it goes on a case by case basis and what works perfectly in one situation might be wrong for the next.
My point being that it goes on a case by case basis and what works perfectly in one situation might be wrong for the next.
This.
My DI out tap is just before the master gain to the power amp in my head. Markbass Little Mark II
If I need more volume onstage I just turn up the master gain and the level to FOH remains the same.
Since I play dirty 99% of the time with a lower wattage all-tube amp, I always mic, both studio and live. I haven't found a DI yet that can get the sound I want. Especially not a fan of the sansamp sound. (just for myself, no offense to anyone who digs it)
There's a pretty cool SVT sim in GTR! I forget what it's called - when you see the name, you'll get it though!
In general (unless you have a Glockenlang or fearful cabs), your speakers don't reproduce much unique sound. Headphone'd sounds pretty much the same as monitored. Sorry cab-fanboys. DI if you don't are too much, mic if you spent $1000+ on good cabs.
^ It's not about the cab. It's about the color that the power section adds, especially a tube section such as in an SVT, v4, etc but even SS power sections are purpose built and differ from a pa power amp which is built to be transparent.
