DI

[jmeid]

I'm pretty new to bass amps and I have a question for you more experienced bassists.

Do you go direct to the house PA and also use a cab? Why?

I've been trying to chetch up by reading some threads but I'm getting some mixed information.

Thanks

 

[stedtale]

I use my amp mainly as the onstange monitor for myself.

 

[Dave W]

When the venue can support bass through the PA I'll go direct. I always have an amp on stage as well, and thats mainly for monitoring myself...since the floor wedges usually can't handle enough bass for me to hear myself well.

DI = Happy sound guy (usually)

 

[jmeid]

alright,

and do you guys use DI boxes, or the output from the amp, or what?

 

[stedtale]

I use the one on my Yamaha BBT500H (head), but I also have at least one in my bag for back-up (a stand-alone DI). And if worse comes to worse, I can always send an XLR signal from the out on my ART MP V3 tube preamp.


And, some sounds guys really want to use theirs. If they really want me to use their DI, I will.

 

[KJung]

alright,

and do you guys use DI boxes, or the output from the amp, or what?

Mostly depends on what the sound guy wants. Most high quality amps have pre EQ DI's that sound great in a live situation. However, some sound companies would rather that you use their own DI.

 

[jmeid]

If you were going to send the signal from your amp to a DI box do you send it from the amps direct output, or speaker out?

 

[CapeBass]

I'm not sure how they work with other amps, but I used a DI box and tried the DI out, and for some reason it bypasses the onboard compressor. It's a Hartke A35. I always thought a DI box or DI out sent the whole signal to the board. It appears it only sends the pre EQ signal. Are all amps like this when using a DI?

I've used them a lot with an Ampeg SVT in the past but there was no onboard compressor so I don't know if it was an issue with that amp also.

 

[KJung]

I'm not sure how they work with other amps, but I used a DI box and tried the DI out, and for some reason it bypasses the onboard compressor. It's a Hartke A35. I always thought a DI box or DI out sent the whole signal to the board. It appears it only sends the pre EQ signal. Are all amps like this when using a DI?

I've used them a lot with an Ampeg SVT in the past but there was no onboard compressor so I don't know if it was an issue with that amp also.

Most high quality amps have a pre or post EQ DI option (most of the time a switch on the rear panel). If they don't, they are then mostly set to pre EQ, since having the EQ you use to get your stage sound through your amp can be disasterous for a sound person trying to get a good sound through a large, multi-way front of house system.

K

 

[CapeBass]

If you were going to send the signal from your amp to a DI box do you send it from the amps direct output, or speaker out?

It has an output to the board/snake, an input for the bass, and another output that goes to your amps instrument input. Somehow it allows a connection from your bass to the amp, while also sending a signal from your amp to the board.

 

[BetterBottomEnd]

If you were going to send the signal from your amp to a DI box do you send it from the amps direct output, or speaker out?

You would usually run the DI before your amp.

 

[KJung]

If you were going to send the signal from your amp to a DI box do you send it from the amps direct output, or speaker out?

NOT the speaker out While there are some DI boxes that have a 'speaker input' sort of extremely padded down input, most do not. If your amp does not have a DI out, there is usually a 1/4" line out somewhere on the amp. In some cases, a tuner out can also work.. but it all depends on what circuitry is in between your bass and the output.

What amp are you using? Sorry if I missed that above.

K

 

[Double Agent]

If you were going to send the signal from your amp to a DI box do you send it from the amps direct output, or speaker out?

For most applications, the DI goes in FRONT of the amp (between the bass and the bass amp) if you are using a seperate DI box. You would plug your bass into one of the 1/4" inputs and run another cable from the other 1/4" input to the input of your amp (where you would normally plug in your bass).

If you are sending a signal from your amp to the PA, you would need a XLR, or microphone, cable and run it from the back of your amp to the PA system.

Under both circumstances, do NOT use the speaker out. I don't know if it could be damaging, but I would imagine it could fry a board be since its a powered signal.

 

[KJung]

You would usually run the DI before your amp.

That's also an option. I've found, though, that many DI's (especially the crappy ones that some lower end sound companies use) can really change the tone of the bass through the amp, so I usually like to put nothing between my bass and amp. Some amps, like the Walter Woods and Thunderfunk550A, have very nice buffered outputs that work very nicely for this.

However, if you are using a high quality unit like a Radial, etc., then putting that in line before you amp is a good thing!

 

[CapeBass]

Most high quality amps have a pre or post EQ DI option (most of the time a switch on the rear panel). If they don't, they are then mostly set to pre EQ, since having the EQ you use to get your stage sound through your amp can be disasterous for a sound person trying to get a good sound through a large, multi-way front of house system.

K

That makes sense, that's why I can't get a compressed signal to my board in the practice room. I like the compressor for pop & slap. It's all fine and dandy out of the amp but not out of the board. I ordered a compressor/gate last week which will solve my problem. I'll have to insert it into the bass channel on the board.

 

[4Mal]

Most high quality amps have a pre or post EQ DI option (most of the time a switch on the rear panel). If they don't, they are then mostly set to pre EQ, since having the EQ you use to get your stage sound through your amp can be disasterous for a sound person trying to get a good sound through a large, multi-way front of house system.

K

+1 ... or not depending. My rule of thumb is asking TRS or XLR ? Pre or post. I run a fairly neutral tone and sometimes I can offer a little sweetening that works to everyone's advantage. Frankly the key is be flexible and work with the guy - bottom line is he can make or break you out front.

The vast majority of the time - the sound co will want it straight pre EQ maybe pre to the rest of your signal chain. I know that if I were out front and some bass player was hooking up an MF-101 and a Ring Mod with it I would have second thoughts and visions of repair bills ...

 

[jmeid]

What amp are you using? Sorry if I missed that above.

K

I don't have one yet, I'm looking into buying and I was wondering if DI would be an option to consider also.

I think that I'm probably going to buy a LMII.

 

[KJung]

+1 ... or not depending. My rule of thumb is asking TRS or XLR ? Pre or post. I run a fairly neutral tone and sometimes I can offer a little sweetening that works to everyone's advantage. Frankly the key is be flexible and work with the guy - bottom line is he can make or break you out front.

The vast majority of the time - the sound co will want it straight pre EQ maybe pre to the rest of your signal chain. I know that if I were out front and some bass player was hooking up an MF-101 and a Ring Mod with it I would have second thoughts and visions of repair bills ...

+10000... I do what they tell me 99% of the time.

 

[peterpalmieri]

If you were going to send the signal from your amp to a DI box do you send it from the amps direct output, or speaker out?

It is not common to send the signal from your amp into a DI box. You certainly don't want to use the speaker out unless you have a high quality DI specifically designed to do so. I believe a countryman and Millenia TD 1 accomodate this but it is not commonly used by bass players for such.

In most cases you will plug your instrument cable directly into the DI box, then run a small cable from the DI box to your amp. A seperate XLR out of the DI box goes directly to the house.

CAPEBASS - many good quality amps with a built in DI have a switch for sending your signal PRE or POST, reading the owners manual will tell you if that signal is before or after the compressor in the signal chain. Depending on your unit a professional may be able to rewire a jumper to change the POST EQ DI to include the compressor.

This all being said and my statement is certainly debatable but most engineers in a live environment want a PRE signal for FOH applications and may insist on an outboard DI for such, yours or their own.

 

[CapeBass]

It is not common to send the signal from your amp into a DI box. You certainly don't want to use the speaker out unless you have a high quality DI specifically designed to do so. I believe a countryman and Millenia TD 1 accomodate this but it is not commonly used by bass players for such.

In most cases you will plug your instrument cable directly into the DI box, then run a small cable from the DI box to your amp. A seperate XLR out of the DI box goes directly to the house.

CAPEBASS - many good quality amps with a built in DI have a switch for sending your signal PRE or POST, reading the owners manual will tell you if that signal is before or after the compressor in the signal chain. Depending on your unit a professional may be able to rewire a jumper to change the POST EQ DI to include the compressor.

This all being said and my statement is certainly debatable but most engineers in a live environment want a PRE signal for FOH applications and may insist on an outboard DI for such, yours or their own.

No switch on the amp, it's definitely pre EQ.