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Gear for recording directly to the board

G

Geezer_Butler

Feb 13, 2004
24
0
#1
We are going to record and I don´t know what gear shuld i buy.
Do you recomend me a Sansamp D.I. or a amp modeling Beringher V-amp ( cant afford a line6 pod )
Can you explain the different characteristics, good and bad things about them?

Thank you and sorry for my english, its been long time without practiceing...
 
#5
The Sansamp D.I., the Beringher V-amp, and the Line6 POD all allow the options of a direct signal and/or a colored/amp simulated signal. Any of them would be a good tool to have for various situations in the studio or during live performance. I own a Line6 Bass POD and I can record two tracks at the same time and then blend the DI track with the "amp modeled" track to fit the mix. Good luck with your recording.
 
#6
stretchcat said:
The Sansamp D.I., the Beringher V-amp, and the Line6 POD all allow the options of a direct signal and/or a colored/amp simulated signal. Any of them would be a good tool to have for various situations in the studio or during live performance. I own a Line6 Bass POD and I can record two tracks at the same time and then blend the DI track with the "amp modeled" track to fit the mix. Good luck with your recording.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I supose I´ll buy the sansamp. About the recording I´ll post a threat with some links to download some songs.
 
#9
baba said:
I suggest the Countryman Type 85. Awesome no frills top shelf DI box.
Click to expand...
+ 1. Be careful not to overdo your tone controls, whatever you use. Try to go in pretty flat. If you turn up the bass, it'll sound OK while you're recording, but will be fraught with muff on the tape/disk, and there won't be anything you can do to fix it. Do your EQing and processing at mixdown.
 
#10
I checked the countryman, but, I dont know, it has no controls so I cant play with it to work out a specific tone as I could do with the sansamp.
Can you explain me more or less how it works and it characteristics?


Thank you
 
#11
Geezer_Butler said:
I checked the countryman, but, I dont know, it has no controls so I cant play with it to work out a specific tone as I could do with the sansamp.
Can you explain me more or less how it works and it characteristics?


Thank you
Click to expand...
You plug your bass into one side, then plug the XLR out into the board. You get the pure tone of your bass. That's it. I still think you should avoid messing with your tone going in. Flat is best. Anything you add while recording can't be taken off. You can add processing to the recorded track by bouncing it to another track, or by putting it on another V-track if you're going digital. By recording clean and flat, you can play with the sound to get exactly what you want after the track is on tape/CD.

I used a SABDDI at a recording session a few years ago, and I gave the bass a little boost to suit my taste in the headphones. I ended up with a boom I couldn't get out.
 
#12
Is your bass active or passive?

If active, you can probably just plug straight into the "line in" on your board's channel strip. To monitor, send the channel's "direct out" to your amp.

You only really need the DI with a passive bass, and that would be mainly for impedance matching purposes (and if you're running long cables).

+1 on going in "flat". Try not to use any tone controls at all. All that EQ stuff should be done at mixdown, not during tracking. Try to get the natural sound of your bass during tracking, and then muck with it later (if you have to).

You may be surprised, sometimes what sounds excessively bright or deep during tracking may sound just perfect in the mix.
 
#14
Munjibunga said:
I used a SABDDI at a recording session a few years ago, and I gave the bass a little boost to suit my taste in the headphones. I ended up with a boom I couldn't get out.
Click to expand...


This is all too true. When we recorded, I plugged into my Mesa head and then into the board, and had the bass on my Spector and the bass on my amp turned up just a little, so I could "feel" it more in the pre-mix, and I got LOTS of boom after the final mixdown, but no definition and real "bass" in the mix. I'll always record flat from now on.
 

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