Has anyone tried going direct into Soundcraft ui24r?

[Bullitt5135]

In my never ending quest to simplify my live rig, i am going to try running my bass straight into my Soundcraft ui24r mixer input and using the built-in Digitech amp modeling feature. I’m wondering if anyone else has tried this and could give some real world feedback?

I run sound from stage while playing bass. My hands - and brain - are full. At yesterday’s gig, my instrument wireless was acting up. It was also drizzling rain intermittently, and we had to scramble and cover our gear with tarps a few times…and I didn’t notice that I messed up the settings on my GK Plex pedal in the process. To make matters worse, this is the second gig in a row where the pedal ended up with sand and grit in the knobs. Im tired of the added stress. I’m thinking of just eliminating everything between my bass and the mixer. I dialed in a few presets on the mixer tonight and am going to test drive it tomorrow at rehearsal.

Is there any reason to use a DI before the mixer? It seems to sound just fine plugging the 1/4” directly into the input.
As long as I’m in the ballpark with my tone, I can fine tune with the active controls on my bass. Thoughts?

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Done it. Vanilla but good.
Better with a Two Notes torpedo M.

Straight in works well for FOH. The EQ gets 90% of what is needed, and the compression works well for the application.

The modeling was not floating my boat, but it works.

I too run sound from the stage.

Monitoring is the main challenge, with in-ears all should be well. With wedges? The sub needed to be on my side

 

[CTBassGuy]

I have a UI24 and have run direct from my bass to the 1/4" input. Agree with @/\/\3phist0; it works but it's pretty bland. Even with EQ, amp modeling, etc. I fiddled with it and got "OK". My VTBass DI run into it is MUCH better IMHO. I do run only passive basses, though, so YMMV.

If I were in your shoes, I'd do a wireless from the bass to the mixer and see if that is satisfactory. If not, wireless to a Preamp/DI sitting in the case with the mixer to protect it.

 

[DonaldR]

…and I didn’t notice that I messed up the settings on my GK Plex pedal in the process. To make matters worse, this is the second gig in a row where the pedal ended up with sand and grit in the knobs...

One off the reason I hate pedalboards...
In my "early days" I was using rackmount gear with preset recall. Heavier but never messed with cables, power, and sand/grit in the knobs.
Can you just get a GK head and mount it in your UI24 rack?

 

[Bullitt5135]

One off the reason I hate pedalboards...
In my "early days" I was using rackmount gear with preset recall. Heavier but never messed with cables, power, and sand/grit in the knobs.
Can you just get a GK head and mount it in your UI24 rack?

My band is using IEMs. I'm not too picky with my tone (vanilla classic rock cover band tone works for me), and my main gig bass is very versatile with active/passive series/parallel pickups. I don't have room in my 8U rack for additional gear, and I am trying to reduce the number of things I need to haul/setup/keep an eye on during the gig.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

My band is using IEMs. I'm not too picky with my tone (vanilla classic rock cover band tone works for me), and my main gig bass is very versatile with active/passive series/parallel pickups. I don't have room in my 8U rack for additional gear, and I am trying to reduce the number of things I need to haul/setup/keep an eye on during the gig.

Then you are golden, it works well enough.
I racked my torpedo, and my wireless on a shelf, along with 2 mic wirelesses in the 6 space. Really simplified the setup.

 

[CTBassGuy]

I

My band is using IEMs. I'm not too picky with my tone (vanilla classic rock cover band tone works for me), and my main gig bass is very versatile with active/passive series/parallel pickups. I don't have room in my 8U rack for additional gear, and I am trying to reduce the number of things I need to haul/setup/keep an eye on during the gig.

Given this, yep, go go direct via 1/4" instrument cable, or, if you're feeling fancy, a wireless system.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Then you are golden, it works well enough.
I racked my torpedo, and my wireless on a shelf, along with 2 mic wirelesses in the 6 space. Really simplified the setup.

I should add, that the acoustic guitar was direct into channel 1 and used the models built in to great effect. I used an xvive wireless "pod" system for that.

 

[Bullitt5135]

I have an Audio-Technica 2.4G wireless unit for my bass, but it's failed me two gigs in a row (quite possibly due to operator set-up error). It worked fine in my living room, but not at the gig...no sound. I also had trouble with two IEM channels at the last gig – maybe there was some relation (or I may have just crossed a couple of cables)? In the heat of the moment with downbeat rapidly approaching with an entire PA to run and 3 dozen songs to remember how to play, I don't have the mental bandwidth to troubleshoot these things.

 

[CTBassGuy]

My wireless is an Audio-Technica unit as well (System 10 in pedal form factor; 2.4 GHz).

I also have an XVive IEM system, and I have seen where the XVive and the UI24 wifi will conflict and make each other drop out. I think I resolved it by using Channel 3 on the XVive. We also addressed by connecting the XVive receiver to an XLR cable and moving the receiver away from the UI24.

You may be seeing the same thing from your Audio-Technica, if multiple units are on the same channel.

Not sure of your schedule, but it may be worth a practice session to try to use all the components on tap for gigs and work through the settings one by one. It took me a couple of practices with about 10 mins each to work through the glitches and get it all integrated properly.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

My wireless is an Audio-Technica unit as well (System 10 in pedal form factor; 2.4 GHz).

I also have an XVive IEM system, and I have seen where the XVive and the UI24 wifi will conflict and make each other drop out. I think I resolved it by using Channel 3 on the XVive. We also addressed by connecting the XVive receiver to an XLR cable and moving the receiver away from the UI24.

You may be seeing the same thing from your Audio-Technica, if multiple units are on the same channel.

Not sure of your schedule, but it may be worth a practice session to try to use all the components on tap for gigs and work through the settings one by one. It took me a couple of practices with about 10 mins each to work through the glitches and get it all integrated properly.

I use an external router for the wifi on my UI24r, built in is too finicky . Kept having issues in clubs where all of the wait staff used wifi handhelds for orders.
Xvive, + 3x shure GLXD receivers.
I have a hardwire as a backup if the pad loses connection. 2x ethernet very useful feature.

 

[Bullitt5135]

My wireless is an Audio-Technica unit as well (System 10 in pedal form factor; 2.4 GHz).

I also have an XVive IEM system, and I have seen where the XVive and the UI24 wifi will conflict and make each other drop out. I think I resolved it by using Channel 3 on the XVive. We also addressed by connecting the XVive receiver to an XLR cable and moving the receiver away from the UI24.

You may be seeing the same thing from your Audio-Technica, if multiple units are on the same channel.

Not sure of your schedule, but it may be worth a practice session to try to use all the components on tap for gigs and work through the settings one by one. It took me a couple of practices with about 10 mins each to work through the glitches and get it all integrated properly.

Excellent advice. I have the same AT System 10, and I use an external 5G router. Everything worked fine at our first gig this summer, but I've had issues at the last 2 gigs.

 

[Ryan in PDX]

In my never ending quest to simplify my live rig, i am going to try running my bass straight into my Soundcraft ui24r mixer input and using the built-in Digitech amp modeling feature. I’m wondering if anyone else has tried this and could give some real world feedback?

I run sound from stage while playing bass. My hands - and brain - are full. At yesterday’s gig, my instrument wireless was acting up. It was also drizzling rain intermittently, and we had to scramble and cover our gear with tarps a few times…and I didn’t notice that I messed up the settings on my GK Plex pedal in the process. To make matters worse, this is the second gig in a row where the pedal ended up with sand and grit in the knobs. Im tired of the added stress. I’m thinking of just eliminating everything between my bass and the mixer. I dialed in a few presets on the mixer tonight and am going to test drive it tomorrow at rehearsal.

Is there any reason to use a DI before the mixer? It seems to sound just fine plugging the 1/4” directly into the input.
As long as I’m in the ballpark with my tone, I can fine tune with the active controls on my bass. Thoughts?

I've done it. It sounds okay if you keep the amp model from clipping. If I'm not using my Tone Hammer, I usually just use the HPF/LPF/EQ/compressor from any channel for a nice clean sound and "cab sim."

If my instrument cable gets stepped on or yanked sideways, I'd rather put that stress on a DI than the combo jack on my mixer. Your stage chaos may vary.

 

[Bullitt5135]

If my instrument cable gets stepped on or yanked sideways, I'd rather put that stress on a DI than the combo jack on my mixer.

Very good point.

 

[eliascalles]

I have that mixer and also run sound from stage. Have run bass direct many times and has sounded great. Usually I run a bass amp because I like what it does for the stage sound, and even when running no amp and direct I usually have a preamp on the pedal board just for more tactile controls, but the mixer alone is plenty capable of a nice solid bass sound. My opinion anyway.

 

[pfschim]

I've been doing it for a few months now and I get very good results going into the Ui24r from my Noble DI output ... also sounds good with the Noble 1/4" out and I get EQ, kind-of HPF and Vol control. I have also used this routing with a Tech21 VT v.2 pedal with the speaker sim engaged and that sounds good too.

I have tried the Digitech modeling options (on channels 1 and 2) but never found a mix of amp/cab/fx that I particularly liked ... and definitely not better than the Noble or VT pedal tone.

that Ui24r is a great little box.
good luck OP

 

[Bullitt5135]

The initial test run plugging directly into the ui24r went OK at rehearsal last night. My tone could use a little more tweaking, but it was overall very usable – clear and punchy. I was getting some weird electrical interference through my wireless IEMs, and I am not sure if it was bass-related or wireless-related. I changed wireless channels a few times without any noticeable improvement. I'll have to dig a little deeper with the troubleshooting.

 

[JRA]

are you aware of the FB Ui24R user group?
Soundcraft Ui24R Users Group Main | Facebook
lots of tips and shared experiences are discussed there.

i am going to try running my bass straight into my Soundcraft ui24r mixer input and using the built-in Digitech amp modeling feature. I’m wondering if anyone else has tried this and could give some real world feedback?

i use one Ui24R as a studio interface and i have used one of the channels (occasionally) with the modeling to go direct-in for some recordings --- i haven't used it that way on a gig (always a preamp/DI into a different Ui channel).*

it works fine for recordings, very clean. i don't know why that signal wouldn't be ideal for FOH, but if you're mixing from the stage there might be other variables to consider in your situation.

* i.e., my live Ui24R reserves the first 8 channels for drums.

 

[eliascalles]

are you aware of the FB Ui24R user group?
Soundcraft Ui24R Users Group Main | Facebook

I second the recommend for the UI24 FB group. great resource. Saved me a lot of time and money w connectivity and touch screen issues.

* i.e., my live Ui24R reserves the first 8 channels for drums.

in the past I rarely had enough channels to run 8 or more drum mics, and now that I have the open inputs, I've moved to using far fewer drum mics live (I work as a drummer now more than a bass player). the irony lol.

 

[JRA]

in the past I rarely had enough channels to run 8 or more drum mics, and now that I have the open inputs, I've moved to using far fewer drum mics live

i typically only use five channels for drums, but eight are 'reserved' --- sometimes one or two of the empty channels come in handy for an extra announcement mic, or a guest appearance/musician. etc.

working as a drummer? hey, you've got a gig!