my Active bass overloads my active D.I ?!

[Cesar D-H]

Hello there, I've just received my Radial J48 and JCR for my home recording/re-amping.
the J48 works great on my guitars, however my active bass (Ibanez SR-300EB) has a crazy output level, and even with the -15dB PAD on the J48, when I dig a note, or dig the open E string with the volume knob at full, it actually distorts !!

I've read a few threads, and the general consensus is to prefer passive DI for active bass although an active DI can also work.
I knew the J48 was a no brainier, but I hesitated to also get the JDI.

I've checked the battery on the bass and it reads 9,4v so it's not the inboard preamp fault, it just seems to have a crazy output that overloads and distorts the J48 (even with good level in my DAW at like -4dBFs peak you ear the distorsion).

Any experience with extremely high output active bass with DI's ? Will I unfortunately need to spend more money to also get the JDI with my bass ? Will it be even enough headroom on the JDI to not distort ?

Thank you.

 

[And I]

Just turn the volume knob on the bass down.

 

[Cesar D-H]

Just turn the volume knob on the bass down.

Well, the thing is, even with the volume at 50% it still distorts, and I need to bring it down to like 25%, and by that time it loses all it's clarity and tonal nuances/dynamics compared to the volume at full, and since I play mainly rock and metal, (or any other genres to be honest) it's a no go.

Hence my question if the passive JDI is unavoidable or not ? and I if you have experience with the JDI with modern active basses, can it handle strong playing ?

 

[Wood and Wire]

I need to bring it down to like 25%, and by that time it loses all it's clarity and tonal nuances/dynamics compared to the volume at full

That doesn’t sound like the buffered output of an active bass.

With an active bass, you don’t need to use a D.I. box at all (it’s just really the convenience of connectivity with F.O.H. and the ability to split the signal to two destinations (mixing desk, and bass amp).

Generally you’d use an active D.I. with passive instruments, and a passive D.I. with active instruments.

 

[Cesar D-H]

Generally you’d use an active D.I. with passive instruments, and a passive D.I. with active instruments.

That's also what I've heard around, but others I've stated that active bass can also be used with active DI's, now maybe it's not true for all active basses, but that's also why my first question.
Have you tried your active bass with active DI ? does it also lead to saturation ? in that case the JDI seems required for the active bass.

 

[Wood and Wire]

It's perfectly fine to use an active D.I. with an active instrument, it's just not necessary to do so.

 

[newfuture]

Well, the thing is, even with the volume at 50% it still distorts, and I need to bring it down to like 25%, and by that time it loses all it's clarity and tonal nuances/dynamics compared to the volume at full, and since I play mainly rock and metal, (or any other genres to be honest) it's a no go.

Hence my question if the passive JDI is unavoidable or not ? and I if you have experience with the JDI with modern active basses, can it handle strong playing ?

I second the notion that this doesn't sound like normal active bass buffered output behavior.

I wouldn't be surprised if you heard this distortion going straight into a line input on your soundcard. I don't think the JDI will solve the issue.

I've had a j48 for 15+ years, used it with a lot of different gear, including keys; the only time it's misbehaved was due to the switches needing cleaning. Which happened the first time last year.

This sounds like a preamp overloading.

Same issue with active tone controls at center detents or rolled back further?

 

[seamonkey]

Maybe try an in-line passive attenuator
https://www.amazon.com/Cubilux-Controller-Attenuator-Interference-Isolation/dp/B0CKZ1L9LX

 

[micguy]

A couple of things:

1) Radial J48's have more headroom than you think - you probably aren't overloading the DI (I'd actually bet money you aren't). With a pad on the input you definitely are not overloading it. What is happening is that the mic input you are driving with the DI box is getting overloaded. It's a system gain stage issue, not a failure of the DI to pass a clean signal.

2) The solution is a DI with some loss, so the mic input stage doesn't get overloaded. A passive DI with a step down transformer will do that for you. A JDI fits that bill.

 

[micguy]

It's perfectly fine to use an active D.I. with an active instrument, it's just not necessary to do so.

It is if the next thing in the chain can handle the level. Some mic inputs can, some can't - in this stage we have a "can't" mic input stage.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

So what is the di going into? If it has a pad and an input gain control you should be able to get an undistorted signal.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Does the preamp have trimpots for gain?

 

[Cesar D-H]

Same issue with active tone controls at center detents or rolled back further?

At the center position (both in full humbucker mode) with all knobs centered, it can clip if I really dig a note.
when the coil are split it helps a bit obviously, then again it's not the same tone.

I will get the radial JDI eventually, for now I'll use what I have.
as point of reference, when you boost half way the middle and bass frequencies it saturates quite heavily.

 

[Cesar D-H]

So what is the di going into? If it has a pad and an input gain control you should be able to get an undistorted signal.

Nope, the -15dB pad is engaged on the J48 and on my interface I have -20dB pad engaged with sufficient gain setting to have headroom and peak at -4dBFS in my DAW, and it clearly has saturation so it does come from the DI.

 

[tom-g]

Or the preamp in your bass distorts. I highly doubt it’s the J48.

 

[Real Soon]

The active DI for passive instruments and passive DI for active instruments isn't really because of the nature of the DI, but because of the level of the signal that will typically land at the mixer/interface/DAW. That becomes an issue if you're clipping out at the point where the signal lands and gets recorded and/or sent back out to monitors.

Or it may be a question of the quality of the DI. My RNDI can take +21dBU signal and drop it into a mic preamp (basically it can convert a full line-level signal to mic-level without fear of clipping) with ease.

How's the battery in your bass? Also as noted, it could be that the bass's preamp can't take what's coming from the pickups when you wail on it. Seems like builders would know to work around that, but it's not like preamp makers, pickup makers, and bass builders all work in the same building.

 

[moles]

It should be noted that even with a full voltage reading on the battery, the bass's preamp will still have a finite headroom. The amount of signal being passed through it will be a combination of strings (i.e. how much ferrous material is present), playing style, pickups, proximity of strings to pickup, EQ settings on the preamp...

Are you boosting a ton of low end and hitting really hard?

IMHO the only way to exclude the bass, is to confirm through another signal path that's it's not distorting.

 

[klyph]

Or the preamp in your bass distorts. I highly doubt it’s the J48

The stock Ibanez preamps in the lower series are pretty terrible. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it was the preamp. I have some real problems on my 305 that are going to require preamp replacement/removal.

 

[bryan stoke]

Guys need some advice i bought a second hand dbx active di and its not working im not sure if i connect it properly the power light is not turning on when i connect the cables.please help cheers

 

[Wood and Wire]

Guys need some advice i bought a second hand dbx active di and its not working im not sure if i connect it properly the power light is not turning on when i connect the cables.please help cheers

I take it you've confirmed your preamp is actually supplying 48volts Phantom Power?

Are you certain the XLR lead you're using is wired correctly, and fully functioning?

Have you verified if the unit functions properly on battery power?