You can plug your amp out into the Countryman ... it can handle up to 400 watts (you can do the same with the U5). If you have a hybrid or solid state head, you don't need a dummy load.
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need a mic for an amp with no direct out
- Thread starter thedrones
- Start date
You can plug your amp out into the Countryman ... it can handle up to 400 watts (you can do the same with the U5). If you have a hybrid or solid state head, you don't need a dummy load.
(theory)
this isnt a complete problem. in the event that you want to do a speaker DI, all you have to do is change a couple connections.
you said the speakers were wired in.. likely with those little clips. so you need new connectors and an adapter and this can work. pull said wires from the speakers. install a quarter inch cable on the end as if its going into a cab. plug that into the DI. on the thru jack, you'll need a quarter inch to 2 wires with those clips.
theoretically, you've just wired it into the DI box in such a way that it likes your connections. signal should not change.
or.. you can ditch that idea completely and save up a bit more for a mic.
re20, 421, pr40, sm7b. all in the 300+ range.. all very good
if you dont value your sub lows much in the system, you can find a mic with a little less fidelity.
Why not use a simple 1/4" jack socket/plug splitter to send from the input for a couple of dollars? Then get an output socket from the combo added later by a qualified engineer. No need for either a DI box or a mic.
In order to run down a snake and into a mic input (or even a line input) the output needs to be balanced, and the signal level has to be in the appropriate voltage range. A simple split from the instrument input, preamp output, or amp output will not do. The right DI can be used to take any of the three signals and convert it into a balanced mic-level signal.
bamba22
Commercial User
I've used a shure SM57 for years. You go to the trouble to spend all kinds of money on expensive amps/cabinets to get a tone you like and then use a DI. Most DI's sent a signal that is basically what comes out of your instrument cable (not all of them do this but alot do). Using a DI often means that the only person who hears your amp (and the tone it creates) is you. I have loved tube amps and their tone for a long time and then a soundman comes up and says "why don't you just connect it to a line out?" and it make me want to choke them! A good mic will capture the nuances of your amp's tone. It may not be a convenient as a line out....but if we chose what we were playing based on convenience..I would play harmonica not bass.
so does the shure capture all the lows well? Because if it does i'll probably get one of those. Especially because i can use it for guitar and vocals too!
No, it does not do the lows well. And with most bass cabs there's very little below 60Hz coming out. Little from the cab and little from the mic = nothing going into the PA. This is part of why most mixpersons prefer a DI. And, like almost all directional mics, it boosts the upper bass a great deal - as much as 12dB. Then there's the presence peak. So a lot of EQ is needed to try to make it sound like your rig. The end result usually sounds no more like your rig than if you use a DI, and at least with the DI you get some bottom end.
I'm in a similar situation right now as the OP, and I'm really glad the Countryman was put up here. It'll totally solve the problem of not having a DI on my amp. Thanks guys!
We've seen a few recent threads that cover this in a lot of detail. Searches for 'soundman' should bring them up.
I like the post head DI idea unless it involves (what some might view as) 'damaging' nice vintage gear. However keep in mind (& warn the poor soundperson) that your 'sound' has likely been tailored to include your speaker so might have boosted bass &/or treble that the PA won't need or want.
I like the idea of tooling up a decent DI pre-combo WITH a 57 or the like & use this as a bi-mic setup. Like bi-amping. Use the DI for the lows & use the 57 for the amp sound. This presumes a friendly & skilled soundperson who is used to your band who is also committed to getting 'your sound' out to the audience.
I like the post head DI idea unless it involves (what some might view as) 'damaging' nice vintage gear. However keep in mind (& warn the poor soundperson) that your 'sound' has likely been tailored to include your speaker so might have boosted bass &/or treble that the PA won't need or want.
I like the idea of tooling up a decent DI pre-combo WITH a 57 or the like & use this as a bi-mic setup. Like bi-amping. Use the DI for the lows & use the 57 for the amp sound. This presumes a friendly & skilled soundperson who is used to your band who is also committed to getting 'your sound' out to the audience.
I have used this method on many occasions, but you have got to be careful with getting your stage volume and tone right during soundcheck as adjusting them from your amp during the gig will give the sound guys problems. Because your using your amp's pre-amp, if you touch the volume control, not only does stage volume increase... front of house gets bumped up as well. Same with tone controls, boost or cut the lows on stage = boost or cut the lows going to the PA.
DI'ing between the amp and speakers will not emulate your stage sound, as the speakers and cabinet add their own colour and tone to the sound.
Behringer make a rather inexpensive DI ( less than $100 Australian ) that works well in a noisy club or pub rock band situation. I've been using one for about 3 years with no problem whatsoever. It's noiseless when set up right, and easy to use.
i've gotten the impression that you can't use a DI with a combo amp though. Is that true? And why? Because id rather do the countryman if i could, but i have a combo and im not gettin anything new for a while so a mic seems easier.
You can, but it will be before the amp. So the PA will only receive your bass' signal ( with any inline fx, of course ), not your amps' sound. To get your amp signal with a combo amp you'll probably have to modify the amp so that you can disconnect the speakers and run the DI between the amp and speakers.
The EQ that a player is using on his amp is highly unlikely to be what is needed on the signal that is sent to the PA. Giving the mixperson the amp's EQ will only make it harder to get the sound that's right for the ensemble. Only if you are using amp distortion or effects does it make sense to take the signal post amp.
so if i were to use the countryman with my combo amp i would hear my amp on stage, and the tone that would be projected out the of the PA's would sound like whatever i set the EQ to?
You would need to have an insert wired between the amp and speakers for the Countryman or any other DI. Not a challenge for any competent amp tech but if you really don't understand don't DIY it, really your amp is worth preserving.
You don't need an insert, just a parallel speaker output. The only speaker-level DI I'm aware of that is a serial device is the Radial JDX.
Folks who think that mic'ing a cab will put your sound into the PA are only fooling themselves. It does help capture tonal effects, but if you're cab has a tweeter, then how do you mic it too? At what angle does the mic sit in relation to the cone? Does it sit over the cone, or over the dust cap? What happens if you need to turn up or down during the gig?
I know there are some fanatics about mic'ing cabs here, but for live performance I think it's pretty silly and way too much work. You wind up with more unpredictable results. If you have a set sound man you always use who has as much experience with your rig as you do, then go for it. If you just need a way to get a bass signal to the PA, a high quality DI is worth it's weight in gold
Radial J48 is, IMO, the best DI you can get for live use. The Countryman is next for an Active DI. The best passive DI you can get is a Radial JDI. I would use a J48 or Countryman first, especially with passive basses. If you have a bass head with a high quality DI that let's you send a Pre-EQ signal to the board, then that is fine also.
And if your bass doesn't sound good all by itself through a good DI, then really, why do you want to play it anyway?
I know there are some fanatics about mic'ing cabs here, but for live performance I think it's pretty silly and way too much work. You wind up with more unpredictable results. If you have a set sound man you always use who has as much experience with your rig as you do, then go for it. If you just need a way to get a bass signal to the PA, a high quality DI is worth it's weight in gold
Radial J48 is, IMO, the best DI you can get for live use. The Countryman is next for an Active DI. The best passive DI you can get is a Radial JDI. I would use a J48 or Countryman first, especially with passive basses. If you have a bass head with a high quality DI that let's you send a Pre-EQ signal to the board, then that is fine also.
And if your bass doesn't sound good all by itself through a good DI, then really, why do you want to play it anyway?
Apples and oranges. More like apples and potatoes. In most cases, the amp is a much bigger part of a guitarist's tone than of a bassist's tone.
