Poll: Do you use your own DI live?

[JimmyM]

i play at venues where multiple bands are scheduled to play. all bass players plug into the house DI sitting on top of the amp and there is no other way here, so house di

I hate that way of thinking. What's funny is how soundmen who wouldn't dream of DI'ing a guitar insist on DI'ing a bass, even to the detriment of the band's overall tone. It's stupid and lazy.

 

[bassrique]

I've figured out a way to make the VT sound very similar to a mic'ed cab....

How do you do that?

 

[()smoke()]

I've always had them plug into the XLR DI out on the back of the head. Does that count as "my own DI"?

yes, i think so

 

[JimmyM]

How do you do that?

Oh sure, I tell you, then you tell someone else, and they tell someone else, and pretty soon everyone cops my sound!



Run the drive knob at about 9:00 and put the treble knob at about 11:00, then adjust the other knobs to suit your own tastes. At low settings, the drive knob is very subtle and adds a touch of edginess to the proceedings without sounding like drive. It's not quite as good as micing, but it's definitely in the ballpark.

 

[dream_bass]

I always bring and use my progr sansamp

 

[thehangingmist]

I hate that way of thinking. What's funny is how soundmen who wouldn't dream of DI'ing a guitar insist on DI'ing a bass, even to the detriment of the band's overall tone. It's stupid and lazy.

i agree. but since we are also provided the backline which is always different going DI helps as in that tone doesn't change drastically depending on the setup we are provided.

 

[mimaz]

My Countryman is mounted on my pedal board, and I use it whenever possible. It's a very rare occasion that a sound company would not want to use it, they are generally pretty receptive/appreciative.

 

[Jefenator]

I encounter a lot of cheaper Whirlwind DIs around here. Fortunately, the folks who offer them are usually open to using my amp DI. And if for some reason they're not, I usually have my active bass handy, which is much more resistant to the ravages of cheap passive DIs.

I've owned a couple of standalone DI boxes in my time but I've never actually used them on a job. Having one in my cord bag seems to ensure I'll never need it.

 

[Caiiz]

I have an Avalon U5 in my rack. Expensive: Yes, Heavy: Yes
But it does the job like nothing else I have tried

 

[superkicky]

I bring my REDDI to all my shows -- the reaction I get is amazing. The sound guy's eyes widen when I break it out and they look at it with loads of curiosity. I haven't come across a sound guy who wasn't willing to try my giant red box out, and they have never been happier Haven't needed to mic a cab since.

 

[atheos]

I'm going to use the DI on my LH500 but I don't mind if the house has decent boxes like Countryman or BSS so that I could put my bass into house DI and then connect the link output to my gear.

 

[Chinguschild]

direct in with an SM57

 

[Ezbass]

My MXR M80 is always in the signal chain. I use it as a mute for tuning, DIing into rehearsal space PAs for quick set up (and avoiding extra backline costs) and it's there as a backup should my rig fail in any way live. It's got distortion too if I ever need it.

 

[jimmyjammer]

When I was starting out, I used to just plug in to whatever the sound guy offered up; these days I politely refuse and either come out of my Ampeg's DI or out of the Sansamp.

 

[Vin_MM_Sabre_79]

Always out of my Shuttle DI.

 

[Plookie]

I don't leave home without it! MXR

Pavel jazz bass endorser
Eden 600 watt/Eden cab
Link Removed
Link Removed

 

[Ruoska]

I think I've only played one or two shows where I used an existing house DI box, other than that the shows I've played always required us to bring everything and set everything up ourselves. No sound man, usually just a member of another band playing on the same night just listening to us play for a while to tell if instruments are balanced somewhat enjoyably. We're no pro band anyway and our fees just barely cover the gas. We play original songs, prog-punk/rock type stuff and usually to a drunken audience at some suburbian saloon where the people would've just rather had their kebab or pizza in peace. At least there's the girlfriends/wives and other bands watching us...time to switch over to rock'n'roll classics, perhaps? Nah, not likely =)

 

[5stringwonder]

Always have my JDI in my gig bag. Usually use it when I play.

 

[Low Key]

50% JDI, 50% DI on my amp

I've never had a sound engineer insist on their DI box over mine. I used to use a Sansamp BDDI and this occationally caused issues for some engineers.

Oh - I did once have a studio engineer recommend that I use his Demeter tube DI in the studio instead of the crappy DI on the back of my old combo amp. But that's what you call a "good thing".

 

[Jonesy]

If given the choice of a DI or mic, I'd ideally take both, or just use a mic.
For a 4 string bass amp mic, a Shure SM57 works just fine for me but I also like my EV N/D868. I usually carry one of the above mics and my Sansamp Bass Driver DI to all gigs.

But, most sound techs only have 1 channel available for bass and prefer a DI over a mic. 90% of the time, they'll use the Sansamp when I offer it. Every once in a while, you run into a guy who just isn't comfortable using other people's gear or trying something new. I'll just grin and bear using whatever they want. Never pays to antagonize the sound techs and maybe next time, he'll be a little more experienced or open to your suggestions.