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Question - DI box vs. Amp's XLR out

G

guermo

Dec 4, 2004
58
0
#1
What are the differences between using a DI box to go to the FOH, vs. using the XLR out on my amp?

I'm using a SWR 750x bass head that has a balanced XLR out to go to the FOH, and i don't really understand the benefits of a device like the new Ampeg SCR-DI that came out today.

Thank you for educating me!
 
#2
1- The XLR on your amp is a DI. BUT ... your bass goes thru the amp before going to the FOH. Most amps have switchable Pre/Post EQ DI. Some allow you to adjust the DI output level, too. What the FOH gets may not be what you hear on stage, though, as your speakers are part of your path, but not the FOH's.

2- A standalone DI is usually between your bass/pedal board and the amp. They often split the signal ... one to your amp via 1/4", and one to FOH via XLR. In this case, the signal is routed to FOH after FX and before it goes to the amp.

3 - Then there's what are commonly referred to a DI's, but may have EQ, preamp, amp modeling, speaker modeling, FX, and more ... these are intended to be used INSTEAD of an amp, and the player gets a monitor feed from the board.

The Ampeg unit you cite is a combination of 2 and 3.
 
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#4
Berkowitzum said:
RustyAxe what do you recommend to me? i have a peavey tko115 with xlr out. i use bass and pedalboard. ive played every gig going to the mixer through the xlr out of my amp, and i feel that on the PAs it doesnt sound the way i get it through the amp. What can you recommend? :bassist:
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My $0.02
You will never sound the same thru a PA as you do thru your amp. Expecting matching results is not valid. Why? The setup, room, controls, dynamics, amps, etc. all factor into what comes out of the PA. Among these, your frame of reference (if you're on stage) is not the same as the FOH engineers!

If it were me, I'd keep it simple and feed FOH as you do now. You basically don't have control over the FOH mix and won't, no matter the mechanism you use to get that sound to the board. If it's your own BE doing the mixing (vs a random house guy) then you need to get them to get the sounds matched.
 
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#6
Berkowitzum said:
Thanks s0c9, another question, if i mic the amp and send a signal through xlr it would come closer to the real sound no?
Click to expand...
The sound going to the console will be closer to what you are hearing thru your amp when you use this method, but it has it's own challenges with other artifacts being collected in that mic feed.

I would suggest working with the FOH guy to resolve the mis-match you are concerned about vs worrying about how you get the signal to them.
 
#7
Thanks again :D :bassist:

In other lines, i built a passive 3 way mixer, and goeas out as 1 way. i use 3 signals, one for always clean, one for a sub synth and the other with the rest, so, what if i put these signals separatedly on the console? i dont know where to put the amp in that "chain" haha im just thinking and talking lets see what you think :D
 
#8
Berkowitzum said:
Thanks again :D :bassist:

In other lines, i built a passive 3 way mixer, and goeas out as 1 way. i use 3 signals, one for always clean, one for a sub synth and the other with the rest, so, what if i put these signals separatedly on the console? i dont know where to put the amp in that "chain" haha im just thinking and talking lets see what you think :D
Click to expand...
Putting on my "sound guy" hat (Sorry GeriO!), I want it simple, and I NEED control over which signals go to the PA.
Consider that what you are suggesting is like giving a drummer a mixer, running 8 mics into it then sending a "stereo" feed to FOH.
FOH has no control over mix levels, and can only EQ or compress the stereo mix.

If the FOH is OK with it and has the capacity, then yeah, bass goes from 1 to 3 channels and FOH STILL controls how it sounds out front.

This is the part that you are going to have to work thru or live with...
"FOH STILL controls how it sounds out front"... no matter what type or how many variations of your signal you send.

I've got to the point where I send my XLR direct out to the PA (house or our own). I have control over ours, but once it goes to the House, I have to trust that the guy at the board does the best job s/he can with it..

Definitely a trust factor there.. YMMV
 
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#9
I agree with you, ill have to seriously take a time in sound checks to relly find a sound according to what i have/use. and build or find a clone who plays like me and activates the effects i use :bassist: :D

well thanks a lot for your time and answers, your really helped me, ill definitively go from xlr forever, as i always did.
 
#10
I used to use the XLR out from my SL900 set to PreEQ. The reason I did it that way was was becuse the santuary at my church is nit great accoustically. It came out way too boomy and when I adjusted it to removenthat it sounded too thin on stage to me. By setting the out to Pre EQ I was able to give the sound guy a relatively flat signal that he could the EQ for the room to augment what was coming from the stage. Now we have the best sound guy we have had since I have been at this church. We use smaller amps as monitors. I now use my bass poeer wedge with my B3 going out to the board and it works out fine.
 
#11
I am running into the same issue. I am playing at an event where we are in a large auditorium. My set up is a Fender Jag - Diamond Compressor - Sansamp Tech21 DI - Ampeg BA210v2. The sound guy wanted to have me use the XLR out of the amp back to the board instead of the way I am used to which is using the XLR out of the DI. I am not overly techy when it comes to this but what would be the benefits of his method of set-up versus what I am used to? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
 
#12
SimplemanBB450 said:
I am running into the same issue. I am playing at an event where we are in a large auditorium. My set up is a Fender Jag - Diamond Compressor - Sansamp Tech21 DI - Ampeg BA210v2. The sound guy wanted to have me use the XLR out of the amp back to the board instead of the way I am used to which is using the XLR out of the DI. I am not overly techy when it comes to this but what would be the benefits of his method of set-up versus what I am used to? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Laziness?? LOL.. idk [shrug].
The XLR from the amp will be closer to the stage sound than that from the DI (very few amps DO NOT add color).
Maybe he thinks he's helping you out to get "your sound".. some musicians are very touchy about that. A good soundguy should know to ask which you preferred.

From my FOH perspective, it would make no difference to me if you asked to go DI from the the Tech21 instead of the amp!
 
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#15
Downunderwonder said:
Unless you have a booming stage your best bet is a mic. Lower food chain sound guys tend to add boom all by themselves while scooping the bejesus out of your tone.
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Depends on the objectives... IMHO.
If you just need an FOH feed, then any XLR (DI, or amp direct out) is preferable over a mic feed. Fewer artifacts, more control for FOH.
At FOH, give me direct over mic any time.
 
#18
I too am thinking of getting a stand-alone DI box because I'm getting a lot of hissing through my Amps DI... have tested everything and 99.9% sure it's a frequency thing with the treble slider.
As I have a passive modified jazz bass, do I need a passive DI box, or an active DI Box?
thanks
 
#20
JimiLL said:
I like to run a post signal to the board, I don't have any major eq going on and I would like some type of tone device between my bass and the pa speakers. Dry signal sounds....dry
Click to expand...

But that's exactly why I don't want to go post output of the bass amplifier. There is, in fact, tone circuitry (usually) in the mixing console that makes for a great tone device. I prefer the least amount of electronic gak in the bass signal chain as possible. I prefer a DI (or a REDDI, when I can afford one) in front of the bass amp.

Of course, this is ASSuming that you have a sound person and ASSUming that you trust them with the sound of your bass.
 

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