Questions about a DI

[ComesATime]

Hey guys,

I've never used a DI box before, and, if available, I'd have a sound guy set it up. Looking into recording with my current project, so I'd like to mix amp and DI sounds to see the results. Looking into picking up an MXR M80...really like the EQ and distortion option.

My amp is an Ashdown MAG 300 with a DI output. Would I just need an XLR to plug the DI-out into the recording interface, or do I need a DI box for the impedance?

Possibly an obvious question, but I just want to make sure I'm not doing anything incorrectly.

 

[And I]

Your amp's DI output is the correct impedence and you can plug it right into your recording interface. However, if you want a true bass DI signal, you want it before your preamp. Your Ashdown probably sounds awesome coming through a speaker and the DI output is probably great for live sound. In my experience though most amps' DI outputs don't record well. So I'd get a DI box so you can take the truly direct signal from your bass, convert that to the proper impedence, and run that to your audio interface as well as a mic in front of your amp and get a blend of those.

 

[ComesATime]

Your amp's DI output is the correct impedence and you can plug it right into your recording interface. However, if you want a true bass DI signal, you want it before your preamp. Your Ashdown probably sounds awesome coming through a speaker and the DI output is probably great for live sound. In my experience though most amps' DI outputs don't record well. So I'd get a DI box so you can take the truly direct signal from your bass, convert that to the proper impedence, and run that to your audio interface as well as a mic in front of your amp and get a blend of those.

Thanks for the advice, kind sir. Definitely a big fan of the Ashdown tone. I imagine some of the upper-tier models are sounding a bit nicer these days, especially as you get into tube/valve territory, but my MAG has been a trusty and reliable workhorse for good sound.

I've been looking into DI boxes. Would I be alright with an MXR M80 (been meaning to get one anyhow), or am I better off with a dedicated DI box?

Thanks, and best wishes.

 

[And I]

I've never used the M80. But I'm going to guess it's designed for stage / live use and your results may vary in the studio. Since I've never heard it I can't say, but when I track bass I usually prefer to use something without a preamp for a DI if I am blending in the miked cab as well. Bass preamps with XLR outs (either pedals or heads) designed for live sound use are hit or miss in the studio. For instance I like the DI off of my GK MB500 head for most recording applications, but the Tonehammer's DI sounds like junk for recording (in my experience). The SansAmp DI (which does have a preamp) sound good recorded, but maybe not when mixed with an amp.

I would start with a true DI, run your bass into that with the XLR output into your audio interface and 1/4" out to your amp.

What kind of bass, by the way? Passive or active?

 

[EastCoastThump]

Looking into picking up an MXR M80...really like the EQ and distortion option. . . .My amp is an Ashdown MAG 300 with a DI output.

There's nothing necessarily magical about an outboard DI box. Some are fine, some are cr&p, and some are outstanding for certain sounds. But by the same token, amp DIs can be just passable, completely janky, or stellar. I don't know the MAG 300 DI, but why give up on it before you've listened to it?

If you're just starting to experiment with recording and the studio costs are low stakes, I'd suggest experimenting with different cab mics and your amp's DI to see whether you get results you like. Unless you're already chasing a specific sound, you're probably better with a relatively clean DI path. I wouldn't want to track the M80's eq and distortion in my DI track unless I knew that was the sound I wanted.

If the stakes are higher, record at a studio that has a good gear locker and people who've tracked a lot of songs in your genre that sound good to you. They'll be able to track you through some gear that makes sense, given the tone you get with your instrument and the recorded tones you're after.

 

[Low Bow]

I'm using sans amp and mxr together. That's how I get tone that fits to my ear.
Btw: do you guys think I need interface too? Does it make recordings even better?

 

[EastCoastThump]

Btw: do you guys think I need interface too? Does it make recordings even better?

You don't say *how* you're getting sound into the DAW now, but let's put that question aside. As with the OP's question, what gear you need depends on what counts as success for the recordings you're making.

Are you recording for public release? Are you making a booking demo? Or are you recording songwriting, arrangement, rehearsal, or live-performance demos (mostly used to help you analyze and improve the band's songs and arrangements)? If whatever gear you're using now results in recordings that serve their purposes, I wouldn't recommend dropping the scratch for a REDDI, U5, 2di4, or UA 6176 to get a better DI bass tone. Nor would I recommend trading up from your computer's built-in audio input to a high-quality multi-channel interface. (Nor, for that matter, trading up incrementally through 1- or 2- channel budget interfaces until you arrive at such high quality gear that you quit asking whether better gear is the path to better recordings).

If you like the tone from your current recording gear, and the resulting recordings serve their purpose, then I wouldn't recommend chasing gear at this stage, unless you want to make a hobby out of buying and selling recording gear. Either keep using the rig you have until you're absolutely familiar with what it can (and can't) do, or lean on the advice of someone who can listen to your playing, your bass rig, and your tracking/mixing/monitoring paths.