Re-amp boxes - are they necessary?

[Patrick Spence-Lewis]

Hello, I was wondering if re-amp boxes are actually essential when wanting to record a 'real' version of a bass part. I've been recording a bass part directly into an audio interface and then playing back into an amp. I would do this by taking the signal through the OUTPUT of the audio interface and into the amp. From then, I would record the part using a microphone and then sending the signal back in through an INPUT. Is there a particular reason for not doing it this way, and instead using a re-amp box? Thanks.

 

[seamonkey]

Software is commonly used for this
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Many other options. Somebody else owns the cabinets, the mics, the rooms, etc and provide impulse responses that a studio can re-use.

 

[Ulf_Hansson]

I would do this by taking the signal through the OUTPUT of the audio interface and into the amp. From then, I would record the part using a microphone and then sending the signal back in through an INPUT. Is there a particular reason for not doing it this way, and instead using a re-amp box? Thanks.

There's a difference in impedance between your bass signal and a line out from an D/A interface (apart from the difference in levels, which is easier to fix). How much the impedance affects the sound (or not) depends on the amp.

I have been playing around with re-amping (without a box), mostly for special effects such as getting the room sound including resonance from drums, cymbals and at one session a big upright piano. Otherwise you can just do it in SW, as mentioned by @seamonkey.