Running bass head di with no speakers

[arbiterusa]

I don't use tube amps so I'm not 100% sure but I believe there's a device called a load box that allows you to connect your tube amp to your interface without being connected to a speaker cab.

There is. Not intended for that use. Really don’t recommend them.

 

[hennessybass]

I’m a big fan of just plugging right into the interface. I’m not losing any tone doing it that way.

I still like using an amp (DI) before the interface. Wouldn't use a clean DI box or anything like that,,, but I like the flavor an amp can bring - if it's an amp with a good flavor.
Been using my Streamliner (post) as a DI into the interface. Like a beautiful studio quality tube DI. It just sounds good. Brings a little flavor - and I don't have to mess with the computer so much to get a good sound.
The TH pedal is nice too.

 

[Iristone]

There are speaker level DIs out there. Be sure to look for one that can take 300 watts from your amp, and you should be fine.

 

[ruju]

There is. Not intended for that use. Really don’t recommend them.

Ok. What is the intended use? Everything I've read says to use a load box/attenuator to use your amp without a speaker plugged in. I'm look at the offerings from universal audio and the two notes torpedo CAB ..
I'm interested in this topic as my guitarist would like to record from his Randall tube amp without mic ING speakers. Thanks

 

[ToneMonkey]

Yeah I’ve always thought this, just so many di boxes and pre amp pedals with di out on them and whatnot that it seemed like the interface wouldn’t be the best option. But I guess for a lot of applications it is

Seriously, you are wayyyyy over thinking this, unless you want to intentionally make things difficult for yourself.

Try this. Plug right into your audio interface. In Logic, create a new audio track for your bass part. Try a few of the bass channel presets. Adjust to taste. I find the cab/DI slider to be particularly useful. You're welcome.

The advantage of going direct into the interface and using Logic models for your sounds is that if you get to the mixing stage and the bass isn't sitting in the mix right, you can change stuff if you need to. If you track preprocessed live audio from your amp DI, you better really love everything about that take because you are pretty much stuck with it.

 

[Ric5]

So I’m having a bit of a problem. I have a two year old kid and live in a duplex. So basically running my ampeg svt2 into my emperor 4x10 isn’t really an option ,considering my music time is after he falls asleep. So my question is regarding the di out on my head and volume. Apparently I’m not supposed to run the head without a speaker cab hooked up, cause it can.... damage the tubes? I’m not fully aware of the technical aspects of that. Ideally I’d like to run just my head di out into my fmr preamp compressor interface chain, so I can lay down some riffs in logic. Is there a way to still have my cab hooked up (to not damage the head) turn the master volume all the way down, And still get signal running into logic? Or would that not work since the master volume is down? I can’t check at the moment since I’m having a new fan installed in the head (old one was crazy loud). Anyway, sorry to be long winded. Any help is appreciated, and if i posted in the wrong forum feel free to send me elsewhere. Cheers y’all

Don't run a tube amp without speakers

you can get a cheap headphone amp if you want to use headphones

 

[Bonafide]

Yeah I’ve always thought this, just so many di boxes and pre amp pedals with di out on them and whatnot that it seemed like the interface wouldn’t be the best option. But I guess for a lot of applications it is

That is true. Direct into interface HiZ input (so far unnamed) is usually not the 'best' option by any means. But it is a perfectly sensible and usable one for practice, ideas or basic recording. There are fantastic DIs that fatten, sweeten, color (or not) and vastly improve your bass tone before it hits the interface. If the rest of the signal chain (including interface) and monitoring supports it, the differences are instantly evident.

 

[mikecd1]

I've been using the Radial JDI direct box for years with great results on active and passive basses (passive DI's supposed to be for active basses and active DI's for passive basses) although going direct using a HIZ input has worked fine and resulted in some decent tracks when just practicing or collecting ideas. All that said, I'm really intrigued by this centrance mixerface R4 which is totally portable, has two inputs, and SD card for recording and works with your computer recording interface or even with your smart phone if you're travelling or just messing around on the couch or even in the studio it is both an interface and a recording device itself. Worth a look.
MixerFace - CEntrance

 

[iiipopes]

If you must have an amp color on the track, and not just a DI from the bass, use something like a SansAmp or Line6 POD. Yes, pay attention to the article cited above on what happens to a tube amp if a speaker or dummy load is not attached. It may not be that big of a deal with amps with solid state output, but why take the chance?

 

[ruju]

Ok. What is the intended use? Everything I've read says to use a load box/attenuator to use your amp without a speaker plugged in. I'm look at the offerings from universal audio and the two notes torpedo CAB ..
I'm interested in this topic as my guitarist would like to record from his Randall tube amp without mic ING speakers. Thanks

Ah, after looking more into it. A cab and amp do need to be connected with the torpedo.
It sounds really good plugging torpedo into the interface as a cab sim. I will most likely grab one of these.

 

[DirtDog]

run your bass straight into your audio interface.
Look into some VSTs to add compression and some amp and cab simulations.
Later, when there's a window of awake time you can always re-amp in/out of the SVT with speakers connected.

there’s always the option of using a bass specific preamp DI into your interface. The SansAmp and the Ampeg SCR-DI are two options that’ll get you into the SVT2 tone neighborhood. The Radial offers no advantage over going direct into your interface.

The cool thing with the SCR-DI is you can record an effected signal and dry signal at the same time. Like @seamonkey said, you can reamp the dry signal through your SVT2 when you can make noise.

 

[DigitalMan]

DIs attenuate level. Preamps increase signals from instrument to line level and intentionally color/shape tone. Most boxes called one or the other have/do both. Most people use the terms and use cases interchangeably.

If you want the naked bass signal to “sound better” what you want is a preamp. Even if it’s called a DI (like a Reddi for example)

 

[Joey lewis]

Thanks for all the comments everyone. I do feel like I am over complicating it, but I have spent years getting my tone to where I want it. Therefor I want to record said tone. Sounds like me best bet is to just run my amp as normal, take the di out post eq, and turn the volume down so I don’t shake the house and kid awake. I experimented with guitar through logic today, going through my pedal board and then into my pre amp compressor and interface. Pleasantly surprised by the amp modeling, at least for guitar, which I’m less picky about and way worse at