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Should I get a DI Box?

C

CaptainLetsDanc

Sep 18, 2012
2
0
#1
When I tell people I am using effects on my bass for the first time, they keep telling me to get a DI. Would this replace my amp at shows? I've gone direct before (without a DI of my own) and it sounded fine, so I'm not anal about my amp. I just worry about hearing myself well enough in the monitors.

Also, do I lose any street cred by not having an amp on stage?
 
#2
I use a DI with no amp for practice (an effort to encourage my bandmates to play quieter). But for a gig I think you need an amp. If you're playing a big venue they'll have their own DI and you'll have your own monitor mix they can tailor to you, but if you're playing little venues and bars, you need your amp.
That's my opinion anyway.
 
#3
Always a good idea to have a simple DI in your bag. Doesn't need to be exotic...won't get used every night... Some night it might be the DI that saves things though. I've carried a pair In my kit for years. Along with spare 1/4 " and mic cables... I'm kinda anal about being prepared for most anything... That pair has taken my bass direct when the house didn't have enough working DI's, they've taken guest acoustic guitars and keyboards in sit in situations... Acoustic guitars when I've hosted jams or open mic's...

Not much cash and sometimes just the thing that makes an evening a little easier...

NOTE: I own a nice small PA. I'm often bass player and sound guy. I gig a fair amount, often in sub or support environments. My band Willy & Nelson has a few regular sit in opportunities and we scale our trio up for 5 or 6 for outdoor festival style gig's or back to 3 for quiet loungy kinds of gigs. I need a LOT of flexibility in my setup. This colors my perception of things necessary ... For me, being prepared for anything can be. The difference between having a fun evening and enjoying some new musical opportunity or being stressed over circumstances... Not everybody is going to need to be quite so gear centric... Though it seems that more bass players find this role than say guitarists, singers or keyboard players (or diva's)....

(shameless self promotion, I recently upgraded to a pair of DBX DB12 active DI's. They are just more sparkly which for acoustic guitars makes a difference to me. My GT's are listed in the effects section of the GfS, the pair is available for less than half the cost of a new dbx...)
 
#4
I hate monitors for bass. They're either incapable of delivering enough low end at a decent enough volume, or they're really tinny...plus I sing and I hate hearing instruments coming out of the same cab I sing through. So unless the band one day decides that we're going ampless and forces me into it (doubt it'll happen), I shall have my trusty amp set up.
 
#5
CaptainLetsDanc said:
When I tell people I am using effects on my bass for the first time, they keep telling me to get a DI. Would this replace my amp at shows? I've gone direct before (without a DI of my own) and it sounded fine, so I'm not anal about my amp. I just worry about hearing myself well enough in the monitors.

Also, do I lose any street cred by not having an amp on stage?
Click to expand...

Street credibility? First of all, do not be concerned heavily with any of that nonsense. You should have a rig on stage if the monitors on stage can not handle your bass tone. If the monitors are really good (usually they are not) then you get away with just plugging into a DI box and hearing yourself without your rig. It makes the sound guy's job much easier.

If you are worried about monitors, ALWAYS bring your gear. Never second guess your gear is necessary. I have been given backlines at shows that are not even suitable for live use.

Should you get a DI? Yes. If your amp head dies, you have a backup. Radial JDI is one of the best ones out there and sound guys love them! You want good street credibility? Bring extra/backup gear to shows and be ready to use it as needed. Be on time and be ready to sound check when it is your turn. Keep your volume in check and shake the sound guy's hand at the end of the show. Say "Thanks" even if they did a bad job. Many of these guys know they screwed up and feel horrible about it, be polite to them while at the show. Fire them a few days later.
 
#6
Yes. A passive DI will never lose value. Country men DI's are beat to hell and back used in thousands of venue's and is guaranteed to be the easiest thing for a sound guy to use. Street cred? Do you play for other bands or yourself/ your band/ your needs? Do you play with less distraction when you have an amp behind you? I sure do.
 
#7
It's a tool of the trade so yes. I hate it when I can't have my amp on stage. I like to hear myself and feel the rumble the cab creates. I have turned down gigs where it's just in -ear. The headphones always fall out of my ears, the sound man never turns me up enough so I can hear myself, and I've never met a monitor mix I liked. And the sound in the earphones is just so damn sterile it ticks me off. No warmth, no bottom etc. I ususally carry two bass heads with me to my gigs. Both have DI capability so in essence at any gig I go to I have three DI's. Preparation is the key. Consider it a necessary tool to have at your disposal should the need arise. And I never worry about my street cred. People could care less about you so you should feel the same. That is with the exception of friends and famlily.
 
#9
Even though both heads i use at gigs have great DIs built-in that sound great, I just purchased a passive DI to keep in my gig bag.

It is a Radial Engineering JDI. Built like a tank, simple and sounds good. I too am kinda anal about being prepared for anything. I even carry a XLR cable and mic just in case.

You need to carry a DI just in case.
 
#12
It's fine if you use your amp's DI - I don't really understand the reasoning behind having to have a separate DI box if you use effects.

However, even a cheap, passive DI can be a lifesaver sometimes. Buy one and keep it in your bag. You never know when your amp will die / has DI problems / you need to help another musician out. Always come prepared.
 
#14
I always keep a DI in my crash kit just in case. I play a lot of gigs where I use house backline and I've had house amps fail on me. I've also had my own gear fail, for that matter. A DI is good to have as a backup when things just don't go as planned.

Personally, I've never liked going direct - even with good monitors - but the fact is, sometimes things go wrong and I've had a DI save my butt more than once. For that reason, I think every bassist should have one in their kit.

That said, if your DI's purpose in life is just to be a parachute, it doesn't have to be anything fancy. A simple, passive (why change batteries in something you hope to never use?) line-matching transformer like a Whirlwind IMP is perfectly fine for this purpose and won't cost an arm and a leg.
 
#16
oerk said:
You never know when you need to help another musician out. Always come prepared.
Click to expand...

This is a very interesting point. My crash kit has bailed out fellow band members as many or more times than it's bailed me out. Members of other bands sharing a bill, too. That may not seem that important at first glance, but that karma wheel does come around! Get a reputation for being prepared and being willing to help people out and it will never do you harm!
 
#17
Gearhead17 said:
oerk said:
It's fine if you use your amp's DI - I don't really understand the reasoning behind having to have a separate DI box if you use effects.

Two channels - one of the bass clean tone, one of the effects. Sound guy mixes at the desk. It's a studio trick and can have wonderful results if done correctly.
Click to expand...

Ah. Thanks for clearing that up. I've done this when home recording, just never thought of doing it live.

Lo-E said:
This is a very interesting point. My crash kit has bailed out fellow band members as many or more times than it's bailed me out. Members of other bands sharing a bill, too. That may not seem that important at first glance, but that karma wheel does come around! Get a reputation for being prepared and being willing to help people out and it will never do you harm!
Click to expand...

Yep. And the DI box, along with spare cables and a tuner, is one of the most handy things one can have.
Click to expand...
 
#18
phillybass101 said:
I have turned down gigs where it's just in -ear. The headphones always fall out of my ears, the sound man never turns me up enough so I can hear myself, and I've never met a monitor mix I liked. And the sound in the earphones is just so damn sterile it ticks me off. No warmth, no bottom etc.
Click to expand...

If the buds fall out, you need different 'squishies' on them.

Ask for more bass in your mix - don't expect the mixperson to know how much each individual wants.

Perhaps your buds suck. Many buds and phones that are quite listenable when playing commercial recordings are useless live.
 

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