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Tone Hammer DI Too Hot for Recording?

PotsdamBass8

PotsdamBass8

Supporting Member
Jan 23, 2005
2,994
3,024
Long Island, NY
#1
I'm just getting into recording my bass at home, still trying to learn as much as I can. I have a Lexicon Lambda for my interface, and I just picked up a Tone Hammer DI. I know the TH is hot, but in pre-eq, even with the mic level turned all the way down on the Lambda, it's clipping. If I put the TH in post-eq and lower the level a lot, I can get it to not clip. But is that sacrificing the sound if I do that? The clipping is coming from the Lambda itself, BTW.

Last night I got fed up and just plugged right into the guitar jack in front, no TH. It sounded ok, but I'd love to be able to use this tool to record with. Any ideas?
 
#3
PotsdamBass8 said:
Update: don't know why this didn't occur to me at the time, but I was plugging into the mic input, while I believe the TH xlr is more of a line level. Need to get an adapter and try it again!
Click to expand...
If the output is XLR its balanced and not line level.. In a perfect world, you want everything going in +4 (balanced) and avoid line level like the plague.. If it's hot, don't you have an output gain control somewhere in you recording software? I mean, you have to.. The whole point of this box is to "not" be at line level.
 
#4
I thought that balanced and line level were referring to two different things? I picked up an XLR to TRS cable and plugged it into the line input, and it's much more manageable. Is this not a good idea?

I'll be honest, I'm still learning a LOT every day about recording, so please bear with me. There are individual track levels on GarageBand 10, but the interface itself (Lexicon Lambda) was showing clipping even when the input knob was all the way down. Since I've switched it over to the line input, I can now keep that knob around 10 o'clock and it doesn't clip.
 
#5
PotsdamBass8 said:
I thought that balanced and line level were referring to two different things? I picked up an XLR to TRS cable and plugged it into the line input, and it's much more manageable. Is this not a good idea?

I'll be honest, I'm still learning a LOT every day about recording, so please bear with me. There are individual track levels on GarageBand 10, but the interface itself (Lexicon Lambda) was showing clipping even when the input knob was all the way down. Since I've switched it over to the line input, I can now keep that knob around 10 o'clock and it doesn't clip.
Click to expand...
Well, a lot of times things work out when they shouldn't in all of this.. (That's why it may have seemed better when it shouldn't have) That is a balanced cable.. It just has two different balanced connectors on each end.. TRS is a balanced 1/4 in connector and XLR is a pro balanced connector. Balanced means +4. Line level is -10.. Line level is obviously lower level (hard to hear the actual level difference but it is) line level's weakness is its seceptable to noise and dirty audio.. Balanced is pro gear and is stable against noise and stuff that comes in on line level.. If at all possible you want to try to stay +4 or balanced.. However if you can't its a good idea to just match whatever the device is wanting to see.. Example, if you're dealing with -10 line level inputs/outputs whatever try to stay with that with the cabling. It's when you mix and match line level to balanced that noise usually comes in..and it can be bad.. If you have a mixed situation that seems better to you, chances are when you get to a club with lousy power every none congruent connection is a potential nightmare.. Make sense?
 
#6
PotsdamBass8 said:
I thought that balanced and line level were referring to two different things? I picked up an XLR to TRS cable and plugged it into the line input, and it's much more manageable. Is this not a good idea?

I'll be honest, I'm still learning a LOT every day about recording, so please bear with me. There are individual track levels on GarageBand 10, but the interface itself (Lexicon Lambda) was showing clipping even when the input knob was all the way down. Since I've switched it over to the line input, I can now keep that knob around 10 o'clock and it doesn't clip.
Click to expand...
About you recording set up.. Yeah, it wants to see line level.. If you don't see a "pad" button then you are going to have to go line level..and if you're not getting bad noise or if it's improved your input control..then just go with it.. Noise is the enemy..that's the whole thing about balanced +4 level..but it is hotter by a lot and if the interface or software doesn't want to see that or it's too hot for it then you need to be at line level.. I'm curious though.. How do you get control of vocal recording in the box with garage band? If that balanced bass box is peaking when turned fully down you may have trouble recording a vocal..idk. There may be a common approach someone else would know.. But yeah, it sounds like you'll need to be at line level.. The interesting thing is that cable isn't..and it's working. Ahh..oh yeah, with TRS it can be either balanced or -10..it sees what's being taken..yeah..ok I get it. Yeah, just do that if it's operating the way you need it to..
 

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