• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

What is your favorite DI for live use?

#121
don't be mistaken...mic pre's may be designed for mics, but some of the best sounding bass I've ever heard direct went through a high end mic pre.

I recently was in a studio and recorded a few bass tracks for the session:
- demeter vtbp-201s > EA CL112 > mic > neve pre > protools HD
- phil jones briefcase (not mic'd) > api pre > protools HD

the mix of the two sounded amazing. I found that the demeter track had a great bottom end and the pjb track had a nice bight with some clarity (i boosted the low end bands since the pjb tends to not have the balls that i like in my bass tone for recording). both tracks sounded way better than what i'm used to because of the pre's.

i've also ran bass through other mic pre's into power amps with great results in a live setting.
 
#122
Yeah, lots of people use mic pre's and mic-oriented channel strips in the two ways you've described: direct to recording system, and driving a power amp. In those contexts they are no different than a "bass" preamp in the way they are used. What they are still not doing, in those contexts, is sending a mic-level signal through a snake to the mic input of a FOH desk, which is what the whole "live DI" thing is about.

Yes, there are workarounds such as using a Y-splitter cable and sending a line-level signal to FOH in parallel to your power amp, but not everyone wants to go that route.
 
#123
My intended comment was that in most cases, when you're using a mic pre, you still need a DI. Its two separate conversations, even though there are obviously many devices that cover both tasks (signal impedance balancing, and bringing up the level/changing the tone) in one box.
 
#124
On the high end of the budget, I just found out about the TAB-Funkenwerk V-71:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I decided to ask Fletcher at Mercenary about it:

bongomania (me) said:
I currently use a Summit TD-100 as a bass DI, and I have a few other non-tube DI boxes laying around, but after all the hype around the REDDI I'm interested in trying out a different tube DI than the Summit. I was all set to get either a REDDI or a Demeter, but I just now saw the TAB V71 and wondered how it compares to either of those or the Summit. Your opinion?
Click to expand...

His response:
Fletcher said:
From what I've heard... the "hype" surrounding the REDDI is exactly that..."hype". The Groove Tubes "Brick" is better at doing what the REDDI does than the REDDI. The V-71 will give you a very full, very rich tone that neither the Summit, Demeter or especially the REDDI can deliver.
Click to expand...

Now, granted, he is selling these, so of course he's biased; and he's just a really opinionated and crabby guy generally. :D But I have to admit his comments intrigued me considerably!
 
#126
Alright, so I've been obsessing on this topic for a few weeks now, and have made some purchases. I've collected my thoughts here on this HTML page to help organize them:

http://www.themadmonkey.com/DInotes.htm

Right now, I'm leaning toward trying out the Eden Navigator, which seems to offer everything I want in one unit. Either that or the DB900 in front of my Mesa M-pulse, but I'm a bit worried about the mid scoopage on that combo.
 
#127
Man this thread makes my head hurt lol. I know I got a Countryman (inpsired by TB) and have used it on my last few shows and the soundmen gave me two thumbs up.

I got a question though. Is there a small kind of science to this. Like active basses/setups need passive DIs and vice versa? I know its rather subjective. Just wondering.
 
#128
pickles said:
Alright, so I've been obsessing on this topic for a few weeks now, and have made some purchases. I've collected my thoughts here on this HTML page to help organize them:

http://www.themadmonkey.com/DInotes.htm
Click to expand...

Very cool, keep going with this! Soon you'll be spending every last cent on DI's for your reviews page! It starts off so innocently with just a few units, and then you get curious about the next one, and the next one after that... :D
 
#129
Dr_Funkdamental said:
Is there a small kind of science to this. Like active basses/setups need passive DIs and vice versa?
Click to expand...

People do sometimes make that statement, that they prefer an active DI for a passive bass and vice versa. But aside from subjective taste, the main reason for that IMO is that an active DI is essentially a type of preamp- so for an active bass, you're adding another preamp after the one onboard your bass, which can (sometimes) lead to a reduction in headroom and an increase in the noise floor. Whereas with a passive bass, you're essentially making the bass "active" by adding that preamp stage between the bass and FOH. Also, some passive basses have lower output levels, and some active DI's have the ability to add gain, which helps get a strong enough signal to FOH, while a passive DI cannot add gain.

So there is a science to it all, but it's not cut and dried. You have to take into account the specific bass and the specific venue or context.
 
#130
Another possible problem with a passive basses and a passive DI is the impedance mismatch. Most passive DIs have very low input impedances. The popular Radial JDI passive DI has a 10k input impedance. You are going to lose a lot of high end, although you may not care.

Active DIs can basically set any input impedance they want. The popular Countryman Type 85 active DI has a 10M input impedance. No loss of lows through that!
 
#133
Impedance relationships can affect tone even with a short cable. The Summit DI has input impedance adjustable from 10K to 2M, and with a passive bass that knob acts like a type of tone control, with mellower highs and wider lows at around 9:00, and clearer, brighter highs and tighter lows at the higher end of the knob range. Turning it down all the way to 10K you really do lose some highs, and the signal is a bit lower in level as well. Again, that's even when using a 6' cable.
 
#134
hmm, hopefully i have this in the right thread. i have a MXR m80+ which i use at church, with a SWR workingmans head and cab. before i got the mxr i would mic the swr up, but when i was at the sound desk, i noticed the stage volume for the bass was splurging out too much and messing up my mix (not mentioning not even able to control it)

the swr has a DI out, but its not working anymore.

so how would i be able to fully utilise the amps tone, via DI?
i might just be thinking too complex/or simple.. but i havent been able to figure it out.
and been running straight from my bass-pedals-mxr di - foh
cheers
 
#135
Some say, depending on your amp, that you "shouldn't" be utilizing your amp's tone into the DI. That school of thought says any EQ that needs to be done in the PA mix should be done at the PA mixer, not onstage. The only big exception is in the case of somebody whose overdriven tube amp is a major part of their tone.
 
#137
hmm, i think i have the solution. hopefully there is nothing wrong with effects route on the swr head, i should be able to put my bass into the head...

and my effects loop via the effects return,and then effects send.

then using the unbalanced line out going into the mxr?

would that be about right? bearing that its all working ?
 
#139
irvinz said:
yeaps, if am able to send in my signal of my amp via the mxr, i would def stomp off the tone shaping end of things on the DI.

my question is, how am i to input the amp signal into the DI?
Click to expand...

No, it's not like that. The normal arrangement is like:

bass --> fx --> DI

The DI has two outputs, an XLR which goes to the PA, and a 1/4" which goes to the main input of your amp. Again, unless your amp's tone is super extra special, leave it out of the DI's path, it will only add noise and muddy up the PA.
 
#140
For the past 6 months, I've been using the JDI with excellent results - atleast according to what I've been told(soundmen, other musicians in the crowd, etc...)...

I *was* going straight from the bass to the DI(and my amp) to the board - 'til I bought a couple of active 5'ers to gig with in addition to my passive 4 bangers....only problem is, the active 5'ers have a significantly weaker output signal(surprisingly) than my passive 4's do(a P/J set-up, and a Jazz w/ Dimarzio UJ's wired in series - both pretty hot) ... So, I started feeding the JDI out of my Preamp Out, and change my Pre Gain when I change instruments - after a little tweaking, it's been working out alright - although I miss the simplicity of having instruments whose outputs are very close to one another, and just going bass> DI> mixer...

Anyways, here's a vote for the JDI...



- georgestrings
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back