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What USB interface is good for recording bass?

Ampeg SVT

Ampeg SVT

Son, I am disappoint.
Sep 9, 2006
3,016
33
#1
I have a Line6 Toneport GX currently and its sound quality is pathetic.

Constant audio artifacting.

I want to get a USB interface that can record bass, mainly with a DI from an amp. What would be an affordable but good suggestion?

I was looking at the Lexicon Alpha (mixed views), PreSonus AudioBox USB, M-Audio Fast Track, anything else?

I want something affordable but something that I can use to record my bass without having latency issues and sound issues.

Oh and quick question, I would take the DI from my amp head and use a XLR -> 1/4 TRS right?

Thanks, I am really really new to this stuff and no I am not using a mixer.
 
#4
I do have one question, if I were to use DI would I use a XLR to XLR and hook the DI up to the Mic input or would I take a XLR and a 1/4TRS and hook it up to the line in on the recording interface?
 
#5
Ampeg SVT said:
I do have one question, if I were to use DI would I use a XLR to XLR and hook the DI up to the Mic input or would I take a XLR and a 1/4TRS and hook it up to the line in on the recording interface?
Click to expand...

a di takes line level signals and converts them to mic level, so you would want to go into the mic input and as such through the mic preamp! ie xlr to xlr.

you could also bypass the di and go direct to line, but the results will prob's not be too fancy!

o
 
#6
Charling said:
a di takes line level signals and converts them to mic level, so you would want to go into the mic input and as such through the mic preamp! ie xlr to xlr.

you could also bypass the di and go direct to line, but the results will prob's not be too fancy!

o
Click to expand...

A DI takes an unbalanced, high-impedance signal and converts it to a balanced, low-impedance signal. A lot of them attenuate the signal quite a bit as well, but line-level down to mic-level is a bit of a stretch. Even the Radial JDI, with its huge attenuation of 22db, would be hard pressed to bring line level signals down to mic level.
 
#7
Nick Kay said:
A DI takes an unbalanced, high-impedance signal and converts it to a balanced, low-impedance signal. A lot of them attenuate the signal quite a bit as well, but line-level down to mic-level is a bit of a stretch. Even the Radial JDI, with its huge attenuation of 22db, would be hard pressed to bring line level signals down to mic level.
Click to expand...

yeah, my general knowledge of the electronics which surrounds studio gear is pretty abismall! But I do understand that a DI does not attenuate all the way to mic level, more I was trying to simplify the process for the OP by stating that a DI tends to go to the mic input of a desk.

ie in the passive transformer style DI when you step up the current in exchange for voltage you are creating a signal that a mic input would rather accept. And as most active DI boxes are designed to mimic the passive sort (apart from those with a specific line out, which you would of course connect to a line in!) I thought it safe to use the statement I used in my last post.

But yeah, I agree its not quite correct and I probably shouldn't have over simplified as such!

Take Care

O
 
#8
Ampeg SVT said:
I have a Line6 Toneport GX currently and its sound quality is pathetic.

Constant audio artifacting.

I want to get a USB interface that can record bass, mainly with a DI from an amp. What would be an affordable but good suggestion?

I was looking at the Lexicon Alpha (mixed views), PreSonus AudioBox USB, M-Audio Fast Track, anything else?

I want something affordable but something that I can use to record my bass without having latency issues and sound issues.

Oh and quick question, I would take the DI from my amp head and use a XLR -> 1/4 TRS right?

Thanks, I am really really new to this stuff and no I am not using a mixer.
Click to expand...

I have a Line6 BassPOD XT Live which uses similar recording capability and it works really well, but I had to fiddle with it a little to get the recording to work properly.

1. Make sure you have the very latest drivers on your PC.

2. Make sure you plug it into a USB bus by itself - this is the crucial step!!! A USB hub shares bandwidth across all the devices connected to it, and one hub inside your PC will often control up to four actual USB ports. I had my mouse and my Line6 USB device in two different ports but on the same hub, so I would get artefacts whenever I used my mouse! Moving my mouse to a different USB port fixed my issues completely.

3. I use ASOI4All to expose all the interfaces to my DAW and it works really well.

BTW, You can see what devices are plugged into each USB hub by going into Windows Device Manager, changing the View to "Devices by Connection" and expanding the PCI bus.
 
#11
I've used the Lexicon stuff (Alpha and Omega - the Omega is in my home studio as the daily driver), the Line 6 Bass Pod XT (does amp, pedal, cab and mic simulation right into a USB cable), a Tascam US-122 (nice, robust simple unit), and the Art Dual Pre USB (my go to for down and dirty mobile work, it's nice to get phantom power from a 9V battery).

They're all pretty good quality devices that will record clear, static-free sound from a DI in but you need to have the most up-to-date drivers and it helps to disable your onboard sound card when using a USB interface.
 
#17
Noosh said:
I Highly Recommend the Mbox Mini. it comes with Pro Tools and is fairly easy to use, great sound quality and no need for a direct box. the line inputs are also direct inputs.
Click to expand...

I do not own the interface, but I love the sound I get through it. Pro tools is a good plus I suppose, But I also go DI from my rumble 150 to the USB interface and EVEN with a $120 rogue 4-string, I get a killer sound! I also obsess over EQ and change strings on the reg.
 

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