Direct boxes

  • Thread starter Thread starter Reilley
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Reilley

Reilley

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[No, a direct box is not a PODxt or anything like that.]

In doing my homework, I see references to direct boxes, which are used for "matching the level and impedence of microphones and instruments to those of your mixer or card." Well now, isn't that exactly what your pre-amp does? Is "direct box" another term for "pre amp?"
 
no.
a direct box converts high impedance, unbalanced signals into a low impedance, balanced signal. What it does is bring down the voltage level of the instrument (guitar, bass, keyboard) so as to correctly match the input on a mixer. You see them a lot in live sound especially if you are trying to run a long cable from the stage to the mixing board which can be hundreds of feet away. Converting it to a balanced connection helps the signal stay clean all the way there. But for both studio and live usage, the impedance matching is important. This helps avoid tonal changes or distortion in the signal.
A preamp is used for amplification of our signal. Microphones, line level devices and instruments all put off different variations of electrical signal. And each get plugged into certain inputs, otherwise your sound can get messed up.
 
Thanks, benny. Well that's more or less what I had originally thought, as per "Billboard Guide To Home Recording," Roger Nichols' site, and other sources. This creates another mystery: why is there NO discussion of the things, on this and other forums? And, do home studio people use them, or not? Why, or why not?

They seem missing in action, so to speak.
 
Most interfaces with built in preamps include a DI option as well
 
Sorry, bull, I'm terminologically challenged. What's a DI option, and how does that take care of the direct box function?

Thanks.
 
a lot of interfaces out there have a switch for line/instrument input. DI stands for Direct Input. This does exactly what the DI (or direct) box does, except just closer to the computer than to the guitar. It's nice if you're just sitting right next to your computer, there's no need to use a DI box then.
However, if you don't have one of these options or are sending your audio through a mixer first...then a DI box is something you should get.

there are discussions around here, you just have to find them. I think a lot of the guitarists/bassists here just understand how and when to use a DI so they don't bring it up that much. It's just like you understand you have to use strings on your guitar in order to get it to work. It's just part of the toolbox.
 
Thank you.

OK, this is the critter I'm buying. Note that it's version 2, whatever that means. [Drivers??] Will I need a direct box? [Note that the pre amp will be an M Audio DMP3.]
Will I need all 3 pieces of gear: interface, direct box, preamp? Note that I'm doing 1 track at a time - sort of a latter day Allen Parsons Project - or 2 at most, and seldom, and I'm after an excellent sound, if I can get one at these prices.
 
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