Do you need a DI box for recording with an amp simulator and audio interface?
- Thread starter porkplan
- Start date
calimoose
New member
There was a time when mixers, MIDI interfaces, mic pres, headphone amps, DI boxes etc were all separate bits of gear, but these days manufacturers combine several of these functionalities into one external interface. But you might occasionally find an interface that has, for example, only XLR inputs, in which case you might need a separate DI box.
A DI box is designed to convert Hi Z impedance (ie guitars, keyboards) into Lo Z to then be able to send it over longer distances. Virtually all interfaces (including yours) these days perform this conversion in-house, so-to-speak, so you wouldn't need a DI
A DI box is designed to convert Hi Z impedance (ie guitars, keyboards) into Lo Z to then be able to send it over longer distances. Virtually all interfaces (including yours) these days perform this conversion in-house, so-to-speak, so you wouldn't need a DI
ashcat_lt
Well-known member
All of the above is true, but if it's anything like my UX1 (a safe assumption, I think), the Instrument input doesn't really have a lot of headroom. Reasonably hot humbuckers will clip the input. Not really a huge deal if you're going to distort it anyway, but for clean tones you might need to attenuate somewhere before the interface.
Schwarzenyaeger
Formerly "Dog-In-Door"
Ugh.
Your interface is the DI.
This.
I have a UX2 as well. DI = Direct Input or Direct Injection.
What do you think your UX2 was, OP?
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Not looking to go off on some drawn out tangent discussion.... .....but sometimes, one DI may just sound better than another. They all do the same thing AFA converting your guitar singal...but the DI circuits are not all 100% identical, so you might find a standalone DI that could sound better *to you* than your interface DI....but it may not be a dramatic difference if that's what you are expecting AFA making your guitar sound better.
Hate to say it....it could be your sim, it could be the guitar, maybe your tonal selections, and/or a little of the DI quality...or it could be a combination of all...so you have to keep dialing it in until you get what you want, and that might require that you make some changes to any or all of the above.
Hell....maybe even try going with an amp and mic!
.....but sometimes, one DI may just sound better than another. They all do the same thing AFA converting your guitar singal...but the DI circuits are not all 100% identical, so you might find a standalone DI that could sound better *to you* than your interface DI....but it may not be a dramatic difference if that's what you are expecting AFA making your guitar sound better.Hate to say it....it could be your sim, it could be the guitar, maybe your tonal selections, and/or a little of the DI quality...or it could be a combination of all...so you have to keep dialing it in until you get what you want, and that might require that you make some changes to any or all of the above.
Hell....maybe even try going with an amp and mic!
jimmys69
MOODerator
Not looking to go off on some drawn out tangent discussion....
Hate to say it....it could be your sim, it could be the guitar, maybe your tonal selections, and/or a little of the DI quality...or it could be a combination of all...so you have to keep dialing it in until you get what you want, and that might require that you make some changes to any or all of the above.
Hell....maybe even try going with an amp and mic!
I can't argue with that.
The poor headroom of instrument inputs on AIs has been a bit of a running sore in 2014 but I shall not add anymore to "their" misery!
But due to the very low power nature of many AIs they are never going to have stonking headroom so many fixed the problem with a 10 or 20dB pad. This seems to have gone out of fashion, as indeed does the practice of turning the fekkin; guitar down a bit!
DI inputs on AIs can differ in sound for a few reasons.
The makers have the choice of a FET IC or Bipolar IC and they will sound slightly differently when driven hard. Some might even fit a single FET transistor and these are nothing like as "linear" as op amps and will colour the sound. Sometimes they put in a bit of "voicing" or EQ and last of all, not all AI DI ins are the "magic" One Meg' many are much lower, some as low as 100k. This will make a difference to some guitars more than others.
'sonly rock n roll.
Dave.
But due to the very low power nature of many AIs they are never going to have stonking headroom so many fixed the problem with a 10 or 20dB pad. This seems to have gone out of fashion, as indeed does the practice of turning the fekkin; guitar down a bit!
DI inputs on AIs can differ in sound for a few reasons.
The makers have the choice of a FET IC or Bipolar IC and they will sound slightly differently when driven hard. Some might even fit a single FET transistor and these are nothing like as "linear" as op amps and will colour the sound. Sometimes they put in a bit of "voicing" or EQ and last of all, not all AI DI ins are the "magic" One Meg' many are much lower, some as low as 100k. This will make a difference to some guitars more than others.
'sonly rock n roll.
Dave.