Guitar or bass > Pedal Board > DI box > Recording Interface

[jorgeasolano]

Hi guys, I have questions those are making me crazy.

-I have to record an electric guitar (passive pups) and a bass with passive pups too, they are gonna use pedalboard effects.
-I don't want to use Amps and Mic Techniques, and I would like to experiment a little with these Direct Boxes.(learn something new)
-I want to invest in one DI Box that can works with those settings(pedalboard) and instruments(guitar and bass).

This is the scenario
Fender Stratocaster >> BossDs-1 Pedal >> DI Box >> Recording Interface
Jackson Bass >> BigMuff Pedal >> DI box > Recording Interface


The questions are
1-What kind of DI Box do I have to use ? Active or Passive ?
2-If the answer is Passive, I would like to hear suggestions ( Radial JDI ) ?
3-I know they are passive instruments and they should use active DIBoxes, but in this case there is a pedal effect before. does this reason change that rule?


Thank you guys!!!

 

[ashcat_lt]

No DI required in either of these situations. The pedals will drive a line input just fine. Just plug the damn thing in and go. Want to record a clean sound? Bypass the pedal. It is an active DI.

 

[jorgeasolano]

No DI required in either of these situations. The pedals will drive a line input just fine. Just plug the damn thing in and go. Want to record a clean sound? Bypass the pedal. It is an active DI.

it's ok but what about speaker compensation?

 

[ashcat_lt]

You mean speaker emulation? The JDI you mentioned doesn't seem to have that... Add that ITB. Can be as simple as an LPF, or some custom curve "drawn" in a parametric EQ, or you could use a dedicated cab sim, or load some impulse responses into whatever you use for convolution... I guess I assumed you'd be hitting an amp sim like PodFarm, GuitarRig, etc.

The main point I was trying to make is that most modern pedals do pretty much exactly what a basic (non-speaker-emulated) DI is supposed to do. It presents a plenty-high impedance load to the pickups, and a plenty-low impedance to the line input on the interface.

 

[Farview]

Most di boxes do not have speaker simulation built in. You can simply plug the effects boxes into the line input, or use a passive one to plug into a mic input.

Active DIs help when you need to plug a passive intrument straight into a mic input, but thaf isnt what you are doing, so a passive DI will do just fine.

 

[Guitargodgt]

I think you are going to be disappointed with the end result.

 

[Farview]

I second that. The DS-1 was designed to be placed in front of an amp. It will give you a very grainy, plastic kind of tone.
The big muff will just make the bass fuzzy and probably take away a lot of the low end.

I would try plugging straight into a line input before you buy anything, if it sounds thin and crappy, it isn't because you dont have a DI. It's because you are trying to use distortion pedals for an amp sim.

 

[wmalan]

The only time I've had to use a DI was because my crappy Presonus Audiobox USB was too hot for the daw even with my strat straight in. The DI (cheapy $35) has a pad that lowers the signal enough to work. The downside is it colors the sound a tiny bit. If you can get a good signal, leave the DI box out. I've since gone back to using my Tech21 Tradesman 10 amp with its XLR output as my workhorse. I've also given up with Guitar Rig.

Bill