Recording directly to computer using a DI box

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needamic17

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hey, i plan on getting a sansamp DI box for christmas. how would i go about recording directly to my laptop for bass covers?

also, would i just record into a program as simple as audacity?
 
yep. i still use Adobe Audition 1.5 to record.

i've got a sansamp BDDI, it's the 3 channel one...it's pretty cool, but i don't use it as often with my head/cab....but it's pretty damn good for a DI box. what I do is just have a cable running from my mic in port on the back of the PC that i can plug my guitar cable into. then, i set my levels via windows sound control manager and stuff. if you feel like adding more of a nice DI tubey warm feeling, throw an Art MP preamp in there. they're 30 bucks on musicians friend, so sometimes i'll throw that in the mix just to boost the signal with some tubey goodness. can record directly into audacity if you'd like, too!
 
oh and here, check it out...got bored so i did a few recordings to show you some DI sounds with my basses and the tube MP..i don't think the tube MP really makes much of a tone diff, but it's an easy 'volume' or 'gain' knob haha

Jay Ochs - Slap on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

it's sloppy, but basically it goes:
1.) slapsolo= my little cab mic'ed up with my GK head, so this is how it sounds mic'ed (schecter model-t, PJ setup, sennheiser e609 mic right into tube MP preamp, into PC)
2.) soloDI=the same solo but played on a setting on the BDDI right into the pc (this setting isn't really a setting, it's more of my mid-boost for when i use the BDDI in front of my cab, that's why it sounds so bland and just has a lotta highs/mids) (schecter model T, p/j setup)
3.) BDDIGL=the BDDI on a Bassman setting...going through each pickup with tone off, then tone on (neck, both, bridge) (on a G&L L2000)
4.) bddischecter= the schecter again through the mid-boost setting i use, PJ setup, going through the same pickup things (both, neck, bridge) starts with tone high, then goes to 0 to show diffs
5.) jazzdi= bassman setting (both, neck, bridge), then same with tone down thing...(played through a japan fender jazz) also haven't changed the strings on this jazz in like, 5 years...haha this thing gets no love, so it sounds extra grimey...ugh.
 
really nice playing dude.

i really like the sound of the DI box, its very loud, and comes though great.

you said its in front of your amp and thats why it sounds bad (i dont think so haha). what do you mean by this? i thought it just plugs into your computer? also, last question i swear haha, do you need to buy a special plug to pug into your computeR?
 
hmm..i meant, when i use my BDDI as a stomp box in front of my head, wehn i play through my cab live, with a band and stuff. i only really use it then as a mid boost on that one setting..the others cut the mids way too much really....basically it's adding an EQ to an already pretty decent EQ on my GK head so i don't like doing it, and i'm not a fan of putting the EQ to 0 on my GK head then just using the BDDI, or putting the BDDI in the fx loop. it's great for direct recording when there's no amp as an option though, as you heard in all my clips.

yeah you need a special plug. what i have is from radioshack..the end that plugs into the pc is the standard 3.5mm headphone jack size, cuz thats what my mic in port on the PC has..then the other end is a female end for a 1/4 inch guitar cable jack. you can go from the BDDI's output into that cable and play in your PC. the BDDI also has an XLR out, which i used there, because i have a cable where one side is an XLR and the other is a 1/4 inch jack.
 
thank you very much, you've been really helpful!

i doubt this really matters, but you said you use it with you PC, i have an HP laptop, would this still be okay?

ill send you recordings when i get the BDDI (on christmas)! :D
 
yeah man that's fine, as long as it's got the same mic input..i've got a lenovo laptop that i do this with as well; on the side there's a mic in thing....

here's a thought if you ever get into serious recording and still direct record:
BEHRINGER: UCG102

they're around 50 bucks..i haven't used this, per say, but i do use this:
BEHRINGER: UCA222

the first one, you plug into the USB port, then plug your guitar right into the box. you can monitor what it sounds like through the little box as you play which is cool! the thing is, this bitrate is much higher than the standard mic in audio cable. i think it records at 48khz which is higher than a mic input on a computer...

the second link, the red 202 box, i use because i mic my amps/drums and i've got an 8 channel mixer. you plug this into the usb port, but then you take RCA out's from your mixer and put it into the ins on the red box and bam, you have higher quality STEREO recording ability. for years before i had this, all my drums were recorded in mono because computers mic in ports are mono, not stereo..therefore, panning didn't do squat, everything was directly center channel. this thing is awesome for stereo drums and really sounds pretty damn good, but i think you have to use it wiht a decent computer with decent memory, as if you're using it with a shitty computer you'll get clicks and pops in the recording (trust me, i record in my basement with an ancient dinosaur of a PC and realized i was getting those clicks, but then i started to use my lenovo laptop and they were gone)

check out youtube for some reviews on that first link; i think that might be catered more to what you're wanting to do..and honestly, just because it's behringer doesn't mean it's 100% crap. i'm not a fan of their stuff either, but for 50 bucks man this thing upped my recording quality so much, as i'm still unwilling to pay ridiculous prices for things like firepods etc
 
ZoSo58LP said:
yeah man that's fine, as long as it's got the same mic input..i've got a lenovo laptop that i do this with as well; on the side there's a mic in thing....

here's a thought if you ever get into serious recording and still direct record:
BEHRINGER: UCG102

they're around 50 bucks..i haven't used this, per say, but i do use this:
BEHRINGER: UCA222

the first one, you plug into the USB port, then plug your guitar right into the box. you can monitor what it sounds like through the little box as you play which is cool! the thing is, this bitrate is much higher than the standard mic in audio cable. i think it records at 48khz which is higher than a mic input on a computer...

the second link, the red 202 box, i use because i mic my amps/drums and i've got an 8 channel mixer. you plug this into the usb port, but then you take RCA out's from your mixer and put it into the ins on the red box and bam, you have higher quality STEREO recording ability. for years before i had this, all my drums were recorded in mono because computers mic in ports are mono, not stereo..therefore, panning didn't do squat, everything was directly center channel. this thing is awesome for stereo drums and really sounds pretty damn good, but i think you have to use it wiht a decent computer with decent memory, as if you're using it with a shitty computer you'll get clicks and pops in the recording (trust me, i record in my basement with an ancient dinosaur of a PC and realized i was getting those clicks, but then i started to use my lenovo laptop and they were gone)

check out youtube for some reviews on that first link; i think that might be catered more to what you're wanting to do..and honestly, just because it's behringer doesn't mean it's 100% crap. i'm not a fan of their stuff either, but for 50 bucks man this thing upped my recording quality so much, as i'm still unwilling to pay ridiculous prices for things like firepods etc
Click to expand...

I have the behringer ugc102 and it is complete crap. Don't waste your time.
 
yeah? interesting....i like the little red box thing i have, the UCA222...works quite well. i guess behringer, like usual, it hit or miss lol
 
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