Splitting bass signal

RideTheCrash

RideTheCrash

Member
About a year ago or so somebody (possibly from this forum?) had an article on some tracks they were mixing and were going through some example MP3s of before and after stuff. I believe for the bass they cranked a tube amp for overdrive on the bass, but also split the signal to a direct box and then blended both signals for a better balance, instead of relying on just the amp.

Now, if I were to do something like that, how would I? Get a Y cable and run one end to a direct box and the other to the amp? I could always record it twice, as if I was doing guitar tracks, but I just want to know if it's possible to split it up properly without causing weird issues. Phasing isn't a big problem, as the signals would go on their own tracks and could be lined up properly later if they are off.
 
RideTheCrash said:
About a year ago or so somebody (possibly from this forum?) had an article on some tracks they were mixing and were going through some example MP3s of before and after stuff. I believe for the bass they cranked a tube amp for overdrive on the bass, but also split the signal to a direct box and then blended both signals for a better balance, instead of relying on just the amp.

Now, if I were to do something like that, how would I? Get a Y cable and run one end to a direct box and the other to the amp? I could always record it twice, as if I was doing guitar tracks, but I just want to know if it's possible to split it up properly without causing weird issues. Phasing isn't a big problem, as the signals would go on their own tracks and could be lined up properly later if they are off.
Click to expand...

maybe i'm missing something but dont all direct boxes have a through jack that lets you run an unbalanced line back out to an amp while simultaneously putting it out through the balanced output? which would allow you to run the unbalanced cable to the amp and the balanced to a mic pre/interface.
 
sounds like your di doesn't have a "line thru". that's what you need in order to send a line level signal to the amp along with the mic level signal to the preamp.

conversely, you can di the bass track, and then get a reamp box so you can send it back to an amp at a later date and then back into the recorder.

but ultimately it sounds like you need a different di. which di is it?


cheers,
wade
 
If the two inputs are "parallel inputs", just connect one of them to the amp's input.

Don
 
The typical direct box with 2 1/4" and an XLR are designed that way so you can plug the instrument into one 1/4" and run a cord from the second into your amplifier, while using the XLR for a low-Z input into the board. It makes no difference which of the 1/4" jacks you use for which purpose, since that part of the circuitry simply passes along the unbalanced signal from one jack to the other.
 
& if all else fails run your bass into a mixer panned at centre & take the stereo L & R lines where ever you want them to go.
 
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Interesting LP, I always wondered why I had 2 1/4"s, because they are both on the same side with the XLR on the back. I'll try that, thanks.
 
lpdeluxe said:
The typical direct box with 2 1/4" and an XLR are designed that way so you can plug the instrument into one 1/4" and run a cord from the second into your amplifier, while using the XLR for a low-Z input into the board. It makes no difference which of the 1/4" jacks you use for which purpose, since that part of the circuitry simply passes along the unbalanced signal from one jack to the other.
Click to expand...

That's probably true in this case, though some active DI's buffer the input signal before passing it on, so the 1/4" jacks are not interchangeable.
 
That's true, of course, but I use a simple passive Whirlwind Imp2. With it, the dual inputs are wired up in parallel just like speaker inputs that allow you to plug the signal source into either side and run a cable from the other on the the next speaker.

I think it's safe to say, that if the 1/4" inputs are unlabeled, that it's likely wired up like that.
 
Then you have a passive box. Plug the cord from the bass into one "High" jack, plug a cord from it to your amp from the other "High" jack, and use the XLR connector to connect to your recording interface.
 
Okay I just tried this setup in a recording situation and it didn't work properly. It works fine (one cable to one input, the other "input" goes to the amp, XLR runs to mixer) but as soon as the XLR is hooked up into the mixer the signal through the amp is just a loud buzz, like a loop.

So basically: one channel is XLR > direct box and the other channel is mic XLR > mixer XLR

The signals from my board run from tapped pre outs into a Delta 1010lt soundcard. Any ideas as to what I'm missing here?
 
A lot of direct boxes have a ground lift switch (the Whirlwind Imp2s have this) to break the hum-causing loop.

Hum is almost always a grounding problem.
 
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