Passive/Active DI Box Question

[discreet]

[b]Passive/Active DI Box Question[/b]

Hypothetical question: I've got a passive bass. So for DI I would need an active DI box. However, if I've got a 'SansAmp'-type pre-amp/tone shaper (which - for the sake of argument - does NOT have a DI out), then I could use a passive DI box if it went AFTER the 'SansAmp', couldn't I? Tell me if I'm wrong, people...

I thank you.

[BassBod]

Yes......

[ahpook]

you can use a passive Di with a passive bass...you don't need an active DI.

that aside you could DI after the pedal, yes.

Edited October 22, 2012 by ahpook

[discreet]

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1350932640' post='1845286']
you can use a passive Di with a passive bass...you don't need an active DI.[/quote]

Ahh... I did not know that, thank you. I imagined it was a requirement.

[discreet]

[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1350932607' post='1845285']
Yes...[/quote]

What, 'Yes' I'm wrong?

[DanFold]

A D.I. box is just to boost the signal so you get a strong reading on the desk innit? I have an active Radial DI box on my board. They are powered with phantom power from the desk. I only have one so i know the sound guys have good quality signal at every gig.

[BassBod]

Yes....passive DI after any sort of preamp is good....Yes...sansamp (mostly) has DI output anyway....Yes, passive bass into passive DI can work, but it might be a bit dark and dull/low level ....all is Yes

[discreet]

[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1350933502' post='1845306']
...all is Yes[/quote]

Well that's nice and positive, thanks.

[discreet]

[quote name='DanFold' timestamp='1350933274' post='1845302']
A D.I. box is just to boost the signal so you get a strong reading on the desk innit?[/quote]

Very good... I was also thinking of it as a form of back-up if your amp (if any) goes tits-up in the middle of 'Save Your Love,' by [size=4][font=arial, sans-serif]Renée[/font][/size] and Renato. For example.

Edited October 22, 2012 by discreet

[Mottlefeeder]

I agree with Bassbod - a passive bass into a passive DI is likely to lose all your top end. Unless you like that sound, I would regard that option as a get-you-home-spare only.

Something like a Behringer BD121 second hand would be a cheap and effective active back-up.

David

[kurosawa]

@ discreet: If you're not thinking of buying a DI at this moment, please ignore. If you are, I recommend you watch this demo I saw this morning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C91FNiALTFY .I was an early BDDI adopter, but the VXL demos knocked me out. If I was starting out with a simple solid state amp and needed a DI, I'd be more than happy to add a very good tube emulation, tubey EQ, and touch-sensitive mild old school distortion in the bargain. When I saw the demos, it became a toss-up between the VXL and the SFT I'd originally planned to replace my Fulltone Bass Drive with. But when I found the VXL used on GC for $60, the tie was easily broken, because somehow I found myself without a DI (which the SFT doesn't provide), and the SFT I was looking at on eBay was $140 used. See also the manual: http://www.samsontech.com/site_media/legacy_docs/BassAttack_ownman_v6.pdf

Edited October 23, 2012 by kurosawa

[DanFold]

Anyway, DI boxes are a thing of the past! Save up and get ove of these!
[url="http://www.radialeng.com/r2011/jdx.php"]http://www.radialeng.com/r2011/jdx.php[/url]

You get the tone of your amp clean right through to the desk.

Some of these preamps with D.I out might sound good... but running it through your amp AND p.a, you are gonna get 2 different sounds and you wont know.