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Pre or Post for DI out?


Highfox
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[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1365335647' post='2038114']
If we are talking live show then always pre, give the engineer a nice clean signal to work with, they know the venues foibles better than you or I :)
[/quote]

true. Even when recording I use pre as the signal is EQ'd for what I like before it goes into the amp any.

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Engineer's choice. If they want pre, then pre. If they want post, then it's post.
Personally I prefer post as it's easier for the engineer to get a sound like the amp but at the end of the day he's going to make it sound however he decides it should sound anyway.

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My bass sound has been very carefully tailored complement the rest of the band, and besides the EQ portion of my gear is completely integrated with the effects I use so there is no case of pre/post, simply my bass sound presented as a whole.

In the studio my preferred set up is a sympathetic sounding mic on one of the speakers, and a DI straight from the bass itself which is used as a safety for re-amping should the overall sound of the track change during the mixing process. Because I've done all my work before we ever get into the studio regarding my sound, normally only the mic track is used, the DI sits unused in the final mix.

Live the PA gets a pre-master volume feed from my rig with all my effects and EQ applied and they simply make it louder with maybe a bit of corrective EQ to compensate for the different speakers the PA uses. I use EQ just like any other effect, and will use different EQ settings to complement what the guitar (and other instruments) do in the song.

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I tend to go post (I use a Walkabout, and there's no pre anyway), and I'm usually happy with the sound. It's very fat and warm with nice mids.

Sometimes they insist on a DI, and I can't be bothered to argue, as they'll EQ my bass like it has rounds on it anyway.

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Post for our band PA as I have worked hard to get my sound right. I will then give it a tweek if needed FOH. If playing a venue with an engineer and another PA rig I would give him the option of either.

Edited by mep
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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1365337532' post='2038146']
I like the sound of my amp. It's a good'un, so I'll always go for post eq.

I have been hassled by sound engineers but I've never had a problem with them [i]after[/i] they've heard my post eq signal.
[/quote]
Indeed...
Why assume an engr knows anything anyway..?? some are glorified DJ's..IME...
We find we have to establish a relationship with engrs but out of, say, the last 10 we've used... I only had time for 2, IIRC.
and we aren't a hard band to mix at all...

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[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1365341855' post='2038209']
almost always pre. Any EQing on the amp is to suit stage and amp sounds. This is not going to be the same as FOH. The sound man would surely just prefer the cleanest signal possible.
[/quote]

I don't quite agree. The DI is the sound the player wants, before it's routed to his / her cabs. Provided there's no judicious EQ going on, any engineer worth their salt should be able to retain that general tone through the FOH.

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[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1365342165' post='2038219']
I don't quite agree. The DI is the sound the player wants, before it's routed to his / her cabs. Provided there's no judicious EQ going on, any engineer worth their salt should be able to retain that general tone through the FOH.
[/quote]

Not necessarily. the sound you dial into an amp is the sound to suit the cabs, and the stage position, stage type etc. All the variables that mean tweaks need to be made. Its not necessarily the same sound getting sent to the board. I would agree with you though that if there is any difrerence EQ wise, its going to be small enough of a difference for the sound man to deal with easily.. If I feel I need a touch more mid for on stage monitoring, I can tweak this to my heart is content whilst playing. No need to worry about FOH.

I dont think its a big deal using either, I have to admit. I think I've just used Pre as it'll just make things simple for the sound man. I dont do anything special EQ wise anyway.

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[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1365344100' post='2038250']
....Not necessarily. the sound you dial into an amp is the sound to suit the cabs...
[/quote]

The sound I dial into my bass and amp suits me. That's why I pass that signal to the FOH.

I don't want there to be any difference between stage and FOH in terms of tone.



IMO, FOH engineers usually get stroppy about bass DI if they think you don't know what you are talking about or if they don't know what they are doing.

Be firm and reasonable and I find you can work with almost all of them.

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[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1365335647' post='2038114']
If we are talking live show then always pre, give the engineer a nice clean signal to work with, they know the venues foibles better than you or I :)
[/quote]

Sage advice. I run straight into a VT1DI/EQ and send that signal to FOH. Then it's the pedalboard and into an SWR head, and a DI or mic from there. It payed dividends this weekend as there was a problem with the pedalboard and it kept making sh*tty noises through my amp - fortunately the sound engineer didn't have that through his system, so I just turned my amp off and repatched it at a suitable time during the set. Turns out a 1/4" socket on my filter had come loose.

If he'd taken the DI feed from the amp (post pedals) then I'd probably have made an enemy for life... :(

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Come back to this thread after posting and reading later comments. In my post case my TE head will only send the effects loop through the post not pre. If you have effects and need them FOH then make sure they are in the signal chain that goes that way. Last time the engineer wanted pre I got rid of my effects loop and ran them into the amp input.

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[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1365346388' post='2038286']
Sage advice. I run straight into a VT1DI/EQ and send that signal to FOH. Then it's the pedalboard and into an SWR head, and a DI or mic from there. It payed dividends this weekend as there was a problem with the pedalboard and it kept making sh*tty noises through my amp - fortunately the sound engineer didn't have that through his system, so I just turned my amp off and repatched it at a suitable time during the set. Turns out a 1/4" socket on my filter had come loose.

If he'd taken the DI feed from the amp (post pedals) then I'd probably have made an enemy for life... :(
[/quote]

So what's the point of the pedal board if it's not coming through the PA?

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Post. Purely because in one of my bands we (used to) put everything through the pa, and the guitarist doing the sound wanted pre. I went out front and it sounded nothing like my bass at all, so from then on, it`s always post. I don`t have a lot of low-end, but I do like to remove some mids, and going pre I know full well this isn`t going to happen.

I just figure that if the vocals, guitars , and drums are going to sound like they usually do, through the pa, then why shouldn`t the bass? Especially when I`ve invested in a set-up which, for the first time ever, I`m really satisfied with, so want that bass sound in the mix.

And, in one of my bands we have 2 basses, and if we both went pre, I doubt any eq-ing would be done. We both have different styles/sounds, so it`s important that this is covered. Going post deals with it.

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1365351431' post='2038372']


So what's the point of the pedal board if it's not coming through the PA?
[/quote]
the board goes through the amp's DI. Gives the FOH engineer the option to mix clean and crazy...

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Post. I am really happy with my sound and that's what I want the sound tech to have, and they can tidy it up if it doesn't translate as well through the PA. In my experience, often if you give a mediocre sound to the desk, you will get all the 'good' frequencies EQ'd out completely and the whole band will sound weaker as a result.

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