Always start from a place of flat EQ - meaning no boosts or cuts. It’s possible your guitar is going to sound different from room to room and that an EQ setting in one room may not translate to another. I can’t stress enough the importance of taking some time to actually study how EQ and your preamp work. It’s not uncommon for me to add tape, EQ or compression to a DI signal (depending on whether I’m reamping, of course). I’d say that unless you’re using the DI as a backup for a performance, make it sound good. I don’t wait until later to figure it out. This is going to change the way I record and EQ it. Your mixes will turn out much better if you make some decisions early on in the process.įor acoustic guitar, this means I usually decide if the guitar’s role is more like a rhythmic percussion instrument or if it plays a much bigger sonic and harmonic role. It also gives you a better perspective of the sonic space available. The better it sounds in the headphones, the better the performance will be from the artist. Yes, I know we can EQ later, but I really like to capture the sound as close to the desired result as possible when tracking. I like to keep a few DIs around that have EQ on them. I feel that the acoustic guitar needs more help to sculpt its sound. Let’s discuss a few and what makes them attractive.įor acoustic guitars, I tend to get deeper into DI/preamps than with electric guitar. There are also DI/preamps specifically made for acoustic guitar. We can still use a traditional DI box like the Radial Passive DI or a mic preamp such as an API 312. We start to encounter a few more options in the acoustic DI area. On the DI front, A Designs REDDI DI box is a beloved tube DI for bass. Each DI and DI/mic pre option has its own flavor. You can simply plug your bass or guitar straight into the mic pre and it converts the signal. Some mic preamps have a 1/4” DI input option. From here, the low-impedance signal is sent into a preamp to amplify the volume. One is to use a passive direct box to convert the bass’s high-impedance signal to a low-impedance signal. Motown made some of the first recordings that consistently feature DI on bass and guitar.įor bass, there are two common ways of recording DI. Prior to the late 60s and early 70s, all recordings were done with a mic on the bass cab. I often record with just a mic on the bass cab for a vintage vibe. In the event you have to choose one, as far as modern techniques go, it’s more common to use a DI than a mic. You can, of course, use either one independently. I like to think of it as getting the tone from the miked amp and the punch from the DI. It’s a pretty common practice to use both a mic and a DI on bass. A bass with DI results in a more focused tone and the notes tend to be more defined and clear. One of the most common uses for a DI box in the studio or in live performance is with bass guitar. Price can be a determining factor, but you need to consider tonal identity as well. It can be the difference between a cold, harsh, one-dimensional tone and a silky, harmonically-complex sound. People who are serious about DI tones will often spend a lot of money on the right one. Just like all buffers are not created equal - the same can be said for DIs. To Buffer or Not to Buffer, That Is the Loaded Question Some of my favorite buffers are the Analog Man Buffer and the Effectrode Glass-A Triode Buffer. Some can influence your tone in an unflattering way. Not all buffers are created equal, though. A carefully placed buffer can help retain the full frequency spectrum of your sound on long cable runs. This is why you hear a difference in tone going from a 10ft to a 20ft guitar cable and also why you don’t see too many guitar cables longer than 20ft. High-Z signals lose high end on long cable runs and may pick up noise. A buffer converts a high-Z signal into a low-Z signal which is really helpful when you’re running through many pedals and cables. I’m sure most guitarists have the ongoing discussion over buffers in the signal chain. Low-Z signals are much better equipped to send signals over long distances. The signals need to match - and they will match at low-Z. In order for high-Z and low-Z gear to make glorious lurve, they need a mediator. Pro audio equipment like mixing boards and mic preamps are low-Z devices. Passive acoustic and electric guitars deliver high-Z signals. The basic concept of a DI is rather simple - it’s a box designed to convert a high-Z (high impedance) signal to a low-Z (low impedance) signal. The term “direct box,” or DI, is short for direct injection box.
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