If you are looking for the passive version of this Direct Box, try this one with a high quality Jensen transformer. Highly recommend and rated! amzn.to/2EdHQVi
This was a massively well-explained video! Many people know things well but can’t explain them, THIS was an awesome explanation. Simple, easy to understand. I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me you were a teacher. Cheers dude!
Get video! Thanks for the run down! I have a J48 and just getting into home recording. When I plug a guitar or bass directly into this DI box and then into the interface, it sounds perfect. Crisp, open, and a lot of dynamics. When I put the Thru to by pedal board (and to a lesser extent directly into the amps) the DI signal into the interface drops a few db and the sound closes up. Not a lot, just enough to notice. Is this normal? When I had an unbuffered fuzz at the start of my pedal board chain it was actually distorting the DI signal when it was switch on. I am not even sure how this is possible! And advice would be hopefully, thanks!
The clean signal generated by at XLR (DI signal) should be unaffected by anything going on with the Thru port. The only suggestion I have is a defective J48. Return it and go from there. Good luck.
I still would like to understand how to record my guitars with my pedal board (strymon and neunaber ) to the interface and into Logic proX. This video is sooo helpful to understand passive and active signals and re-amping. I spent a lot of money on great pedals and would like to enjoy recording them simply into my DAW. If you have any videos on that subject I would love to watch. You are a superb teacher thank you for taking the time to do this.
Bob, this is so cool. I just did the very same thing you demonstrated in this video.....exactly....and am here to report it works so well for me.....I used an Ultra-G DI - Active - with Amp simulator - Fender strat so passive instrument - Fender Super Champ 2 amp - Mixcraft DAW. I actually recorded it into a Tascam Model 16 mixer/recorded and moved the files to my DAW. I will always record in this way for the future in my studio.....thanks for a very clear instructional video.
A well-explained video! If not THE best video on YT in terms of DI Boxes. Thank you Sir! Question: What do you think of the Radial Pro48? Are there any differences in sound compared to the J48? Except for the features that the J48 brings with it.
The Pro48 is basically a trimmed down version of the premium DI J48. The Pro48 eliminates the stereo to mono merge function, polarity flip, and high pass filter while reducing the overall size. The Pro48 is more affordable by eliminating these features. Hope this helps.
The choice of active or passive DI simply comes down to signal strength. It doesn't matter whether the source is active or passive. If the source struggles to achieve a unity gain, an active DI is recommended to preamp it, otherwise passive will do as there is no need to preamp & doing so may even result in clipping distortion. It's just that usually an active source has a higher signal output than a passive one, but this is not always the case. The common rule of thumb described in the video sometimes breaks down, but easily achieving unity signal at a mixer or recording device input it the real criteria. This is because, weak signals accumulate the same electronic noise floor as strong signals but the weak signal requires more amplification which also amplifies the electronic noise floor. For this reason, it is important to preamp weak signals at the earliest possible point in the signal chain where the least noise is accumulated as this gives the cleanest possible signal after amplification.
@@heythere6983 Well it kind of depends, the VU scale has been around quite a while, it was designed to give audio engineers an average target to aim for, with head room enough to avoid clipping. 0 VU is by definition unity gain. This is the standard for Pro Audio, domestic gear may or may not have as much headroom. There are several different dB scales, The following are all the same signal level. 0 VU or dB(unspecified) 4 dBu 4.782 dBv -18 dBfs 1.228 V (RMS) 3.427 V (p-p) Note that dBfs is the scale used for digital music. 0dBfs equates the the maximum possible sample bit value which is the actual hard clipping You don't want to ever see this happen. Clipping in analogue just begins as distortion & gets worse with even more gain, but in the beginning is not too bad, unlike digital clipping which is a more of a disaster if it happens at all. Now, not all gear is made the same, older audio gear, especially of English manufacture, is not likely to have as much head room as newer gear designed to interface with digital gear. So, lookup your specs so you know where your limits are with analogue. If it's designed to interface properly with digital audio, it shouldn't clip below +18VU +14dBu but a lot of gear will clip before that. Most gear has a clip light to indicate when you are close to clipping. So my advice is to aim to average around 0VU and not be alarmed if the clip indicator flickers sporadically, that is just normal in a pro audio setting that is pumping. Just avoid the clip indicator flickering or lighting constantly. You see a lot of RUclips content that pushes right up to 0 dBfs +18VU This is done to be louder than anyone else. They use compression to get the average loudness way above 0VU so the whole track is as loud as possible. The problem is that it can break the pro audio standard 0 VU so things can be louder than expected. So you have people doing different things in regard to volume. Compression is a plus and a minus. On the one hand it reduces dynamic expression, just pumping out a narrow band of volume, fine for a party and fine for mobile listening in the car or street where ambient sound is competing. Not so good for music appreciation listening in a quiet space. So, we have 2 different product aims here. Of note, Classical music usually exploits a very wide dynamic range which has great audience impact in a consort hall, but travelling in a car, fails to get the quiet passages audible over the ambient noise floor in the car. So, these things need to be considered in setting that average gain 0 VU target. At times you just want to keep the highest spike below clipping & struggle to attain that 0VU target or struggle to get quite passages audible, without clipping. For these reason, I tend to think the lossy compressed formats such as MP3 should have more dynamic compression for the mobile music market where ambient noise is an issue, but Lossless, such as 44.1 and above should have far less compression for more dynamic expression in quieter environments. That's going further than answering your question, but something to think about. Gain structure to minimise accumulated noise. If you are doing mixing, try to get the source as close to unity as possible as early as possible. Generally mixing boards do not use the lowest noise gain controls to keep things affordable. For dynamic vocal mics, it is usually cleaner to use a mic booster at the stage (FetHead or cloud Lifter) so that you don't have to run the board input gains so high (depends on the vocalist). If this is not affordable, don't loose sleep over it, it's an icing on the cake thing. Anyway, my advice is set all the channel input gains to unity so the signal is as fat at unity through the input channel circuitry This will minimise the noise added by the input channels. Each channel then goes through a fader that controls that channels output to the next stage (group or main stage) Those channels are where you proportion the mix for the next stage but the combination of them also act together as the input gain for that next stage. So, while you are mixing, you want to be aware of keeping the input level for the next stage, close to unit level. So think about the dB addition & compensate faders to average out a rough compensating attenuation. If you mix 2 channels, you want attenuation to average -3dB, 4 channels average -6dB, 8 channels average -9dB etc. It's not critical you can over compensate a little to be safe. Just be aware of the dB sum & compensate so the the next stage gets close to unity gain input without clipping. The main thing is the artistry of the mix though. If the board has groups, then you do the same with the group faders and so on. For the PA I managed, I set the amplifier gains the produce the desired maximum dB SPL at unity input for the mixer. I set this up as a somewhat lower volume and input gain to preserve hearing of course. The point of doing this though is that I could use the mixer output meters to limit the loudness of the whole system to unity signal of the mixer. So, now I have been through the principles gain structure for you to minimise the noise floor that a systems electronics adds to the mix. That is, how to get the greatest possible clarity out of an audio chain. It doesn't have to be a pro PA like described here, whatever the audio system, the same principles apply. Minimise the amount of amplification required at each and every stage by maintaining unity signal throughout the entire audio path.
Just got one and as soon as I plugged my guitar in I thought i knew what it was for. Then I second guessed myself and thought I wasnt using it right. Thnx
I have the Radial PZ-DI I bough specifically to DI my Taylor 324ce guitar. Would the J48 be a better choice to DI a Stratocaster or P bass or would the PZ-DI be fine for those too?
I've been using the Strymon Big Sky HW with speaker simulate and then post processing as needed with various amp sims in my DAW, seems to work well most of the time - but sometimes only an amp has the secret sauce (at least for now). REALLY looking forward to Strymon coming out with a more sophisticated Amp sim than the Iridium, maybe with larger Big Sky enclosure - the Iridium has many good settings but I do think there is still room for realism improvement.
What an amazing video you have created! So clearly shows me what I need to know and explained in a way that a newbee can understand. Much appreciated. Subscribed....will be tuning in. "When the student is ready...the teacher appears." Thank you and well done sir!
Hi, I hava a question. Please help me. I have 2 guitars, 1 guitar have active pickups 1 guitar have passive pickups. I have a pedal board ( metal master, mxr 5150 vs.). At last i have a focusrite scarlet 2i2 sound card. When i want to direct record to my guitars with the metal and rock pedals, the sound like a sizzle. I am a little bit confused. I have both pickups but also i have pedals. Regardless of pickups, are these pedals tones active? Should i buy active or passive Di box? or both? My setup is like this; Passive-Active pickup Guitars > My Pedal Board (Metal tones or the other tones) > Preamp pedal > Focusrite Scarlet 2i2. Thank you.
Can you tell me how to setup using the guitar amplifier with effects pedal? i can't seem to figure it out with my DI box, what should I connect to what? Thanks in advance!
Thanks for the question! The idea here is to record a dry signal from the guitar in addition to the effects. The DI box is first in the chain, before the pedals. The DI box creates a balanced signal for recording a clean track through an XLR cable that go to you recording interface. Also the DI Box provides a thru port which passes the guitar signal unaffected to your pedalboard
Does that mean your DI box does nothing to alter/balance the sound of your amp? It's really just an upgrade for the unprocessed (and unbalanced) base sound you'd get by plugging your guitar instrument line right into your interface?
You seem to be good at replying so I'll try to explain better: My guitar goes into my amp, but comes out through the "Phones" port via a 1/8 inch adapter to the 1/4 instrument line, which is directly plugged into my interface. I KNOW. I am unhappy with the quality of sound (no duh) but I do like my amp, and hoped a DI box would help me balance the direct amp to laptop headphone sound that passes the sleeping roomate test. However it seems that is not the purpose of DI boxes? They are only for the unprocessed, unamplified, clean signal of a direct-in guitar line, and will literally bypass balancing my amp to only balance the base DI signal?
Yes, the signal that is sent to your amp in unaffected. Yes, call it an upgraded (mic level, unprocessed, dry, low noise) signal sent to your interface! You got it!!
I understand recording the clean guitar for re-amp and sticking an amp sim on, but how do i record the clean and get the output from my Marshall JMP1 unit. I usually use the JMP1 ampsim output for recording, but I understand it would be invaluable to record the clean tone as well. I am using a focusrite 2i2
Hey Bob, great video! Would you recommend using a DI box for recording guitar just with an audio interface (Line 6 Pod UX 2)? Without using a Amp simultaneously? I'm using a active guitar and i just want to improve my DI signal.
Jan, I would highly recommend using a DI box for recording direct to your L6 Pod! The whole idea is to give you a clean mic level balanced output to go to your interface. I'm not familiar with the L6 Pod but does it have phantom power and mic inputs? If so, yes this is your best option. My only other recommendation is spend the money and get a good one. They will last a lifetime. If you get a quality active direct box it can handle both active and passive guitar pickups. Here's an Amazon link for more information: goo.gl/TRb6YS If you are on a budget, you'll need to get a passive DI to be able to handle your active guitar. Hope this helps! All the best.
Hello mate, great vid definitely has cleared somethings up for me! Just wondering, if you were to record an acoustic electro-acoutic guitar using this di box would you be able to both mic it up and run through the d.i. as well as plugging it into radial? Also I am considering buying something like a line 6-pod or something small and simple for live and recording purposes as the amp simulators in logic pro x are ok but a little dodgy (i already have a bunch of boss pedals but no specific amp simulator) so just wondering, in your opinion, is it worth getting both a d.i box such as this on top of multi-effects unit which can act as a pre amp anyway, or would the multi-effects do a good enough job? Hope that makes sense! Cheers Bob!
i have my signal chain like the one in the video but the signal is clipping and i cant understand why. guitar goes into di box, xlr goes from di box into audio interface mic input. i have -15db pad engaged on my radial pro48 active di box, and i have input knob on 0 on my steinberg ur44c audio interface. guitar volume is on full but will clip with hard palm mutes. i could turn down the guitar volume but the tone suffers, any ideas?
@@BobSell i have phantom power engaged and the knob is all the way down but it still clips on palm mutes. im not sure what 0 unity gain is but the only thing i can turn down is the guitar at this point and im not sure why i would have to. if i plug the guitar straight into the interface it doesnt clip nearly as easily so i know its the di box making the signal hot
Another good one Bob! Two questions: 1. Doesn't the Eleven Rack serve as a DI? 2. Have you ever tried EZMix from Toontracks. As I understand it, the presets were all professionally done and saved from released records. They have some great guitar sounds, I'm thinking about getting a copy along with the Blues Guitar expansion pack!
Yes, the Eleven Rack serves as a DI. When I record with the Eleven Rack I recorded the amp and the dry signal simultaneously. Never tried EZMix. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
Quick question: My DI box has 3 pad settings: 0 dB, - 20 dB , and a -40 dB pad. When i use the -20 dB pad, i barely get guitar signal into my DAW. Do i have to use the pad , or can i keep it at 0 ?
Hi Bob ref your J48 example and capturing your dry sound is good, but I want to record from my amp (wet) using certain Effects from the send and return loop on my amp via a DI so which model do you suggest J48 or Jdx48? or other( I have 2 guitars 1 active and 1 passive ) then which is the correct way to hook it up into the interface? Kind regards Stephen
Great question Stephen. I’m going to make some assumptions based on your comment. You don’t want to mic your amp’s speaker cabinet. You’re plugging into your amp first for the distortion/overdrive (preamp) Effect. You’re coming out of your amp’s “Send” to your pedals (modulation, delay, etc). If this is the signal chain you want to record then from your last pedal go to the J48 DI Box. From the J48 you’ll get a balanced XLR out for your audio interface. The only thing you are missing in this setup is any sonic quality that you may be getting from your amplified cabinet and speakers. The JDX gives you the cab/speaker simulation but I don’t have any experience with it. I would go with the J48 so you still have an excellent DI box if you ever need a clean DI like for recording bass or re-amping guitars purposes. goo.gl/TRb6YS Hope this helps...
Great video!!! Bob,will that box do the job for my nylon string Godin?playing live with Bose 2 and the digital mixer from Bose as well- there is presets in it for the piezoelectric mics for the guitar. In that case is the DI needed ?
Thanks! This is one of the best DI boxes you can buy. It handle anything. If you are playing live I'm sure your sound guy would prefer a balanced mic level signal for the house board. You could use the thru port if you wanted to monitor through your amp. Works great to have a balanced signal in the studio as well. I would think all guitar players that are plugging in would want one of these. You can buy other models cheaper but not better. Country Man is another industry standard professional DI box. Thanks again for the comment!
Hey Mr Bob, had a quick question, just wanted to know if i don't want to record an unprocessed tone, and just want to record the wet signal from my eleven rack, will the j48 benefit the guitar quality for recordings at all? And for the connections would i plug my guitar into the j48 and the thru to the input of the eleven rack? and then just record to my computer via usb from the 11R?
hi Bob, i have a dbx 286s mic pre and i'd like to use it also with my electric guitar, someone told me that in order to connect my electric sg guitar into de 286s i need a DI. is it correct? if yes what kind of DI is more appropriate to this purpose? thanks
The J48 is the best. will serve you well with either passive or active pickups. Spend the extra money to buy one box that works for all situations. My 2 cents. Hope this helps.
Interesting stuff as usual Bob. How do you record electric guitar and vocals together? With audio interface and no amp......Plug both into interface and then monitor the guitar (through the speakers) as you sing, or just strum acoustically then add the tone later? Any advice appreciated!
Joe, thanks for the great questions! Whenever I'm recording vocals, whether solo or playing an instrument like a guitar, I always monitor with closed back headphones. I'm using the Sony Professional SDR-7506. Here's the best deal on Amazon: amzn.to/2iT8t8i I want the guitar tone as close as possible while I'm tracking because it gets me the vibe I'm going for and will help me get a better vocal performance. If I monitor with the speakers I'm going to get bleed over from the guitar into the vocal mic. I want to keep the guitar and vocals isolated as much as possible so I can applying processing later. For example my reverb choice, compression, EQ, etc. for the vocal will not be the same settings for the guitar. So the isolation helps. Hope this answers your question...
Will this help to eliminate ground hum? My USB interface(Line 6 UX2) already has the feature that allows me to record clean from the unaffected signal for re-amping. But I’m always experiencing various humming that drives me crazy.
Yes, this unit has a ground lift feature. However, if your interface is already allowing you record clean then I have a cheaper option. Get the HumX. It will safely lift the ground for about 75% less than this DI Box. Here's a link for more information: amzn.to/29Dn58s Hope this helps!
Hi great presentation is this model the same as a Radial JDX 48 ? And the radial model that offers Fender and Marshall cab sims, can both of these be used the same as inyour recording studio? Many thanks
Are you playing live and feeding the the house engineer a signal for the PA? If so, you may want to check out the X model. The JDX captures the guitar amp before the cabinet and has a speaker emulation that may eliminate the need to mic your cabinet. Similar to placing an SM57 in front of a 4x12 half stack. This gives you a more manageable sound onstage where feedback is an issue, or if mic'ing your amp isn't an option.
I got some ground loop around (4khz) that I still ignore the source comes and goes time to time and sometimes it stays for days ! Anyway .. is this box capable to get rid off it ?! Thanks .. my setup is ..Guitar/bass >>> Roland Octacapture. Guitar/bass>>>> line 6 Helix>>XLR >>Octacapture.
Can you use the di box for live playing? I just want to sound more clear/balanced/clean. I play acoustic guitar & plug it into a mixer then the speakers to the mixer aswell
You could but you’d lose the advantage of having a clean DI signal going to your DAW. Use the thru port to the fuzz pedal, then go to the amp simulator.
Quick question....so im thinking of buying this but can i plug it into my passive guitar right in my interface into my DAW and use an amp sim like amplitube ? also does this somehow help with gain staging with level control in a way or ...? im really just new to this , just heard of what DI boxes are like an hour ago...
The quick answer is yes! The whole point of the DI Box is to create a balanced mic signal that can be used to record a clean guitar sound or provide the Front-of-house engineer with a clean balanced signal. And still have the unaffected high impedance signal for your amp or amp simulator. If you don’t need a clean signal for mixing, reamping, or playing live, maybe you don’t need one. I’m not familiar with your amp sim but maybe it does this for you. Mine has this feature built in. Every serious recording studio will need one at some point. If you record bass, you have to have one. Hope this helps!
Great video and everything just sunk right in! One thing that baffles me about reamping is how hot to set the input signal of the unprocessed track in my DAW. Ideally, I would want it to come in at roughly the same level as the guitar. Do you have any tricks or tips for how hot you set the input signal on your dry track?
Ok.. i want to do guitar recording.. i have Di box & balance guitar cable.. so does that mean, from my guitar i plugged in with balance cable > di box > and another cable to my PC?
Regular guitar cable from guitar to DI Box. Balanced XLR cable to you audio interface. AE is connected to computer. Optional...another guitar cable out of DI thru port to guitar amp. Hope this helps.
I've just bought a Behringer Ultra DI 100. I made some tests, using a Jackson JS22-7, a Jackson SL 2h and a Samick KR660. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any difference between with or without the DI box. Am I doing anything wrong?
@@BobSell ha ha - You might have just solved a mystery of why my reamps don't ever sound as good as the original take. Ill give it a try later today! Thanks!
Question - if you use a direct box with NO audio interface (Im new to recording don't judge lol) would the signal still be clean in the computer (with a USB connection)?
Hi Bob! Great video! I had a question. I have multiple guitar pedals. If I want to record them into my DAW, would I have to go THRU my J48 into the beginning of my pedal chain? I’m not sure how re-amping works in this way.
The Thru port only goes to your DAW to record the clean signal. The pedals are linked together with the output of one to the input of the next pedal. So you are recording 2 tracks simultaneously. A clean signal from the J48 thru port and you effects signal from the end of you pedal chain. Hope this helps!
When you plug in your guitar to a DI Box it passes your guitar Instrument signal unaffected so you can keep that signal and send it to your amp. Secondly, it creates a Mic Level signal for a mixer or your audio interface. Hope this helps.
@@BobSellthanks for answering! So on my case it will be Guitar → D.I → Audio Interface? is there a XLR to TRS Cable? my audio interface needs TRS for input. also would like to ask how to get the 2 signal coming from your guitar and the one on the amp if the D.I will go through on a one input on my audio interface to DAW. I'm kinda confused because I can't see more deep videos.
It took some searching & several videos but this finally explained what I needed to know, very appreciative for the info! I bought one for this very purpose which had very minimal "instructions" none of which were useful, 25yrs of playing and I've never had such a simple device confuse me. I was beginning to think I was becoming retarded or sold the wrong device, at least the latter's been proven wrong.
I have two instrument 1/4 inputs on the front of my clarette interface, can I go from this direct box to one of those 1/4 instrument inputs instead of one the xlr inputs on the back so it doesn’t take up one of my mic ports?? Thanks
That’s a great question Larry. Yes you can do that. However, it would defeat the whole purpose of having a Direct Box. Which is converting your unbalanced 1/4 line out of your guitar into a balanced XLR mic level signal. If you used the 1/4 thru port from the DI Box it would be the same as plugging the guitar directly into your Clarette interface. Hope the helps.
Question, Noob here! Can I use the J48 and use a passive DI box, let's say the Focusrite Scarlett, as my main interface? And will using a cheaper passive DI box, as opposed to the TL Audio interface you used at 1:19, as my primary interface affect the sound quality when using passive instruments? Would I be able to mic my guitar amp in the thru as well?
not totally understanding your question but the main thing is if you’re using the J48 you don’t need to use a passive DI box. You only need one DI. j48 will work well for both types of instruments.
When you plug in your guitar to a DI Box it passes thru your guitar Instrument signal unaffected so you can keep that signal and send to your amp. Secondly, it creates a Mic Level signal for a mixer or your recording desk. Speaker is not an option...
I Have a Huge question! If I want to record all my Guitar Pedal effects coming back into my DAW in stereo, Do I need a Reamp/ or DI with 1 Channel, or do I need a 2 channel version? I'm very stumped with this question !
No and no! A guitar is a mono instrument. I can come up with a hundred different ways to create a stereo spread with production techniques but it’s still a mono instrument. Here one such idea I had: ruclips.net/video/V9al2uFz7L0/видео.html
Yes, you can do that. The revamping process is really around physical amps. If you are using an amp simulator and you've recorded a dry signal, you are all set.
This is a great video! I have a question: the balanced signal that comes from the D.I. must go through the audio interface preamps or bypass them and go directly to the A/D converters? Thank you so much
One of the great features of a DI box is the input (from the guitar) is converted to a balanced output for a clean/unprocessed recording of the guitar. So, having the DI box first in the chain will accomplish this. Then use the "Thru" output, from the DI, to start your pedal chain. The thru output is the same signal coming out of the guitar passed "Thru" the box. Hope this helps!
really good video: I´m playing a traditional stratocaster that goes through a pedalboard with plenty of pedals that includes an amp modeler pedal (the strymon iridium) should I play this di box right after my pedalboard and then go direcily into the mixer? what if my sinal is stereo? will this make my signal mono?
Thanks for the excellent question! The idea here is to record a dry signal from the guitar. The DI box is first in the chain, before the pedals. The DI box creates a balanced signal for recording a clean track through an XLR cable and also provides a thru port which passes the guitar signal unaffected to go to your amp or pedalboard. This keeps any stereo imaging created by you effects pedals intact. Normally you record 2 mono tracks simultaneously but in your setup it would be 1 mono and 1 stereo track. Hope this helps.
@@BobSell I get that , I’m asking do I need to apply gain to the preamp that the di is plugged into ? My signal would then be bass , di , preamp . Thank you .
@@BobSell if a di converts instrument level to mic level then wouldn’t I need a way to bring the mic level from the di up to line level ? Now I’m confused .
I have both active and passive instruments in my home studio. Anyone here knows if samson md1 active wolud be a good cheap solution for a Di Box? Thanks!!!
Sort of new to all of this. So my question is, if I want to run direct by using my boss GT100, do I need a DI box, or can I run the boss straight to the interface?
Run your GT100 into your interface. Think about using a DI Box if you want to record a clean guitar signal simultaneously with you GT100. The clean guitar signal is great to have for reamping purposes. Hope this helps.
Not normally but the J48 has built in electronics that can handle a range of voltage. So in this case, with the J48, you can use your active guitar as well as your passive ones. I like this unit because I only need one box. Hope this helps.
You don’t really need a DI unless you want the option to reamp your sound. This video will shed some light on the process for you. ruclips.net/video/dtaOHj1-kG8/видео.html If you play bass, I definitely recommend getting a DI box.
Bob Sell I also have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, and don’t love the tone of a guitar or bass through the 2i2’s 1/4 inch inputs. Do you think inserting a D.I. between the guitar/bass and the 2i2 (via XLR) would improve the sound? I was concerned by one comment above (about the Clarett interface) where you mention you would recommend bypassing the interfaces’s preamp and going directly to the converters. I think the setup I’m mentioning would still go through my 2i2’s preamps? Thanks for a great video!!
so can u do without an amp? if i want to play with my band trhough a mixer, hearing us with headphones, is a DI box enough to hear a decent guitar sound?
Look at it this way; when you plug your guitar into a DI box it provides to outputs. 1. a clean balanced signal for your recording desk or audio interface. 2. A pass thru signal for you amp. It does not provide any color. You can use plugins or amps to alter the tone. Hope this helps.
What about Passive vs Active Re-Amp boxes? What is the principle difference in that? Benefits of one vs the other? Very helpful video by the way! I subbed.
A Direct Box converts your unbalanced line level signal to a clean balanced mic level signal. This gives you a very clean unprocessed signal to record that can be used later for reamping or mixing. An active DI requires phantom power for the preamp and boost the signal for recording a clean sound. As a general rule, active DIs are used on passive instrument. And passive DIs are used on active instruments. An active instrument is one that uses a battery pack to boost the signal and therefore only needs a passive DI. A passive instrument does not have a preamp (no battery) and uses an active DI. Hope this helps.
Guitar cord from my “guitar” to the “input” of the Direct Box. Guitar cord from the “Direct Box Thru Port” to my “Guitar Amp”. XLR/ Mic cable from Microphone (recording the amp) to “Audio Interface”. “XLR or Mic Cable” out of the Direct Box to my “Audio Interface”. Hope this helps!
I would say this is not a good application for a DI box. But without more information and hearing the audio its hard for me to advise you. Can you post an audio or video clip of what you are experiencing?
I took a listen. Yes, it’s pretty noisy. How did you record this, with a mic or guitar cable directly to you interface? Sounds like the gain is turned up too high or you are recording at a low bit depth rate. Noise floor will be much lower if you can record at 24 bit if not doing so already. If you are getting this same noise with a mic, then a DI box won’t help as its already a mic level signal. Rememer, the main advantage of using a DI box is to convert your guitar (instrument level) signal into a mic level signal for a cleaner signal. Hope this helps.
Bob Sell i normally plug it straight into the audio interface, its recording at 16bit, only lets me record at either 8bit or 16bit, and i always have the gain quite low to try and get the noise away but that also means everything else goes quieter too, i had asked a producer how i could stop this and he told me to DI the guitar and isolate the vox
Yes, the Tony Amp 2 audio was with a mic (SM57) on the guitar cabinet. And yes the DI box was used. The signal from the guitar goes into the DI box. Out of the DI box is 2 signals, one line level and one mic level. The line level goes to the guitar amp which was recorded with a mic. The mic level goes directly to the audio interface for recording the DI signal. Make sense?
If you are looking for the passive version of this Direct Box, try this one with a high quality Jensen transformer. Highly recommend and rated! amzn.to/2EdHQVi
Can this method work to silently record combo amps?
This is literally the only video that actually helped me understand the process lol thank you so much
Glad this helped you out! Appreciate the feedback!
This was a massively well-explained video! Many people know things well but can’t explain them, THIS was an awesome explanation. Simple, easy to understand. I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me you were a teacher. Cheers dude!
Thank you Das! I'm not a teacher by profession. However, I love passing on what little bit of knowledge I do have. Thanks again!
Finally, a complete and perfectly explained overview of this whole process. Thanks, bro!
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@BobSell I exactly,,,,This is finally the best video about DI Box
That may be the very best demo video I have ever witnessed! AWESOME JOB! Thank you!
Awesome comment Michael! Thank you!!
Get video! Thanks for the run down! I have a J48 and just getting into home recording. When I plug a guitar or bass directly into this DI box and then into the interface, it sounds perfect. Crisp, open, and a lot of dynamics. When I put the Thru to by pedal board (and to a lesser extent directly into the amps) the DI signal into the interface drops a few db and the sound closes up. Not a lot, just enough to notice. Is this normal?
When I had an unbuffered fuzz at the start of my pedal board chain it was actually distorting the DI signal when it was switch on. I am not even sure how this is possible! And advice would be hopefully, thanks!
The clean signal generated by at XLR (DI signal) should be unaffected by anything going on with the Thru port. The only suggestion I have is a defective J48. Return it and go from there. Good luck.
Thanks! This helped me with my research paper
Glad this helped!
Very structured, concise, informative and to the point.
Great! Thank you.
I still would like to understand how to record my guitars with my pedal board (strymon and neunaber ) to the interface and into Logic proX. This video is sooo helpful to understand passive and active signals and re-amping. I spent a lot of money on great pedals and would like to enjoy recording them simply into my DAW. If you have any videos on that subject I would love to watch. You are a superb teacher thank you for taking the time to do this.
Thank you!
Bob, this is so cool. I just did the very same thing you demonstrated in this video.....exactly....and am here to report it works so well for me.....I used an Ultra-G DI - Active - with Amp simulator - Fender strat so passive instrument - Fender Super Champ 2 amp - Mixcraft DAW. I actually recorded it into a Tascam Model 16 mixer/recorded and moved the files to my DAW. I will always record in this way for the future in my studio.....thanks for a very clear instructional video.
You are very welcome! Glad to hear this worked out for you. Thanks for the great comment!
A well-explained video! If not THE best video on YT in terms of DI Boxes. Thank you Sir! Question: What do you think of the Radial Pro48? Are there any differences in sound compared to the J48? Except for the features that the J48 brings with it.
The Pro48 is basically a trimmed down version of the premium DI J48. The Pro48 eliminates the stereo to mono merge function, polarity flip, and high pass filter while reducing the overall size. The Pro48 is more affordable by eliminating these features. Hope this helps.
As far as the sound, they should be the same as they use the same transformer. However, I have not used the Pro48 so I can't speak first hand.
@@BobSell This helped a lot! Thank you very much!
Finally an explanation of DI boxes that I can understand. Thank you!
You are welcome!
The choice of active or passive DI simply comes down to signal strength. It doesn't matter whether the source is active or passive. If the source struggles to achieve a unity gain, an active DI is recommended to preamp it, otherwise passive will do as there is no need to preamp & doing so may even result in clipping distortion. It's just that usually an active source has a higher signal output than a passive one, but this is not always the case. The common rule of thumb described in the video sometimes breaks down, but easily achieving unity signal at a mixer or recording device input it the real criteria. This is because, weak signals accumulate the same electronic noise floor as strong signals but the weak signal requires more amplification which also amplifies the electronic noise floor. For this reason, it is important to preamp weak signals at the earliest possible point in the signal chain where the least noise is accumulated as this gives the cleanest possible signal after amplification.
Is there a sweet spot for db level when tracking ? I always hear something like -16 to -12db?
@@heythere6983 Well it kind of depends, the VU scale has been around quite a while, it was designed to give audio engineers an average target to aim for, with head room enough to avoid clipping. 0 VU is by definition unity gain. This is the standard for Pro Audio, domestic gear may or may not have as much headroom.
There are several different dB scales,
The following are all the same signal level.
0 VU or dB(unspecified)
4 dBu
4.782 dBv
-18 dBfs
1.228 V (RMS)
3.427 V (p-p)
Note that dBfs is the scale used for digital music. 0dBfs equates the the maximum possible sample bit value which is the actual hard clipping You don't want to ever see this happen. Clipping in analogue just begins as distortion & gets worse with even more gain, but in the beginning is not too bad, unlike digital clipping which is a more of a disaster if it happens at all.
Now, not all gear is made the same, older audio gear, especially of English manufacture, is not likely to have as much head room as newer gear designed to interface with digital gear. So, lookup your specs so you know where your limits are with analogue. If it's designed to interface properly with digital audio, it shouldn't clip below +18VU +14dBu but a lot of gear will clip before that. Most gear has a clip light to indicate when you are close to clipping. So my advice is to aim to average around 0VU and not be alarmed if the clip indicator flickers sporadically, that is just normal in a pro audio setting that is pumping. Just avoid the clip indicator flickering or lighting constantly.
You see a lot of RUclips content that pushes right up to 0 dBfs +18VU This is done to be louder than anyone else. They use compression to get the average loudness way above 0VU so the whole track is as loud as possible. The problem is that it can break the pro audio standard 0 VU so things can be louder than expected. So you have people doing different things in regard to volume. Compression is a plus and a minus. On the one hand it reduces dynamic expression, just pumping out a narrow band of volume, fine for a party and fine for mobile listening in the car or street where ambient sound is competing. Not so good for music appreciation listening in a quiet space. So, we have 2 different product aims here. Of note, Classical music usually exploits a very wide dynamic range which has great audience impact in a consort hall, but travelling in a car, fails to get the quiet passages audible over the ambient noise floor in the car. So, these things need to be considered in setting that average gain 0 VU target. At times you just want to keep the highest spike below clipping & struggle to attain that 0VU target or struggle to get quite passages audible, without clipping.
For these reason, I tend to think the lossy compressed formats such as MP3 should have more dynamic compression for the mobile music market where ambient noise is an issue, but Lossless, such as 44.1 and above should have far less compression for more dynamic expression in quieter environments.
That's going further than answering your question, but something to think about.
Gain structure to minimise accumulated noise.
If you are doing mixing, try to get the source as close to unity as possible as early as possible. Generally mixing boards do not use the lowest noise gain controls to keep things affordable. For dynamic vocal mics, it is usually cleaner to use a mic booster at the stage (FetHead or cloud Lifter) so that you don't have to run the board input gains so high (depends on the vocalist). If this is not affordable, don't loose sleep over it, it's an icing on the cake thing. Anyway, my advice is set all the channel input gains to unity so the signal is as fat at unity through the input channel circuitry This will minimise the noise added by the input channels. Each channel then goes through a fader that controls that channels output to the next stage (group or main stage) Those channels are where you proportion the mix for the next stage but the combination of them also act together as the input gain for that next stage. So, while you are mixing, you want to be aware of keeping the input level for the next stage, close to unit level. So think about the dB addition & compensate faders to average out a rough compensating attenuation. If you mix 2 channels, you want attenuation to average -3dB, 4 channels average -6dB, 8 channels average -9dB etc. It's not critical you can over compensate a little to be safe. Just be aware of the dB sum & compensate so the the next stage gets close to unity gain input without clipping. The main thing is the artistry of the mix though. If the board has groups, then you do the same with the group faders and so on.
For the PA I managed, I set the amplifier gains the produce the desired maximum dB SPL at unity input for the mixer. I set this up as a somewhat lower volume and input gain to preserve hearing of course. The point of doing this though is that I could use the mixer output meters to limit the loudness of the whole system to unity signal of the mixer.
So, now I have been through the principles gain structure for you to minimise the noise floor that a systems electronics adds to the mix. That is, how to get the greatest possible clarity out of an audio chain. It doesn't have to be a pro PA like described here, whatever the audio system, the same principles apply. Minimise the amount of amplification required at each and every stage by maintaining unity signal throughout the entire audio path.
Just got one and as soon as I plugged my guitar in I thought i knew what it was for. Then I second guessed myself and thought I wasnt using it right. Thnx
welcome
So well explained....just ordered the radial j48..
Glad it was helpful! Thanks.
Wonderful explanation mate. Fantastic pace for a slow uptake kinda guy :)
I have the Radial PZ-DI I bough specifically to DI my Taylor 324ce guitar. Would the J48 be a better choice to DI a Stratocaster or P bass or would the PZ-DI be fine for those too?
I've been using the Strymon Big Sky HW with speaker simulate and then post processing as needed with various amp sims in my DAW, seems to work well most of the time - but sometimes only an amp has the secret sauce (at least for now). REALLY looking forward to Strymon coming out with a more sophisticated Amp sim than the Iridium, maybe with larger Big Sky enclosure - the Iridium has many good settings but I do think there is still room for realism improvement.
Excellently presented information Bob, I'm about to try re-amping my guitar and now I have a full understanding of how to use it.
Thanks Johnny!
Great explanation. Great clarity and understanding for me on DI’s. Many thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
What an amazing video you have created! So clearly shows me what I need to know and explained in a way that a newbee can understand. Much appreciated. Subscribed....will be tuning in. "When the student is ready...the teacher appears." Thank you and well done sir!
Glad it was helpful! Thank you for the awesome comment!!
Good idea.I am back with Logic x.Your acoustic guitars are awesome.
Thanks Tomasz!
Excellent as always Bob.
Thank you Michael!
Best explanation I've seen - thank you!
You're welcome. Glad it was helpful!
Nicely done bob! Excellent explanation...
Thank you kindly!
What if I want my effects loop and my amp all to go into my audio interface?
Isn’t that what you normally do? Maybe I don’t understand the question.
Look up the Radial Prodigy. This allows you to go from your amp’s speaker out to a Focusrite or Apollo and into your computer.
Great video bob!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Paul.
Learned something thanks
you’re welcome!
Very nice overview. Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
Hi,
I hava a question. Please help me. I have 2 guitars, 1 guitar have active pickups 1 guitar have passive pickups. I have a pedal board ( metal master, mxr 5150 vs.). At last i have a focusrite scarlet 2i2 sound card. When i want to direct record to my guitars with the metal and rock pedals, the sound like a sizzle. I am a little bit confused. I have both pickups but also i have pedals. Regardless of pickups, are these pedals tones active? Should i buy active or passive Di box? or both? My setup is like this; Passive-Active pickup Guitars > My Pedal Board (Metal tones or the other tones) > Preamp pedal > Focusrite Scarlet 2i2.
Thank you.
Humbuckers are also considered passive ?
Can you tell me how to setup using the guitar amplifier with effects pedal? i can't seem to figure it out with my DI box, what should I connect to what? Thanks in advance!
Thanks for the question! The idea here is to record a dry signal from the guitar in addition to the effects. The DI box is first in the chain, before the pedals. The DI box creates a balanced signal for recording a clean track through an XLR cable that go to you recording interface. Also the DI Box provides a thru port which passes the guitar signal unaffected to your pedalboard
Does that mean your DI box does nothing to alter/balance the sound of your amp? It's really just an upgrade for the unprocessed (and unbalanced) base sound you'd get by plugging your guitar instrument line right into your interface?
You seem to be good at replying so I'll try to explain better: My guitar goes into my amp, but comes out through the "Phones" port via a 1/8 inch adapter to the 1/4 instrument line, which is directly plugged into my interface. I KNOW. I am unhappy with the quality of sound (no duh) but I do like my amp, and hoped a DI box would help me balance the direct amp to laptop headphone sound that passes the sleeping roomate test. However it seems that is not the purpose of DI boxes? They are only for the unprocessed, unamplified, clean signal of a direct-in guitar line, and will literally bypass balancing my amp to only balance the base DI signal?
Yes, the signal that is sent to your amp in unaffected. Yes, call it an upgraded (mic level, unprocessed, dry, low noise) signal sent to your interface! You got it!!
Yes it sound like you have a good understanding. The DI box will NOT help you get a clean sound out of your amp to your computer...
Thank you!! Yes I am understanding, and glad I did my research before blindly buying
Can you connect a DI box to a pedal board , then to a Tascam DP 32 sd for recording?🤔
Yep, no different than connecting your guitar to the pedalboard.
@@BobSell Much appreciated, thank you.😎👍
how do you set up your mixing desk for reamping when plugin in the xlr from the DI Box?
This companion video will explain the re-amping process I use: ruclips.net/video/dtaOHj1-kG8/видео.html
Hope this helps!
I understand recording the clean guitar for re-amp and sticking an amp sim on, but how do i record the clean and get the output from my Marshall JMP1 unit. I usually use the JMP1 ampsim output for recording, but I understand it would be invaluable to record the clean tone as well. I am using a focusrite 2i2
If your Marshall JMP1 unit offers a thru port, that's how it's done. Otherwise, you'll need a DI Box.
Very helpful video, very simply explained. Thanks man!
Glad it helped!
Hey Bob, great video! Would you recommend using a DI box for recording guitar just with an audio interface (Line 6 Pod UX 2)? Without using a Amp simultaneously? I'm using a active guitar and i just want to improve my DI signal.
Jan, I would highly recommend using a DI box for recording direct to your L6 Pod! The whole idea is to give you a clean mic level balanced output to go to your interface. I'm not familiar with the L6 Pod but does it have phantom power and mic inputs? If so, yes this is your best option. My only other recommendation is spend the money and get a good one. They will last a lifetime. If you get a quality active direct box it can handle both active and passive guitar pickups. Here's an Amazon link for more information: goo.gl/TRb6YS If you are on a budget, you'll need to get a passive DI to be able to handle your active guitar. Hope this helps! All the best.
Great video!! Simple yet comprehensive 👌
Glad you liked it!
Great video, so helpful and clear. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Hello mate, great vid definitely has cleared somethings up for me! Just wondering, if you were to record an acoustic electro-acoutic guitar using this di box would you be able to both mic it up and run through the d.i. as well as plugging it into radial? Also I am considering buying something like a line 6-pod or something small and simple for live and recording purposes as the amp simulators in logic pro x are ok but a little dodgy (i already have a bunch of boss pedals but no specific amp simulator) so just wondering, in your opinion, is it worth getting both a d.i box such as this on top of multi-effects unit which can act as a pre amp anyway, or would the multi-effects do a good enough job? Hope that makes sense! Cheers Bob!
i have my signal chain like the one in the video but the signal is clipping and i cant understand why.
guitar goes into di box, xlr goes from di box into audio interface mic input. i have -15db pad engaged on my radial pro48 active di box, and i have input knob on 0 on my steinberg ur44c audio interface. guitar volume is on full but will clip with hard palm mutes.
i could turn down the guitar volume but the tone suffers, any ideas?
I'm not familiar with the Steinberg RU44... but can you turn the input anymore more? Is 0 unity gain on the unit? Do you have fantom power engaged?
@@BobSell i have phantom power engaged and the knob is all the way down but it still clips on palm mutes. im not sure what 0 unity gain is but the only thing i can turn down is the guitar at this point and im not sure why i would have to. if i plug the guitar straight into the interface it doesnt clip nearly as easily so i know its the di box making the signal hot
Another good one Bob!
Two questions: 1. Doesn't the Eleven Rack serve as a DI? 2. Have you ever tried EZMix from Toontracks. As I understand it, the presets were all professionally done and saved from released records. They have some great guitar sounds, I'm thinking about getting a copy along with the Blues Guitar expansion pack!
Yes, the Eleven Rack serves as a DI. When I record with the Eleven Rack I recorded the amp and the dry signal simultaneously. Never tried EZMix. Let me know what you think. Thanks.
Quick question: My DI box has 3 pad settings: 0 dB, - 20 dB , and a -40 dB pad. When i use the -20 dB pad, i barely get guitar signal into my DAW. Do i have to use the pad , or can i keep it at 0 ?
Only use the pad if you signal is too hot. No, you don’t need to use it.
@@BobSell thank you!
Hi Bob ref your J48 example and capturing your dry sound is good, but I want to record from my amp (wet) using certain Effects from the send and return loop on my amp via a DI so which model do you suggest J48 or Jdx48? or other( I have 2 guitars 1 active and 1 passive ) then which is the correct way to hook it up into the interface? Kind regards Stephen
Great question Stephen. I’m going to make some assumptions based on your comment. You don’t want to mic your amp’s speaker cabinet. You’re plugging into your amp first for the distortion/overdrive (preamp) Effect. You’re coming out of your amp’s “Send” to your pedals (modulation, delay, etc). If this is the signal chain you want to record then from your last pedal go to the J48 DI Box. From the J48 you’ll get a balanced XLR out for your audio interface. The only thing you are missing in this setup is any sonic quality that you may be getting from your amplified cabinet and speakers. The JDX gives you the cab/speaker simulation but I don’t have any experience with it. I would go with the J48 so you still have an excellent DI box if you ever need a clean DI like for recording bass or re-amping guitars purposes. goo.gl/TRb6YS Hope this helps...
Best explanation thanks
Great video!!! Bob,will that box do the job for my nylon string Godin?playing live with Bose 2 and the digital mixer from Bose as well- there is presets in it for the piezoelectric mics for the guitar. In that case is the DI needed ?
Thanks! This is one of the best DI boxes you can buy. It handle anything. If you are playing live I'm sure your sound guy would prefer a balanced mic level signal for the house board. You could use the thru port if you wanted to monitor through your amp. Works great to have a balanced signal in the studio as well. I would think all guitar players that are plugging in would want one of these. You can buy other models cheaper but not better. Country Man is another industry standard professional DI box. Thanks again for the comment!
Hello I’m having some serious recording issues thats driving me crazy please respond if you can help me :(
Hey Mr Bob, had a quick question, just wanted to know if i don't want to record an unprocessed tone, and just want to record the wet signal from my eleven rack, will the j48 benefit the guitar quality for recordings at all? And for the connections would i plug my guitar into the j48 and the thru to the input of the eleven rack? and then just record to my computer via usb from the 11R?
I’m using the 11 rack as well. The short answer is no don’t use the DI box. no advantage if you don’t want a dry (unprocessed) signal.
Is DI Box eliminates the noise when connecting to PC? I plan to use in guitar effect simulator such as Guitar Rig 5 or Bias FX.
hi Bob, i have a dbx 286s mic pre and i'd like to use it also with my electric guitar, someone told me that in order to connect my electric sg guitar into de 286s i need a DI. is it correct? if yes what kind of DI is more appropriate to this purpose? thanks
The J48 is the best. will serve you well with either passive or active pickups. Spend the extra money to buy one box that works for all situations. My 2 cents. Hope this helps.
Interesting stuff as usual Bob. How do you record electric guitar and vocals together? With audio interface and no amp......Plug both into interface and then monitor the guitar (through the speakers) as you sing, or just strum acoustically then add the tone later? Any advice appreciated!
Joe, thanks for the great questions! Whenever I'm recording vocals, whether solo or playing an instrument like a guitar, I always monitor with closed back headphones. I'm using the Sony Professional SDR-7506. Here's the best deal on Amazon: amzn.to/2iT8t8i
I want the guitar tone as close as possible while I'm tracking because it gets me the vibe I'm going for and will help me get a better vocal performance. If I monitor with the speakers I'm going to get bleed over from the guitar into the vocal mic. I want to keep the guitar and vocals isolated as much as possible so I can applying processing later. For example my reverb choice, compression, EQ, etc. for the vocal will not be the same settings for the guitar. So the isolation helps. Hope this answers your question...
Thank you this was a great explanation
Thanks!
Will this help to eliminate ground hum? My USB interface(Line 6 UX2) already has the feature that allows me to record clean from the unaffected signal for re-amping. But I’m always experiencing various humming that drives me crazy.
I wasn’t quite through the video when I hit “send”. I just ordered one... wish me luck!
Yes, this unit has a ground lift feature. However, if your interface is already allowing you record clean then I have a cheaper option. Get the HumX. It will safely lift the ground for about 75% less than this DI Box. Here's a link for more information: amzn.to/29Dn58s Hope this helps!
Good luck!
Hi great presentation is this model the same as a Radial JDX 48 ? And the radial model that offers Fender and Marshall cab sims, can both of these be used the same as inyour recording studio? Many thanks
Are you playing live and feeding the the house engineer a signal for the PA? If so, you may want to check out the X model. The JDX captures the guitar amp before the cabinet and has a speaker emulation that may eliminate the need to mic your cabinet. Similar to placing an SM57 in front of a 4x12 half stack. This gives you a more manageable sound onstage where feedback is an issue, or if mic'ing your amp isn't an option.
I got some ground loop around (4khz) that I still ignore the source comes and goes time to time and sometimes it stays for days ! Anyway ..
is this box capable to get rid off it ?!
Thanks ..
my setup is ..Guitar/bass >>> Roland Octacapture.
Guitar/bass>>>> line 6 Helix>>XLR >>Octacapture.
This box is only capable of safely getting rid of ground loop noise
Can you use the di box for live playing? I just want to sound more clear/balanced/clean. I play acoustic guitar & plug it into a mixer then the speakers to the mixer aswell
Yes! Using a di box for live application is commonly done for the exact reasons you described. Thanks for the question Robert!
Could you use a real fuzz pedal into a DI box, then into a sim amp on my DAW?
You could but you’d lose the advantage of having a clean DI signal going to your DAW. Use the thru port to the fuzz pedal, then go to the amp simulator.
Quick question....so im thinking of buying this but can i plug it into my passive guitar right in my interface into my DAW and use an amp sim like amplitube ? also does this somehow help with gain staging with level control in a way or ...? im really just new to this , just heard of what DI boxes are like an hour ago...
The quick answer is yes! The whole point of the DI Box is to create a balanced mic signal that can be used to record a clean guitar sound or provide the Front-of-house engineer with a clean balanced signal. And still have the unaffected high impedance signal for your amp or amp simulator. If you don’t need a clean signal for mixing, reamping, or playing live, maybe you don’t need one. I’m not familiar with your amp sim but maybe it does this for you. Mine has this feature built in. Every serious recording studio will need one at some point. If you record bass, you have to have one. Hope this helps!
Thank you!
Great video and everything just sunk right in! One thing that baffles me about reamping is how hot to set the input signal of the unprocessed track in my DAW. Ideally, I would want it to come in at roughly the same level as the guitar. Do you have any tricks or tips for how hot you set the input signal on your dry track?
Just don’t clip. You can always bring the levels up. -10 should work great!
Can you insert an amp sim on the dry/clean track?
Sure can!
Ok.. i want to do guitar recording.. i have Di box & balance guitar cable.. so does that mean, from my guitar i plugged in with balance cable > di box > and another cable to my PC?
Regular guitar cable from guitar to DI Box. Balanced XLR cable to you audio interface. AE is connected to computer. Optional...another guitar cable out of DI thru port to guitar amp. Hope this helps.
@@BobSell ok i understand now... Thanks for your time sir.. it really helps!!
I've just bought a Behringer Ultra DI 100. I made some tests, using a Jackson JS22-7, a Jackson SL 2h and a Samick KR660. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any difference between with or without the DI box. Am I doing anything wrong?
+Alessandro Arzilli what are the conditions for your test and what are you testing for?
As far as I know, with such a cheap DI box you probably won't hear a big difference.
@@LordVlader I'm going ng a review video and will publish it soon. There are some differences in clarity and low end
Thanks, very clear and helpful!
Thank you Monika!
Thank you Bob!
You're welcome!
I’m late to the comment section Bob. I still want to commend you on such a very informative video. Great job.
Thank you Daniel!
I want to use the amp distortion, how i can do that with a DI box?
Use the thru port
Dumb question but if you are prepping your DI to reamp, should you be setting your interface input channel at mic level or line level?
Great question! Input channel needs to be Mic level. The output from the DI box is through an XLR or Mic cable… makes since.
@@BobSell ha ha - You might have just solved a mystery of why my reamps don't ever sound as good as the original take. Ill give it a try later today! Thanks!
Question - if you use a direct box with NO audio interface (Im new to recording don't judge lol) would the signal still be clean in the computer (with a USB connection)?
The clean signal output from the Direct Box is through a mic cable so you’ll need an audio interface to plug in to.
Finally i understand what the f@ck DI is. By the far the best explanation ever
great! thanks
Hi Bob! Great video! I had a question.
I have multiple guitar pedals. If I want to record them into my DAW, would I have to go THRU my J48 into the beginning of my pedal chain? I’m not sure how re-amping works in this way.
The Thru port only goes to your DAW to record the clean signal. The pedals are linked together with the output of one to the input of the next pedal. So you are recording 2 tracks simultaneously. A clean signal from the J48 thru port and you effects signal from the end of you pedal chain. Hope this helps!
Hi! How to record the guitar using a DI ? do I need a mixer? I got audio interface that has a 6.5mm jack for input and USB to connect to computer.
When you plug in your guitar to a DI Box it passes your guitar Instrument signal unaffected so you can keep that signal and send it to your amp. Secondly, it creates a Mic Level signal for a mixer or your audio interface. Hope this helps.
@@BobSellthanks for answering! So on my case
it will be Guitar → D.I → Audio Interface?
is there a XLR to TRS Cable? my audio interface needs TRS for input.
also would like to ask how to get the 2 signal coming from your guitar and the one on the amp if the D.I will go through on a one input on my audio interface to DAW. I'm kinda confused because I can't see more deep videos.
It took some searching & several videos but this finally explained what I needed to know, very appreciative for the info! I bought one for this very purpose which had very minimal "instructions" none of which were useful, 25yrs of playing and I've never had such a simple device confuse me. I was beginning to think I was becoming retarded or sold the wrong device, at least the latter's been proven wrong.
Glad this helped!
I have two instrument 1/4 inputs on the front of my clarette interface, can I go from this direct box to one of those 1/4 instrument inputs instead of one the xlr inputs on the back so it doesn’t take up one of my mic ports?? Thanks
That’s a great question Larry. Yes you can do that. However, it would defeat the whole purpose of having a Direct Box. Which is converting your unbalanced 1/4 line out of your guitar into a balanced XLR mic level signal. If you used the 1/4 thru port from the DI Box it would be the same as plugging the guitar directly into your Clarette interface. Hope the helps.
Question, Noob here! Can I use the J48 and use a passive DI box, let's say the Focusrite Scarlett, as my main interface? And will using a cheaper passive DI box, as opposed to the TL Audio interface you used at 1:19, as my primary interface affect the sound quality when using passive instruments? Would I be able to mic my guitar amp in the thru as well?
Hey I'm back! If someone could answer my question that'd be great!
not totally understanding your question but the main thing is if you’re using the J48 you don’t need to use a passive DI box. You only need one DI. j48 will work well for both types of instruments.
bro this was insanely helpful ty
Glad to hear it!
Can my direct box work, without a mixer? Just direct box, speaker, and guitar
When you plug in your guitar to a DI Box it passes thru your guitar Instrument signal unaffected so you can keep that signal and send to your amp. Secondly, it creates a Mic Level signal for a mixer or your recording desk. Speaker is not an option...
I Have a Huge question! If I want to record all my Guitar Pedal effects coming back into my DAW in stereo, Do I need a Reamp/ or DI with 1 Channel, or do I need a 2 channel version? I'm very stumped with this question !
No and no! A guitar is a mono instrument. I can come up with a hundred different ways to create a stereo spread with production techniques but it’s still a mono instrument. Here one such idea I had: ruclips.net/video/V9al2uFz7L0/видео.html
I dont get it... if I just use my interface and decide later that I want a different sound.. I just go to the ampsim and change the sound.
Yes, you can do that. The revamping process is really around physical amps. If you are using an amp simulator and you've recorded a dry signal, you are all set.
This is a great video! I have a question: the balanced signal that comes from the D.I. must go through the audio interface preamps or bypass them and go directly to the A/D converters?
Thank you so much
The balance signal coming from the Direct Box uses a mic cable that goes directly to your converters.
mate i hear the both signals same time. is there any way to mute di just when recording.
You can mute the DI track while recording and it will still record your signal. You just won't hear it! Good luck!
@@BobSell where can i mute
In a pedal chain, where must the di box be placed? As first or as last pedal?
One of the great features of a DI box is the input (from the guitar) is converted to a balanced output for a clean/unprocessed recording of the guitar. So, having the DI box first in the chain will accomplish this. Then use the "Thru" output, from the DI, to start your pedal chain. The thru output is the same signal coming out of the guitar passed "Thru" the box. Hope this helps!
really good video:
I´m playing a traditional stratocaster that goes through a pedalboard with plenty of pedals that includes an amp modeler pedal (the strymon iridium) should I play this di box right after my pedalboard and then go direcily into the mixer? what if my sinal is stereo? will this make my signal mono?
Thanks for the excellent question! The idea here is to record a dry signal from the guitar. The DI box is first in the chain, before the pedals. The DI box creates a balanced signal for recording a clean track through an XLR cable and also provides a thru port which passes the guitar signal unaffected to go to your amp or pedalboard. This keeps any stereo imaging created by you effects pedals intact. Normally you record 2 mono tracks simultaneously but in your setup it would be 1 mono and 1 stereo track. Hope this helps.
@@BobSell yeah it does, thanks
thank you, awesome explanation !!!
Thanks
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
Would I need to apply preamp gain to the signal when using a di box ? Thanks for sharing .
No preamp. Plug guitar directly into the DI Box.
@@BobSell I get that , I’m asking do I need to apply gain to the preamp that the di is plugged into ? My signal would then be bass , di , preamp . Thank you .
@@MurdaMetz No preamp...
@@BobSell if a di converts instrument level to mic level then wouldn’t I need a way to bring the mic level from the di up to line level ? Now I’m confused .
Thank you
You're welcome
I have both active and passive instruments in my home studio. Anyone here knows if samson md1 active wolud be a good cheap solution for a Di Box? Thanks!!!
Not sure but I'd be careful with cheap alternatives.
Sort of new to all of this. So my question is, if I want to run direct by using my boss GT100, do I need a DI box, or can I run the boss straight to the interface?
Run your GT100 into your interface. Think about using a DI Box if you want to record a clean guitar signal simultaneously with you GT100. The clean guitar signal is great to have for reamping purposes. Hope this helps.
@@BobSell Thanks!
Nice video, i wanna ask how if my guitar is an active guitar with emg pickup use 9 volt battery, can i still use the active DI Box?
Not normally but the J48 has built in electronics that can handle a range of voltage. So in this case, with the J48, you can use your active guitar as well as your passive ones. I like this unit because I only need one box. Hope this helps.
@@BobSell thanks.. by the way, the j48 include cabinet simulator or not?
@@deadlytone1012 No cabinet sim
Sounds like I need a DI along with my Focusrite 2i2 to record electric guitar. Setup still bit confusing. Thanks Bob.
You don’t really need a DI unless you want the option to reamp your sound. This video will shed some light on the process for you. ruclips.net/video/dtaOHj1-kG8/видео.html
If you play bass, I definitely recommend getting a DI box.
Thanks Bob for reply 🌻
Bob Sell I also have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, and don’t love the tone of a guitar or bass through the 2i2’s 1/4 inch inputs. Do you think inserting a D.I. between the guitar/bass and the 2i2 (via XLR) would improve the sound? I was concerned by one comment above (about the Clarett interface) where you mention you would recommend bypassing the interfaces’s preamp and going directly to the converters. I think the setup I’m mentioning would still go through my 2i2’s preamps? Thanks for a great video!!
so can u do without an amp? if i want to play with my band trhough a mixer, hearing us with headphones, is a DI box enough to hear a decent guitar sound?
Look at it this way; when you plug your guitar into a DI box it provides to outputs. 1. a clean balanced signal for your recording desk or audio interface. 2. A pass thru signal for you amp. It does not provide any color. You can use plugins or amps to alter the tone. Hope this helps.
Hi! I play electric guitar, which type of DI box should I buy? Thanks!
This one is excellent for both live and studio work: goo.gl/TRb6YS
Do you connect the xlr from DI out to preamp on soundinterface?
Thanks for the question! I go straight to my audio interface.
Do you go in on a ”Line in” or an input with preamp?
The DI Box creates a “Mic Level” signal to input into the interface using an XLR cable.
What about Passive vs Active Re-Amp boxes? What is the principle difference in that? Benefits of one vs the other?
Very helpful video by the way! I subbed.
A Direct Box converts your unbalanced line level signal to a clean balanced mic level signal. This gives you a very clean unprocessed signal to record that can be used later for reamping or mixing. An active DI requires phantom power for the preamp and boost the signal for recording a clean sound. As a general rule, active DIs are used on passive instrument. And passive DIs are used on active instruments. An active instrument is one that uses a battery pack to boost the signal and therefore only needs a passive DI. A passive instrument does not have a preamp (no battery) and uses an active DI. Hope this helps.
@@BobSell your video covered that. I am asking about Reamp boxes now, not DI boxes. Does it follow the same principle?
can you please summarize all connections you made?
Guitar cord from my “guitar” to the “input” of the Direct Box. Guitar cord from the “Direct Box Thru Port” to my “Guitar Amp”. XLR/ Mic cable from Microphone (recording the amp) to “Audio Interface”. “XLR or Mic Cable” out of the Direct Box to my “Audio Interface”. Hope this helps!
@@BobSell thank you so much man!
Late comment, but this is a great video. Thank you!
Glad you liked it!
would using a di be helpful as whenever i plug into my audio interface with my acoustic or microphone is causes a lot of airy noise
I would say this is not a good application for a DI box. But without more information and hearing the audio its hard for me to advise you. Can you post an audio or video clip of what you are experiencing?
Bob Sell uploaded something just there for you
I took a listen. Yes, it’s pretty noisy. How did you record this, with a mic or guitar cable directly to you interface? Sounds like the gain is turned up too high or you are recording at a low bit depth rate. Noise floor will be much lower if you can record at 24 bit if not doing so already. If you are getting this same noise with a mic, then a DI box won’t help as its already a mic level signal. Rememer, the main advantage of using a DI box is to convert your guitar (instrument level) signal into a mic level signal for a cleaner signal. Hope this helps.
Bob Sell i normally plug it straight into the audio interface, its recording at 16bit, only lets me record at either 8bit or 16bit, and i always have the gain quite low to try and get the noise away but that also means everything else goes quieter too, i had asked a producer how i could stop this and he told me to DI the guitar and isolate the vox
he told me it will probably be due to the fan or drive from the computer and that getting a di for guitar should fix it
Wait so the Tony Amp 2 audio was from a mic? Or was the DI box used?
Yes, the Tony Amp 2 audio was with a mic (SM57) on the guitar cabinet. And yes the DI box was used. The signal from the guitar goes into the DI box. Out of the DI box is 2 signals, one line level and one mic level. The line level goes to the guitar amp which was recorded with a mic. The mic level goes directly to the audio interface for recording the DI signal. Make sense?
Is it work same for electric violin.
Great question! I’m not familiar with electric violins but since the DI box handles a wide range of input signals, I think it would work.
@@BobSell thank u. I have orderd one. Let me try first. I will inform u.