Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

gjm · Post by **gjm** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:25 pm

I am still sorting out my signal chain for guitars with pickups.

Currently I have the Alesis io/14 Firewire, the Line6 Studio GX, and the Fast Track USB interfaces. In the past, with all of these units I have received a 'hot' signal into Live, and the recording has been fine, (when using my PC). Now with my macbook, for some reason, the signal is weak with all three interfaces, both FW and USB. The Alesis has a gain knob, but it appears to not provide enough boost to the signal to get a good recording any more. (BTW, I get the same results in Logic Express and Garage Band with all three units).

I am using the interfaces via bus power. The Alesis has a wall wart, but I have lost my US to NZ plug adapter. I have to buy one today to see if that makes a difference.

So basically, my question is, even though these audio interfaces are sold with the intention of not needing extra signal boost, do you use an Active DI Box anyway?

Can some of you explain your Guitar to Live signal chain?

Do you think there is something not quite right with my setup because of the results I am getting?

Grateful for any advice.

EDIT: I also notice that when I plug my Alesis into the FW port, I can hear a faint, very high pitched sound, almost like a very fast morse code signal coming from under the macbooks keyboard, as in if I put my ear close to the keys. Its a high pitch whine, but becomes broken when the screen content changes or is refreshed. As soon as I unplug the Alesis from the FW port the noise disappears. The noise is not there when I plug one of the USB interfaces in. (Maybe this should be another thread.)

leedsquietman · Post by **leedsquietman** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:07 pm

Something is wrong - the Alesis IO14 can provide more than +64db of gain and has a dedicated guitar/HI Z input option when you put the selector to guitar. If I plug my guitar directly into the guitar jack and set the selector to guitar, anything more than 1' o'clock on the dial is just speaker blowingly loud and one huge square waveform.

You must have a problem with power or settings or cabling if all of these interfaces don't work, the fast track pro also has around 60db of gain available.

gjm · Post by **gjm** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:19 pm

Damit.

I don't know what it is with me and recording gear. I just can't get it right.

The audio interfaces, and the Alesis in particular play back .wav etc in Live fine. iTunes play back is fine through the Alesis. It looks like its just the gain that doesn't work. I'm so sad. I don't even think there is a service center here in NZ to get it checked out.

gaijin1717 · Post by **gaijin1717** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:32 pm

This may be a stupid question, so forgive me, but do you experience the same low-level results when you play your guitar plugged directly into an amp? It could be loose wiring in the guitar pots or pickups. The only way I can even play my old electric (until I get it fixed) is if I have the tone and volume pots set EXACTLY right. Otherwise, I get low volume or no sound at all (usually with lots of crackles). Just a thought.

Oh, and my signal chain: I usually record a mic'd amp, run the mic to my little mixer and my mixer straight into my audio interface (Fast Track Pro). If I plug the guitar in directly (which I do sometimes, but mostly for the electric acoustic) I still go to the mixer before the interface. Not because of any dB boost I get from the mixer, but simply because I'm too lazy to change the I/Os on my interface all the time. In fact, that's why I got the mixer in the first place.

gjm · Post by **gjm** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:57 pm

leedsquietman wrote:Something is wrong - You must have a problem with power or settings or cabling...

gaijin1717 wrote:This may be a stupid question, so forgive me...

I am sooooooo embarrassed.

This is the sign I need to give up and start collecting stamps or coasters or something. I had the cable plugged into the 'Insert' socket. Even worse, I looked at it for half a day as well. Stupid is...

leedsquietman · Post by **leedsquietman** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 4:42 am

No worries mate, happens to the best of us

dysanfel · Post by **dysanfel** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 12:05 pm

Guitar ---> Duet ----> Mac
or
Guitar ----> Amp -----> Mic -----> Duet -----> Mac

UKRuss · Post by **UKRuss** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 12:57 pm

I use a passive DI box, 'calms' the signal from my Ibanez which otherwise is waaaaay to hot for the Motu too handle.

gjm · Post by **gjm** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:25 pm

UKRuss wrote:I use a passive DI box, 'calms' the signal from my Ibanez which otherwise is waaaaay to hot for the Motu too handle.

Is that because you have Active pick ups? Or is the Motu (ultralite?) just built that way?

UKRuss · Post by **UKRuss** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:31 pm

It's just the signal strength from the DiMarzio's on the 'nez. If I strike the strings too hard it instantly distorts the digital signal, can't explain the technicalities, not really my speciality, but the DI box puts a stop to it. Meaning I can play the guitar naturally again with a full range of dynamic string picking without worrying about digital clipping.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:34 pm

UKRuss wrote:If I strike the strings too hard it instantly distorts the digital signal

your rig is screwy, lower your pickups. digital signal? what?

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:55 pm

Tone Deft wrote:
UKRuss wrote:If I strike the strings too hard it instantly distorts the digital signal
your rig is screwy, lower your pickups. digital signal? what?

Just a bad description of his 'problem'. If a DI box 'calms the signal, then the signal is too loud, which is controllable on any MOTU box I've used.

I use a Marshal pre, but for the tube thang, not because the RME can't handle it.

smili · Post by **smili** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:19 am

FWIW I think a guitar sounds best mic'd, and only record the mic'd sound. that doesn't leave room for plugs and signal manipulation after the fact (except for verb/delay/chorus), but it just sounds more real - and I like real sounding guitars.

leedsquietman · Post by **leedsquietman** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:44 am

True - but only if you have a nice amp and a reasonable room sound. Many rooms will need at least some acoustic treatment to sound OK.

But if you can, always mic up a sound - although, if recording overdrive/distortion best to tone that down a bit on the recording as you can always add more but you can never take away and what sounds good in a room can be too compressed and harsh sounding when recorded into a DAW.

UKRuss · Post by **UKRuss** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 9:45 am

Tone Deft wrote:
UKRuss wrote:If I strike the strings too hard it instantly distorts the digital signal
your rig is screwy, lower your pickups. digital signal? what?

Doesn't happen when i play through an amp. As a 25+ year guitarist I doubt my 'rig is screwy'

I am pretty sure (not being, or wanting, to be a pc geek I am not 100% sure) that the Motu coverts analogue signals to digital signals no? It is after that point that the problem occurs in Live. This doesn't happen with my strat, only my JS1200 hence I put it down to the pickups being in my words, 'too hot to handle'.

In any case my point was that using the DI box stops this problem (as discussed in another thread on here some time ago with which many other guitarists agreed).

I leave it to the PC geeks to explain why that is if anyone is that interested, tbh I'm far too busy being a musician.

Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Do you have an Active DI Box in your Signal Chain?

Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?

Re: Guitar Players - Do you use an Active DI Box?