sharpdion23
Max Output Level: -75 dBFS
- Total Posts : 784
- Joined: 2009/04/26 18:07:59
- Location: Vancouver, BC
- Status: offline
Record Bass Guitar DI
When I record Bass Guitar I get a soft signal. I record it by DI. Any Tips are appreciated
post edited by sharpdion23 - 2011/06/20 00:40:32
Win7 pro 64bit*SonarX1 PE 64 bit* AMD Athlon(tm)64 X2 Dual Processor 6000+ 3.00 Ghz* 4GB Ram* 232GB HD* Cakewalk MA-15D* SPS-66 FireWire
Owner of Sonar 6 Studio* Sonar 7 PE * Sonar 8.0 PE * Sonar 8.5.3 PE * Sonar X1 PE *
Link to upload Screens: http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=1592276 A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.
|
JoshWolfer
Max Output Level: -83 dBFS
- Total Posts : 372
- Joined: 2011/05/22 03:55:26
- Location: California, USA
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 01:07:31
(permalink)
If you have a passive bass, a low signal is pretty much expected.
Josh Wolfer - Big Dumb Monkey Productions - www.bigdumbmonkey.com (Twitter @bigdumbmonkeyp) Sonar 8.5.3 / X1b :: 2.8 Ghz core i7 :: 8GB ram :: V-Studio 700 C+R :: Maudio Profire 2626 (ADAT lightpipe into Vstudio)
|
JoshWolfer
Max Output Level: -83 dBFS
- Total Posts : 372
- Joined: 2011/05/22 03:55:26
- Location: California, USA
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 01:08:13
(permalink)
Also, if your DI has impedance settings, that may be in play as well. I'm not sure off the top of my head what it should be.
Josh Wolfer - Big Dumb Monkey Productions - www.bigdumbmonkey.com (Twitter @bigdumbmonkeyp) Sonar 8.5.3 / X1b :: 2.8 Ghz core i7 :: 8GB ram :: V-Studio 700 C+R :: Maudio Profire 2626 (ADAT lightpipe into Vstudio)
|
sharpdion23
Max Output Level: -75 dBFS
- Total Posts : 784
- Joined: 2009/04/26 18:07:59
- Location: Vancouver, BC
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 01:18:55
(permalink)
I don't think I have an impedance setting on my SPS-66, but I do have the Hi-z button available. To make sure, I have to enable this when recording Di bass guitar right?
Win7 pro 64bit*SonarX1 PE 64 bit* AMD Athlon(tm)64 X2 Dual Processor 6000+ 3.00 Ghz* 4GB Ram* 232GB HD* Cakewalk MA-15D* SPS-66 FireWire
Owner of Sonar 6 Studio* Sonar 7 PE * Sonar 8.0 PE * Sonar 8.5.3 PE * Sonar X1 PE *
Link to upload Screens: http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=1592276 A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.
|
JoshWolfer
Max Output Level: -83 dBFS
- Total Posts : 372
- Joined: 2011/05/22 03:55:26
- Location: California, USA
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 01:39:54
(permalink)
As far as I know the hi-Z is "high impedance". I don't recall off the top of my head what it should be at, but try pressing it. Just make sure the sound quality isn't adversely effected as a result.
Also make sure you don't have the pad enabled, if you have one.
Josh Wolfer - Big Dumb Monkey Productions - www.bigdumbmonkey.com (Twitter @bigdumbmonkeyp) Sonar 8.5.3 / X1b :: 2.8 Ghz core i7 :: 8GB ram :: V-Studio 700 C+R :: Maudio Profire 2626 (ADAT lightpipe into Vstudio)
|
sharpdion23
Max Output Level: -75 dBFS
- Total Posts : 784
- Joined: 2009/04/26 18:07:59
- Location: Vancouver, BC
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 01:53:53
(permalink)
IIRC it doesn't really make a difference in the low input level when recording. What do you mean by pad enabled?
Win7 pro 64bit*SonarX1 PE 64 bit* AMD Athlon(tm)64 X2 Dual Processor 6000+ 3.00 Ghz* 4GB Ram* 232GB HD* Cakewalk MA-15D* SPS-66 FireWire
Owner of Sonar 6 Studio* Sonar 7 PE * Sonar 8.0 PE * Sonar 8.5.3 PE * Sonar X1 PE *
Link to upload Screens: http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=1592276 A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.
|
JoshWolfer
Max Output Level: -83 dBFS
- Total Posts : 372
- Joined: 2011/05/22 03:55:26
- Location: California, USA
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 03:03:07
(permalink)
Most DIs have a pad. The pad switch usually drops the level by -15 to -20 dB for accepting really hot signals.
If it's enabled, your signal is going to be significantly cut.
Josh Wolfer - Big Dumb Monkey Productions - www.bigdumbmonkey.com (Twitter @bigdumbmonkeyp) Sonar 8.5.3 / X1b :: 2.8 Ghz core i7 :: 8GB ram :: V-Studio 700 C+R :: Maudio Profire 2626 (ADAT lightpipe into Vstudio)
|
Somerset
Max Output Level: -78 dBFS
- Total Posts : 634
- Joined: 2004/10/20 06:07:27
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 03:07:02
(permalink)
☄ Helpful
You should definitely choose Hi-Z, because you don't want the pickups from your bass to be attenuated any more than necessary by the input stage (and this often will attenuate high frequencies the most, making the bass sound like it's got old strings). Guitar amps have quite hi-z inputs for this reason. The other thing you need is a fair bit of gain. I quite often run a passive bass directly into my recording mixer (Allen & Heath ZED R16) and it works fine with the gain set to a similar level you would set for a mic input. It's just a whole lot easier than using the bass amp, and allows a lot more options in tone down the track (using VST's, amp sims, pro channel etc) You don't want the pad enabled on your DI box. The pad is there to attenuate large signals, such as those that could come from an amplifier output. You don't want attenuation (from a pad). You want gain, because you somehow need to boost the bass signal (e.g. mic pre). In other words, treat the bass signal basically like a mike signal, and put it into the highest impedance input available.
|
Thatsastrat
Max Output Level: -65 dBFS
- Total Posts : 1267
- Joined: 2004/05/09 02:20:19
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 03:15:28
(permalink)
If you have a 1/4" input marked Hi-z always use that for your guitars. The pad button would be used for guitars or bass that are equipped with high output active pick-ups.
|
Twigman
Max Output Level: -38.5 dBFS
- Total Posts : 3667
- Joined: 2006/08/24 04:45:15
- Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 07:54:56
(permalink)
I always run my bass through a compressor before the input. This helps.
|
bapu
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 86000
- Joined: 2006/11/25 21:23:28
- Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 09:49:52
(permalink)
Twigman
I always run my bass through a compressor before the input. This helps.
+1.9372973923987269708
|
sharpdion23
Max Output Level: -75 dBFS
- Total Posts : 784
- Joined: 2009/04/26 18:07:59
- Location: Vancouver, BC
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 11:40:11
(permalink)
What other instruments need to have Hi-Z enabled? I don't have any pads enabled.
What happens when I record bass DI is I usually have to set the sens knob to max and the bass guitars volume knob almost at max to get a good signal to record
Win7 pro 64bit*SonarX1 PE 64 bit* AMD Athlon(tm)64 X2 Dual Processor 6000+ 3.00 Ghz* 4GB Ram* 232GB HD* Cakewalk MA-15D* SPS-66 FireWire
Owner of Sonar 6 Studio* Sonar 7 PE * Sonar 8.0 PE * Sonar 8.5.3 PE * Sonar X1 PE *
Link to upload Screens: http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=1592276 A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I'm afraid of widths.
|
koolbass
Max Output Level: -73 dBFS
- Total Posts : 853
- Joined: 2003/11/13 23:27:43
- Location: Nashville, TN
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 13:10:42
(permalink)
If you have a bass with passive electronics (does not use a battery), then you should almost always run your volume output at 100%. This allows for the entire range of the bass signal to be recorded. Unfortunately, when you begin cutting volume, the capacitor that cuts volume seems to have some effect on tone. Seems to be the nature of the beast. In a sense, at 100% volume, what you are doing is recording a "pure" signal straight from your pickups.
If your bass is active electronics (uses a battery), then you're changing the pre-amp signal when you change volume. I record bass all the time, and not always the same bass or the same DI. I find my best tones when I use either a.) a passive bass into an active DI, or b.) an active bass into a passive DI.
When both part are passive, my signal tends to be weak and puny. When both are active, I begin to get a harshness from "gain staging" of one pre over driving the next. It's not a pleasing sounding "distortion" to my ears.
Cheers, Lance "koolbass" Martin Sonar Platinum, Sound Forge Pro 12, ADK built audio computer: Intel 8 core i7 Haswell-E overclocked 4.2GHz; 32 Gig DDR4/2666 ram; Corsair 850W power; Windows Pro 10 x64; Geforce GTX 980 video w/4 monitors (Acer 27" touch screen/primary); 3 Seagate drives - OS, audio, samples, 2 TB external USB3 bkup drive; RME MADIface XT; Ferrofish A16 MKII ADDA; Lucid GenX 6-96 clock www.BoogieHouseMusic.com
|
jungfriend
Max Output Level: -76 dBFS
- Total Posts : 746
- Joined: 2005/06/04 00:42:15
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 16:20:46
(permalink)
Maybe you need to run the signal through a preamp too add a bit of gain. A passive DI will not add any gain, and if you have a bass with passive pickups all the DI is doing is converting the unbalanced instrument signal (-10 dBV) to a line level signal (+4 dBu). Don't be afraid to boost the level a bit so you can get a good recording input level.
Paul
Sonar X2 PE, ADK Core i7 920 3.6ghz 12gb, UAD-2 Quad, 2x20"+2x19" LCDs, Focal CMS 50, POD HD500, Layla 3G, PoCo mkII PCI-e, Tranzport, Edirol M-16DX, Remote SL61, Mackie MCU, NI Kore 2, NI Komplete, NI Maschine, etc.
|
Jim Roseberry
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
- Total Posts : 9871
- Joined: 2004/03/23 11:34:51
- Location: Ohio
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 17:28:41
(permalink)
What other instruments need to have Hi-Z enabled? I don't have any pads enabled. What happens when I record bass DI is I usually have to set the sens knob to max and the bass guitars volume knob almost at max to get a good signal to record As has been mentioned, always use a Hi-Z input for recording DI passive electric bass/guitar. For best fidelity, put the instrument's volume all the way up. Now... use the preamp (from the input channel) to bring the signal level up. That's it... If things are noisy at this point, look into a better DI/Preamp. Also, make sure the bass is properly shielded (so it's not picking up every EMI source within a 5-mile radius). Don't assume that because an instrument is "Pro" that it is well-shielded. ie: Rickenbacker 4003 basses are $2k... and are poorly (if at all) shielded.
|
bluzdog
Max Output Level: -56 dBFS
- Total Posts : 1928
- Joined: 2007/10/06 17:15:14
- Location: Lakewood, Colorado
- Status: offline
Re:Record Bass Guitar DI
2011/06/20 18:50:37
(permalink)
You can also add gain in Sonar if need be: Process -> gain -> choose a setting from the drop down menu.
|