DI bass and guitar

[mjau]

Late to the party, but I’ve loved the b15 I’ve played through in the past, and mic’ing that produced a beautiful sound. But that’s about the only mic’ed bass amp that’s really blown my mind. Haven’t recorded an Ampeg 8x10, though.

Generally, I’m happy with a p-bass with flatwounds going through some kind of Neve-ish preamp DI.

[vvv]

So here's a tune with my nu-style flip-top (pf20t + matching 115 cab) featured prominently.

Probably had a safety track from a Radial DI (likely unused on the mix), I think the amp was mic'd with an MD-609 (I can check my logs if anyone is curious), and there's some sort of pedal adding a bit of dirt.

https://www.facebook.com/vampiresquidsf ... 764710408/

Don't know how I missed this. Bass sounds great! Love the Kala - mine never sounded like that.

Amusing vid, also, and a cool song.

Shared it.

[Dr Tony Balls]

FYI, I made a few of these recently. Are they anything special? No, emphatically not, but they get the job done and sound nice in the process. Just a simple transformer-coupled passive DI:

[Studiodawg]

I use an Avalon U5 to DI. I also use the 2 DI outs on my Fender Rumble Stage 800. One is dry and the other has the digital emulations/FX. Using mics, as well, is always preferred, but not always practical. It's in the fingers or pick. The sound will translate thru any means of recording...mojo- whether it's out front or underneath the rest of the music.

[KuruPrionz]

I didn't read the entire thread.
I have a Tech 21 Sansamp Bass Driver DI V2, you can run it into a mic input and use phantom power to power it.
If you are using a mic pre that has a transformer and/or impedance (resistance) settings that changes the game a bit. Most mic pre DI's don't have those features. Plus, no battery or power supply, nice. I like playing bass through it. If the PA is good enough it's all you need to gig too.

I also have the Tech 21 Sansamp Para Driver DI V2, which will work fine for bass but also for guitar. Since I live in a multi-unit condo and sometimes inspiration comes late these are nice to have. I can put cans on and go.

Both of these have Sansamp analog tube emulator circuits with adjustable gain/distortion (one knob) and a blend knob so you can mix clean and dirty to get the tone you like. The Para Driver has a higher frequency range in the Sansamp and a lot more gain. Good stuff, I like them.

[trodden]

FYI, I made a few of these recently. Are they anything special? No, emphatically not, but they get the job done and sound nice in the process. Just a simple transformer-coupled passive DI:

Rad.
I like the looks of all your schtuffs. Dig the NASA font as well.

[llmonty]

No pun intended, but feel I have my bases covered with a U5, Sans Amp, GT DItto box tube DI, Hamptone JFET, and Little Labs PCP. They all do something a little different. I am pretty sure that is a circa 2000s TapeOp messageboard certified list.

Guitar is a little trickier. I generally Prefer either the Little Labs or the Hamptone but still looking to improve the widthiness of DI guitar.

[KuruPrionz]

For bass, I've started plugging into the DI on a Focusrite ISA Two preamp, that goes to an ART Pro VLA II and then to a line in on a Presonus Quantum to be recorded. I like it, it's punchy, deep and has enough high end to cut on small speakers. I'm using the ART to clip the peaks down a bit and slowing down the attack enough to allow some snappy transient response. Ratio is about 3:1 or so, light compression just on the peaks.

Guitar I've been working with the same DI as above and then using one of two plugins, both from PluginAlliance and both snagged at sale prices.
They have a Fuchs Overdrive Supreme 50, more or less a Dumble clone and a Chandler Limited GAV19T which sounds like a cross between a Vox AC-15 top cut with EF86 in V1 and a Marshall BluesBreaker, it's a great EL84 tone.

That's all for later in the day, when I can't be noisy in a multi-unit complex. I also use a Peavey Vypyr VIP 1 that I hot-rodded with a Peavey Scorpion 10" replacing the weak little 8" speaker that comes with the amp. I'm still mic rolling that one, looking to the best tones. It sounds great out there in the air though, I want to add another amp and set them differently for that bigness. I've grown to like the TransTube circuit so much I may just want another one.

[vvv]

That Transtube circuit, and the Tech 21 Trademarks, are my fave S/S's, along with the square Vox Pathfinder 15.

But I thought the Vypyr was a modeling amp?

[KuruPrionz]

That Transtube circuit, and the Tech 21 Trademarks, are my fave S/S's, along with the square Vox Pathfinder 15.

But I thought the Vypyr was a modeling amp?

The Vypyr IS a modeling amp, it is an ANALOG solid state model of tube amplifiers.
Here is Hartley Peavey's white paper on the topic, written pretty early in the game. The newer ones sound better but have shittier speakers, that is the weak point. Otherwise everybody would probably use them. I think it's Peavey's greatest invention, it FEELS like tubes to me.
Typically I select the Classic, run it either Green or Orange (never Red!!!), turn the Pre Gain way down and the Post Gain (which does not mean "After Gain" but "Simulated Output Stage Gain") just about all the way up. That gets it sounding more like tubes. Set the Master for the task at hand. Unlike a tube amp, it doesn't need to be ungodly loud to produce that loud tone. With the Scorpion speaker, mine gets loud and sounds way bigger than it looks.

https://peavey.com/PDFs/Chapter3.pdf

FWIW, I started playing 52 years ago on a tube amp and have owned a buttload of them through the years. Now I'm happy with the little Vypyr, quite a change from my first Boogie - a Mark III Simul-Class head with reverb and EQ running into a 4-12" Vox cabinet with 2 EVM 12L on top and 2 JBL D120 on the bottom. That was kinda loud and kinda heavy...

[vvv]

After a little research (some forums, PV's site), Transtube appears to be analog, S/S emulation with transistors and diodes, what mine is.

The Vypyr, from what I can tell, adds digital effects, and is described as having, "TransTube® analog/digital hybrid technology"

Also, WARNING: do not google "TransTube", unless yer into that kinda thing.

[KuruPrionz]

After a little research (some forums, PV's site), Transtube appears to be analog, S/S emulation with transistors and diodes, what mine is.

The Vypyr, from what I can tell, adds digital effects, and is described as having, "TransTube® analog/digital hybrid technology"

Also, WARNING: do not google "TransTube", unless yer into that kinda thing.

Exactly that. The Red Stripe Bandit and Studio Pro models are famous examples of all analog TransTube amps. Spring reverb, yo.
I gigged with a Red Stripe Studio Pro with a 12" Scorpion speaker in it. Sort of wish I still had it...

The little Vypyr VIP 1 became demonic and amazing with a Scorpion 10" in it. Not the same amp, that 8" speaker it comes with is pretty much crap.
I like having all those effects in the same little box, they are able to assign all of the digital processing to effects since the amp emulation is analog.

I'd hate to have all that crap on the floor, a bunch of pedals. I don't do that. The Sanpera 1 gives me a dozen presets, more than I need. Plus a switchable Volume and Wah pedal, all in a little box with 4 switches and a pedal.
And the WYSIWYG interface is something Peavey has used since the Transformer - which was sort of the first Vypyr and came out in the 90's. I had one, they made a couple of mistakes on that amp but learned and moved on.

The first Vypyrs offered a variety of amp emulations with two modes, you just pushed the amp selection knob and got either a green LED (clean) or a red one (way dirty). The VIP added a third mode - orange LED (overdrive) which was in between in terms of gain.

I recently bought a new (I NEVER buy new!!!) Vypyr X1 at Guitar Center. If the master volume was too low, it squealed, an annoying high pitched tone.
Since I record in my condo and share a ceiling and wall with neighbors I can't always turn the amp up past the squeal point to record.
I went back to Guitar Center and the other X1 they had did the same thing so I showed the manager and a couple days later returned the amp for a refund. I'll wait, maybe they'll fix it. Meanwhile, the VIP 1 is my jam, I love that thing.

[vvv]

I have a small ranch house to record in and cool neighbors so I can run 50w. into a 1x12" OK; I stop when the window glass shakes, or I can't stand to be in the room with it.

And I have a few amps, which I am conflicted about, because I have a cuppla faves so I actually have a lot of redundancy. I s'pose I'm a unintentional collector ... it's just that I never sell any musical anything.

One thing I do is I tend to use one amp for a group of songs, which is cool and fun, gets me into it.

This week is my Blackstar Soloist with an EV609 close and a SB 23L for room and/or M/S.

I've never actually recorded my Transtube, having bought it to be a small amp in my then-city office to fool with after work ...

P'rhaps I'll do some songs withit next.

[KuruPrionz]

I have a small ranch house to record in and cool neighbors so I can run 50w. into a 1x12" OK; I stop when the window glass shakes, or I can't stand to be in the room with it.

And I have a few amps, which I am conflicted about, because I have a cuppla faves so I actually have a lot of redundancy. I s'pose I'm a unintentional collector ... it's just that I never sell any musical anything.

One thing I do is I tend to use one amp for a group of songs, which is cool and fun, gets me into it.

This week is my Blackstar Soloist with an EV609 close and a SB 23L for room and/or M/S.

I've never actually recorded my Transtube, having bought it to be a small amp in my then-city office to fool with after work ...

P'rhaps I'll do some songs withit next.

A friend asked me once "Are you an accumulator?" Then he gave me 4 guitars. I almost kept the Ovation Glen Campbell 12 string but I hate the round back to I sold all of them.
Got somebody coming to look at an amp today, I'll never miss it. I have a couple others I want to move along to happy new owners, all in good time.

Which Transtube amp do you own?

[vvv]

Good kinda friend to have then, for each other.

My PV is the Audition 110.