I record guitar and bass at the house and I record everything direct and use software for the amp stuff (positive grid amp/fx 99% of the time). I recently picked up a charvel that has way hotter pickups then any guitar i have been recording with in a long while. Direct with this guitar can hit the input of my interface pretty hard, with the low output pickups I always keep the gain all the way down and never ran into any input overdrive issues. But I hit it with this charvel now. Will a DI allow me to pad it down and not overdrive the input is that what a DI is for, or is that a good use to get a DI for?
Want to make sure Im on the right track before I drop $100 on one.
Do I need a DI?
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Re: Do I need a DI?
Did you try turning the volume knob, on your guitar, down?
Anything you put between the guitar and your A/D converter (to lower the signal amplitude) is going to do the same thing as turning the volume down on your guitar.
A DI box is for converting unbalanced, 1/4" bass or guitar signals, to balanced microphone XLR inputs.... low z to high z.
Since, your A/D converter is already doing that for you, when you plug in with your guitar cable, you don't need a DI box.
If your A/D converter has a 20db input pad, it still does the same thing as turning your guitar's volume knob down.
Anything you put between the guitar and your A/D converter (to lower the signal amplitude) is going to do the same thing as turning the volume down on your guitar.
A DI box is for converting unbalanced, 1/4" bass or guitar signals, to balanced microphone XLR inputs.... low z to high z.
Since, your A/D converter is already doing that for you, when you plug in with your guitar cable, you don't need a DI box.
If your A/D converter has a 20db input pad, it still does the same thing as turning your guitar's volume knob down.
1969 Sunn Solarus ● 2x 1980's Randall RG-80 ● 2013 Hi-Tone HT103-DG (Best Rig 2014) ● 2015 Mortatone 12/15 Cab w/EV SRO's ● 2017 Jubilee ● 2019 Ceriatone Model Tee ● 2019 Randall Diavlo ● 2020 VHT D50 Dumble Clone
Walt wrote:But when the hour is nigh, and the lights are low, and I got a little toothpick of a shwag joint in my teeth, and my friends want to hear me play "Into the Void", or "TNT", "or "Cemetery Gates"...I plug my 600 dollar guitar into my 150 dollar amp, and I am a Rawk gawd.
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Re: Do I need a DI?
ahh, so I dont need one. my interface does not have a pad ill try backing off the volume a bit and see how it does. Thats good I can spend my money on a reamping box which is what I have been wanting anyways. 

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Re: Do I need a DI?
Awesome! Glad I could help. 

1969 Sunn Solarus ● 2x 1980's Randall RG-80 ● 2013 Hi-Tone HT103-DG (Best Rig 2014) ● 2015 Mortatone 12/15 Cab w/EV SRO's ● 2017 Jubilee ● 2019 Ceriatone Model Tee ● 2019 Randall Diavlo ● 2020 VHT D50 Dumble Clone
Walt wrote:But when the hour is nigh, and the lights are low, and I got a little toothpick of a shwag joint in my teeth, and my friends want to hear me play "Into the Void", or "TNT", "or "Cemetery Gates"...I plug my 600 dollar guitar into my 150 dollar amp, and I am a Rawk gawd.
Re: Do I need a DI?
From what I understand, the Focusrite Scarlett 2nd gen interfaces fixed this problem so that way you don't need a DI or pad to keep it from clipping.
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Re: Do I need a DI?
In 25 years, I've had to use a DI twice. They were live shows where I wasn't permitted to use an amp.
You don't need one.
You don't need one.
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