May 22, 2004 12:24 pm a local venue i gig at does this all the time, so, i guess its fine..cant hurt em anyway...
...a DI question...
Posted on May 22, 2004 12:17 pm
vemo
Member Since: May 22, 2004
Hi all,
This is a simple YES or NO question - but I can't find the answers anywhere.
Is it wrong to run a microphone through a DI Box?
I have a Whirlwind Hotbox Quad DI Rack, and I'm thinking of using it in my home studio setup as an XLR patchbay for microphones, rather than having to reach in behind my rack everytime I need to plug a microphone in.
Am I dumb - or is this common practice? There's something telling me that DI Boxes are only for instruments...
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May 22, 2004 12:24 pm a local venue i gig at does this all the time, so, i guess its fine..cant hurt em anyway...
May 22, 2004 12:36 pm Thanks - but in a studio environment?
The level definately seems to drop through the DI as opposed to directly into the preamp.
Am I just leaving myself open to introducing more noise, or degrading the signal?
Thanks for your help.
May 22, 2004 12:43 pm dont know to be honest, but someone will here...
May 22, 2004 01:12 pm well the purpose for using a DI is to convert Line level signal (about 1.2 volts) to mic level (small in value; millivolts) and to convert unbalanced signal to balanced...
with that said, I THINK pluggin a mic into a device expecting a stronger line level signal is pointless.
May 23, 2004 10:02 pm Theoreticaly, it has the potential of introducing noise. As el Musico stated the input circutry is anticipating a larger signal. That is you are not driving the input amps at an optimal point in their amplification curve. Now in "as the ear hears it" world.... all depends. If you are using a "super cheepo" unbalanced mic for some special effect like old radio or something than you may benifit from the balancing act provided by the DI. Again, hard to say. Good rule of thumb, less number of components in the chain, less noise.
May 24, 2004 03:59 am I have an SM58 and an M-Audio Audio Buddy DI Box/Pre-Amp for my vocals/micing.
The Audio Buddy has 2 xlr ins and 1/4 ins with 1 1/4 out for each channel.
The pre-amp is very quiet and the results I have had have been great. No noise introduced as far as I can hear and very simple to use.
This box cost me £90 and the sole reason for me buying was to boost my MIC signals - if you need a decent pre-amp for your mic signals and dont want to spend a fortune, but want a good quality preamp - this one will do the job!
Noize uses one of these too and may have further input for you....
Cheers...
Coco.
May 07, 2005 05:50 am so can an audio buddy act as a di box too?
for example could you run a bass through it into a pa system? i was under the assumption they were just preamps.
or are all preamps also di boxes? wow, im confused.
May 07, 2005 08:27 am As you mentioned, I will answer your question with a simple NO! No its not wrong but it wont improve your signal, so you will gain nothing by doind that, and if you arent using batteries you may be damaging the clearness of your signal.
May 07, 2005 11:26 am yeah everyone's got this....
if you have a mic preamp it'd be alot better...
if the DI is passive (no battery) chances are it's not gonna be worth it.
mic pre's bring mic signals (weak) up to line level
DI's bring hmmm i was gonna say line level's down but i don't think that's the case...they bring INSTRUMENT (unbalanced) level to mic level (balanced) I THINK....
you've already mentioned you have a mic preamp so i would just go through that.
electricity is a strange 'substance'....i don't know the physics of it very well (although i should) impeedances, volts, and watts all are important...so what i'd do is read the manual to see what exactly it does for the signal...in a big general swoop of an answer, it'd be no. based on the fact that i've NEVER seen anyone use a DI as a mic pre.
May 07, 2005 11:58 am don't di boxes just change the high impedance signals of say a guitar's pickups, to low impedance, which a desk can accept? i always got told that the idea that it changed mic level to line level was wrong...
May 07, 2005 12:06 pm yeah you're right on that. mic level to line level is called a preamp....i'm pretty sure it's all about impedance with DI's
May 07, 2005 12:20 pm Ignore my post of last year as I didnt know then what I know now!
The answer here is as McCarty has concluded.
A DI has the role of matching impedence for the purposes of say geetars into desks etc.
A Pre-Amp brings MIC levels to line level as required for the purposes of recording i.e. something like the Audio Buddy that I own.
In response to the running a bass thru the audio buddy specificially as mentioned above, I do this all the time when recording. I therefore see no reason why you couldnt use it in a desk. Be aware that most desks have preamps anyway so you could effectively plug straight into the desk with yer bass.....no different from pluggin into the audio buddy then to a desk...just avoiding an amp.
Hope this helps...
Coco.
May 07, 2005 02:26 pm gee golly! i didn't realize this post was a year old! thought the names seemed 'fresh'...heh
May 07, 2005 03:13 pm heheh, that would be my fault.... i did a search through the threads on audio buddies, as im buying 2!
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