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[Blap]

Hello,

When tracking bass through DI, what is your usual chain?  I have an Avalon U5.  Is is normal to just go Bass-U5-Converters-DAW, or should I run into a mic preamp after the U5?

If I want to run a compressor, Should that be Bass-U5-Compressor-Mic preamp-Converters-DAW, or Bass-U5-MicPre-Compressor-Converters-DAW?  

Thanks for tips and suggestions!

[j.hall]

bass - DI - comp - analog tape......

i might throw a moog 3 band EQ on it after the comp, or a sphere 3 band if i'm feeling the need.

i'm no purist

i print the tone i want.  saves me time in the mix, something i used to never do.  but now that i mix other peoples tracks, variety is REALLY annoying.  "what does the guitar player want? this track, or this track?  blend them?  which one louder, or equal.....pan left or go stereo?

i mix alone OFTEN......makes these decisions difficult as you know whatever you do they'll want it the other way.....hahahaha

so when i track, i commit......no three mics per guitar tone all printed to their own channel.....i don't need to choose later.

same with bass....i always used to do mic and di and deal with it later

screw that, roll tape, get a great sound that matches the drums you got, hammer it, pry bar it, EQ it, whatever you want....and just print it.

[Fibes]

I'm not a fan of the Avalon stuff but in my experience the U5 is a DI/instrument preamp. Meaning you don't need another pre after it. Compression and eq are a part of my DI tone to the storage medium, they can be yours too if you see fit.

[Blap]

Thanks for the tips guys! So I don't have to run to a mic pre after the DI.  

Kevin..just curious and if you don't mind...what don't you like about the Avalon stuff?  I also have a Great River NV preamp/DI that I sometimes use.

[Fibes]

Blap wrote on Wed, 26 May 2004 21:07

Thanks for the tips guys! So I don't have to run to a mic pre after the DI.   Kevin..just curious and if you don't mind...what don't you like about the Avalon stuff?  I also have a Great River NV preamp/DI that I sometimes use.

The Avalon stuff i speak of is mainly their pres and compressors. I've found choice bands of their eqs to be useful but their stuff just ain't my bag. I'm into color and the Avalon doesn't suit me. Maybe it's that i've worked with so many guys who rave about it... Everything has it's place and now that i've said i don't like it, it'll end up rocking my world in the near future. That's just the way it is.

I'm really into that TAB Funkenwerk instrument DI. Is anyone using one? The original V72 is a bass must have, does the TAB unit hit it?

[j.hall]

check out an "evil twin" DI

i have one, and it's simply incredible!!!!

no need for any other DI EVER....

[Ross Hogarth]

Bass Recording ....
The bass di that j. mentions ...the evil twin .... has a nickel core Jensen output transformer on it that puts out line level. Because of this you do not need a mic pre or anything else in front of you tape/DAW input.
There is a new Di that I also love, since for years I have been using Bruce of Eclair Audio's Evil Twin, the new di is called the REDDI . The REDDI rocks with punch and warmth and clarity.
In it's first run the output still needs a level boost so you still need a mic pre before the input to tape. The Demeter is the same here as most Di's do not have enough gain to get to tape without a boost.
Now if you actually want eq or compression, there is not a hard and fast rule about eq before compression or compression before eq.
In the text books , they always say compression before eq because then you are not eq'ing the compression BUT sometimes that is exactly what you want to do. The reason for this is if you boost the frequency you want squashed it will even itself out even more OR cut the frequency that is uneven and then compress it so it will provide a similar result

I am the same a Kevin(Fibes) and am not an Avalon guy. So I am not the guy to talk about Avalon gear. I do not think the Evil Twin is available anymore so most are shit out of luck there too. I have 2 because I knew this would be the case someday. The REDDI is great, the Demeter is very solid, Di input on an API or Great River works fine as many others. Distressors are great Bass compressors, 1176's, LA2a's and on and on

[otek]

I am not a big fan of the Avalon sound on bass. It tends to sound too "polite". I like a little more grit.

Recent faves include a passive D.I. into a Daking compressor/EQ. I also used an Amek CIB which works great.

Even the SansAmp PSA-2 can work nicely, altough I would play it safe and run a clean D.I. beside it.

Ross, you like the Demeter D.I.'s and bass pres? They have no dealership in Sweden... Any more opinions about them?

[lucey]

add the GTQ2 pre to your list, great bass DI



the ADL DI box is simple and sounds good with a nice GE n.o.s. tube

[Fibes]

lucey wrote on Fri, 28 May 2004 05:55

add the GTQ2 pre to your list, great bass DI

Yeah, but it's so much more than that too. I have serial number 001 of the original run of ten. I feel so blessed.  


MMMMMM API, and sometimes the Peavey VMP2, yep i said it shoot me.
I liked the Demeter DI, especially the dual one. I dunno why, maybe the vintage but it struck me as a better sounding unit. I've had my eyes peeled for an evil twin for a while but it looks like I'm picking up an original issue Mesa Dual recto half stack for 700 bucks this week. Yeah, like I need another amp...


No word on the TAB Funkenwerk?

[otek]

Fibes wrote on Fri, 28 May 2004 15:34

it looks like I'm picking up an original issue Mesa Dual recto half stack for 700 bucks this week. Yeah, like I need another amp...

Damn. I am so jealous. I sold mine several years ago (yes, I am a dumbass). Speaking of collectibles, mine was the last of the original production run to feature a stainless front.

The new ones sound nothing like it. I mean, nothing.

As for the Siemens, there's a guy from the old RecPit who uses one, Jason at Sonikwire. He said it was awesome. Bass players wanted to take it with them home!

[Meriphew]

I love the sound of a good Fender Jazz bass DI'd through an API.

[Fibes]

Quote:

Damn. I am so jealous. I sold mine several years ago (yes, I am a dumbass). Speaking of collectibles, mine was the last of the original production run to feature a stainless front.

I had one of the first ones to roll off the line. I sold it before the new ones came out. The new ones don't do it at all.


I normally don't dig 1272s for bass but the emo album i just finished has a pretty cool tone that was helped a good bit by the 1272s grit. Add the Joe meek SC2 into the equation and you have a tone so fat it'll crush a busload of sumo wrasslers and out punch Tyson at a strip club. The SC2 on bass is a touchy love it or leave it enterprise.

I've been doing a lot more eq after compression as of late, good thing i don't have any 1081s around, it'd be tricky to pull that off.

[Ross Hogarth]

otek wrote on Thu, 27 May 2004 22:25

Ross, you like the Demeter D.I.'s and bass pres? They have no dealership in Sweden... Any more opinions about them?

The Demeter is a staple of the recording world here in the US. Jim Demeter created a simple tube direct that is clear punchy and has mids.

The evil twin is much fatter but sometimes to fat and goes really from earth to light in it's frequency response. This makes it susceptible to noise and the need to roll bottom off at 10-30 cycles.
I happen to be very big fan of the Demeter Di in it's original box, not the rack mount unit. Just a simple one channel box di. It needs to go to a mic pre so a bass chain might be demeter > neve 1084/1073> tape or compressor to tape
The new Reddi Di from A Designs kicks ass too. I am not sure if it has hit the market yet. When it does I believe it will make it's own noise.

[Blap]

I think the Aurora box is going to be my next big buy.  I talked to Geoff on the phone earlier this year and he got me pretty excited about it.