Bass amp fault diagnosis help please (became merits/downsides of XLR DI outputs on amps)

ecc83

"https://www.kenable.co.uk/en/audio-/guitar-leads-mic-xlr/microphone-xlr-leads/5310-balanced-xlr-3-pin-socket-to-635mm-male-stereo-jack-plug-cable-3m-005310-5055383453108.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAgeeqBhBAEiwAoDDhn5bYvIUFG_1Wei0MH7Je3zPindo1YESjKSYYQSLlBOK69Atk9fQX2BoCImoQAvD_BwE"

That should take the XLR DI output to the line input of the AI (mixer? Do we know?) Of course, there is still the possibility of a hum, aka ground/earth loop but we can cross that bridge if and when?

Dave.

DartmoorHedgehog

ICBM said:

DartmoorHedgehog said:

But I think that would cut the signal to the power amp wouldn't it?

No, usually only plugging into the FX return cuts the signal path.

The only issue will be if it's one of the daft amps that have the FX loop before the EQ.

Ah OK, that's promising then.  Long time since I've had an amp with a loop.  If that works it'll be easy.  When she finds somebody to fix whatever's broken I'll suggest she tries that.

DartmoorHedgehog

ecc83 said:

"https://www.kenable.co.uk/en/audio-/guitar-leads-mic-xlr/microphone-xlr-leads/5310-balanced-xlr-3-pin-socket-to-635mm-male-stereo-jack-plug-cable-3m-005310-5055383453108.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAgeeqBhBAEiwAoDDhn5bYvIUFG_1Wei0MH7Je3zPindo1YESjKSYYQSLlBOK69Atk9fQX2BoCImoQAvD_BwE"

That should take the XLR DI output to the line input of the AI (mixer? Do we know?) Of course, there is still the possibility of a hum, aka ground/earth loop but we can cross that bridge if and when?

Dave.

It's a little USB AI, can't remember what make (all I know is it's not a Focusrite because it's not the same as mine), but it does take line or instrument signal on 1/4".  I've got one of those cables so if the FX send isn't suitable then I can send it up to her to try (once she gets the amp fixed)

DartmoorHedgehog

Thought I should post a follow-up to this. She found a local guy who fixed the amp for her. A few ICs on one of the boards fried apparently. He charged £75, which I thought was quite reasonable (few parts plus an hour's labour?), but obviously a significant amount on a student budget - she won't make the same mistake again  

Stratavarious

Forget the XLR out on the amp.

Bass 1/4” into the DI box, ‘pass through’, link or tuner out on 1/4” to the amp.   Then the DI box XLR out to the recording interface.

That way the desk gets the pure and clear signal of the bass (can be processed with amp sims after)… and any fiddling on the bass amp live is irrelevant as it is after the capture point.

I use this all the time for recording with back line.  I also have coloured cables.. if I have 48v for an active DI box, it will have an identifiable cable that is not black to avoid sending 48v into the wrong equipment.

DartmoorHedgehog

Stratavarious said:

Forget the XLR out on the amp.

Bass 1/4” into the DI box, ‘pass through’, link or tuner out on 1/4” to the amp.   Then the DI box XLR out to the recording interface.
.

Yes, she says she's taped over it now so she won't do the same thing again. But I think the reason she was trying to get an output from the amp in the first place (rather than going directly into the DAW) was because she'd been asked to do it that way as part of a recording assignment on her uni course, rather than something she wants to do regularly.  The next part of the course will probably be "this is why it's better to do it a different way"

ICBM

Stratavarious said:

Forget the XLR out on the amp.

Bass 1/4” into the DI box, ‘pass through’, link or tuner out on 1/4” to the amp.   Then the DI box XLR out to the recording interface.

That way the desk gets the pure and clear signal of the bass (can be processed with amp sims after)… and any fiddling on the bass amp live is irrelevant as it is after the capture point.

I must admit this is something that annoys me about sound engineers at gigs - they all want to do that. I know what sound I want on my bass and I will set the amp EQ to give it. The sound engineer doesn’t, and the FOH sound can then bear no resemblance to it at all… I have recordings from the desk at gigs where the bass just sounds wrong, because the EQ they set was totally different.

I understand not wanting *level* changes on the amp to screw up the mix, but that’s why the DI on most amps is pre-master volume.

Anyway, I decided that the easiest way to solve the problem was not to argue with them but to let them do that, and just use an amp simulator pedal before the DI box…

Sorry .