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Problems With Di Recording


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Hello

I just bought a DI Box and I have a problem with getting a wet signal with it.
I want to record a tube preamp through it and to have the advantage of easy editing. So I want to record it with the preamp connected and I want to keep that sound but to have a waveform that is easier to edit. The problem is that I dont hear the preamp at all, Reaper is recording just the dry signal. Could somebody tell me how to set it up ? Am I missing something ?

Connection:
guitar=DI Box IN
preamp=DI Box OUT->preamp IN
interface=DI Box->XLR->Mic In of my Tone Port

The DI Box is a Palmer 01, recording is set up for mic input 1.

 

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Try this . . .

 

Guitar --> Pre-amp in

Pre-amp out-->DI 1/4" In

DI XLR Out-->Toneport Mic In

 

You could also plug the pre-amp directly into the TonePort's line-in's and eliminate the DI.

 

I tried it and it worked. I mean, I can hear the preamp now. Now, there's still a problem because the waveform does not look like a DI signal, looks almost the same as my line-recorded preamp signal. And I want to use this DI Box to be able to edit easier. I set up two tracks to record, one with send 1 and the other with send 3. But they both seem to be wet and they are the same visually, not good.

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In order to get both a wet and a dry signal, you'll have to feed signals into the TonePort twice; a dry one from the DI/splitter, and a wet one from the pre-amp.  The TonePort cannot take a wet signal and make it dry.

 

I'm not sure what you are trying to do will work with your current setup.

 

Does your pre-amp have either an XLR input or XLR output?  If so, I can suggest something that will work.

 

Another suggestion . . . Why don't you use the TonePort as the pre-amp?  There are several decent pre-amps in there.  Use sends 1&2 as processed and 3&4 as unprocessed.

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Yes my preamp has an XLR line out. What do you mean by using the TP as a preamp ? I think that when I record I should have two tracks armed at the same time. The first one should get me the wet signal and the other one a dry signal which should be different visually. That would be ok too. Cause I would "see" on the dry signal where to cut/paste in the wet signal. I would just edit them both at the same time.

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By wet I mean only the tone from the preamp. I dont use gearbox at all when recording. By dry I mean a clean signal without any tones, a DI signal.

I mean this device is supposed to split my signal into two just like BigChas52 said. So while I have the preamp connected to it, I should end up with two simultaneously armed tracks which record those two seperate signals. IDK.

 

 
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OK . . . Try this

 

Guitar --> 1/4" DI Input

1/4" DI through --> pre-amp input

pre-amp XLR out --> TonePort Mic1

DI XLR Out --> TonePort Mic2

 

In the ASIO console, change the Input Source to "Mic 1 & 2"

 

Record sends 1-2 will be your "wet" side from your pre-amp

Record Sends 3-4 will be your "dry" side, direct from your guitar.

 

This should work nicely

 

As a separate conversation, Gearbox (also POD Farm 1, which is free), has some decent tube pre-amps built into it.  You could just plug your guitar into the TonePort, bring up one of the pre-amps and record directly.  You can set Sends 1&2 to Reaper as "processed/wet" and Sends 3&4 as "unprocessed/dry"  I don't know if this will sound any better than what you are trying to accomplish with the extra outboard gear, but it's sure a lot simpler.

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OK, just tried this setup and it works ! Now I have two tracks, one wet and the other one is dry so I can now edit the DI signal and just apply the cuts or whatever to the wet track.

BigChas52, Triryche thanks for your help.

Additional question: is it worthwile to buy a better DI Box like a Radial ? This setup works but maybe a higher quality DI will produce less hums or inteferences ?

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I cannot say if a better DI would help.  Hums and noise can come from lots of sources.  CRT's, flouescent lights, ground loops, dirty power, and other things can add noise.

 

Before you go out and invest more $$, why not at least try recording with only the TonePort and Gearbox.  Try using the "Tube Instrument Preamp" for starters.  You may find that you like the results.

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Well its actually the fact that the tone is a bit altered as opposed to the one recorded thru line-in. It is a bit more hollow, less upper frequencies. So I was figuring that maybe the Radial would not alter it in any way. Yes, I recorded some songs with Gearbox. But a tube preamplifier's distortion is so much better, richer.

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