HX Effects as DI?

[shoffman14]

Hi, I am interested in reamping my electric guitar in my home studio.  Would I be able to split the input of the Hxfx and have output 1 going to my tube amp, then use Output 2 or Send 1 as a completely clean DI to my uad apollo input in place of a DI box, which I could then use to reamp later?  If so, do I have to do anything special or use a specific output setting?  I figured I would check before I purchased a DI box.

[soundog]

(I'm doing similar things, but using a Stomp instead of an HX FX.) You could use the Sends on your HX and use Send Blocks in your signal chain accordingly.  But I'm a bit of a signal purist, so now use a Samson MDA1 active direct box. The MDA1 is phantom powered, so I plug it's XLR output into my Apollo XLR with phantom power applied. This gives me a nice clean signal into my DAW (only one A/D conversion, and there is a ground lift and a pad switch if needed). Then, the MDA1 splits the 1/4" input signal (guitar) to a separate 1/4" output, which I can use to go to my amp either direct, or through the Stomp for effects. The clean guitar signal from DAW can then either be re-amped or (more often for me) treated with an amp sim in the box (I use HX native, S-Gear, and NeuralDSP stuff).

 

Yeah, the MDA1 is not completely necessary, but it cost me $35 and has provided me with a lot of flexibility in the studio because of the split input.

[shoffman14]

Thank you very much for your reply.  That’s really cool.  I was actually looking at the same DI box.  I wanted to initially go into a DI box, which would split the clean DI to my apollo, then the other output to the hxfx then split the signal to two tube amps and blend them together, but then thought it would be cheaper to play one amp live and split the hxfx’s second signal as a DI and reamp that to my second amp to blend later.  I got cold feet because youtube videos were saying you needed more expensive DI boxes to avoid signal degradation and since I never worked with a DI before I didn’t know what to believe.  I also got confused because I am using both a Les Paul with paf pickups and a 7 string schecter with active pickups and they were saying for active pickups to use a passive DI box and for passive pickups an active DI box, and I didn’t want to buy two.  I am double tracking guitars and using a different guitar for each track.  Have you compared the signal quality from the samson DI to your line 6 stomp direct to see if there is any difference in tonal quality?  I want to try to get the best signal possible when I reamp.  Thanks again.

[soundog]

I haven't measured the signals to compare, but to my ears they are identical. I get no audible degradation through the MDA1 or I wouldn't be using it. Are you able to order through, say, Amazon for easy returns with no charge to ship/return? If so, just try a DI out at home. I am not sure about signal quality active vs passive pickups through passive vs active DIs (I'm using Strats/passive), so you may have to experiment.

[shoffman14]

Ok, that sounds good.  The Samson MDA1 has lots of good reviews, and isn't that expensive, so it's definitely worth a try.  I am excited to try it out.  Thank you very much for your reply.

[bobcoss]

Unless I don't understand what you are trying to do, you don't need to purchase a DI to do this.  In your HXE, put a SendReturn(send1) block at the beginning of your chain.  By default, the send output will be at full volume (0.0) and the Dry Thru also.  That will allow you to control the levels you pass, but I don't know of any reason to change it.

 

There won't be any signal degredation doing this.  I don't know anything about the apollo, but I suspect you can record the dry signal from the HXE on one channel, and output (via loadbox) from your amp to record on a separate channel.  That will also allow you to reamp in your DAW, or take the output from your apollo back into the input for the HXE and reamp it to your hearts content.

 

Happy recording

[shoffman14]

Yes, That was what I was trying to do.  Thank you very much for your reply too.  I wanted to have the feel of playing through my Marshall Tube amp, while also recording a clean dry signal to reamp later through my Mesa, which I would then blend with the Marshall.  I previously tried to just record a DI, direct into my Apollo, while having Helix Native on, but it didn't feel the same, and I felt the quality of the Reamp track was somehow different than what was being recorded directly through the amp.  I will try both suggestions to see which one works better for me.  It will depend on the quality I can get from the reamp, as compared to the live amp track.  If I can get a good reamp track, then I can use the HXFX exclusively, but if the Mesa doesn't track as well as the Marshall, then maybe I will split the signal before the HXFX, and use a DI for reamping some room mic tracks later, and use the HXFX to split out to both my tube amps at once and record those live into my Apollo.  The only problem with that method would be that I would have to buy both the DI box and a second Load Box, because I am using Impulse Responses, and didn't want to spend another $300-400 for a second load box.  Thank you both for your time.  Both suggestions have been very helpful.