DI'ing LSC 2x12

[JoeVFR]

Hey guys,
Stupid question time...I have always mic'd amps but recently picked up a DI box with some other gear. Can I use a DI with the LSC? I know it doesn't have a line out, but what about the speaker out? Could I still run the 2x12 and use one of the other jacks to the DI? Thanks in advance.

 

[tele_jas]

If you're talking about coming out of one of the speaker outs in to the DI, that wouldn't be good and could possibly mess up the amp and the mixing board. If you're set on trying the DI, go out of the Slave out or FX send and try it that way.

Now.......

Have you ever DI'd a tube amp? I wouldn't recommend it! It will sound like A$$. There are DI's out there with Speaker simulators that may sound decent but a regular DI won't sound too well.

Thats my $.02 worth. But you may try it so you can find out for your self (how do you think I found out)?

 

[jbird]

+1, if you don't have a line out it will sound weak and brittle. Not Good!

 

[JoeVFR]

O.K., thanks for the advice. I have been using a sm-57 and was just wondering. Think I'll stick to the original plan.

 

[Surfcaster]

I struggled with this idea for a long time. I have an F50, which has a line out that's supposed to have some EQing to make it speaker emulated, but by itself it sounds like crap. I happened to have a Tech 21 TRI OD laying around and remembered it has a speaker simulator function, so I decided to try running the signal through that. I was much improved (though the signal from the line out is really too hot, but if I keep the master around 9-9:30 it works). Then I threw a 7-band EQ pedal in between the line out and TRI OD and finally got a useable signal...it actually sounds pretty decent, but still not as good as mic'ing the speaker.

Recently I got a Weber Mini Mass attenuator that has a line out on it and this takes the signal from the speaker out (whereas the line out on the F50 is from the preamp). (This kind of device is probably what you'd need to get if your amp doesn't have a line-out feature on it, it can more or less silence your speaker if you need to while providing a constant impedance to your speaker and provide you with a line out at the same time. There is also the THD Hotplate and Dr. Z Air Brake, but the Weber is by far the best priced, depending on which model you get.) I found I still needed to run the signal through the EQ and TRI OD and the result was acceptable, but not quite as good as using the line out signal and certainly not as good as mic'ing the speaker.

I've been tempted by those DI's that have cab sims built into them, but frankly, I bet it's still inferior to mic'ing.

 

[JoeVFR]

Along those lines...Does everyone mic for every gig? We play some small bars, but still mic everything. We could probably get away just going through our amps, but we seem to get a better balance by mic'ing. I just can't get as good a sound through the FOH speakers than my amp and never seem to have the time to tweak it before the gig.

 

[tele_jas]

I mic for every gig with my Boogies..... I did go out and get a Vox Tonelab for the REALLY SMALL gigs and run that direct to the board. It gets me by and sounds pretty decent (Better than a DI'd boogie, but it just doesnt quite feel right after playing tube amps for 20 years and I cant wait to get back to my Boogie. So yes, I do mic my boogie at every gig I use it at.

Just some FYI: The only time I don't use my Tonelab is (like I said) for the really small gigs where there isn't room for an amp or the crowd is only 2 feet away from the stage.