Doubt about using direct box or not!

[FrancescoFiligoi]

Hi all, I'm stuck between buying a direct box or not.

I own a Presonus Firestudio Mobile http://www.presonus.com/products/Detail.aspx?ProductId=58

check the tech specs, they are awesome in my opinion.

What I don't know is:

should I just plug the guitar into the:
Instrument Input (¼" TRS, Channels 1 & 2)
-Type TS Female Unbalanced
-Input Impedance 1 MΩ

or plug the guitar into a direct box (in my case RADIAL JDV, the best active box around from what I've heard) and then plug the XLR output of the direct box into the:
Microphone Preamp (XLR Balanced)
-Frequency Response (+0, -0.5 dB) 20 Hz to 50 kHz
-Frequency Response (+0/-3.0 dB) 20 Hz to 150 kHz
-Input Impedance 1.6 kΩ
-THD + N (unwtd, 1 kHz @ +4 dBu Output, Unity Gain) < 0.008 %
-EIN (unwtd, 55 dB Gain, 150&#937; Input, 20 Hz to 22 kHz) –130 dBu
-S/N Ratio
-(Unity Gain, unwtd, Ref = +4 dBu, 20 Hz to 22 kHz) >101 dB
-Common Mode Rejection Ratio (1 kHz, 55 dB Gain) >55 dB
-Gain Control Range (± 1 dB) –10 dB to 70 dB
-Maximum Input level (Unity Gain, 1 kHz@0.5% THD+N) +14 dBu
-Phantom Power (± 2 VDC) +48 VDC

What would be the best option, speaking about quality?
Thank you all.

 

[lolzgreg]

Hi all, I'm stuck between buying a direct box or not.

I own a Presonus Firestudio Mobile http://www.presonus.com/products/Detail.aspx?ProductId=58

check the tech specs, they are awesome in my opinion.

What I don't know is:

should I just plug the guitar into the:
Instrument Input (¼" TRS, Channels 1 & 2)
-Type TS Female Unbalanced
-Input Impedance 1 M&#937;

The instrument input of the Firestudio doesn't sound bad in THIS case, because the input impedance is 1 M&#937; ; that is the imput impedance of most guitar amplifiers, which is a good thing.

Can you borrow a DI box from someone to A/B it with your Firestudio?

 

[FrancescoFiligoi]

The instrument input of the Firestudio doesn't sound bad in THIS case, because the input impedance is 1 M&#937; ; that is the imput impedance of most guitar amplifiers, which is a good thing.

Can you borrow a DI box from someone to A/B it with your Firestudio?

Unfortunately not. I live in a small town in the north east of Italy, no one knows about direct boxes round here.

 

[lolzgreg]

Record DIs, post 'em, and we'll let you know if they're good or not.

New strings, DIs peaking around -3dB, well intonated, etc.

 

[FrancescoFiligoi]

Record DIs, post 'em, and we'll let you know if they're good or not.

New strings, DIs peaking around -3dB, well intonated, etc.

Btw, at least using a direct box and the mic preamp would work very well, I think. But direct box = money...

 

[Tokyurot]

I thought that the best quality of sound would come in this case by connecting your guitar
straight to the mic preamp without a DI-box. can someone verify whether that's correct or not?

Now I got hit by some serious gas since I don't have a decent audio interface yet,
will most likely buy this Mobile for myself as a x-mas present

 

[FrancescoFiligoi]

I thought that the best quality of sound would come in this case by connecting your guitar
straight to the mic preamp without a DI-box. can someone verify whether that's correct or not?

Now I got hit by some serious gas since I don't have a decent audio interface yet,
will most likely buy this Mobile for myself as a x-mas present

My friend, this is really the best option in that price range.
Awesome features.

speaking about my topic, I notice that the mic preamp is a xlr/jack trs combo, so maybe going direct into that input would not be bad.

 

[exoslime]

after looking at the specs of your Presonus Firestudio Mobile, i suggest to use a di-box,
because it seems that your soundcard doesnt have a hi-z input.

to achieve the best tonal quality out of the guitar siignal you need an impedance matching input (hi-z called)..
many soundcards already have a so-called instrument input, with the needed high impedance, but yours not.
therefore are di-boxes made.. they have a high impedance input (for guitars, basses..) and a low impedance output for your soundcard

cheers
chris

 

[FrancescoFiligoi]

after looking at the specs of your Presonus Firestudio Mobile, i suggest to use a di-box,
because it seems that your soundcard doesnt have a hi-z input.

to achieve the best tonal quality out of the guitar siignal you need an impedance matching input (hi-z called)..
many soundcards already have a so-called instrument input, with the needed high impedance, but yours not.
therefore are di-boxes made.. they have a high impedance input (for guitars, basses..) and a low impedance output for your soundcard

cheers
chris

Thank you so much.

 

[AudioGeekZine]

after looking at the specs of your Presonus Firestudio Mobile, i suggest to use a di-box,
because it seems that your soundcard doesnt have a hi-z input.

to achieve the best tonal quality out of the guitar siignal you need an impedance matching input (hi-z called)..
many soundcards already have a so-called instrument input, with the needed high impedance, but yours not.
therefore are di-boxes made.. they have a high impedance input (for guitars, basses..) and a low impedance output for your soundcard

cheers
chris

AKA instrument input which is printed right on the front panel and on the gain knobs. There's just no switch to go from line to instrument level.
So he's fine.

 

[AudioGeekZine]

 

[Mutant]

should I just plug the guitar into the:
Instrument Input (¼" TRS, Channels 1 & 2)
-Type TS Female Unbalanced
-Input Impedance 1 M&#937;

Yep

 

[AudioGeekZine]

The benefit of a DI box, besides potentially better sound, is the Thru jack to run to an amp or other effects simultaneously. You can't do that with just the interface.

 

[exoslime]

AKA instrument input which is printed right on the front panel and on the gain knobs. There's just no switch to go from line to instrument level.
So he's fine.

aah, yeah, your right.. i just did not look carefully enough..

 

[FrancescoFiligoi]

The benefit of a DI box, besides potentially better sound, is the Thru jack to run to an amp or other effects simultaneously. You can't do that with just the interface.

but I can process the sound with an amp sim in my sequencer!

 

[FrancescoFiligoi]

Yep

So, is ONE MEGAOHM enough? How much ohms does a GOOD input need?

 

[deLuther]

1 MOhm is enough.

 

[Dalinkwent48@aim.com]

but I can process the sound with an amp sim in my sequencer!

yeah u can process the sound...but the signal going in will def have an effect on the way the sound gets processed

 

[Mutant]

So, is ONE MEGAOHM enough? How much ohms does a GOOD input need?

Most amplifiers have 1 Mohm inputs.

Thats why most DI Boxes have 1 Mohm inputs

 

[Jevil]

Last week I bought a M-Audio Profire, it is more or less same kind of interface. If I'm not mistake Profire is also 1 MOhm.

I tried it direct and through a DI Box, and couldn't notice the difference.
Perhaps if you are a bat or a dolphin you may notice some differences, but I guess you are not.

So my answer is that you don't need a DI Box.