EQing DIs?

[Damian B]

I'm not able to do any recording this week (university exams ), so I can't test this myself, but anyway, has anyone ever tried EQing DIs before they hit the amp/ampsim? It seems like you could eq out some of the lows and perhaps create a tubescreamer-type tightening effect. Hmmm, maybe you could even use a multi-band comp (just a little on the lows)?

Thoughts?

 

[ahjteam]

I've used it, works similiarly to an eq pedal (d'oh!)

 

[Aaron Smith]

The only time I use amp sims is for tracking DIs for later reamping with real amps, but I've had decent results applying EQ to the DI signal before the amp sim. It takes some pretty drastic EQ changes in order to cause a negligible difference in the sound you hear after the amp sim, though. When I tracked all the rhythms for my band's album I used Pod Farm, and basically just dialed in the absolute best sound I could using only parameters and options within Pod Farm (tubescreamer, amp settings, post EQ, cab/mic...everything), and then ended up still scooping out a good chunk of low end/low mid and crap on the DI before the amp sim. It's probably best viewed as a last resort, and if you intend to actually reamp later, definitely don't print your EQ to the DI files, just leave them raw. In my case, the DIs sounded just fine and ready for real amps, but the EQing I did was necessitated by the fact that the small version of Pod Farm I have (I didn't buy the more expensive one) doesn't have a huge amount of tone options...

 

[muckypup1]

Because I have a cheap interface/cable thing, I have to boost the treble on my DI tracks a bit before the amp sim, because they do sound a bit muddy sometimes, especially with low tunings.

 

[ahjteam]

Because I have a cheap interface/cable thing, I have to boost the treble on my DI tracks a bit before the amp sim, because they do sound a bit muddy sometimes, especially with low tunings.

have you tried:

- using an active di-box?
- changing the cable?
- changing the strings?
- changing the guitar?

 

[muckypup1]

have you tried:

- using an active di-box?
- changing the cable?
- changing the strings?
- changing the guitar?

Yeah, I've tried it with 3 different guitars, all with new sets of strings and I get the same results. Its not too bad though.

 

[if6was9]

I've done it before when re-amping to shape the tone a bit more, just kinda took out a little low mids and gave a slight increase somewhere in the upper mids, it just helped clear up the tone a little and added a little clarity. Wasn't anything major but it certainly made the tone that little bit better- and in this game its all the little things that add up!

 

[006]

Same here, I just do it when I can't get anything I like with the raw DI, kind of a last resort thing to try I suppose.