How much of a difference will a dedicated DI box make?

[Cognition]

Looking into getting a Radial J48.

Just wondering if it will make a significant difference to my guitar sound, or if it is all down to mixing skills?

Below is one of my recent mixes. Would the guitar sound improve much going into a Radial J48 instead of direct into my audio interface (E-mu 0404USB), or would this be a ridiculous purchase before my mixing skills are better? I only use VSTs for the distortion.

 

[marios.blythe]

upload the di and we will check the quality mate
anyway good mix but the guitar it's too fizzy.. try to remove some highs from the amp simulator and put a high pass filter at 8000-9000khz...and add more bass at amp simulator!

 

[JakeAC5253]

Professional = uses DI box
Amateur = doesn't use DI box

Decide which side you are on, all things considered DI boxes are very cheap pieces of professional audio gear.

 

[MatrixClaw]

Most modern mid-ranged interfaces have very good DIs, and adding a $100 DI to them really isn't going to increase sound quality much, if any at all. However, it might increase quality a little with the interface you have, but I'd probably just upgrade the whole thing, instead. Then you'd get a better DI, better preamps and better conversion, for about the same price.

 

[HCL]

I'd say it's a 10-15% increase in clarity and quality. Not earth shattering but it definitely helps. One thing I noticed is how playing through ampsims suddenly felt considerably more natural, although I still hate doing it.

 

[Cognition]

Thanks so much for all comments so far! That's really helpful!

DI:
https://www.box.com/s/qzbh5i1h9fyeo9eukatx
(3mb wav file, mono)

Interface:
I was actually planning to upgrade my interface to the new Steinberg UR22 (because of dodgy drivers for my current interface). The Steinberg UR22 has Class A D-PRE mic preamps (Yamaha) and a hi-z button. Do you reckon this interface would be good enough? I don't need more inputs.

Conclusion:
I'll probably look into getting Steinberg UR22 + Radial J48, unless it's more sensible to just get another interface, although I don't need more than 1 mic input and 1 instrument input.

 

[MatrixClaw]

^If you're looking to get away from bad drivers, I'd probably steer clear of anything made by Steinberg. I dunno how the UR22 is fairing, but Steinberg is notorious for having horrid drivers for quite a while after release. I wanted an MR816 for quite a while but never ended up getting it because of the horror stories I'd heard of its drivers - Thought about getting the UR824 instead when it was released, but it had similar issues - Hell, they didn't even fully support their own units on the release of Cubase 7...

 

[deLuther]

E-Mu 0404 USB have good DI it`s only shortcoming in low input level (+12 dbV), can be problems with passive pickups or active at 18 V.
So dedicated DI box can help alot.
DI sample have clipping, but there is one strange thing - too much high pass, 0404 pres does not have such.
Possible reason - some plugin can be forgotten at DI mixdown, check your settings. Better to upload DI as recorded, not after mixdown.

 

[Cognition]

Thanks for further comments. I will record some DIs later today.

I´m probably replacing the EMU0404USB, as there are only Beta drivers for Win 7 64-bit. I might not get Steinberg UR-22 since the drivers might not be great. Looking into Roland UA-55 or possibly Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.

Does anyone know of an interface in this price class with killer Hi-z inputs? If not, I´ll need a Radial J48 on top.

I´ll upload some more DIs first, to get some more feedback.

 

[AllanD]

Once you get expensive stuff it is pretty significant. I've heard a DI clip of a UA Solo 610, and I'd be damned if I have ever gotten a DI as clear as that clip. It made my Focusrite's DI seem cheap and honky.

 

[Cognition]

DI: https://www.box.com/s/ovmgronxc3c5d8pu9uh6
Just a short test of bridge and neck pickup on Schecter Hellraiser C1 going direct into E-MU0404USB

Thanks for all input! Really appreciate it!

 

[deLuther]

I know several russian guys (E-Mu interfaces are pretty popular in Russia because of quality) who uses 0404 USB in windows 7 and even in windows 8 with that beta drivers without any problems.
Cognition, your guitar is equipped with EMGs at 9 V?
Then you don`t need any DI box, input level is sufficient, even blackouts at 9 V will not cause clipping.
Roland have comparable convertes to 0404 USB (but 0404 still have better top class DAC), but shitty analog part, overall result in tests on par with Avid Fast Track, which have inferior converters, and nowhere near 0404 USB.
Scarlett 2i2 have shitty Hi-Z because of maximum input level, just think of it -3 dbu (compare to +12dbV/+14.2 dbu of 0404 USB)!!! It should clip with almost any pickup, so you definitely should use DI box with that interface. Both variants will be downgrade in terms of quality.
-3 dbu means around 0.775 V peak input level (if RMS levels are used in specification), EMGs at 9 V have 2.25 V peak level, of course you can use guitar volume to reduce level, it will not change frequency response with active pickups, but this is very inconvenient.

 

[Cognition]

deLuther:
Yes, my pickups are EMG Active 81tw/89R @ 9V

So you´re saying I can´t improve the input signal by buying a new audio interface in the same price class or a nice DI Box like Radial J48, and the only thing I can do to improve my guitar sound is work on my mixing skils?

I like the idea of trying a newer interface, since EMU0404USB is not behaving perfectly for me. I can´t for certain single down the occasional crashes to the interface, but for instance, sometimes MIDI just won´t work. Sometimes it works if I turn the interface off and on again. Other times it just won´t work, so as a result, I can almost never use my keyboard.

 

[deLuther]

If you have stability issues, than you can consider other interface of course or try to optimize your computer settings, maybe something wrong.
Maybe check Avid FT C400 as option, of course quailty will be inferior to 0404 USB (maximal input level is +16 dbV with Pad), but loopback test results are better than Roland.
http://www.avid.com/US/products/Fast-Track-C400/TechSpecs
But in terms of quality 0404 USB outperforms other interfaces in this price range, dedicated DI box can give you slightly different flavour and increase input headroom (but it`s not so necessary for EMGs, because they itself limited to 2.25 V).

 

[Cognition]

Thanks for the input! My choice stands between:
-TC Desktop Konnect
-Steinberg UR22 + Radial J48
-stick to E-MU0404USB and live with the drivers
-E-MU0404USB + Radial J48

 

[schismatic]

Apologies for piggy-backing onto this topic slightly, but would a Toneport UX2 benefit from a dedicated DI box? I've got one but I have no idea of the relative quality of its preamps compared to other interfaces.

 

[Joelegend]

If you don't like your stuff. It might be the guitar. I once recorded guitars while using the Profire 2626 DI input. We used an Ltd MH400 and a Ltd Viper 330, both with EMG 81 pickups. Reamping them or using an ampsim, it always sucked. So i bought the J48. It still sucked. I bought another brand of guitars and it all sucked alot less.

 

[deLuther]

Thanks for the input! My choice stands between:
-TC Desktop Konnect
-Steinberg UR22 + Radial J48
-stick to E-MU0404USB and live with the drivers
-E-MU0404USB + Radial J48

As I said before you don`t need J48 with 0404 USB for EMGs, only for passives.
And, maybe, look for BSS AR-133, it has similar price, but it has 1 MOhm impedance, or Countryman Type 10/85.
Quality of result with DI box also depends on interface mic pre, if it noisy, than DI will be also noisy.

 

[Terminus]

Also consider recording your audio at 96khz sample rate instead of 44.1khz. IMO it makes a difference especially with amp sims.

 

[decoy205]

I'm surprised no one mentioned the Redeye 3D unless I missed it.