Question regarding DI & Pre-amps (Probably retarded)

[Siguros]

Just wondering since I can't find much out there... I imagine it is totally relevant but do pre-amps have a significant impact on a DI?

Say you have a countryman type 85 and you're running it through a cheap interface would it still be rubbish? I'm just wondering if I should buy a nice DI box and run it through my Saffire LE (Which I can not for the life of me get nice direct sounds from with passive pups) or just buying a Saffire Pro 24 DSP or something similar that has nice pre's and going direct for a while.

Cheers!

 

[Brandon E.]

In my opinion, the difference between a really lousy preamp and a decent one is larger than the difference between an interface's hi-z input and a DI Box. For instance when I first started recording I had some tascam USB interface and when I upgraded to a Saffire Pro 40 there was a massive difference. But the difference between the Countryman Type 85 compared to the instrument input on my Saffire Pro 40 was so negligible that I sold the Countryman. I did that test back when all of my guitars had actives though, so maybe it is time for a revisit.

 

[Siguros]

Thanks for the input Brandon, now that I think about it I can see that preamps would make more of a difference. Do you think the Saffire pro 24 or something similar (in terms of quality & price) will be a nice step up from the Saffire LE? I'm fed up of the interface constantly dropping out in Logic Pro and having awful latency.

 

[MatrixClaw]

In my opinion, the difference between a really lousy preamp and a decent one is larger than the difference between an interface's hi-z input and a DI Box. For instance when I first started recording I had some tascam USB interface and when I upgraded to a Saffire Pro 40 there was a massive difference. But the difference between the Countryman Type 85 compared to the instrument input on my Saffire Pro 40 was so negligible that I sold the Countryman. I did that test back when all of my guitars had actives though, so maybe it is time for a revisit.

+1 to this.

I tested the Type 85 with my Pro 40 and an RME UFX and the difference was so minute that 99% of people probably couldn't tell.

 

[Siguros]

+1 to this.

I tested the Type 85 with my Pro 40 and an RME UFX and the difference was so minute that 99% of people probably couldn't tell.

Well that has sold me on not buying a separate DI then haha, thanks