Use Direct Box or Not?

S

steve_kozlowski

Member
yo! so i was wonder if using a direct box between the Axe-Fx 2 and your interface would make a difference or not. If it would should you use a Active or Passive one.

Thanks
 
I sure wouldn't. Skip the interface and plug the II in through USB. Or, just go into a line-level input on your interface, assuming you have one.
 
theres no reason to use a di box, unless your box imparts some sonic signature that you like, but i can't really imagine that.
 
The only time i would do it is if you can't select line level input and your interface is mic level only. Just the same situation as when doing it live.

I'm not going to be using mine with USB, since I use Pro Tools 8 still, and just bought a new interface for PT8, which I can select Line signal, so should be good.
 
wake911 said:
The only time i would do it is if you can't select line level input and your interface is mic level only. Just the same situation as when doing it live.
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+1

My interface doesn't have a line level input (Axe Ultra - waiting for my coupon) so I must use a DI box. Live I feed my DI directly to the board. I see no need to use an active box, passive should do the trick.
 
if you have any digital i/o's i would use that. i use s/pdif to hook up the axe ii with my interface
 
well in a normal acousticaly untreated room the difference is barely noticeable. but think of is this way, by using the xlr or ts, the signal is being converted from digital to analog when it comes out of the axe-fx, then analog to digital again when it goes into your interface. each time it converts it degrades. so by using the s/pdif, you bypass all the conversions. it comes out the axe-fx digital and goes into your itnerface digital.
 
steve_kozlowski said:
does the spdif sound better than using lets say the xlr or ts outputs?
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With decent A/Ds on your interface, I think you'll be hard-pressed to hear the difference. We're past the days of iffy 16-bit converters. The degradation in a single analogue path, especially for a guitar, is minimal.
 
dric said:
by using the xlr or ts, the signal is being converted from digital to analog when it comes out of the axe-fx, then analog to digital again when it goes into your interface. each time it converts it degrades.
Click to expand...

Degradation is good then because all 10 engineers in my studio prefer to record the analog outs over recording the spdif out. Why? Our ears aren't used to hearing pure digital guitar yet. We need the softening degradation of d>a and then a>d again using top converters in all cases. The digital signal never fits in a mix. The analog sounds far more "natural" to all.
 
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