Is it better to run through a DI box to a mic input on the mixer or adapt from xlr to 1/4 jack and go in the line jack at the mixer?What seems to work the best?
DI or Line level?
- Skinny1
- Thread is marked as Resolved.
-
You can use the MAIN XLR outs in Mono or Stereo, or the MAIN 1/4" outs.
They are both line level - the XLR are balanced lines, the 1/4" are unbalanced lines.
Or, you can send an unbalanced mono line out from the 1/4" Monitor line out.
-
This. Plus, using a Mic input in the mixer implies at least one further preamp stage, with more noise and more distortion. I'd not recommend it
-
using a Mic input in the mixer implies at least one further preamp stage, with more noise and more distortion. I'd not recommend it
This is no problem if you balance the main out so that the mixing console input gain stays close to 0dB (no amplification). The potential noise from a decent mic-pre is just about irrelevant compared to the noise produced by a guitar and amp/sim anyway, and there won't be distortion unless the gain is set so high that the mic-pre is clipping.The only problem I've had with using the main-outs into a mixer is that a few mixing consoles do not handle line-level signals at all. The mic-pre is clipping even with gain at minimum unless you set the KPA out to -50dB or less. Other than that I'd suggest having a couple balanced XLR->TRS cables or adapters so that you can utilize 1/4" balanced inputs on consoles that require it, or use balanced AUX-inputs if such are available. Ideally, the KPA would have built-in DI for both profiling (separate amp and cab profiling) and to provide balanced mic-level outputs, but that would require hardware modifications.
-
Well, some desks switch to Mic mode when they sense a balanced connection, and as you wrote some mic pres can't apparently handle strong signals anyway.
Skinny was asking about two options, and I just see no reason to use a DI over a line level, where accepted of course.
