Q: When recording from your amp DI, is it alot less bright compared to mic'd recording?

fastonebaz

All the various amps I've recorded with via DI have this issue. Wondering if it's just me, my cables or interface etc or actually a common thing. 

Cheers

ICBM

What speaker emulation are you using?

Without emulation, the DI signal will be much brighter than a mic'ed cab, and not in a good way at all.

JamesOB1

A lot of amps have a 'speaker emulated' DI output. What they really mean is, they've filtered out the higher harsher frequencies. This leaves you a less bright, slightly muffled output. 

fastonebaz

JamesOB1 said:

A lot of amps have a 'speaker emulated' DI output. What they really mean is, they've filtered out the higher harsher frequencies. This leaves you a less bright, slightly muffled output. 

Yes this is what I've experienced generally. 

kennedydream1980

When I had a Blackstar Series one amp I often found the emulated DI signal brighter than the mic’d signal.

ICBM

kennedydream1980 said:

When I had a Blackstar Series one amp I often found the emulated DI signal brighter than the mic’d signal.

Probably because Blackstar pick speakers with no top-end for their cabs .

kennedydream1980

ICBM said:

kennedydream1980 said:

When I had a Blackstar Series one amp I often found the emulated DI signal brighter than the mic’d signal.

Probably because Blackstar pick speakers with no top-end for their cabs .

It was vintage 30 loaded

ICBM

kennedydream1980 said:

It was vintage 30 loaded

Exactly - a speaker with no top-end. Contrary to popular belief it is not a bright speaker - it has a huge upper-mid spike which can make it sound harsh, but that's not the same as bright. (Unless you've lost all your high-end hearing .)

Blackstar always seem to choose speakers like this, and the Seventy/80 which they fill most of their cheaper amps and cabs with - they seem to like all mids and no real top-end, and a tight rather than loose bottom-end. I think it's a deliberate choice because they're all like that, but to me it's completely the wrong one when the amps themselves are quite dark and tight-sounding as well.

The V30 works very well with amps like the Mesa Rectifier which have a more scooped tone and a much looser resonant bottom end.

fastonebaz

Is there anything to be done to make the DI sound brighter and less muffled when recording? 

ICBM

fastonebaz said:

Is there anything to be done to make the DI sound brighter and less muffled when recording? 

EQ it at the desk. Re-EQ'ing the amp probably won't help much, since the emulation comes after that.

fastonebaz

Thanks all