Bass DI for a bit of a boost?

[Annoying Twit]

If I have a passive bass that has basically a clear sound, but it's a bit wimpy, and lacks 'power', then would a bass DI box help with this? If a bass DI box would help with this, would that include the Behringer BDI21. Which seems to get good reviews, but it is a Behringer product...

This would typically be for headphone practice. The bass in question seems to sound OK through a Laney 2x10 combo amp (not mine). But particularly since I stopped using cheap everyday headphones and started using DT770 Pros, the lack of the bass boost on the phones is a bit noticeable. Particularly since other basses I own (in one case active with 2-band EQ, in the other case passive but seemingly just with excellent pickups).

Wouldn't adding a serviceable bass DI into the signal path be sort of like making the bass active, but without having to do any woodwork or wiring?

Edited December 20, 2013 by Annoying Twit

[steve-bbb]

try it with one of these



[url="http://youtu.be/hWmk-PIy4xg"]http://youtu.be/hWmk-PIy4xg[/url]

Edited December 20, 2013 by steve-bbb

[Iheartreverb]

I had this exact same problem and a compressor was the oerfext answer. Buying a DI for this is like getting one and using it for 10% of what it can do.

I use
Bass- compressor (for definition and boost)- clean boost (to overdrive)- DI (for final tone shaping and clean sound)- amp

[discreet]

Everyone should have a BDI-21 in their gig bag - it's the law. Like London cabbies having to carry a bale of hay.

[Paul S]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1387580278' post='2313665']
Everyone should have a BDI-21 in their gig bag - it's the law. Like London cabbies having to carry a bale of hay.
[/quote]
^^This^^

I have a battered old Fender Musicman that lived up to its reputation and sounded a bit thin when I first got it. Then I got my beady eyes on it and it beefed it up perfectly.

With a note that I subsequently got Howard The Bass Doc to do a mod on it, so it now sports a MIJ Fender Split P pup, KiOgon loom and new scratch plate to accommodate it all and doesn't need beefing up any more.

[Annoying Twit]

This thread has diverted from my original post. I fetched a Behringer V-Amp out of my cupboard, and played the bass (Rockbass Streamer Standard) through it. For some reason, even though it's a guitar, not a bass, V-Amp it can make the bass sound, to my ears, much better. Hence I don't need the BDI21 just yet. I don't see why it seems to work much better with that bass than my Zoom B2, but for some reason it does. There are even plenty of dirty presets that seem to work fine with it.

It's almost like two wrongs making a right.

Edited December 21, 2013 by Annoying Twit

[tonyquipment]

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1387533645' post='2312957']
try it with one of these



[url="http://youtu.be/hWmk-PIy4xg"]http://youtu.be/hWmk-PIy4xg[/url]
[/quote]

This is what I do.

I have LMB3 at the front of the chain, squashes and extrudes my weedy passive signal into a hot fat sausage active tone. I lose dynamics but I don't really care about that.

[DanEly]

A DI might be an alright shout! They can be a lot more useful than you think! Check out the Aguilar Tone hammer DI

Maybe you could try getting a headphone amp?