Ashdown ABM EVO II -DI out

[orangepeelneil]

[size=3]Hello everyone,

I'm struggling with DI out and Ashdowns specifically.

I use a ABM EVOII head and most gigs I play, the sound Engineer just DI's straight out of the head,I'm generally unhappy about the DI sound sent to front of house.

We are only a three piece so I like a bit of gain and drive particually when the guitarist soloing. I've never felt happy about the PA bass sound with either with pre/post selected on the Ashdown amps -it sounds sterile/clanky and weak with too much top end.I've noticed the same with many Ashdown players live.Good on stage sound means little if it the bass sounds poor out front.

Do no live engineers use miked up bass amps anymore? I'm thinking of buying a sansamp or MXR-80 to give the DI some proper drive. I have also used many other bassists Ashdowns and found the same results.

For home recording I used DI bass (via plug ins) blended with recorded sound, which sounds great, are live sound engineers just lazy? or are these DI outputs just poor?

Regards Neil

From the Ashdown website:-

[i]DIRECT INJECT (D.I.) - A balanced D.I. isprovided on a latching XLR socket. This has a
push button placed below it that allows theuser to choose either a Pre E.Q. signal (button
pushed IN) or a Post E.Q. Post Sub and effects signal (button OUT).
The output signal from this XLR socket is set to a level and impedance suitable for
connecting directly into the Microphone input of a mixing desk for either Direct
Injection into the PA system or for recording.This must ONLY be used into a Balanced
Microphone input, it is not intended for any other type of connection.

This has a floating ground that is referenced to the mixing console it is plugged into and should not need ground lifting. It is also unaffected by Phantom Powering on the Microphone input.

Make sure your XLR plug does not have theshell of the plug internally connected to signal ground or this will connect the systemto chassis ground of the ABM and may cause problems with hum.[/size][/i]

[bennifer]

Are you sending it post or pre EQ? What sounds good through the Pre stage once its through the speaker might sound great, but be an awful feed to work with as a sound guy.

[Protium]

I normally leave the button in the out position, but I still don't know which way round the pre/post EQ is... Do you?

[bassmansky]

[quote name='Protium' post='283294' date='Sep 13 2008, 06:18 PM']I normally leave the button in the out position, but I still don't know which way round the pre/post EQ is... Do you?[/quote]
button in is pre eq......i think!cant say mine has sounded how you're describing yours.i always get a good deep sound out of a couple of subs di'd.

[s_u_y_*]

[quote name='orangepeelneil' post='283237' date='Sep 13 2008, 04:31 PM'][size=3] I've never felt happy about the PA bass sound with either with pre/post selected on the Ashdown amps -it sounds sterile/clanky and weak with too much top end.I've noticed the same with many Ashdown players live.Good on stage sound means little if it the bass sounds poor out front.[/quote]

Can I ask, how do you know that it sounds bad front of house if you're on stage?

[john_the_bass]

I was going to ask the same question.
I have an ABM300 EVO-II GTi Turbo () and have stood front of house while another band's bass player has used it DI'd and I thought it sounded alright meself

[Protium]

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='283599' date='Sep 14 2008, 11:46 AM']I was going to ask the same question.
I have an ABM300 EVO-II GTi Turbo () and have stood front of house while another band's bass player has used it DI'd and I thought it sounded alright meself[/quote]

Same here, maybe it's the sound guys settings?

[orangepeelneil]

[size=3]Hello,thanks for the replies

I've been know to sneak off stage during sound checks (guess i'm getting parnoid about it...and we don't play big stages yet!)

I've also noticed it with equipment sharing too, when I use another bands Ashdowns,as they're soundchecking etc.

I realised a venues acoustics change dramatically as they fill up, but we asked for a few desk line out recordings and the bass sound thin and weak ? total contrast to my on stage sound via my EVO II and 4x10"

Cheers Neil [/size]

[thepurpleblob]

Try a DI box and see if it makes a difference then. It doesn't need to be anything special just to prove the point one way or another.

There's a lot of rubbish sound engineers out there too. It's a properly difficult job. I wouldn't know where to start making something sound better with a wizzy parametic EQ etc.