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#1
04-10-2016, 09:55 AM
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'Direct Injection' to Amp; Do I need a special cable?
Howdy,
Well, it looks like I've settled on the Fishman Loudbox Mini. Thanks so far for everyone who's helped me narrow this down, especially since I can monitor audio on the TC Helicon Play Acoustic unit. The question is, I keep hearing about 'Direct Injection', but what is that? I can't even find great answers via Google. Is it just a balanced XLR cable? I have a few XLR cables lying around...good ones that I use for mics. Can I use a spare XLR cable to connect the Play Acoustic to the Fishman? Do I need a special cable I don't yet have? I've never had an acoustic amp before...and my acoustic guitar is the first I've had since I was a kid. Thanks!
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-- Guitars: Martin 000-16E Granadillo 
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#2
04-10-2016, 10:06 AM
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Direct injection is a means for providing a microphone level, balanced signal with proper impedance to a mixer from a source that doesn't provide that type of signal on it's own. In other words, it takes a guitar signal and turns it into a microphone signal. Regarding your situation, yes, you can use a microphone cable to connect your unit to the Loudbox mini microphone channel.
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#3
04-10-2016, 04:22 PM
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Quote:
If all you are only playing through the amp, you don't need to do anything other than plug in to the amp. Preamps are for boosting the signal of a passive pickup and shaping tone, adding effects and often contain ¼" and/or XLR outputs. Your TC Helicon falls into that category, and if you are close to the amp you don't need to use an XLR to the amp. A ¼" guitar cable will serve to feed the amp, and the XLR are for the house…although I don't remember if your unit has a ¼" output. If not, you could run the XLR to the amp. Plain Jane DI boxes came along in the late 70s to help us plug our high impedance acoustic guitar rigs into low impedance PA systems. At first we built them ourselves. They were called Direct Input boxes, or Direct Injection boxes… Originally all they contained was a ¼" input and XLR output. As the technology matured, they now often have a line attenuator, a pair of ¼" jacks (one in the other through), an XLR output and ground lift switch. This configuration allows us to run the guitar signal in two directions simultaneously…to the amp and the PA. You don't need one to plug into an acoustic amp from your guitar. I play a lot through PA systems while using my acoustic amp as a stage monitor, and I want to be able to adjust the amp without affecting the PA. I go from my guitar/pickup rig-->to a DI box-->from the ¼" output (through-put) to my amp at the same time from the XLR to the Snake/PA. That way I can adjust my volume and tone on the amp without affecting the volume or tone of the house PA. This makes the house PA tech's job a lot easier. He can maximize my sound for the house, and I can tweak it for my likes on stage. Most modern acoustic amps have XLR output out of the amp to connect to a PA system, and if the XLR signal is separate from your preamp output section, then it can act as your DI connection. If not, every time you adjust your amp, the house would be adjusted in like manner (which tends to irritate Sound Techs). Hope this helps…
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Baby #1.1 Baby #1.2 Baby #02 Baby #03 Baby #04 Baby #05 Larry's songs... …Just because you've argued someone into silence doesn't mean you have convinced them… Last edited by ljguitar; 04-10-2016 at 04:27 PM.
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#4
04-10-2016, 05:12 PM
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Play Acoustic has two outputs - both xlr only. It can be run (1) stereo - means left and right are needed for stereo sound (say running to a left and right powered speaker), (2) di out - means processed vocal on the left out and processed guitar on the right out and (3) mono - means process, combined guitar and vocal out on left and dry guitar and vocal on the right.
For your use, start with (3) and run the left out to the mic channel. Your signal will be hot so you may have to go into the TC unit and lower the output (mix button). If you want further eq, use option (2). Run guitar to the guitar input on the amp (you will need an adapter to convert the xlr plug to 1/4") and run the left out to the vocal input. This uses two cables and an adapter. But it gives you some additional eq on both vocal and guitar post TC unit. For me and simplicity , I use option (3) and only one cable. Eq the guitar in the TC unit and eq vocal at the amp. Come back if you have questions.
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