Passive direct box
Mon, 10/03/2011 - 05:32
Hi, Skip.
I'm looking at a "passive direct box" that is on sale at Musician's Friend. The description says that it can take a speaker-level input signal, to be sent on to an amp. I'm wondering if it would be a good alternative to micing a small tube amp into a PA or larger amp, or would the tone be adversely affected? I assume the little black box is just tranformers and electronic doodads, and that probably it depends on exactly what stuff they use in there?
Thanks.
By the way, I'm loving my Kalamazoo that you fixed. Thanks!
Mark H.
Hello Marcos- Sorry for the slow reply. Yes, a direct box will allow you to connect your amp to another amp or the PA system. Basically, it is the same as miking the amp but without using an additional mike.
One inmportant thing: an amp needs to be connected to it's own speaker at all times!
A direct box should not affect the tone of your amp, but it will take some practice to get your tone out of the PA system. Also, a very-well miked amp is even better, but it is tricky to do quickly or consistently gig-to-gig.
Another alternative that I often do is install a "speaker-driven line out" directly on the amp chassis. I'm not sure why we didn't do that to your Kalamazoo, but the passive direct box is very similar.
Skip Simmons