Using a DI box as a preamp for my L32C

[boombox]

I wonder if someone here can give me some advice on DI boxes. My current 'plugged in' set up involves a Fishman Neo D humbucker and a Behringer ACX1800 - not great, but all I've got at the moment.

Have often thought the output from the pick-up was a bit thin, but then thought of, in the absence of a preamp, boosting the guitar's output signal by running it through a DI box. (I have an old, but functional MTR DI-3 active DI box, I acquired some years ago.) I tried it, running it into the XLR on the mic channel and it sounded noticeably better. Have also run it through the instrument channel, using a 1/4" jack, rather than an XLR.

My question is, while I don't believe this will damage the amp - correct me if I'm wrong here - would I be better running it through the 'Link' output (intended for a monitor) rather than the 600 ohm XLR output.

Here's a link to a newer version of my DI box:

MTR DI-3

A swiftish answer would be appreciated as I have to accompany a singer using the above rig next Saturday. And yes, it's at times like these that I wish I'd bought a small PA, rather than an acoustic amp, but as I was playing in a band at the time, another PA was superfluous.

TIA

[Rick Jones]

Hey mate!

If I was using a DI I would always come out of it with an XLR or balanced TRS jack cable. If you come out of it with one of those XLR to jack cables into the jack input of your amp, you are losing the balanced signal (only getting one side), as the amps Jack input is unbalanced.... which is defeating the object. You would ordinarily lose some signal strength, but the active nature of your DI is boosting it to where it was most likely.

The 'link' is likely straight through unbalanced for you to send to an amp or similar if you were sending the XLR to a PA or snake....it isn't really doing anything for the sound quality.

Run it into your XLR input, cleaner sound and better signal to noise ratio, just watch the gain for clipping, and use the PAD/attenuator if you have to, so as not to overload the front end of the amp.

Another option is a Boss or MXR graphic EQ pedal....I have picked them up for £10 before now off ebay, then you can boost the signal by 10db above nominal as well as being able to shape it tonally. Cheaper than a preamp, and it would leave the XLR channel for your mic if you needed to.

[boombox]

Thanks for the reply - will see how it goes. It's the first time I've actually gigged the amp and it's a baptism of fire for it as the singer will be going through one channel too.

What I'm tempted to do is go XLR for the first part of the set, which is just me, then when the singer joins, will have to dump the box, as she will be going through the mic channel. It's only a small do - background music at a friend's party, so it should be OK.

[singlereed]

I'm pretty sure you can't damage the imput of anything with the level of output from a DI box. The main thing is to make sure it's loud enough to avoid noise and not too loud to distort. If the impedences don't match, you are likely to get an unnatural sound (e.g. very 'thin'). I use an Award-Session Matchbox that preceded the Gordon Giltrap signature DI box. It has a useful shape button that, rather like the Trace Elliot amps and acoustic pedals, seems to remove the harshness from an acoustic guitar. I also have an Aphex Acoustic Xciter box that is a DI with some extra toneshaping and sonic fairy dust built in.