Lamentations of a beginner

Wizard · 2009-02-01T15:38:00+00:00

I've got knives in my cupboard which are blunter than my high E string ...

Carmen

My chord playing is coming along ok. I was busy doing the Major 6 today.

Wizard

I've asked many times what the exact difference is between a Squier and an expensive Strat.
People have found it difficult to describe in words.
This morning I found out.
With the courtesy of my local music shop I tried some out.
I played a Squier Strat (like my own) ... and an American Standard Strat priced at about 20k.
There is a difference.
(wow)
Also tried lots of other guitars - was amazed at how different they all sound.
= child in toy shop.

Wizard

Everyone speaks about "DI".
What does this mean?

CDee

DI (pronounced dee EYE) is variously claimed to stand for direct input, direct injection or direct interface. {from wikipedia} ?

AlanRatcliffe

DI = Direct injection. Plugging straight into a recorder/mixing desk instead of going via amp + speaker + mic, sometimes with an impedance matching device called a DI box. While it's used for clean tones by some major guitarists (Steve Vai, Andy Summers), it's more commonly used for bass (with DI box) than it is for electric guitars. Doesn't usually work well for typical electric guitar tones, as the amp/speaker combination is a big part of the electric guitar sound. Acoustic guitars with preamps and keyboards are usually DI'd without a DI box.

Amp modellers like the Line 6 POD, Tech 21 Sansamp or Vox Tonelab could be thought of as guitar-specific DI boxes (as they also emulate the sound of an amp).

In the studio, sometimes a guitar DI signal is recorded and then "reamped" at mixing stage - the guitar track is sent out of the mixer and into an amp which is mic'ed, with the mic going back into the mixing desk. This lets you experiment with different amps, speakers and mics at any stage of the recording, without needing the guitarist around. Most of the guitars on Pink Floyd's The Wall were reamped. Of course, these days software like Guitar Rig is used increasingly (which records the DI guitar and works as an effect plugin), obviating the need to send a signal back into analog and convert the mic signal from the amp back into digital.

Wizard

Magic Alan.
As usual, better than anything I'd find on Google or Wiki.
:?

aubs1

Wizard wrote I've asked many times what the exact difference is between a Squier and an expensive Strat.
People have found it difficult to describe in words.
This morning I found out.
With the courtesy of my local music shop I tried some out.
I played a Squier Strat (like my own) ... and an American Standard Strat priced at about 20k.
There is a difference.
(wow)

Yep, Wiz...... a big difference.......and yet there are lots of people who still would argue that fact.......I have come to rest my case......all I say......MIA.....WOW....... ?
(unless you were refering to the opposite, which I doubt!)....please guys, I'm not starting a new debate..........!!!!!!!!!!!

TomCat

@ Wizard

Another thing a DI does is convert the high impedance unbalanced line level signal of instruments to a low impedance balanced mic level signal that a mixing console prefers. This enables instrument signals to travel the often "long" distances from the stage to the mixing console without hum and noise degrading the signal quality.

My Fav DI is the BSS AR133

Wizard

What's the difference between a 'balanced' and 'unbalanced' signal?

AlanRatcliffe

Balanced signals split the signal into two, and flip the polarity of one of the two, so it is 180 degrees out of phase with the other. It's then flipped back into phase at the receiving end and the two are added together again. This is done to cancel noise - any noise induced in the cabling is induced in both conductors, so when the signals are brought back into phase, the noise in one conductor is flipped out of phase with the noise in the other and the two cancel out. Similar to how a humbucker cancels hum.

You use balanced signals whenever you need to avoid the cabling picking up noise. Most semi-pro to pro studio gear will have balanced connections. Mic cables are always balanced (essential because of their often low signal level), which is why they are two core cables with three pin XLR plugs. For live sound, whenever you want to run a long length of cable (eg. from the stage to the mixing desk via the big multicore cable "snake") you'll convert any unbalanced signals to balanced with DI boxes on the stage before running them through the snake. On bigger stages you may see a few rack units with anywhere up to eight DIs bolted into each unit, or even snakes with stage boxes that have a number of DIs built in.

Wizard

Alan Ratcliffe wrote ... the noise in one conductor is flipped out of phase with the noise in the other and it cancels out. Similar to how a humbucker cancels hum.

Very clever ...

TomCat

Wizard wrote
Alan Ratcliffe wrote ... the noise in one conductor is flipped out of phase with the noise in the other and it cancels out. Similar to how a humbucker cancels hum.
Very clever ...

Well put Alan

@ Wizard...Welcome the the wonderful world of Pro Audio........And if you think Guitar GAS is bad......Wait till you start Gassing for a Mixing console that costs R300 to 500K........ ☹

Wizard

TomCat wrote @ Wizard...Welcome the the wonderful world of Pro Audio........And if you think Guitar GAS is bad......Wait till you start Gassing for a Mixing console that costs R300 to 500K........ ☹

You don't buy that stuff.
You meet people on forums who already own it and let you use it ?

Wizard

I bought a little book called "basic guitar workout" by David Mead while on holiday in London.
It has lots of little exercises to be done in 2 minutes.
First one I tried was a chromatic scale going from low E to high E string.

Very useful in getting the left hand to stretch and work - has made a massive difference.
(but then I'm one of those weird ones who actually enjoy doing scales!)

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