Graham
Venerated Member
I've read a few, more than a few, posts where folks mention some kind of Baggs Para DI. What is it and aside from onboard electronics and an amp with some effects, what can it do for me?
So what is a Para D.I. and do I need one?
- Thread starter Graham
- Start date
krysh
Guildarist in the mod squad
this is it, grammy:
http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/pr ... radi.shtml
if you don't gig regularly without an amp using the clubs pa/monitorsystem or want to record directly the inbuilt pickupsystem of the guitar to a soundcard, you don't need it.
http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/pr ... radi.shtml
if you don't gig regularly without an amp using the clubs pa/monitorsystem or want to record directly the inbuilt pickupsystem of the guitar to a soundcard, you don't need it.
I have one & use it regularly, like Krysh says it probably isn't absolutely necessary. But then, chocolate isn't a necessary nutritional requirement either.
#1 it's a preamp, boosts the signal to the PA or amp or whatever. Makes a huge difference with the (active) Fishman Rare Earth soundhole PU in the F20. Also helps when playing acoustical, thru a mike. Makes enough difference Smitty asks me to bring the Baggs whenever I take the F20 to a lessin.
#2. The EQ is very nice, you can tweak things, boost a range or
back a range off a bit.
#3. Notch filter, for me at least, is very useful.
The Baggs literature says to turn the Para DI up, electronically it's a noticeably quiet piece of gear. When I get electronic hiss or whatever. backing off the mixer or whatever is causing the problem & boosting the Baggs helps.
There you have it, a totally unqualified endorsement, but that's my story & I'm sticking to it.
#1 it's a preamp, boosts the signal to the PA or amp or whatever. Makes a huge difference with the (active) Fishman Rare Earth soundhole PU in the F20. Also helps when playing acoustical, thru a mike. Makes enough difference Smitty asks me to bring the Baggs whenever I take the F20 to a lessin.
#2. The EQ is very nice, you can tweak things, boost a range or
back a range off a bit.
#3. Notch filter, for me at least, is very useful.
The Baggs literature says to turn the Para DI up, electronically it's a noticeably quiet piece of gear. When I get electronic hiss or whatever. backing off the mixer or whatever is causing the problem & boosting the Baggs helps.
There you have it, a totally unqualified endorsement, but that's my story & I'm sticking to it.
Ross
Senior Member
Years ago I had a UST pickup installed in my D-25. I wanted a totally passive (no battery) pickup with nothing visible externally other than the endpin jack. My local luthier recommended and installed a Dean Markley Sweet Spot. At the time I asked whether I should use a pre-amp with the pickup, but the luthier replied, "Nah, just adjust the EQ on whatever amplifier that you use."
That was good advice. The Sweet Spot has quite high output for a passive pickup, and although it's somewhat treble-biased, this is easily remedied by tweaking the EQ on the PA or amp.
Caveat - I'm an amateur guitar hacker. If I played a lot of paying gigs, I'd probably want a good pre.
cheers
R
That was good advice. The Sweet Spot has quite high output for a passive pickup, and although it's somewhat treble-biased, this is easily remedied by tweaking the EQ on the PA or amp.
Caveat - I'm an amateur guitar hacker. If I played a lot of paying gigs, I'd probably want a good pre.
cheers
R
My G-312 has Barcus Berry Hot Dots that were installed new at Westerly. Their output is very low. I've had to use a pre-amp whenever amplified. The Baggs is an exceptional tool for the thing I want when gigging live: control.
cjd-player
Senior Member
I use the Baggs Para DI with my D-55 when I play at church. The Baggs unit is a separate, stand-alone, combination preamp / parametric EQ / Direct Injection (DI) box. You plug your guitar cable into that, then plug the box into a PA or amp.
I have a K&K passive pickup in my D-55, so I need an external preamp if I want my own control of EQ settings and volume. If you already have a preamp in your guitar, like the Fishman in your F47 (and the Baggs unit in your soon to be F47R), you dont need the additional preamp function.
A parametric EQ is more sophisticated than typical bass, mids, and treble preamp controls 'cause it lets you isolate a narrow range of frequencies for gain boost or reduction. The Baggs Para DI is actually a semi-parametric EQ. Not as functional as a full parametric EQ, but more than just bass and treble.
You also have a semi-parametric EQ in the Fishman unit on your F47, albeit more limited. The Frequency slider sets the frequency, and the Contour slider sets the boost or cut.
The Baggs Para DI gives about the same control, but identifies the frequency by number.
The DI, direct injection, portion lets you plug the guitar directly into a PA system. Hense, direct inection. It takes the unbalanced signal from the guitar 1/4-inch jack and converts it to a balanced signal out through a standard microphone jack (XLR) to the PA system. In a balanced signal, there is negligible signal loss in long cables. If you just ran a long guitar (instrument) cable with an unbalanced signal for a long distance, there would be signal loss.
So in summary, the Para DI would give marginally more EQ control than you have now, and the ability to plug directly into a PA. Although I think your Marshall has a line-out jack that would also go directly into a PA.
Do you need it? No
If you were playing out, you might find it usefuil if you could not get the sound you want with your on-guitar controls and your Marshall amp, or if you had feedback problems on stage.
I have a K&K passive pickup in my D-55, so I need an external preamp if I want my own control of EQ settings and volume. If you already have a preamp in your guitar, like the Fishman in your F47 (and the Baggs unit in your soon to be F47R), you dont need the additional preamp function.
A parametric EQ is more sophisticated than typical bass, mids, and treble preamp controls 'cause it lets you isolate a narrow range of frequencies for gain boost or reduction. The Baggs Para DI is actually a semi-parametric EQ. Not as functional as a full parametric EQ, but more than just bass and treble.
You also have a semi-parametric EQ in the Fishman unit on your F47, albeit more limited. The Frequency slider sets the frequency, and the Contour slider sets the boost or cut.
The Baggs Para DI gives about the same control, but identifies the frequency by number.
The DI, direct injection, portion lets you plug the guitar directly into a PA system. Hense, direct inection. It takes the unbalanced signal from the guitar 1/4-inch jack and converts it to a balanced signal out through a standard microphone jack (XLR) to the PA system. In a balanced signal, there is negligible signal loss in long cables. If you just ran a long guitar (instrument) cable with an unbalanced signal for a long distance, there would be signal loss.
So in summary, the Para DI would give marginally more EQ control than you have now, and the ability to plug directly into a PA. Although I think your Marshall has a line-out jack that would also go directly into a PA.
Do you need it? No
If you were playing out, you might find it usefuil if you could not get the sound you want with your on-guitar controls and your Marshall amp, or if you had feedback problems on stage.
Grammy,
I have what I presume is an 'O7 Tacoma D55 w/DTAR pickup that I got from Scratch.
I've played about 15-20 gigs with the guitar and a Baggs paracoustic D.I. I usually plug the combination into my no. 2 PA, an old Peavey Box Mixer (684?) with 2 Impulse 200 (one Black Widow 12", plus a horn) speakers.
I like the Baggs, I understand it better than some gizmo pre-amp choices out there. I pull the low end control down a lot, plus use the 'notch control' to pull down some sound around the low G note. I also take away sound with the mid control, around 800 hz. For me, the presence is down slightly and the treble may or not be increased (I can't hear anymore, so I need it thin. I need it so the D55 won't feed back in an environment where there are three mics very close together (two vocals and a mic for a djembe) and a small monitor speaker and the main speakers are very close to the mics.
I've been running the signal out of the line output on the Paracoustic until recently. Out of sheer boredom, I ran it through the Direct Injection Output (XLR). My duo partner says the fidelity is better that way- what's left of my ears and I tend to agree with him.
Do I like the Paracoustic? Yes. It's simple enough to use, compared to a lot of the stuff I used to have, like a Pendulum Audio single channel pre and some Rane stuff. It gives me more control over my guitar than the Box PA head does, too.
Drawbacks? Yes, if you step on the face of the Paracoustic by mistake, you're gonna have a repair bill for replacing the potentiometer(s) under any one of the 8 control knobs on the front of the unit. The box is metal, but the potentiometer shafts stick up through the top and are easy to break; go figure. Made in our fave import country, 'from the folks who brought you lead paint on your pac-rim guitars'. Go figure.
If you buy one, carry it in the original (sturdy) box and don't get drunk and step on it at the gig. I put mine on top of the PA head and not on the floor.
I've heard of a few guys who like 'em enough to have two Para D.I.s as part of their rig, one for chord work and one for solo. That's pretty fancy for me, though. I do like them, just want to tell you every thing I know.
I have what I presume is an 'O7 Tacoma D55 w/DTAR pickup that I got from Scratch.
I've played about 15-20 gigs with the guitar and a Baggs paracoustic D.I. I usually plug the combination into my no. 2 PA, an old Peavey Box Mixer (684?) with 2 Impulse 200 (one Black Widow 12", plus a horn) speakers.
I like the Baggs, I understand it better than some gizmo pre-amp choices out there. I pull the low end control down a lot, plus use the 'notch control' to pull down some sound around the low G note. I also take away sound with the mid control, around 800 hz. For me, the presence is down slightly and the treble may or not be increased (I can't hear anymore, so I need it thin. I need it so the D55 won't feed back in an environment where there are three mics very close together (two vocals and a mic for a djembe) and a small monitor speaker and the main speakers are very close to the mics.
I've been running the signal out of the line output on the Paracoustic until recently. Out of sheer boredom, I ran it through the Direct Injection Output (XLR). My duo partner says the fidelity is better that way- what's left of my ears and I tend to agree with him.
Do I like the Paracoustic? Yes. It's simple enough to use, compared to a lot of the stuff I used to have, like a Pendulum Audio single channel pre and some Rane stuff. It gives me more control over my guitar than the Box PA head does, too.
Drawbacks? Yes, if you step on the face of the Paracoustic by mistake, you're gonna have a repair bill for replacing the potentiometer(s) under any one of the 8 control knobs on the front of the unit. The box is metal, but the potentiometer shafts stick up through the top and are easy to break; go figure. Made in our fave import country, 'from the folks who brought you lead paint on your pac-rim guitars'. Go figure.
If you buy one, carry it in the original (sturdy) box and don't get drunk and step on it at the gig. I put mine on top of the PA head and not on the floor.
I've heard of a few guys who like 'em enough to have two Para D.I.s as part of their rig, one for chord work and one for solo. That's pretty fancy for me, though. I do like them, just want to tell you every thing I know.