# D.I.'ing a bass amp live question



## Brendan G (Feb 21, 2010)

I'm playing a show about two weeks from now and the venue (if you can call it that) usually D.I.'s the bass amp. The question is can I just bring my amp head (Ampeg B2RE if that helps at all), not hook it up to a cabinet, and just have the sound person D.I. the bass head? The reason I'm asking this is because I've heard of people damaging amp heads by not having them plugged into a cabinet. I'm wondering if the same situation applies even if I'm D.I.'ing the amp. I'm sorry for asking such an elementary question. Thank you for your time.


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## polydeathsphere (Feb 21, 2010)

does the "venue" have a house cab you could plug into? If your amp head has a D.I out then you could plug into their cab as well as the D.I and no worries. Last time I played a show like that the sound guy said he'd rather me run through my bass amp head as well as into his own D.I (sound guys can be picky about their equipment but its usually for the better).


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## Brendan G (Feb 21, 2010)

The last time I played there I played using a bass cab but they didn't even mic it, so I thought I could reduce the set-up/break-down time by just bringing my amp head and have them D.I. it assuming it won't damage the head.


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## Ckackley (Feb 21, 2010)

I have no idea about the amp head getting ruined but do they have decent enough monitors and such so you can hear yourself? You might need your cab for stage volume if nothing else. If you're looking for fast set up and minimal gear for DIing go for a SansAmp DI. You can get some really good tones out of it and it's the size of a stompbox.


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## Brendan G (Feb 21, 2010)

Ckackley said:


> I have no idea about the amp head getting ruined but do they have decent enough monitors and such so you can hear yourself? You might need your cab for stage volume if nothing else. If you're looking for fast set up and minimal gear for DIing go for a SansAmp DI. You can get some really good tones out of it and it's the size of a stompbox.


I don't think being able to hear myself will be a problem. Thanks for the recommendation of the SansAmp, I'll definitely check it out!


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## swayman (Mar 14, 2010)

FYI: Don't run an amp without it being plugged into a cab.


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## Brendan G (Mar 14, 2010)

swayman said:


> FYI: Don't run an amp without it being plugged into a cab.


I know, I was wondering if the exception would be " . . . without it being plugged into a cab or having it D.I.'d (Or as my guitar teacher calls it back-ending it)." But when I played the show I brought my cab and it was worth bringing it solely for the purpose of hearing myself live.


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