Bass, Direct: How to Nail Your Low End With DI Recording

This week on Inside the Recording Studio, Chris and Jody dig into a foundation-shaking topic: recording bass using Direct Input (DI) techniques.

Whether you’re working with a classic electric bass or an acoustic fitted with pickups, DI is a go-to method for clean, tight low-end. But what exactly does “going direct” mean — and why should you care? Chris and Jody walk through the various ways to record DI bass, from basic interface inputs to high-end DI boxes and preamps.

You’ll hear when and why DI is the right move, how to get the best tone without re-amping, and why understanding impedance, gain staging, and your gear’s signal path can make or break your final mix. This episode is perfect for anyone looking to improve their low-end clarity, tighten up their tracking workflow, or finally figure out why their bass sounds like a soggy pillow.

And of course — there’s bound to be a little nonsense along the way.

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Gear we used:
Jody’s Mic & Voice Chain: Telefunken C12 – Groove Tubes Vipre – Apollo – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA Studer A800
Jody’s Channel Strip: iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E

Chris’ Mic & Voice Chain: Slate ML1 – Apollo – UA – Slate VMR (FG12, FG73, API Eq, SSL 4kE) – iZotope RX Voice – DeNoise
Chris’ Channel Strip: Eventide Precision Time Align – iZotope RX Spectral DeNoise – iZotope RX Mouth DeClick – UA Neve 1073 – UA LA2A – UA 1176E

Master: Oek Sound Soothe 2 – iZotope Ozone Imager – iZotope Ozone Maximize.

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If you want to collaborate, sponsor a podcast, donate, or want us to review your product – contact us at: collaborate@insidetherecordingstudio.com