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Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: achalsey on December 28, 2020, 08:40:34 PM

Title: Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?
Post by: achalsey on December 28, 2020, 08:40:34 PM

I am very ignorant about this side of things.  I just got a new ukulele (Cordoba 15cm-e) that has a passive piezo amp in it.  Is it possible to play it through a stereo receiver?

Would just a DI box be enough?  After a quick search, a response on another site recommended a Behringer ADI21.  An affordable preamp/DI with basic EQ.  Would that be all I need?

I'm still very much a beginner with the uke, don't travel with it, so don't really want to buy a dedicated amp when I have a perfectly good sound system.

Title: Re: Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?
Post by: Gutbucket on December 29, 2020, 11:25:21 AM

Yes that will work.. if you really want to do it.

Stereos aren't instrument amps, and aren't as protected against wild thumps, bumps, transient snaps when plugging/unplugging.  You could burn the amp or speakers up if attempting to play at loud levels.  Don't let the magic smoke out of the tweeters doing Townsend windmills at 11.

My take: The uke is very much an acoustic instrument - vibrating wood and strings actuated by flesh and bone.  It lives naturally without wires and electricity.  Nothing wrong with getting all Hendrix wammy with it, but good to explore and become familiar with its native habitat before setting the controls for the heart of the sun.

Title: Re: Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?
Post by: achalsey on December 29, 2020, 01:15:32 PM

Okay, thanks for the advice.  I might be rethinking this plan now.

I am pretty familiar with the instrument.  I'm very much a beginner, but have been fiddling with it for a few years now.  I got this new uke specifically for the ability to amp it.  It's just a passive little acoustic amp though, which I've been reading doesn't have much punch to it, so I'm not planning on really going heavy metal on it.

I guess I might just look into a dedicated amp for it then, if that's the safer route.

Title: Re: Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?
Post by: rocksuitcase on December 29, 2020, 01:19:46 PM

Check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjnq0i9Ed3c
Caroline Scruggs is a Ukelele teacher who plays a hybrid Banjolele.
She is running a free virtual ukelele camp Jan 1-5, 2021
My wife is a songwriter and Caroline asked folks to join the camp who don't play uke to help players learn to write songs.

Title: Re: Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?
Post by: anodyne33 on December 29, 2020, 02:05:08 PM

you should be able to find something like this for about what you'd pay for a DI box new and it's just fine and dandy.
https://reverb.com/p/peavey-decade-10-watt-1x8-guitar-combo?hfid=37757134&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=11140009108&utm_content=campaignid=11140009108_adgroupid=107181803457_productpartitionid=955876166521=merchantid=295408218_productid=37757134_keyword=_device=c_adposition=_matchtype=_creative=465716413130&gclid=CjwKCAiAxKv_BRBdEiwAyd40N-RCQ99XQGcSz86hONJzHIW5ntXneETIDAywPWM7tkCJOI4oaYlpshoCZE8QAvD_BwE

Title: Re: Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?
Post by: Chilly Brioschi on January 15, 2021, 04:39:54 PM

What he say

DO NOT PLAY INSTRUMENTS THROUGH NON-INSTRUMENT SPEAKERS !

Warped woofers, blown tweeters are common gripes

It's the transients that an instrument speaker doesn't respond to, and that a playback speaker does, which will do them in.

The amp doesn't care as much.
But "design for purpose" will ultimately matter

FWIW, I still tune mine by "singing"  "my-dog-has-fleas", which I was taught at 4y.o. with my first little plastic Uke
The tuners were plastic, so I sang that a lot   :-)