Become a Site Supporter and Never see Ads again!

Author Topic: Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?  (Read 3100 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline achalsey

  • Trade Count: (29)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 2184
Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?
« 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.

Offline Gutbucket

  • record > listen > revise technique
  • Trade Count: (15)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 15683
  • Gender: Male
  • "Better to love music than respect it" ~Stravinsky
Re: Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?
« Reply #1 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.
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline achalsey

  • Trade Count: (29)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 2184
Re: Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?
« Reply #2 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.

Offline rocksuitcase

  • Trade Count: (4)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 8277
  • Gender: Male
    • RockSuitcase: stage photography
Re: Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?
« Reply #3 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.
music IS love

When you get confused, listen to the music play!

Mics:         AKG460|CK61|CK1|CK3|CK8|Beyer M 201E|DPA 4060 SK
Recorders:Marantz PMD661 OADE Concert mod; Tascam DR680 MKI x2; Sony PCM-M10

Offline anodyne33

  • You'll have that
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 14749
  • Gender: Male
  • All my life there's been the magnets.
    • Lucky
Pockets full of nickels and nothing left to eat, and I'm stuck behind a semi on Soniat Street.

Offline Chilly Brioschi

  • The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 15417
  • Gender: Male
  • Waiting for the next cladogenetic event, or Godot
    • Oceana North America
Re: Would a DI box power a ukulele through a stereo receiver?
« Reply #5 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   :-)

« Last Edit: January 24, 2021, 08:22:38 AM by 108Ω »
"Peace is for everyone"
        - Norah Jones

"Music is the drug that won't kill you"
         - Fran Lebowitz

 

RSS | Mobile
Page created in 0.051 seconds with 30 queries.
© 2002-2024 Taperssection.com
Powered by SMF