Help Using DI Box?

Cubase
1

Ok in the past I have normally recorded my guitar using either direct from my Boss Gt8 or a mic.
More recently its jut been with my gt8 direct in using the SPIDF cable. Mic is just too loud for me to use where I am at now.
My setup is:
Boss GT8
M-Audio Audiophile 2496-yes its an old card but still works just fine
Cubase 5

I can record just fine directly going from gt8 to M-Audio spidf.
What I would like to do is keep recording direct into the PC using my amp sims and FX, but I would always like at the same time to record a clean track with nothing.
I’m wanting to do this so if I later on wanted to use an Amp sim plugin,different effects setting or just re-amp I have the clean recorded also.
I purchased a cheap DI box just to test this out and see if its for me or not, or if it will even work.

The Passive DI box has
1 input
1 XLR Balanced input/output
1 Parallel out
ground switch
ATT switch with 0db,-20db and -40db

Now I may not have a good understanding of how these are suppose to work,but what I did was
GTR to DI Input, DI Parallel out to GT8 input and XLR input/output to my M-audio card on PC.

I get sound into the GT8 and Sound engine I use to amplify but Im not getting the clean signal to my PC.
I also left the spidf cable from gt8 to pc,while it still picks up that signal I cannot get the clean. The meters in cubase or M-Audio Delta control panel meters to show anything going into the analog ports.

Am I going about this wrong? Is a special XLR cable needed?
I do not know what type of XLR cable I have,I really dont mess with them and havent had a need to in the last 15 years.
I really have no clue how to make this work.
I’m beginning to wonder if I have a bad DI box.

Any help is appreciated.

2

Hmm,
I think I figured out my issue.
I have a passive DI but needed an active DI when using passive pickups.

I thought about it,so I hooked up my Boss Eq pedal and boosted the output as much as I could with it and I was able to do what I had described above.
My I had really bad humming in the recording. Not sure why.I unhook the DI and hum goes away,guess I got a really cheapo.Either way I need an active I assume?

3

try something like this you can pick them up for next to nothing ,thing is they boost your output volume so you can use these for getting a clean signal into cubase.that particular model is only about 10 inch wide , you can get even smaller versions of that mixer if you only ever need to be plugging a couple of things in. all the best
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Behringer-XENYX-1202FX-12-INPUT-2-BUS-MIC-LINE-MIXER-/151915934427?hash=item235ee532db:g:RJoAAOSwp5JWbuXW

4

Thx for the info.
So me make sure I understand this.
I need a mixer and that will boost my signal for recording clean electric guitars and acoustic guitars when mic’d, correct?
So this or similar should work fine for me,its just me for my own personal needs.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Behringer-XENYX-302USB-Previously-Sold-/371501770118?hash=item567f3b2586:g:~EIAAOSwo0JWOoJv

5

yes,that mixer will boost the volume of anything more than enough,and if you get a jack splitter you could still do what you wanted to do in the first place ,record an effected and dry signal at the same time onto two mono tracks http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-635mm-mono-jack-socket-to-two-635mm-mono-jack-plugs-splitter-02m-black-te17t if you do a bit of searching you will find something similar much cheaper ,it`s just to give you an idea.

6

actualy the mixer you put a link to looks a bit too basic and looks like it will not take two jacks at the same time ,i`d get the next version up if i were you .something along these lines.https://www.bax-shop.co.uk/analogue-mixing-desk/behringer-xenyx-802-mixer?gclid=CMqo__TJ5skCFeoJwwodYigDdw