Hazards looping out of a tube Amp into a Digi001?

[Optimus Prime]

Are there any hazards looping out of the 'loop output' of a 100W tube amp straight into a Digidesign Digi001 for direct recording? Is it possible to fry the Digi001. In other words; can a preamp circuit be that "hot"?

[T.Wesley]

You mean the effects loop?

Don't know - I've never tried that. I have used Direct and/or Line Outs from my various amps direct into the Digi001. Never really sounded all that good though.

--chiba

[MichaelK]

Originally posted by Optimus Prime
Is it possible to fry the Digi001?
Try it and see! :D

I think it would be OK into the mic inputs, because you'll probably need a preamp. But check for yourself: what's the output level? What are the acceptible input levels?

[Optimus Prime]

Originally posted by Chiba
You mean the effects loop?

Don't know - I've never tried that. I have used Direct and/or Line Outs from my various amps direct into the Digi001. Never really sounded all that good though.

--chiba

Yeah, the FX Loop Output...

[GuitslingerTim]

Originally posted by Optimus Prime
Are there any hazards looping out of the 'loop output' of a 100W tube amp straight into a Digidesign Digi001 for direct recording? Is it possible to fry the Digi001. In other words; can a preamp circuit be that "hot"?

The problem lies in impedance matching. Guitar effects and amp inputs are hi-z, whereas line inputs of soundcards are lo-z. If your soundcard has a hi-z input it can be done, but most cards don't. The Aardvark Q10 does, but it's one of the exceptions.

The essential task of DI boxes is the conversion of the guitar signal from hi-z to lo-z. If a hi-z signal is fed into a lo-z input, a bottleneck usually occurs that results in a poor signal.

[Optimus Prime]

Ok, so I tried this fearing the worst and it actually worked. The signal out of the loop was actually pretty cold so I had to change inputs and use the pre's to turn it up, which was a fair amount, but it worked nicely. Pretty good tone when I had it on for cleans, the distorted sounds sucked though! :) Better to record through the Randall Isolation.