Has anyone used a tube direct box with digital modelers?

[rsm]

I've been revisiting my Boss SY-1000, which has some of the GT-1000 AIRD amp and cab models which are on par with other high-end modelers IMO.

Like all modelers I've used, there's a missing "dimensionality" that I hear with a tube amp in the room.

Adding tube effects into the modeler's signal chain won't help because it will undergo AD/DA conversion by the time the audio signal leaves the digital modeler.

So then I thought, what about placing a tube DI after the output of the digital modeler before it goes to FRFR or PA? It may also get AD/DA conversions at this stage, but maybe more of the tube amp in the room "dimensionality" will survive (edit: or even add some)?

Has anyone tried this? If not does anyone have a digital modeler and a tube DI that's willing to try / compare the output of the digital modeler vs the output of the digital modeler + tube DI, to see if it makes a real, noticeable or usable difference?

 

[mentoneman]

i tried a presonus tube di and then a dbx tube pre/comp in the loop of an axe-fx ultra i had. did not do anything cool and in fact seemed to make the attack feel slower/mushier.

 

[rsm]

i tried a presonus tube di and then a dbx tube pre/comp in the loop of an axe-fx ultra i had. did not do anything cool and in fact seemed to make the attack feel slower/mushier.

I didn't think it would help in the loop of the modeler due to the AD/DA conversions. I think your experience confirms that.

I was wondering how it would work / what it would do, if it processed the output of the digital modeler, as the last process in the signal chain before going to FRFR or to a mixer / audio interface.

As a tube DI, it shouldn't add too much color like a tube pre, but it should add some warmth or dimension is my thought...but the digital FRFR or digital mixer might reduce that with AD/DA conversion?

I don't have a tube DI, and I'd need two or a stereo tube DI to test it...I'd rather not waste the money if it doesn't work....so hoping someone here has a digital modeler of some kind and a tube DI to see if adds anything good / at all to the sound

 

[tjnx]

Before the converters will probably give the best results (if any). I think the more compressed nature of modelers is the culprit. You could try dialing the patch in a little hot then rolling the guitar back to try to get more dynamics but I think its just the nature of the beast for the time being.