AT pro 35. Need for a DI?

**Chris Willingham** · Jan-29-2009, 7:44pm

Just ordered the 35 after getting tired of staying glued to the mic. I searched the threads with not much luck, so I'd like to hear from pro 35 users. Do you need a DI?

The rest of my band uses a shure 57 or a AT pro 37r, which is what I've been playing through.

I looked at the LR baggs DI and like everything about it except going from xlr to 1/4 to xlr out.

Being in rock and blues bands most of my life and just discovering the joy and addiction of bluegrass (and mandolin) in the last two years, I've never mic'd or amplified acoustic instruments except as previously mentioned.

Thanks for the help!
Chris

**steve V. johnson** · Jan-29-2009, 8:34pm

A DI box changes the impedance of a 1/4" cable output to the impedance of an XLR (microphone) cable.

Your AT should terminate in an XLR, so ... no, you shouldn't need a DI.

I have several "AT 35x Pro" microphones and they have a thin cable that terminates in an XLR (male) and phantom power (from a preamp or mixer) to operate. I like 'em. I use them for our fiddler and I've used them for brass, woodwinds and drums, even a double bass.

AT used to make another '35' model that had a thin cable that went to a battery pack and then thru another cable to an XLR (male). These mics ran off the batteries -or- from phantom power.

I hope this helps.

stv

**Jim Gallaher** · Jan-30-2009, 7:58am

I use an AT PRO 35 on my LaPlant F-5.

It has its own power module (AT8538) hard-wired at the end of the thin mic cord and terminating in an XLR connector.

Just be sure you plug it into a board with phantom power (or supply your own in-line if the board does not).

To mount the PRO 35, I clip the supplied AT8418 UniMount to my Tone-Gard, then curve the flexible neck up and around to position the mic over the lower f-hole.

In performance, I still step up to an AT 37r mic mounted on a stand to give me a boost in volume for solo's.

I connect the AT PRO 35 to a snake at the front of the stage to avoid stepping on the long, thin mic cord.

Since I often run the sound from the stage, using the PRO 35 allows me to step back and tweak the sound without dropping out of the mix. It also permits me to maintain a constant presence when another player is at the main vocal mic stand.

**Chris Willingham** · Jan-30-2009, 8:22am

Thanks guys! I'd looked at the DI but wasn't really understanding it's main purpose. I was thinking it was mainly a preamp, but sounds like it primarily changes xlr to a 1/4. Thanks again.

**GVD** · Jan-30-2009, 9:49am

Originally Posted by sliabhstv

I have several "AT 35x Pro" microphones and they have a thin cable that terminates in an XLR (male) and phantom power (from a preamp or mixer) to operate. I like 'em. I use them for our fiddler and I've used them for brass, woodwinds and drums, even a double bass.

stv

Hey Steve how'd you like it on the double bass?

GVD

**steve V. johnson** · Jan-30-2009, 12:12pm

GVD,

I'll reply in PM, so's not to hijack this thread.

Thanks,

stv

**bjc** · Jan-30-2009, 3:37pm

How do you attach the Pro 35?

**mandroid** · Jan-30-2009, 3:43pm

at local shows [a small 'black box' theatre with PA speakers in the overhead]
with stage snakes wired to a remote mixer most if not all inputs are for Microphones .
and low impedance, so when a unbalanced 1/4" high impedance signal
is needing to go Directly into that 'snake', its Insert is impedance matched .

folks like Baggs and Fishman have added a DI output to some of their pre-amps,
so that may confuse the a bit.

haven't any experience taking them apart , Active DI's may have gain,

Passive ones would be a matching high to low transformer ,
similar to the low to high ones to plug a dynamic mic into a Guitar amp.