Eden WTDI - thoughts?

[Quackhead]

I am seriously considering a WTDI. I have owned several Eden amps in the past (WT400, WT550, and WT600). But these were all pre-U.S. Music. And now I heard they moved the manufacturing overseas and got sold again, which makes me leery about the build quality.

I've read alot of positive reviews about this preamp/DI. It seems that the rumors of a decline in Eden's quality are not totally true.

I'm planning on running this through an Crown Microtech 1200, which is heavy, but sounds amazing. Any thoughts on your experiences with the WTDI would be appreciated.

[Munjibunga]

There was a dip in Eden's QC right after U.S. Music bought them, but I think they're back on track. I talked to the Marshall people at NAMM, and they seem committed to retaining the quality of the original Eden amps. I've got a WTX-500 and WTDI, and both are serving me well. In fact, I'm going to use the WTDI at practice tonight. It doesn't quite have that "set-it-flat-and-forget-it" EQ of the classic Eden tone stack, but you can get very close with a little minor tweaking. At $129 - $149, you can't go too far wrong.

[MuthaFunk]

I just got one. It's a decent piece of equipment for the price. So far it's had the best on board compressor I've heard on a "amp". Solid road ready build construction with gold plated xlr and 1/4" jacks.

I have two other Eden heads (WT-400 and WTX-260) and this thing has the Eden sound. It doesn't have the tone shaping abilities of the WT-400's semi-parametric EQ but the EQ it does have is very potent as I've come to expect from Eden. To my ear going through the FX return on my SWR Baby Blue 110 combo it's a little noisier when the treble is boosted as compared to using my WTX-260's pre-amp in the same way.

It's for the most part all there. That Eden tone. It was a real surprise to hear my little SWR with such a big sound. I wouldn't have thought it possible, especially for so cheap!

Some have listed problems using really hot active basses with it as there is no input pad. All of my active basses worked fine.

I just posted a mod for the WTDI today in the WTDI club thread here on TB where you can tame the abnormally blinding power light down a bit. The LED was described in one review I read as being, "Brighter than 1000 exploding suns!" or something like that. I laughed, then later thought, he was right.

[Quackhead]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

There was a dip in Eden's QC right after U.S. Music bought them, but I think they're back on track. I talked to the Marshall people at NAMM, and they seem committed to retaining the quality of the original Eden amps. I've got a WTX-500 and WTDI, and both are serving me well. In fact, I'm going to use the WTDI at practice tonight. It doesn't quite have that "set-it-flat-and-forget-it" EQ of the classic Eden tone stack, but you can get very close with a little minor tweaking. At $129 - $149, you can't go too far wrong.

Yeah I figured I could go this route and save myself some money instead of buying an Eden head, since I'm planning on grabbing that Crown power amp.

[domestique]

Does anybody use their WTDI as their main DI?

I already have a Genz Benz SM 9.2 so I can get a pretty close to Eden sound with my FET channel, but when I play at church I do not take my setup as they have a Hartke kickback as backline..... The problem I find is that it lacks presence. I am either considering a VT bass deluxe or the WTDI.

Sorry for crashing your thread OP, but didn't really want to start a new thread.

[craig.p]

I have a WTDI and I love the thing. It gives a clean sound, but at the same time you can make the sound very muscular/authoritative -- if you manage the controls properly and don't overdo them. A lot happens with just the smallest adjustments. Make sure you check here to see exactly how the tone controls behave. The notch control can be especially useful.

[Quackhead]

Originally Posted by craig.p

I have a WTDI and I love the thing. It gives a clean sound, but at the same time you can make the sound very muscular/authoritative -- if you manage the controls properly and don't overdo them. A lot happens with just the smallest adjustments. Make sure you check here to see exactly how the tone controls behave. The notch control can be especially useful.

Yeah I'm familiar with Eden tone controls. I used to own three of them.

[1954bassman]

Originally Posted by domestique

Does anybody use their WTDI as their main DI?

I already have a Genz Benz SM 9.2 so I can get a pretty close to Eden sound with my FET channel, but when I play at church I do not take my setup as they have a Hartke kickback as backline..... The problem I find is that it lacks presence. I am either considering a VT bass deluxe or the WTDI.

Sorry for crashing your thread OP, but didn't really want to start a new thread.

I used one at church for a while. I love Eden gear, but I did sell my WTDI. Why?

I was running it direct with no amp using IEMs. Our "volunteer" sound girl could never tame my signal enough to make it happen. She ended up turning the mixer gain almost completely off (Soundcraft GB8), so low in fact, that I had almost no signal going to the Avioms. I mainly blame her and her tendency to "mix from the gains" instead of sliders.

But I also felt like the compressor never worked that well in the WDTI, which I really needed in my situation. I was playing a Lakland 55-01 with Dimarzio Ultra-Jazz pickups and an Audere preamp (not really the hottest set-up around, BTW).

Anyway, I switched to a Mark Bass Compressore running into a Radial JDI, and I am getting much better results. I also bought a MusicMan Sterling 5 for myself at Christmas, and I have all the EQ requirements met on the bass itself. My Yamaha TRB1005 also works quite well with this set-up.

No equipment changes will compensate for a poor sound person however. Well, maybe an 810 300 watt tube rig would, but they would never go for that at my church.

[Quackhead]

Originally Posted by domestique

Sorry for crashing your thread OP, but didn't really want to start a new thread.

No worries...

[Quackhead]

Originally Posted by 1954bassman

I used one at church for a while. I love Eden gear, but I did sell my WTDI. Why?


But I also felt like the compressor never worked that well in the WDTI, which I really needed in my situation. I was playing a Lakland 55-01 with Dimarzio Ultra-Jazz pickups and an Audere preamp (not really the hottest set-up around, BTW).

That's funny because alot of the reviews of the WTDI I see praise the compressor. You can never please everyone I guess.

[Primakurtz]

I ordered one today; could no longer resist checking it out.
I want to compare it with my ART Pro Channel preamp. The ART is much larger (but weighs very little) & has 3 tubes, a compressor, and a great eq, but they cost about the same. I will report out.

[esa372]

Originally Posted by Quackhead

Any thoughts on your experiences with the WTDI would be appreciated.

Lots of opinions here:

Eden WTDI Direct Box/Preamp

[1954bassman]

Originally Posted by Quackhead

That's funny because alot of the reviews of the WTDI I see praise the compressor. You can never please everyone I guess.

Yeah, I wondered if mine was defective?

[Primakurtz]

Originally Posted by Primakurtz

I ordered one today; could no longer resist checking it out.
I want to compare it with my ART Pro Channel preamp. The ART is much larger (but weighs very little) & has 3 tubes, a compressor, and a great eq, but they cost about the same. I will report out.

Very underwhelmed by the WTDI. I compared it to my old WT800a, the ART, and the Ampeg SVP-CL. I'm sending the WTDI back, with a bill for the temporary blindness caused by the stupidly bright LED. It just didn't sound that good at any setting, IMHO.

[domestique]

Originally Posted by Primakurtz

Very underwhelmed by the WTDI. I compared it to my old WT800a, the ART, and the Ampeg SVP-CL. I'm sending the WTDI back, with a bill for the temporary blindness caused by the stupidly bright LED. It just didn't sound that good at any setting, IMHO.

What sound were you looking for? I think I am going to try the bass deluxe first.

[staccatogrowl]

Like everything else, some guys like, some guys don't . . . WTDI is so inexpensive . . . Might as well let your ears decide . . .

[Primakurtz]

Absolutely - that's just what I finally had to do. Some folks love it. That is half the fun, right?

I wasn't looking for any particular tones, other than "useful" and "Musical". I do think the VT has a wider range of good sounds.

[chuck norriss]

Useful eq/DI. Get it. It's nice.

[newbold]

+1.