Your Personal Opinion

[Infa Red]

Of what is the "best" DI for Bass guitar to achieve the below listed tonal goals:

1 - Ampeg SVT DI Tube Direct
or
2 - A Designs REDDI
or
3 - D.W. Fern VT-3 Dual Channel Vacuum Tube DI
or
4 - AMI TAB-Funkenwerk V-71D DI
or
5 - Insert your suggestion here

Shooting for these genres/tonal goals:

A) Super Clean, absolutely NO break up or distortion (but tube saturation is ok - just no Marshall type crunch distortion)
B) Fat but NOT boomy
C) Round but yet PUNCHY
D) Very defined and rich, NOT Mushy
E) All that with still having a proper high end

F) Genres featuring: R&B, Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, Top 40's, Commercial Pop, cool good ol' Rock, 70's and 80's music sound - Fusion of all, etc... NO METAL, no hard rock, no country.

(Think the bass line from "Brick House" by The Commodores, Or that bassline in "Magic Man" by Heart. Or the bassline in "I Keep Forgettin" by Michael McDonald, etc.. )


Thanks for all your input in advance !!

[silvertones]

Not exactly a DI but neither is what you're after.
I use the Ampeg SVX plugin with the Stealth interface. However now you have a computer to deal with.

[fretno]

Those are all excellent and most are on the best there are list , you left off Demeter and Manley ,Aguilar , Summit , Retrospec and others . There are also many fine non-tube Direct Boxes that are highly regarded , It's a long list A stand alone D.I. is not always needed either many fine bass pre's and mic pre's have them already as do bass amps . Still on your list it would be a hard choice but I would go 3,4,2,1

[BurningSkies]

Countryman.

[Infa Red]

Originally Posted by silvertones

Not exactly a DI but neither is what you're after.
I use the Ampeg SVX plugin with the Stealth interface. However now you have a computer to deal with.

Thanks silvertones for your input. Yea, I didn't want to bore you all with my extreme details, but I am very familiar with a computer and running a large studio. I own a pretty elaborate Pro Tools HD Accel 7 rig, SSL Console, with tons of outboard, tons of plug ins, tons of Amps, Cabs, etc... (Marshall's, Fenders, Ampeg, etc..) The whole slew, too much to list or bother mentioning --

Its just that now, I want a good DI for bass. For 2 reasons really. One- to mult my bass signal - 1 going to my 1972 Ampeg SVT Blueline amp and mic'ed with a cab, and the other going directly into PT via this new DI I get. Then blend them in the mix. And Two- Sometimes honestly just go directly in via this DI and don't mic it at all.

I already do both with what I got, and its cool (got some boutiquey PreAmps with DI's in them, etc..). I just wanted to get some input on another DI that is more dedicated for Bass or at least is frickin awesome with bass whether its dedicated for bass or not.

Hope that kinda clears up the air of my position on things. And yea, I pretty much am after a DI. Hence the list I gave. But would love to be open to other suggestions of them.

Thanks for the plug in suggestion, but I definitely aint feelin the Stealth IMO - just not my recording approach. Plus I don't think it supports 96k, so its out for me anyway cause thats what I record at. The plug in seems like a decent purchase by itself without the Stealth interface (in which a proper high end DI would replace). I've been thinking about getting it. And at least it does support 96k.

Thanks again for the input, and as I probably will get that SVX plug in, I still am on the look out for a DI that best achieves my above listed tonal goals.

[Infa Red]

Originally Posted by fretno

Those are all excellent and most are on the best there are list , you left off Demeter and Manley ,Aguilar , Summit , Retrospec and others . There are also many fine non-tube Direct Boxes that are highly regarded , It's a long list A stand alone D.I. is not always needed either many fine bass pre's and mic pre's have them already as do bass amps . Still on your list it would be a hard choice but I would go 3,4,2,1

Fretno, great post, thanks for the detailed excellent input. Yea, I agree, I left alot out, but I was trying to shoot for DI's that are just made for bass, or at least have earned a very awesome of most awesome reputation from you bass pros as a "go to" DI when shooting for my listed tone desires.

So yea, don't just go by my list, I would like to know your personal favorite of all time.

I also agree, I don't HAVE to go with a tube one. Its just that tubes usually do have a great sound if the circuitry is built properly. But from the way you listed my list, I can gather that the Ampeg SVT DI Tube Direct was just a piece of crap ? I actually never heard it before, but am a HUGE Ampeg fan, so I was asking about it. Also, I found one on eBay and was wondering if it was worth getting. Looks like it is not. lol --

[fretno]

Originally Posted by Infa Red

Fretno, great post, thanks for the detailed excellent input. Yea, I agree, I left alot out, but I was trying to shoot for DI's that are just made for bass, or at least have earned a very awesome of most awesome reputation from you bass pros as a "go to" DI when shooting for my listed tone desires.

So yea, don't just go by my list, I would like to know your personal favorite of all time.

I also agree, I don't HAVE to go with a tube one. Its just that tubes usually do have a great sound if the circuitry is built properly. But from the way you listed my list, I can gather that the Ampeg SVT DI Tube Direct was just a piece of crap ? I actually never heard it before, but am a HUGE Ampeg fan, so I was asking about it. Also, I found one on eBay and was wondering if it was worth getting. Looks like it is not. lol --

no not at all , I've never used that DI but infact have only heard postive things about it . IF the price is right get it , to me DI's are just like any other pre or mic , the more the merrier Those DI's I listed are also the go to bass DI I would venture a guess the Demeter has been or more records than we could count . For your application I would ask are you simply splitting at the DI and going to amp and board ? and what is after the DI ? IF say a nice pre then a JDDI or Countryman would work all the same , especially if going to a tube pre than you could actually bring in more squish and color than expected be it good or bad but "tube" is not a prerequisite. In my limited experience it seems there are endless ways to get to a place with tones , and for me a highend pre has made the difference , well that and a FMR PBC inline and the more tools in the tool box makes the job easier , so I say get it the Fern and the Tab and Red

[JimmyM]

if you want to go with an ampeg, i'd look for a used svp-cl pre instead. it's basically the same pre that's in vintage svt's, and it totally hangs with the big boys for clean sounds. not familiar with the other ones. www.basstasters.com has some great clips of different pres you should check out, too. he tries them out with a lot of different basses.

really, though, it all matters very little in the long run. as long as you get a quality product and you hit the notes at the time they need hit, it's all different shades of kickass.

[Infa Red]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

really, though, it all matters very little in the long run. as long as you get a quality product and you hit the notes at the time they need hit, it's all different shades of kickass.

LOL !! Aint that the truth !! Well said, and thanks for your input man !