Need to buy my first DI

[LowDown Hal]

Just found out I need a DI by Thurs., so not much time for research.

What's your favorite and why?

THANKS,
.H

[bongomania]

There are a lot of different reasons to choose one DI vs another, it's not just about "favorites". So I know you're saying "no time for research", but give us something to work with!

Are you you normally running a passive bass straight to your amp, or do you have a preamp/booster/tone-shaping device somewhere in the chain before the amp?

What's your realistic budget? (Please don't say "affordable" or "won't break the bank". Give us a number.)

Do you need the DI to provide any amp simulation or EQ, or do you just want a clean uncolored transmission of your signal?

Do you care if it is phantom powered?

[prd004]

BSS-Audio AR-133. The best of my three DI's

[MuzikMan]

Radial JDI - great passive DI
Countryman Type 85 - great active DI
Whirlwind IMP2 - cheap ass DI that gets the job done

These are all very popular choices.

[zradguy]

Originally Posted by LowDown Hal

Just found out I need a DI by Thurs., so not much time for research.

What's your favorite and why?

THANKS,
.H

Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI for me. Fantastic sound and flexibility with a great DI.

[BigMac5]

Radial J48

[JohnMCA72]

I've been very happy with my Radial J48. About US$80, runs off phantom power so no need for batteries, sounds good (to my ear, at least, which basically means that it sounds like nothing at all), & very solid packaging.

[TimmyP]

For passive instruments: Radial Pro48 - most of the performance of a J48 with fewer buttons to mess things up, a much lower cost.

For active instruments, Radial ProDI (or DI2). Most of the performance of the JDI at a lot lower price.

[prd004]

I've got a J48, very nice. I have Countryman Type 85, excellent.

I also have a BSS Audio AR-133 better connectivity and out preforms them all.
They are all roughly the same price

[MNAirHead]

Unfortunately you'll receive a bunch of opinions on DIs.

I'll be the first to comment, that my JDI sounds better with some basses than my Countryman 85...... many times the Tonebone isn't the optimal option.

I own 20+ DIs (recording and shipping to live gigs)

-------

OVERALL to start out with, my opinion is a MXR M80 (used & ignore the distortion)... they can be had for $60 or so (used) they're a fairly consistant DI between different pas, recording devices and basses... if it's not right it can be dialed in.. and has phantom power buffering.

IF you just want cheap, a Rolls DB25 is pro class gear with padding (incase your clipping the board)

Tim

PS... take your replies as unbiased "I like my" as we are clueless of your gear setup, budget and use.

[LowDown Hal]

THANKS for the input thus far. I apologize for asking a question and then disappearing but I've had some real nasty flu bug for several days now.

I just started in a small side project that is going to do a 20minute coffee house set this coming Saturday. It's an acoustic thing so they don't provide a backline but do have a PA with a subwoofer. So my thinking was to buy myself a DI and just take that.

I primarily play a passive J, sometimes a passive P. I've started working an electric upright into shows so that adds an active, piezo, variable to my equation. I'm also looking to buy an upright.

This Saturday will just be the passive J. I can always take my MarkBass LMIII and just use it unloaded, i.e without a cab. Or heck just carry the cab as well. It just seems like a lot for a 20 minute rotation.

So I had been thinking about something like the BassBone or the VT BAss Deluxe which give me the two inputs and eq sections as well as the DI feature.

Price is not really an issue for me. I just don't like to have to do things twice. In other words I'll pay for quality.

I also thought about some sort of A/B/Y box with EQ and then a seperate component for the DI function.

[bongomania]

Sounds like your best bets would be the VT Deluxe or the EBS Microbass.

[larryshaw48]

Behringer D.I box..... Cheap and they work!

[electracoyote]

I haven't played many, but I went with the Sadowsky Pre/DI because people rave about the onboard Sadowsky pre, and it lets me not only DI, but it gives me the Sadowsky Pre tone too. I'm very happy.

I think you have to look at features and play a bunch of them to know for sure.

[ninepoundjammer]

I straight up DI would get the job done, but it sounds like something with a preamp/DI like one of the Sansamp products (VT Deluxe etc) would be better.

[BigMac5]

EWI, haven't used one personally, but I have heard great things about their DI's. Really good prices too here:

LDB-101

[lindseyp]

Originally Posted by LowDown Hal

Just found out I need a DI by Thurs., so not much time for research.

What's your favorite and why?

THANKS,
.H

Whirlwind DI, MXR M-80, Radial JDI, but really, I'm of the mind that any passive DI is better than not owning one at all.

[jtc_hunter]

I use the MXR M-80 and can get the sound I want.

[TimmyP]

Originally Posted by larryshaw48

Behringer D.I box..... Cheap and they work!

Had them, felt quilty that I had to sell them instead of giving them away. Better to have an IMP, even with a passive bass.

[mowburger]

+1 the SansAmp BDDI, It's what I use. If you don't want it to sound like a miced cab you can always just turn it off, it's then just a clean D.I. that can be run on 9v batt or wall wart or phantom power.

Both the VT and BDDI DELUXE have multiple channel programmability haha, and two switchable inputs. They also have an effects loop.

I have used several cheapy and not so cheapy DI's and I much prefer to have some kinda tone shaping eq or cab sim.

good luck!