DI Recommendations / Behringer ULTRA-DI DI100

Frettage · #1 12-08-2009, 08:41 AM

Does anyone have any experience with the Behringer ULTRA-DI DI100 Direct Box, or can anyone recommend a decent inexpensive DI? I don't need anything fancy, I just need to bump up my signal to feed it into a Lexicon MPX1.

MNAirHead · #2 12-08-2009, 08:44 AM

"Bump up" meaning tone shape? MXR M-80 is the best value option (used ~$55)

Just a padding passive DI.. Rolls DB25 is under $30.. has more control than any cheapish DI out there...

Used Countryman is kind of the gold standard

Frettage · #3 12-08-2009, 09:33 AM

Sorry, by bump up I meant amplify my signal. It's too weak going straight into the MPX1, and I end up having to turn the gain all the way up (bad juju). I was told an active DI is what I need to correct the problem.

I'm new to this (been teaching myself bass), so if I'm wrong, please let me know.

MNAirHead · #4 12-08-2009, 09:38 AM

Sounds like you want an active tone shaping DI.. like the MXR..

I'm not a recording pro.. you may really need a better interface --- not a DI box (different beast)

MNAirHead · #5 12-08-2009, 09:39 AM

Question.. are you using a passive bass (meaning do you have to put batteries into it)

Frettage · #6 12-08-2009, 09:52 AM

I have a passive Fender J-bass and an active Hohner Jack bass. It works fine with the Hohner, not so much with the Fender.

1kinal · #7 12-08-2009, 07:08 PM

Cheap: Wirlwind IMP2
Good: Radial Pro-DI
Great: Radial JDI or J48

walker rosewood · #8 12-08-2009, 08:39 PM

I avoid anything that says behringer on it (although I heard they just bough Midas), BUT... the Ultra DI is the only piece of behringer gear I tolerate.

Does what it's supposed to. Ground lift is nice. Very rugged construction, solid metal with big rubber corners. Runs batteries down quickly, but also can be phantom powered, which is how I always run it. 1/4" and xlr input, xlr out, also a 1/4" parallel out marked 'Link' for running into your amp, while still sending a signal to the house. The most useful feature though is the two -20db pads, handy for appeasing FOH guys.

The negative is that its a behringer. I had three of them completely stop working within a week or two. GC just kept replacing them until I got one that worked, and I've had it for many years now. That's par for behringer, if you get a working piece of gear it's alright, but it's tough get a working one.

bongomania · #9 12-09-2009, 12:07 AM

Hold it, though. None of the devices mentioned so far (except the MXR) are designed to boost your signal at all! You don't want a DI, because 90% of the time they do not boost! That's not what a DI is for.

You want something that is designed to boost your signal. Most pedals marketed as "preamps" can provide boost. However note that the minimum level needed to get a good clean signal into the MPX1 is -14dBu, which not all pedal-format preamps or boosters can do. So look for one that is claimed to have a lot of boost on tap, like 25-35 dB or more, or look for one that says it has a "line level" output.

I'm sure Behringer makes such a thing. Probably their BDDI clone will do the job.

dannybuoy · #10 12-09-2009, 01:03 AM

Behringer BDI21 should do the trick, although the Sansamp BDDI has switchable instrument or line level outputs for extra boost if you need it. Both if these have a blend knob so you should be able to use them for either a clean uncoloured sound or a tube amp simulation.

Frettage · #11 12-09-2009, 09:04 AM

It sounds like I'm wrong, but I thought that any Active DI amplified the signal? The Sansamp says it can cut or boost bass or treble EQ ±12%, but I'm not seeing anything about a clean amplification of the the signal listed on their website. Although, to be fair I'm not seeing anything on Behringer's either. How can you tell what you're looking for?

I'm so confused!

bongomania · #12 12-09-2009, 09:12 AM

An active DI is just one that uses active (powered) circuitry to balance the signal and lower its output impedance. Active says nothing about boost.

The Sansamp does have a line-level output. There's more info about that in the manual, and if you search on BDDI here or in the Amps forum; one clue to look for is this from their web page: "Three different outputs to drive power amps, recording desks, PA mixers..." Only a line-level signal can drive a power amp, so if a pedal is claimed to drive a power amp, you are golden. And again, many manufacturers will specify the amount of gain in dB, or whether an output is line level.

Skunk11 · #13 12-09-2009, 09:18 AM

I, too, have the Behringer DI and it works great. However, I agree with bongo, that's probably not what you really need for what you are doing.

Frettage · #14 12-09-2009, 09:35 AM

From what I'm reading, the Behringer BDI21 works great "when it works," which doesn't instill me with a lot of confidence. Looking at other pre-amp pedals, the SansAmp Character Series - VT Bass looks like the cheapest at $149, and it's gotten very good reviews. Would that be my best choice on a budget?

Also, while we're on the subject, up until now I've been using a Pandora PX4D, which is great because it allows me to pump in an audio signal from my computer so I can play along to music. The downside is, it's noisy, with lots of hiss. Can you think of any way I can still listen along to music using the MPX1 without adding the same effects to it that I do on the bass input, or am I asking too much?

Thanks for all your help, bongomania and others!

flight120 · #15 12-09-2009, 09:54 AM

Ok, back up. Are you plugging your bass into a Lexicon Mpx-1? This thing doesn't seem to have an instrument input. The 1/4" inputs are balanced LINE inputs. You should be running through a preamp first, then into the Mpx-1 if you're using these jacks. Alternately, you should be able to use a DI and go in to an XLR input and be ok level-wise.

As for your DI100 question, I have a Behringer DI100 and three DI400Ps in my studio. Never had a problem and they seem pretty bullet proof. I also keep a DI400P in my gig bag as a backup to the Radial JDI I usually use just in case.

Frettage · #16 12-09-2009, 10:03 AM

Well, I *was* plugging directly in, which is when I started to learn all about line levels. I've been running around the web reading all the pages I can find that actually explain things without using terminology that I would know if I already knew about the subject and didn't need to read up on it (kudos to bongomania for his fantastic articles on his website!).

Although some things you said in your post confused me. I thought a 1/4" input wasn't balanced, but the XLRs were? And if the DI isn't boosting the signal, then why should going into the XLRs work if going into the 1/4" doesn't?

I'm sorry if I'm being daft, there may be something fundamental I'm missing here.

walker rosewood · #17 12-09-2009, 10:14 AM

a 1/4" can be balanced or unbalanced. An instrument cable is generally unbalanced--two wires, one is the ground, the other carries the signal. A balanced 1/4", a.k.a. TRS (tip ring sleeve) has three wires--one is the ground, the other two carry the signal (stereo). You can tell by looking at the connector, an unbalanced will have one ring going around it, while the TRS has two rings.

bongomania · #18 12-09-2009, 10:14 AM

1/4" jacks can be either balanced or unbalanced. Unbalanced is also written as "TS" (tip-sleeve) or "mono" or "instrument". Balanced 1/4" is also written as "TRS" (tip-ring-sleeve); you'll also see the jack or plug called "stereo", but that's just because a stereo cable uses the same number of connectors as balanced.

A normal DI into the XLR input will not give you the right levels.

Edit: jinx! beaten by mere seconds.

Frettage · #19 12-09-2009, 10:45 AM

OK, I understand. But wouldn't the jack in my bass be unbalanced?

bongomania · #20 12-09-2009, 12:27 PM

Yes, it is definitely unbalanced (unless you have one of those rarities like an Alembic with an XLR built in), but check this out: if your bass is passive, it uses a TS jack, but if it's active, it uses a TRS jack. In that case it is neither balanced nor stereo--the 3rd connection is used to connect the battery to the onboard electronics.

The MPX1 can take either balanced or unbalanced input signals.