Direct Box (DI / Direct Inject) Roundup

[agreatheight]

I am looking for a new direct box (for live purposes) and since I didn't find one in search I thought I'd compile a list with information about different units. I'll start below.

[agreatheight]

Avalon U5

Pros:
Class A Solid State
Fantastic Tone / Fidelity
EQ Section
Very Low Noise

Cons:
Quite Expensive - $500+
EQ Is Preset Tone Control Only
Heavy Unit
2 Space x 1/2 Space Design Wastes Rack Space
Rack Ears Are Also Expensive

Overall:
A fantastic sounding but expensive and bulky DI.

[kyral210]

Don't the venue provide them? I use a Behringer BDI21 (a tech 21 bass driver clone).

http://www.behringer.com/BDI21/index.cfm?lang=eng

If you read reviews on harmony central, the general feeling is that it isn't quite as good as the Tech 21, but it is bloody close and 1/3 the price (if not less).

Personally I don't like the idea of taking expensive effects to gigs for someone to spill their pint over (it has happened).

[dcr]

Anthing by Radial Engineering will serve you very well.




dcr

[XtraLongScale]

While it makes for an outstanding Sansamp clone when it comes to the overdrive it provides, the BDI21 is commonly known for not performing the D.I. function very well. I'm pretty set using my Radial JDI. I also picked up an old school Sansamp D.I. (not the pedal) a while back which I have yet to try.

[RKB900player]

I, and as far as I know, many other people, own the SansAmp bass driver DI pedal. It's a phenomenal piece of equipment. Built like a tank.

[bongomania]

It sucks that two-letter terms like "DI" don't show up in the search. Here's a good recent thread though:
What is your favorite DI for live use?

[nosajwp]

I've had good experiences with Countryman, Whirlwind, and the old Tubeworks RT-4001 tube direct box if you can find them (pre-Genz Benz).

[SteveC]

The old TubeWorks 4001 Tube DI is great. I should have never sold it.

I currently use a Radial JDI. Great box. Sturdy, simple sounds great.

[Jazzdogg]

Here's a link to a list of threads discussing DIs:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...65#post4754165

[joconnorwi]

looking at either the DI-1000 or DI-100x

I need a DI in a bad way....thinking either that or a Countryman..

Thanks Ya'll

[markjazzbassist]

I've had good luck with the Countryman and with the Summit TD-100.

[stingray56funk]

I've used:

-Demeter Tube DI...my favorite DI of all I've had. I hate that I sold it because I bought it for $175 and it was incredible. Tube DI...very clean and articulate but with that touch of brilliance from the tube. Well designed and a Nashville standard.

-Aguilar DB900...great DI...like the Demeter but I liked the sound of the Demeter better. The Aguilar tended to be a little darker with my Peavey Cirrus 5 I was primarily playing at the time...but a nice clean DI. I wouldn't worry about reliability either...AG makes great stuff as we all know. You pay for it too!

-Groove Tubes Ditto DI...truly a remarkable DI as well. Voiced just like the Demeter...just a little bulky. The great thing about the Ditto and now the Brick is that they have enough output to run into a Poweramp and act as your pre. People with the Bergantino IP's should like that...but most probably wouldn't ever think of the GT. It has the same preamp setup as their ViPre vocal preamp. You can also adjust the gain on the GT to get a little more overdrive into your signal. It also uses two tubes...12ax7 and 12au7.

-Avalon U5...already been mentioned above!

-MXR M-80 DI+...a very nice live tool! I have used my constantly since I sold all my tube DI's. It is a very good unit...i was surprised by how much the FOH guys like the pedal. Haven't used it in the studio but I hear people have gotten great results with it there as well...like the Sansamp. I bought it because I liked the distortion/overdrive it would give me in comparison to other units. Definitely a cheap buy and it acts like a bassist's swiss army knife!

-Countryman Type 85 DI...clean and built like a tank. Nothing wrong with it...just ask Adam Clayton.

-Radial JDV (original version)...much like the Countryman. So much that I couldn't justify the hike in price so I sold it to buy another Countryman a few years ago.

-GT Direct Box (cheap version...not bad!)...definitely the most inexpensive but nothing to turn your nose up to. Better than any $20 box but not quite up to par with the Countryman and Radial boxes.

That is from my experiences and IMO.

[ihateusernames]

I heard one of the best bass tones ever in a live setting from an Ibanez SR400 through a Whirlwind DI. The play is fantastic - through a decent PA, with a good sound engineer magical things can happen with economical equipment. As a matter of fact, most players - great or not so great - will sound pretty close on most PA's regardless of DI. Fancy high priced DI's are simply that, fancy and high priced.

[bongomania]

Here's a funny one- I just bought an extremely expensive DI, a Phoenix Audio (UK) "Stereo Nice DI", and it actually picks up too much of my signal! What I mean is, tiny finger/string noises, extraneous harmonics, and high-end noise from my onboard pre... sounds I did not hear when using other "normal" cheaper DI's. It's extremely sensitive. I'm sure it's brilliant for recording electro-acoustic instruments soloed, where every nuance is golden... but for electric bass I think I was better off with the old regular DI's.

[squarewave]

Thanks for the reviews stingray56funk.

[Pilgrim]

I believe the term is direct interface, not direct injection. The latter refers to a method of fuel injection in auto and truck applications.

Other possibilities:
Dillweed Influence
Dogsbreath Infusion
Dynamic Incompetence
Dynamic Intontinence
Double Incoherence

..........but I digress.

[ookerdookers]

DI is variously claimed to stand for direct input, direct injection or direct interface. I think just DI works fine for me.

[markjazzbassist]

I'm really GASing hard for an Eclair Engineering Evil Twin. Those clips on basstasters make it sound REALLY warm and with really smooth highs and thick tone.

[Pearldiver]

I've used the Hartke Bass Attack for the last couple of years. All the sound guys have had nothing but wonderful things to say about it.

http://www.amazon.com/Hartke-Bass-At.../dp/B0002OS9FC