Favorite D.I. Box

Originally posted by SMASH


Haven't heard of those, but they're local to me.

You mean their "ToneBone"? Aren't they for guitar?

Click to expand...

nope! I'm speaking of the JDI.... the thread is about DI not preamps or effect units. I'll assume the JDV is better, but I can't justify the extra cost for the bells and whistles it has.

SansAmp, it works for me.

I would like to try some more high-end ones, but it's not like any store here in the frozen north is interested in stocking any.

I use the SansAmp BDDI when I want tone coloration/tube emulation, and a Countryman DI when I don't.

I'm very happy with my SansAmp Bass Driver DI - both as a DI and as a 'colouring agent' in my signal chain.

Mind you, out of the others, I think it's only the MXR that I've tried and, as I recall, that was more focussed on getting distortion (which I didn't want) than 'tubey warmth' (which I did).

Wulf

What of my rather expensive indulgences are DIs...I own quite a few of them and use many for quite a few differing applications (such as input buffers...or impedence matching in fx chains), often not being what they were designed for.

Some of my faves:
Avalon U5: simply the best sound I have found. Pure tone of your bass. But it is pricey...and worth every penny.

Radial JDI: incredible DI box..again a bit pricey, but I love it.

Fishman Platinum Pro Eq: very nice box..great Di and preamp with a lot of options. Well laid out eq, and a very smooth and musical photo-optic compressor which works very well for bass.

L.R. Baggs ParaAcoustic DI: originally designed for acoustic gtrs, this little wonder works great on bass...parametric and notch filter...phase switching, very good balnaced DI.

Raven Labs APD1; next the Avalon this is my fave. Just gorgeous tone, with many applications thanks to the switchable/mixable sidechain loop. dead quiet....marvelous box. And engineers love it.

Retrospec Juice Box: great tube Di...quiet flexible...yes it colors thigs but in avery cool way. Now out of production they are a bit hard to find.

ADL 100G: another tube DI..very pricey, bt what a great sound. This is what you might find in many top notch recording studios. Spent a small fortune on mine, and so it never leaves my studio.

I have also tried the Sadowsky, and Agulliar DI, and found them to very good..yet not quite up to the level as those on this list. IMHO I rank MXR and Sans Amp quite low ( I do own both of these..but rarelybuse them myself. In that same area of budget there is the venerable Countryman Model 85, which is THE standard active DI).

As a point of interest... I don't think Fodera makes a DI. Their Model 2000 preamp, which I also own, is very good, but does not have a balanced DI output.

Max

Avalon U5, Countryman Type 85

J-Retro, Fishman Pro EQ.
Max, I'm glad to hear someone's tried that Baggs DI with a bass. I've been wanting to, but just haven't gotten around to it. Now that I hear it works nicely, that will be first on my agenda at next practice.

I really like what Demeter and Aguilar DI boxes can add to a bass sound.

The Baggs is a very versatlie box....I never leave home without it!

I forgot about the J-Retro, which I tried out in a studio and was measurably impressed. VERY nice, and I am think of adding it to my "toolbox".

Speaking of additions..I just picked an Aphex Bass Exciter pedal. It does just what the racked exciters do (tho the /sn rationnis lower...but not really noticable).
Just for kicks I ran my bass into it and used the DI to go straight into Nuendo for a recording. Sounding pretty damn good! The Aphex process really brought out both the low end and harmonics..and I noticed NO noise from the DI.
They are quite affordable...so add that to your list!

Max

For recording either a Countryman Type 85 or an ART Tube MP. For live I like to send a stereo signal thru a Bellari Stereo Tube DI. Also on my pedal board I have an old MXR Noise Gate/Line Driver that some times sends dry signal thru it's active xlr output.

I also have an ART Tube MP, as well as an ART Levelar compressor (which can also send a balanced line out). I have in the past used both for recording, and though they are quite nice for recording the bass tone-wise, I have found them to bit a bit noisy which certainly detracts from their usefulness.

Have you had noise problems with your Tube MP? I am wondering if it is just mine. I know a few bassists who use them regularly (Stu Hamm, for instance, recorded his last CD thru a Tube MP into Pro Tools...)

Max

Another vote for the Radial JDI. Simply the best built, and cleanest most transparent passive DI on the market to date. All of the recording and pro sound rags have done reviews, and the Radial's take top prize every time. I use a JDI for my NS upright live, and wouldn't leave home without it. Sound companies we use always look suprised when I pull out my own DI to use instead of theirs, but they end up singing its praises right after sound check.

Hey Smash,
Radial is really cool stuff. BTW they make a "Bassbone" now too. It's a 2 channel mixer with EQ on one channel and an effects loop. Sounds great, though I already have a Raven Labs MDB-1 that I use an awful lot.

Best,
LM

Vote #2 for the Fishman Pro-EQ. I couldn't imagine using my EMG's without it.

Mark

EDIT 8/09/2002
I just bought the radial, and it's fantastic. Do yourself a favor a get one.

Countryman

i pretty much use what's on my Kern and Aguilar preamps, but i really dig Demeter's VTDB-BP small box DI.

literally sounds freakie fat, yet really clear. killer DI.

Studio: Avalon U5.

Live: Sansamp Acoustic DI.

SanSamp BassDriver.
I'll probably get an Avalon someday. They are incredible.