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Best Bass DI, where can I find shootouts?

E

ethm1

Jul 4, 2000
8
0
Grand Rapids, Mi.
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#1
Greetings folks. I'm looking to buy a DI for church, and need info. I've already done some looking, Harmony Central, etc... but I'd really like to find a shoutout article. BassPlayer had one in Nov. 98, but it's not in their archives. They emailed me back and said I could purchase the whole back issue, but I only need the article. Can anyone help?
My first choice so far is the Sansamp Bass DI, but I'm open for other recommendations.

Jim
 
#2
What do you want the DI to achieve? At church we use some relatively cheap active DI boxes that get their juice via phantom power. They're nothing special but they get the signal to the back of the church via a balanced line - I think they're worth about £40 but I can't remember the brand.

I recently purchased a Sansamp Bass Driver DI for myself, which I use at church among other places. However, that's as much about tone-shaping as simply taking the output from my bass and converting it to a balanced signal. It's worth the extra money to me but may be overkill for you.

Depends what you're after...

Wulf
 
#5
Originally posted by ethm1
...but I'd really like to find a shoutout article. BassPlayer had one in Nov. 98, but it's not in their archives.
Click to expand...


Jim - BP's annual "Bass Gear" edition did a DI shootout in 2001. Awards are below, but note: the superb, pricey, DI's like the Avalon U5, Aguilar DB 900, and and Raven Labs APD-1 were included in the magazine but not in the shootout because they came on the market after the shootout was conducted. Even so, those units are in a distinctly higher price range than the award winners.

- Countryman Type 85 got a Top Tone and a Best Built award
- Tech 21 SansAmp got a Top Tone and Most Innovative award ("Innovative" for its tube emulation circuit)
- Radial Engineering JDV got a Top Tone, Best Built, and a Most Innovative award ("Innovative" for it's rechargeable battery pack...in case voltage drops when using phantom power).
- Best Buy Awards went to the BBE DI-10 and the Whirlwind IMP 2.
 
#6
I ordered a Behringer Ultra DI from American Musical Supply for 29.95. It is active(uses 9v or phantom power.) I have only used it once but it did not "color" the sound any. If I had the money, I would go with the SansAmp, but this works just fine.
 
#9
I know it is primarily a preamp, however the DI in it can't be beat. Even if you have an active bass, you can run your onboard flat and use the Sadowsky to shape your tone. It is a bit pricey but well worth the $, IMO. I never leave home without mine! :D
 
#12
I use a cheap Behringer DI for $45, for simple recording and gigs, if the soundman doesn't want to use his own DI's, and it works fine... I let the soundguy do most of the tone shaping anyway, so I really don't need anything fancy.. It has a built in switchable 4x12 cab simulation, that I've never used, and don't really trust, but I've never really tried it out.
 
#14
i, too, am looking for a bass di for church.

i am presently using a sansamp bddi.
it sounds great but i still think it colors the tone. nothing bad about that since it's "good color". just that i find the sansamp rounds off the edges and removes some of the clarity.

i didn't believe it until i heard the preamp shootout by todd and josh (Invalid Link Removed). just compare the sansamp with the avalon u5.

i can't afford the avalon. anyone knows a cheaper alternative????

i don't want too much tone shaping.
my onboard bart preamp could do that.

-cheng
 
#16
There are several great comparisons of DI's in various mix and recording magazines which are linked from the "review" area at Radial's web site: www.radialeng.com

I recently went with the Radial JDI, and it runs circles around my old Countryman 85 for clean, crystal clear tone.

Also, beware of the difference between a preamp and a DI, some serve a dual purpose. The Sansamp and the Avalon U5 are preamps, which focus more on their ability to color and affect the sound. A good DI strives to avoid coloration and rather to send a crystal clear, pure sound to the board.
 
#17
i agree that a good di should be transparent. however, the avalon seems to bring out some of the nuances and brilliance of the bass, without coloring it. it sounds like an oxymoron (the fact that it amplfies some frequencies, it's in fact affecting the tone). but i feel that it adds clarity, and not color.

those mp3 at this site proves this point pretty well

http://www.geocities.com/wbfranklin/favalon.html

yea, i heard good things about radial's direct boxes.
 
#18
I would argue that in a typical church application **any** DI would do the job. The subtleties of DIs in live situations are mostly lost. It matters a lot more when you're in a recording studio and you can actually HEAR the differences. Buying an Avalon and running it into a Peavey PA system would be a waste of money.

My preference would be a PASSIVE box, no power supply issues. Whirlwind IMP2, Whirlwind Director, the ProCo box or (if you have the $$$$) the passive Radial box.
 

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