Bass-friendly DI Box for less than 100 CDN $ ?

[Luke19Boarder]

Sure I'll bite. There are two main cases where it could matter:

1) With a passive bass and no pedals or other buffers between the bass and the DI, a passive DI can load down the signal, reducing highs, and in some extreme cases weakening the signal overall. If you want a dark vintage sound, this may be fine.

2) With an active bass or with effects or some other buffer/boost between the bass and the DI, some 9V active DI boxes may distort on your signal peaks. To avoid this, you can use an active DI that runs on 18V or higher.

Based on those two cases, some people set a rule of thumb to use an active DI with a passive bass, and a passive DI with an active bass. But of course that's just a simplification and generalization; there will be lots of instances where passive works great with passive, and active works great with active. It depends on the specific gear at hand.

Thanks for that - pretty much what I've gleaned from my (limited) research.

 

[warrplayer]

Get a 'missing link direct box' off ebay. GEt a passive one if you have an active bass. Or an active one if ypu have a passive bass. Might cost you 30 bucks or so. I got an active one for $10 one time. Makes your -10db signal +4 just like any DI is supposed to do. No other other implied cork sniffing qualities needed or included. Good luck.

 

[bizzybass]

Here's your answer right here:
Its a DI, EQ, overdrive all in one. One night I my amp failed at a show. We took the DI cable off the bacl on my amp and hooked it up to my sansamp. Problem solved and I still had my same gain setting of course too!
I've had one for a few yrs now. If would have only listened when I was 20 when it was first suggested. Dont buy new GC has a 45 day return policy. Check it:

content://media/external/file/51656

 

[bizzybass]

That link didnt seem to be working. Google GC used and type in the item number on this screenshot. $120

 

[davegt666]

I use the the Radial SB-2 live myself, passive bass into a whole bunch of pedals.

In the studio though it's almost always a Countryman 85.

I got mine for $100 used.

 

[Altitude]

Countryman 85. Slightly above your price target new; used units are plentiful and under your budget cap.

I can't believe this went 20 posts before someone mentioned a Countryman 85. It's evidence that there is a new generation of players on this forum in the last few years, since everybody started putting DIs in heads.

The Countryman DI is the industry standard DI, followed perhaps distantly by the Radial JDI.

 

[sk8]

Orchid

 

[Ric5]

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[bongomania]

...Makes your -10db signal +4 just like any DI is supposed to do.

Actually that's not what DI's do generally. They convert the signal from unbalanced to balanced. Some DI's that are also preamps have enough gain to go from -10 dBv to +4 dBu, but that's a preamp function.

 

[Al Kraft]

I can't believe this went 20 posts before someone mentioned a Countryman 85. It's evidence that there is a new generation of players on this forum in the last few years, since everybody started putting DIs in heads.

The Countryman DI is the industry standard DI, followed perhaps distantly by the Radial JDI.

I own both a JDI and Countryman 85 and would agree the Countryman is a proven benchmark - it's always in my gig bag. Given that I almost always buy new, when I saw the $100 limit the Pro DI came to mind first. If used is an option, the Countryman 85 is an excellent "cover all bases" choice. Whether running on the 9 Volt battery or phantom power I've never had a head room problem even with hot basses or keyboards.

 

[bizzybass]

Can anyone tell me why one would choose a DI box like the Countryman 85 when you can get a sansamp with EQ/drive?

 

[taylor16]

Can anyone tell me why one would choose a DI box like the Countryman 85 when you can get a sansamp with EQ/drive?

Because you can't drive a beer truck over a SansAmp

 

[Al Kraft]

Can anyone tell me why one would choose a DI box like the Countryman 85 when you can get a sansamp with EQ/drive?

Sometimes I like the voicing options on the SansAmp and other times I just want to use a straight high quality DI with no additional features. While the SansAmp can be used as a plain DI, to my ear the Countryman and JDI are better in that role. My gig bag has both a BDDI and Countryman 85 in it wherever I go. With those two options on hand, I feel I'm well covered if my DI on my amp fails for any reason, or I (or a sound tech) prefer not to go to the FOH desk via the amp's DI.

 

[Bassmike62]

In your price range, for a straight DI, I think the Radial Pro DI would be hard to beat. I own the JDI (pretty much the same thing, just with a Jensen transformer, thus a higher price), but will readily admit that the Pro DI transformer is excellent and in most cases no one could detect an audible difference.

Your not far price wise from a Radial JDI

Radial makes decent ones for what you want. I own a sans amp RBI, Darkglass b7k ultra and a radial pro DI. Studio we used had two different radials from the one I have. But those were specifically geared towards reamping and they worked great also.

I carry a Radial SB-1 in my accessory bag to every gig. Gets used whenever the house DI is iffy. Works great in my rig.

I'll take a look into the Radial products. I owned a PRO DI in the past and do not remember having any problems with it. As mentionned earlier, the Stagebug SB-1 clipped on me, but maybe I didn't have the right DI.

I use the the Radial SB-2 live myself, passive bass into a whole bunch of pedals.
In the studio though it's almost always a Countryman 85.
I got mine for $100 used.

Countryman 85. Slightly above your price target new; used units are plentiful and under your budget cap.

My bad: I meant 100 $ CDN. Original post corrected.

Less than $100? Hmmm.

I'm giving it a shot

Some good information there (should be generic enough to apply to any active/passive DI, not just Radial units) :
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I couldn't open the link ?

Get a 'missing link direct box' off ebay. GEt a passive one if you have an active bass. Or an active one if ypu have a passive bass. Might cost you 30 bucks or so. I got an active one for $10 one time. Makes your -10db signal +4 just like any DI is supposed to do. No other other implied cork sniffing qualities needed or included. Good luck.

Orchid

I'll look into these, thx.

Here's your answer right here: Its a DI, EQ, overdrive all in one. One night I my amp failed at a show. We took the DI cable off the bacl on my amp and hooked it up to my sansamp. Problem solved and I still had my same gain setting of course too! I've had one for a few yrs now. If would have only listened when I was 20 when it was first suggested. Dont buy new GC has a 45 day return policy. Check it:content://media/external/file/51656

Can anyone tell me why one would choose a DI box like the Countryman 85 when you can get a sansamp with EQ/drive?

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I can't answer for others, but as for me and as mentionned in the OP, I'm looking to move my BDDI up the chain, as I plan to use it more as drive effect for now.

Because you can't drive a beer truck over a SansAmp

Now, that is Hall of Fame material... love it

 

[Bassmike62]

Thx to all for the replies, very helpful.

 

[XLunacy]

I couldn't open the link ?

Here's the right URL :
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[Bassmike62]

Here's the right URL :
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Indeed !
thx

 

[warrplayer]

Actually that's not what DI's do generally. They convert the signal from unbalanced to balanced. Some DI's that are also preamps have enough gain to go from -10 dBv to +4 dBu, but that's a preamp function.

Ah, my bad. I stand corrected. I only have active DIs. regardless, the Missing Link sounds great for significanly less than $100.

 

[Philly Watts]

Looking for this for my home studio and it could be used for recording as well as live playing if required. Ideally transparent and warm, but I understand this could be difficult to achieve within my budget.

Reason: I've been using the BDDI last in chain for a few years, but I'm now looking at moving it in a more classic mid(ish)-chain spot. Still want a DI last, though.

Any suggestions ?

Thx for your help.

(EDIT: I added the "CDN" to the title).

Radial Stagebug SB-2 is a passive DI that warms up the tone with a nice transistor and is flat from 20hz to 20khz. It has a tiny footprint on your board too! Only $65 I think

 

[Philly Watts]

You can never have enough preamps or DIs
I like to use the Sansamp DI xlr out to front of house as an "amp" and speaker cabinet sim. The MXR M80 acts as a preamp and distortion option. The Radial SB-2 goes into the mixer board and I use it for my in ear monitor mix. Like I said before, the radial is super transparent and can take high gain input like a champ!