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Best Bass DI

#46
After having gone through a bunch (though not the REDDI or Evil Twin), my favorite is to hard-to-come-by Retrospec Juice Box. I still also have a Demeter Tube Direct that I like (esp its top end), but the Juice Box just is bit more 'raw', meaty, full, etc

That said... I also like the DI on my FMR Audio RNP (Really Nice Preamp)... not quite as warm + beefy as the others, but sounds great, esp for a more modern sound.
 
#47
+1 except in regards to the Raven Labs APD-1, I have never used that one...
I prefer and use my REDDI almost daily.
It seems to sit in a mix and has a bloom that i prefer....It is punchy and fast, yet organic.. basstasters has demo soundfile of the A-Design REDDI..
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cabcreaser said:
This has definitely been discussed at length here, however, the unit that I feel is the best is seldom mentioned. I have extensive experience with the Aguilar DB900, Avalon U5, Demeter VTDB-1, Raven Labs APD-1, Sansamp Bass Driver, Countryman 85, Radial JDI and J48, and BSS AR116 and without a doubt my favorite, and by a fairly large margin, is the A Designs REDDI. Of course, it costs more than the others, but it is definitely an instance where you get what you pay for. Warm, fat tone that sits in the mix beautifully (sure beats having to lug around an amp to the studio all the time to ensure great tone).
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#50
wildhorse said:
Personally I plug the guitar cable directly into the board. No need to us a DI for short distances. Unless it's some sort of preamp like a Sansamp and you want to color the sound.
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If it gets you the results you like, then great, but most of the time the impedance relationship between a bass and the line input of a mixer is not ideal, resulting in a loss of highs and a loss of some dynamic range. This is especially true with passive basses. Also short distances only apply to home recordists. Anyone onstage or in a "real" studio will have a longer cable run to the desk.
 
#51
mgmadian said:
After having gone through a bunch (though not the REDDI or Evil Twin), my favorite is to hard-to-come-by Retrospec Juice Box. I still also have a Demeter Tube Direct that I like (esp its top end), but the Juice Box just is bit more 'raw', meaty, full, etc.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I had a Squeeze Box which has almost the same DI as the Juice Box, and it sounded fantastic. I like the REDDI better because it is much less susceptible to ambient noise sources, but the Squeeze Box was actually thicker and fatter sounding.
 
#52
The Sadowsky Preamp/D.I. is the best for me. First I like the sound of the preamp very much. And when I need a D.I. also, it is convenient to have them both in one small box.
I never experienced the noise as mentioned by StreamerDavid, maybe his was produced at monday morning...
 
#53
I have a question: has anyone really compared cheap active DI boxes (Behringer, Pro Co, Art) to more expensive ones? I mean I have a cheap Behringer DI box that I have used many times and I have played through BSS Audio DI boxes but I never had a chance to compare them.

I mean there are so many active DI boxes ranging from $50 to $200 but how big is the difference tone-wise? If I have a middle of the road active DI, do I really need a more expensive one? Will it make such a big difference?

For instance, I have had Sans Amp bass driver DI and I get much better results with my Behringer and my fender jazz bass.
 
#54
It's all over the map. Some expensive boxes don't sound as great as you'd expect for the price, and some cheaper boxes sound way better than you'd expect for the price. I would absolutely not generalize about sound equaling price with DI's. Also sound quality is one important factor, but ruggedness is another important quality of a DI. That's where you'd really see the difference between a Behr and say a Radial or Countryman.
 
#55
bongomania said:
It's all over the map. Some expensive boxes don't sound as great as you'd expect for the price, and some cheaper boxes sound way better than you'd expect for the price. I would absolutely not generalize about sound equaling price with DI's. Also sound quality is one important factor, but ruggedness is another important quality of a DI. That's where you'd really see the difference between a Behr and say a Radial or Countryman.
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that's true, but as far as ruggedness goes, I think you will have to try hard to destroy a Behr! I might try some day ;)

But I am more concerned about sound quality.
 
#56
bongomania said:
It's all over the map. Some expensive boxes don't sound as great as you'd expect for the price, and some cheaper boxes sound way better than you'd expect for the price. I would absolutely not generalize about sound equaling price with DI's. Also sound quality is one important factor, but ruggedness is another important quality of a DI. That's where you'd really see the difference between a Behr and say a Radial or Countryman.
Click to expand...

agreed,

also, some of the fav boxes touted arent even my favs for recording either.

and of course, sometimes nothing beats sitting right at an awesome console and plugging straight into the channel strip, where extra circuitry of the DI would only get in the way. but if you're usually on the other side of the glass, you just have to hear a couple DI's w/ whatever you're using or used to using to find what's best for you.

and like bong mentioned, for live, its all about the ruggedness. no way in hell i'd take my demeter tube di to a gig. wont make much of a diff to the audience, and by the end of the night, it'll probably end up being a bittersweet paperweight.
 
#60
I desperately need to scrounge up the mulah for a REDDI!

I currently use my SAMAMP Bass Pre as my DI but for a dedicated DI my favs have been:

Tube:
1) Demeter
2) Aguilar DB900
3) GT Ditto

Non-Tube:
1) Avalon u5
2) Countryman
***tie***
2) Radial JDI or JDV

Cheap DI:
* Groove Tube Passive DI. Cheap but noiseless to my ears and no loss in signal. *

I really want to give a REDDI a go...but I'd have to sell my SAMAMP Bass Preamp and I can't do it.
 

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