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Best Bass DIs

#21
Buy a soldering iron and some solder and wire
Buy a xlr jack and 2 1/4” jacks and a switch for ground
Go on eBay and buy a UTC A-10 transformer
Wire up and solder it all.

You have a Motown DI for 1/4 the price. I did this and love it, I’ve owned all the big DI out there (radial reddi evil twin UA summit urei countryman etc). This is my favorite.
 
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#22
markjazzbassist said:
Buy a soldering iron and some solder and wire
Buy a xlr jack and 2 1/4” jacks and a switch for ground
Go on eBay and buy a UTC A-10 transformer
Wire up and solder it all.

You have a Motown DI for 1/4 the price. I did this and love it, I’ve owned all the big DI out there (radial reddi evil twin UA summit urei countryman etc). This is my favorite.
Click to expand...

What did you use for an enclosure if I may ask?
 
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#24
I use a Sans Amp Tech 21 Bass Deluxe. It does a good job of duplicating an SVT sound.

Here is information from their website:
For bassists who like to switch it up on stage, the SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe is the ultimate live tool for the bass-hopping, preset-stomping player. The Deluxe is all about fast delivery of monster Tech 21 bass tones in the fray of a live performance. Dual inputs enable two instruments to be on-line and ready to go with a pop-free selector. You can program three custom tones for each input, or use all six for a single instrument. You can also program the FX loop to engage your favorite effect with a particular setting and the Deluxe will bring it every time that preset is selected.

The fat, funky tones of the SansAmp Bass Driver series are legendary. With an all-analog signal path, two inputs, six presets, a programmable effect loop, and parallel/tuner out.
bassdriverdlx_image.jpg
 
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#25
Most of the sound guys I know recommend Radial. They have a range of models that offer passive, active, some with Jensen transformers, etc., so you have a lot of choices. The roster of players that use Radial is pretty impressive. I don’t own one, but I’ve used JD-1s a few times and it sounds great and is dead quiet.
 
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#26
markjazzbassist said:
Buy a soldering iron and some solder and wire
Buy a xlr jack and 2 1/4” jacks and a switch for ground
Go on eBay and buy a UTC A-10 transformer
Wire up and solder it all.

You have a Motown DI for 1/4 the price. I did this and love it, I’ve owned all the big DI out there (radial reddi evil twin UA summit urei countryman etc). This is my favorite.
Click to expand...

Holy crap. This is amazing, thank you so much for this. Please post pictures of yours!

Also, back on topic, if price isn't a factor then go with a Noble. I'm a few weeks away from ordering myself one, but I'm still going to look into the info quoted above.
 
#27
Gizmot said:
Most of the sound guys I know recommend Radial. They have a range of models that offer passive, active, some with Jensen transformers, etc., so you have a lot of choices. The roster of players that use Radial is pretty impressive. I don’t own one, but I’ve used JD-1s a few times and it sounds great and is dead quiet.
Click to expand...
+ 1. I've used a J48 for years and FOH guys love it (and often have their own).

Pros use Radial because they're not looking to color the tone through the DI, they want to send the FOH whatever they've come up with for tone.

OP, you say you have a Radial (a great, transparent DI used by touring pros and FOH pros) but you don't quite have the $$ right now for a next-level solution. So the question remains - what are you looking for beyond the world-class solution you already have? Must be some sort of color/tone shaping?
 
#31
TrevorOfDoom said:
The RNDI is the best DI, period.
I've used Countryman, Radial, REDDI, Avalon, Aguilar, whatever.
The RNDI gives you the deepest and truest sound of your bass.
It's glorious.
Click to expand...

Sounds like I need to shoot out my RNDI with my REDDI: I picked up the RNDI for portability when traveling but never considered it could potentially replace the bigger, more expensive box...
 
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#32
MDBass said:
Sounds like I need to shoot out my RNDI with my REDDI: I picked up the RNDI for portability when traveling but never considered it could potentially replace the bigger, more expensive box...
Click to expand...

YouTube's no substitute for in-the-flesh, but here's a start:
  • REDDI @ 02:50 (and again @ 06:30 for slap)
  • Avalon U5 @ 04:00 (and again @ 05:25 for slap)
  • RNDI @ 04:18 (and again @ 05:00 for slap)

 
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#38
If you like the sound of your amp and want that to go through the PA to the extent that you can, consider one that is capable of speaker level signal so you can place it between the amp and cabinet. The Countryman can do this. I think the Radial JDI/JDX too. There are probably others. I tend to use the DI that comes built into the head on my Class D amps. However, some tube amps don't have that. Also you will miss the coloration coming from the power section on a tube head unless you use the speaker signal.

I don't have tons of experience with that, but I would suspect that a DI with a Jensen transformer would be great. A tube DI is an alternative to that. I'm not sure which would be better.
 
#39
Stevenk said:
hi TBers,

Question. I’m looking for the best DI for my passive basses, 62 p , 70 fretlessed p and 90 j bass. I currently use radial j48s, active DIs, as passive instruments = active DI and vice versatile. The radials have been a significant improvement over the direct out off of my Ampeg of-800 Head, as well as goid on strats, teles, etc.I know that DIs like the REDDI, I think, are costly. Any thoughts and or experiences out there. I’m using it and other DIs for Home digital recording into Pro Tools 2018, through a focusrite 18i8. Just curious as to your opinions and experiences. Can’t spend the bucks right now, but could look up any of your ideas, keep an eye out for used deals, etc. any and all thoughts welcome. As you know, going back to the Motown days, they only recorded bass through a DI. They actually built their own, which, l believe, a version of it is still being sold. I don’t remember the name of that one.
Anyway, any thoughts, please send them along. Thanks in advance.
Sk
Click to expand...

You already have a great DI in the Radial J48. If the Radial is too "clean" for you, and you want a more "tube-colored" sound, your least expensive option is to put a pedal or preamp in front of the J48. Lately I have been on a similar quest, experimenting with various pedals into my Radial JDI. I'm really digging the sound of my Fairfield Circuitry Modele B (always-on Barbershop) at barely-perceptible, low-gain settings to provide transparent "tube-like" coloration. I like to imagine this gives me 80% of the tone magic of a Noble or REDDI, at 20% of the price.
 
#40
Actually, a good point has been raised.
The Radial J48 is a super clean, uncolored DI.
The RNDI will bring out a bit more character from your bass, a little warmth, but it too is super clean and uncolored.
Are you wanted a DI with more character?
Most of the DI's mentioned that add character (REDDI, Noble, Motown) all emulate (more or less) an Ampeg B15.
OP needs to decide what he wants from a DI, color or no color.
 

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