Can a DI box do this? (Radial content)

[Flatwound]

Playing in churches can be challenging, what with hard surfaces everywhere and volume restrictions and so on. Because of this, I started going ampless a year or more ago. I've been basically using a Sushi Box London Underground and a Wampler Ego compressor. I've used a few different DI boxes, notably a Hosa Sidekick and a Behringer Ultra-DI. I've also been plagued with noise whenever I wanted to add something to the signal chain, such as a chorus or other effect. I'm using a Cioks DC-7, so I was somewhat flummoxed by all the noise.

To cut to the chase, I decided to try a Radial Pro DI. Not a cheap box like the other ones I've used, but a real standard. All noise is GONE. Chorus sounds great. No radio stations, no clicks and clanks, etc. I had wondered why I was getting noise from the lights and so on, and "single coil" type hum when I'm not using single coils, and so on. All gone.

I've never been a DI box connoisseur, I just kind of figured it's just a way to put TS in one end and get XLR out the other. OK, I know it's more than that, but hey, parts is parts, right? Seriously, I knew that the Hosa box is bottom-of-the-barrel, even the Behringer was a significant upgrade. But I didn't expect this kind of improvement.

Either there's been some sort of serendipitous coincidence where these noises went away, or this Radial ProDI is amazing. I'm going with the Radial is amazing.

 

[DirtDog]

If you’ve got a long run of a high impedance signal thru an unbalanced cable (typical TS or patch cord), you’re gonna get noise. Replace that with a low impedance signal thru a balanced XLR from a DI and problem solved.

 

[Nuisance]

Check to see if the ground lift on the Radial was engaged. Those cheaper DI's may not have even had a ground lift option, and perhaps that's what you needed.

 

[mixbus]

Playing in churches can be challenging, what with hard surfaces everywhere and volume restrictions and so on. Because of this, I started going ampless a year or more ago. I've been basically using a Sushi Box London Underground and a Wampler Ego compressor. I've used a few different DI boxes, notably a Hosa Sidekick and a Behringer Ultra-DI. I've also been plagued with noise whenever I wanted to add something to the signal chain, such as a chorus or other effect. I'm using a Cioks DC-7, so I was somewhat flummoxed by all the noise.

To cut to the chase, I decided to try a Radial Pro DI. Not a cheap box like the other ones I've used, but a real standard. All noise is GONE. Chorus sounds great. No radio stations, no clicks and clanks, etc. I had wondered why I was getting noise from the lights and so on, and "single coil" type hum when I'm not using single coils, and so on. All gone.

I've never been a DI box connoisseur, I just kind of figured it's just a way to put TS in one end and get XLR out the other. OK, I know it's more than that, but hey, parts is parts, right? Seriously, I knew that the Hosa box is bottom-of-the-barrel, even the Behringer was a significant upgrade. But I didn't expect this kind of improvement.

Either there's been some sort of serendipitous coincidence where these noises went away, or this Radial ProDI is amazing. I'm going with the Radial is amazing.

The Radial Pro Di is really good. I like to use it when I record passive basses.

It has a transformer-isolated output which helps.
It has an internal MuMETAL shield. It's really well built to help eliminate interference.

YMMV...

 

[bassbrad]

A DI is supposed to do that and Radial makes a great passive DI, the Pro and JDI are current industry standards. If you are considering an alternative then the Pedalnetics DIm Stick or mini di are worth considering, they both use @Sushi Box FX transformer. IMHO the DIm stick is equal to my JDI. YMMV

 

[learning_towalk]

Really liked radials when I’ve used them at various churches and festival stages.

Honestly though, I use a Livewire Double Shielded PDI on my own board ($50) and am just as happy with it.

Great under appreciated DI.

 

[markjazzbassist]

It’s because of the transformer. That’s what a quality Jensen transformer does for you. This is why I only use transformer balanced passive DI’s.

 

[prndltech]

there’s a reason I have a few high end DI’s laying around. I ALWAYS take my own, wherever I’m playing.

 

[Norm Nelson]

Yeah. My Radial is a permanent part of my signal chain these days

 

[GregT]

I have a Radial Twin City splitter and have had excellent results with it when I want to run an instrument into two inputs. The ground lift and polarity switches are useful sometimes also.

 

[micguy]

There are a decent number of good professional DI's that will work pretty much as well as the Radial. You apparently hadn't ever experienced a decent, much less a good DI before. But yes, if I was going to buy a good DI, and didn't have big money, a Radial Pro DI is a solid pick.

The DI's on my pedalboards (I carry my own DI's) are ones I built (having designed pro audio gear for a living, I optimize EVERYTHING) - most DI's attenuate the signal more than they really have to for a pedalboard, so mine gives a bit more level, but in other respects, a Pro DI is comparable.

 

[Lo-E]

there’s a reason I have a few high end DI’s laying around. I ALWAYS take my own, wherever I’m playing.

This^^^ For over 20 years now you'll never catch me at a gig without a Countryman Type 85 in my kit. I might not end up using it but I always have it handy.

Regarding the OP, no, there's nothing amazing about the Radial Pro DI; it's just a quality piece of gear. It does exactly what it's supposed to do.
Running your boutique pedals into two of the cheapest DIs available was hindering you. Now you've fixed it.

As @learning_towalk points out, a DI doesn't have to be a boutique item to sound good and work well. I love my Countryman DIs, which have been industry standards for almost 50 years, but the less expensive Whirlwind, Livewire and Radial Pro are great units, too. Radial's more expensive JDI and J-48 have also become industry standards in the last 30 years with good reason.

I have nothing against anyone who wants to go the fancy route with boutique DIs of all stripes but, really, you just need a solid, professional unit to get you 90% there. Shelling out for an Avalon, Demeter, Neve, Sushi Box or equivalent might get you another 10% of great if you really want it.

 

[pbass2]

I've sworn by a Radial JDI for 20 years. And the times when I did experiment with tube and active DI's (nice ones too, REDDI, etc) I had more noise issues here and there live (in the studio I'll use something cool like that).
That said, even with the JDI, s#^t happens, and I've been in venues where FOH asked me to lift the ground on the JDI, and boom--a buzz now coming from my amp. So, enter this cute little orange box. Slap it between the JDI's thru out and the amp, and voilá - noise be gone: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/P-ISO--lehle-isolator-di-box
I don't leave home w/o the JDI and the P-iso now.

 

[SC Bassboy]

Playing in churches can be challenging, what with hard surfaces everywhere and volume restrictions and so on. Because of this, I started going ampless a year or more ago. I've been basically using a Sushi Box London Underground and a Wampler Ego compressor. I've used a few different DI boxes, notably a Hosa Sidekick and a Behringer Ultra-DI. I've also been plagued with noise whenever I wanted to add something to the signal chain, such as a chorus or other effect. I'm using a Cioks DC-7, so I was somewhat flummoxed by all the noise.

To cut to the chase, I decided to try a Radial Pro DI. Not a cheap box like the other ones I've used, but a real standard. All noise is GONE. Chorus sounds great. No radio stations, no clicks and clanks, etc. I had wondered why I was getting noise from the lights and so on, and "single coil" type hum when I'm not using single coils, and so on. All gone.

I've never been a DI box connoisseur, I just kind of figured it's just a way to put TS in one end and get XLR out the other. OK, I know it's more than that, but hey, parts is parts, right? Seriously, I knew that the Hosa box is bottom-of-the-barrel, even the Behringer was a significant upgrade. But I didn't expect this kind of improvement.

Either there's been some sort of serendipitous coincidence where these noises went away, or this Radial ProDI is amazing. I'm going with the Radial is amazing.

It was probably the bottom shelf Hosa all along, but I'm also curious how you are running power to all the pedals? That's a consideration.

 

[JazznFunk]

A Radial JDI would be a great investment, and likely solve a lot of those problems. Adding another vote for it.

 

[scuzzy]

I've been mildly obsessed with DI's lately. I also play direct at church and have been very happy with the sound I've been getting.

I use warm audio DI's mostly, but have also own radial J48, REDDI. They make a big difference over a cheap budget DI.

 

[winston]

Quality DIs make a difference and like others say, don’t need to be expensive.
When I worked for a live sound company in the early ‘00s I was able to demo a bunch, from bargain to boutique. IMO the Whirlwind IMP was the best inexpensive one, sounded notably better than Rolls, DOD, ART, Rapco cheapies that would just suck the sparkle out of passive pickups and don’t even mention piezos without a buffer or long cable runs! I love my JDI and Radial Bassbone DIs and was surprised by the dbx DB12 I got on TB recently - active with a transformer it works equally well on passive/active basses and sounds great.

@micguy are you able to divulge any of the pro audio gear you’ve designed? I’m a recording nerd too.

 

[sawzalot]

I went ampless years ago and use the balanced outputs from my pedalboard preamp. But I carry a Whirlwind Director to every gig. It sounds great—even if everything breaks I know I can play the gig with nothing but a bass and that DI.

 

[micguy]

@micguy are you able to divulge any of the pro audio gear you’ve designed? I’m a recording nerd too.

I worked for Shure for over 40 years, the list would be...more than I can remember. It isn't that I designed everything all by myself either - there are wireless systems where I designed the companding scheme, or the audio signal path, there are microphones where I came up with the technical approach, and/or ran the project in the early stages or architected things, and had other folks fill in details, etc. There are teleconferencing products where the acousttical approach to the mic array had input from me, or the signal processing used an algorithm I came up with, or (in one case) a 5 minute conversation in a hallway where I threw in an idea became a mode for a product that the team hadn't thought of - the list is pretty long; I got to sick my nose into a lot of things. There are even a few things that might someday turn into really cool, really new products that I'm hoping will see the light of day. Literally none of my patents have just my name on them - there were always people I worked with on everything I did.

 

[Bonecat]

The Radial is a solid option. I liked mine, but it was stolen. I tried a bunch of other solutions but my search ended with the Walrus Mantle. Not cheap, and not purely a DI, but sonically it’s everything I hoped for…