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Can you recommend a DI for me

M

msaone

May 13, 2012
473
9
www.msaone.com
#1
Our church just get a new house system and the director wants to put everyone through it (the system that is).

I'm using a rumble 30 that sounds great but has no line out.

I need a DI box that I plug into then can go to my amp and also to the board.

My bass has active pick ups if that matters.
 
#4
any ol' $50 passive DI box will do, especially since you have an active bass; they'll have a 1/4" in and out to get your bass and send it on to your amp, along with the XLR out for the PA.

frankly, DI boxes are the responsibility of whoever owns the PA; i'd save my money for upgrading that little fender practice amp! for actual live playing you need at least 100 watts, and amps in that category and above will have their own DI outs built-in.
 
#6
Another couple of names that often come up are Countryman and Radial.
I used a Radial JDI for the first time just the other day...and, well... I guess I haven't much else to say about it. I only used it that one time.
 
#7
Try out a Radial JDI. It's good enough for Tony Levin! It's also not outrageously expensive either—about $200.00.

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It really depends on how much you're willing to spend. The Reddi or Demeter Tube DI's will set you back $600.00-$700.00, but the quality and tone are second to none. There are lots of different makes and price points that will get the job done... what's your budget?
 
#8
"Industry-Standard" DIs than won't likely compromise the sound of a bass would include the CountryMan Type 85, a Radial JDI, or even a BSS AT-133. I own and have used all of these, and currently prefer the JDI, especially (usually) for an active bass. Anything cheaper, I'm sorry to say, is usually sending an audibly mediocre signal to the board.
 
#9
I'd go for the Radial JDI, as well. Besides rapidly displacing the the Countyman Type 85 as nearly the most popular DI for bass (and acoustic guitar, if anyone here cares...:o), it's built around the good Jensen transformer and the DI is built like a tank and doesn't require phantom power.

Although many people use the cheaper DIs sucessfully (assuming it's a passive DI), they are prone to transformer saturation and overload by active and/or higher-output basses.

I always argued against the use of the bass head's balanced output because, for one, I'd rather hear the bass at the console input with as few electronics as possible in the path. The bass head is one or more gain stages before it hits the console. And then I hear "But I'm getting MY sound from MY bass rig" Yes, your bass rig that usually aimed at the back of your knees, unless it's an 810 cabinet or your smart enough to lean the speaker back or elevate it somewhat. But as I got older, my thoughts bcame "hey, if that's what you want to send the PA guy, I'll be damned if I'm going to argue about it". I own a Radial DI, but I'll tell the PA guy "Take yer pick".

(EDIT: Please understand, I hadn't seen Humbled's post recommending the Countryman Type 85 and the Radial JDI when I commented about the JDI's popularity, so I don't mean to dispute his recommendation at all, as it appears I did earlier on another thread. The Type 85 is a great DI. But I'm about eliminating phantom power from anything that doesn't have to absolutely have it. Hence, my preference for the JDI)

Good luck,
Geri O
 
#10
Thanks to all. Never needed one in the past so I had no idea who makes them or what's what.

Don't have time to make my own and it would be nice if the church bought the DI, but they just installed a pretty nice house system, I don't mind pitching in $50-100 for a DI.
 
#12
People gonna hate, but I love my BDDI straight to FOH. If your amps going away. I like a little tube simulation in my signal. $100 used and you can sell it for the same if you don't like it. Just don't be too drastic with the EQ and keep the blend between noon and 3.
 
#13
cableguy said:
People gonna hate, but I love my BDDI straight to FOH.
Click to expand...
people are wrong!

my BDDI is my bass rig, run into a power amp driving cabs on stage and XLR into the PA.

love it myself, and never fail to get tone compliments from soundguys and players in the crowd.

(i run it with the blend dimed, and the gain backed off between 9-10 o'clock, for a grindy but deep SVT-ish "rock" tone.)
 
#14
walterw said:
people are wrong!

my BDDI is my bass rig, run into a power amp driving cabs on stage and XLR into the PA.

love it myself, and never fail to get tone compliments from soundguys and players in the crowd.
Click to expand...

No, people are not wrong.

They/we just do it differently than you. It doesn't mean that they/we are wrong. There are no chronicles or edicts written anywhere that you are right and they/we are wrong.

Geri O
 
#16
The Radial ProDI works very well. It is not the Jensen transformer that is in the "JDI" version but is still of very high quality. I just purchased it myself for the exact application you are describing. It has a ground lift and a -15dB pad and a thru 1/4 output to route to your amp. These are $99.99 new. Built like a tank. I have it and a patch cord in the front of my amp bag.
 
#17
msaone said:
Oh and the price thing? I'd like to stay under a hundy.
Click to expand...
the whirlwind IMP 2 for around $50 seems to be the cheapest DI box i've seen that's still remotely "legit". if you're rockin' a rumble 30 for an amp, this will be more than enough DI to get the job done.

(i still say at this level DIs are the PA provider's responsibility, just like mics are; as players we should carry our own of both if we want a particular quality or sound, but no sound guy should be relying on the players for either.)
 
#18
Geri O said:
No, people are not wrong.

They/we just do it differently than you. It doesn't mean that they/we are wrong. There are no chronicles or edicts written anywhere that you are right and they/we are wrong.

Geri O
Click to expand...
huh? people are wrong all the time! (and i'm people too :p)

i'm just saying that "hating" on the BDDI is wrong, because so many working pros use them with great success. i'm talking bar/club/church world where the OP and i live, i can't speak to stadium shows. (though isn't geddy a sansamp guy?)
 
#20
walterw said:
for 4x the price of his amp it better!
Click to expand...

Is a REDDI worth $700?
A) Every recorded example of it I've heard sounds magnificent.
B) Everyone who's used one tells exactly the same stories about how every engineer loves their sound and how easy it is to get that sound.
C) My personal benchmark is that the thing sounds so good I re-evaluated my stage setup and hunted hard for an amp that would give me the quality of sound onstage that I get FOH. The Aguilar TH350/Bag End S15-D is acceptable. The Ampeg V-4B/SVT-212AV is extremely close and with the right mic in the right room with the right engineer might sound as good as the REDDI FOH or recorded....but then again it might not. And the REDDI does it into a more or less flat strip in about 20 seconds.

The REDDI is a lot of money and if you're happy with your sound through that 1985 Peavey TKO it's probably not a great investment. If you've worked hard to get a great stage sound and want a great sound FOH it might well be worth a listen. If you're using ears and/or your FOH sound is as important to you as your stage sound (and I can't think why it wouldn't be) I can't think of a better investment. If you're using provided gear with different soundmen all the time I'd almost consider a REDDI or something like it (SVTDI, Evil Twin etc) essential. Once you use one it's really hard to go back.
 

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