Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
DI recommendation for passive bass
- Thread starter slapshot
- Start date
I've been using Imps 2's for years, with my bass rig (including a GT-1B) and for just about anything else that gets thrown at me doing sound gigs. I think I have three or four of them in a tool box with a handful of SM57's and 58's. Oh, and a hammer as well. Ya never know...
Sansamp BDDI, MXR M80 (cheap), Aguilar tone
Hammer. Any of these can be found in the classifieds or Reverb for less than you're wanted to pay.
Hammer. Any of these can be found in the classifieds or Reverb for less than you're wanted to pay.
I own two of their Pro DI passive boxes, they sound great, built like a tank, $100 new. I got both of mine in like-new condition for about $50 each.
The more expensive Radials have more bells and whistles (kind of an odd concept for a DI
), some are active. For a church PA application, the Pro DI will be fine, but feel free to pay more if you like 
Lots of suggestions for DI with extras (Sansamp etc). They can still be used with your Gt1b and as a bonus give you some extra tone shaping if you want it. I know Sansamp can be left off and work as a passive DI but you have its eq and tone shaping if you want to turn it on.
Thanks for all the responses. A buddy who works for a local sound company dropped off a Radial ProDI for me to try tomorrow. I can get it at his price if it works out.
s0c9
Supporting Member
It's not too late, but there appears to be confusion in this thread about what a DI actually is.
For clarity..
A Countryman 85, Radial Pro or Imp2 == > DI
A Sansamp BDDI or MXR M80 ==> PRE-AMP pedals with a DI (LowZ) XLR connection included.
SOME preamp pedals have PRE and POST EQ outputs (DI). Some don't.
As a freelance FOH guy.. I don't mean to nitpick, but there's a HUGE difference between how I handle them out front.
He's an old thread explaining..
Preamp vs DI
For clarity..
A Countryman 85, Radial Pro or Imp2 == > DI
A Sansamp BDDI or MXR M80 ==> PRE-AMP pedals with a DI (LowZ) XLR connection included.
SOME preamp pedals have PRE and POST EQ outputs (DI). Some don't.
As a freelance FOH guy.. I don't mean to nitpick, but there's a HUGE difference between how I handle them out front.
He's an old thread explaining..
Preamp vs DI
Fet 85 is not passive; the only thing passive is the 1/4" loop out to an amplifier. These Di's have a discrete Jfet buffer input which drives an isolation / balancing transformer providing a 10db loss to the balanced line output.
This might be a very rookie question. I haven't used DIs at gigs yet nor recording at home. I'm looking to get a Radial Pro48 to improve home recording. (No gigs yet, unfortunately.) Is the through jack taking the same signal that goes to the XLR jack? I.e., if placed at end of effects chain, the effected signal will be going out via XLR and also through to amp?
I read it that way at first, but I think he was saying active or passive basses all sound great with the Countryman. I'd agree.
I prefer passive DIs with my basses, which have run the gamut from a 51P reissue to G&Ls with MFDs and Stingrays, as well as a couple hotter active basses.
Could've been the unit I had, but I had a Radial J48 back in the day and I did some critical testing in the studio. It sounded like there was some noticeable modulation distortion with it - my $29 Apex passive DI sounded better. I still use the Apex to re-amp in the studio.
I've always liked a JDI when I get one, which is rare. IMP2 work fine even though the snob in me doesn't want them to (as in my J48 experience above).
I just bought a Noble so I'm done thinking about this for the foreseeable future.
Odds are very good the amp is not flat with the tone controls at noon. You'd have to find the magic settings of the knobs that dials out the baked-in EQ curve of the preamp - if you even can.
