Do I need an active DI? Help please!

[zippydog]

Guys,
I’ve gotten back into bass playing…again. I’ve got a simple pedal board and a Sadowsky RV5 with an active Sadowsky preamp. Amp rig is a Genzler amp and Bergantino 212 cab.

What I’ve been doing:
For practice at home and rehearsals, I’ve been using my Genzler amp as a fancy DI. At home, it runs into a Mackie mixer. It sounds great and there’s enough gain, but I don’t want to drag the Genzler around as a DI.

What I want:
A DI on my pedal board with the same or better gain/oomph I’m getting from my Genzler, so I’m not overdriving my Mackie mixer or the house board at rehearsals. I wish for a clean, clear and noiseless signal. Maybe I need an active DI?

What I’ve tried:
I bought a Warm Audio passive DI from another member here thinking that would do the job. Outcome was a great tone, but not the gain punch that I wished for.

Help please:
Would an active DI give me the gain/juice I’m wishing for? I love the sound and features of the Warm Audio passive DI - would the active version solve my issues? Is there another DI (likely active/powered) that I should be looking at? I’m spending $$ and not getting what I wish for. I really want to get this working with the next $$ spent.

thanks all!!

 

[Chris Chong]

Yes. Get a preamp pedal DI.

MAGELLAN Preamp/DI Pedal - Genzler Amplification

 

[Killing Floor]

Genzler makes a preamp/DI in pedal format. Have a look at it.

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

The Walrus Audio Canvas is passive, but can be used as either a DI or as a line isolator (which means no pad on the output volume, but still has the ability to lift the ground). Sounds great, too.

 

[zippydog]

Thanks all. The Genzler pedal is really nice but pricey. What about a clean boost pedal like something from Xotic (or similar). A couple of the Xotic boosts will kick up +20 or 30 db.

 

[Geri O]

With the active preamp in that Sadowsky, you should be able to use a good passive DI such as the Radial JDI or the Radial Pro series JDI, a budget, but well-built DI from Radial. You’ll be fine going to your amp as well as any mixing console on the planet.
I see no need for DI/preamp capabilities or boosting capabilities unless you are going direct to a mixer and using in-ear monitors with no amp. Between that amplifier and the onboard preamp, you have plenty of tone-shaping abilities.

Keeping things simple pays off handsomely.

 

[Geri O]

Another note about rehearsal rigs…..

No amount of money thrown at a rehearsal rig will equate with the full band on the gig experience. It took me years to figure that out.
At home, I plug my Mike Lull basses (and Stingrays when I have one) into a cheap but effective Livewire DI into an older 12-channel Mackie mixer into either my studio speakers or headphones. I’m not looking for award-winning tone (that I usually get onstage, if I say so myself….). I’m just learning and reinforcing songs or keeping my (old) chops in shape.

 

[getBAK]

It sounds like a Preamp with a DI out would be a good investment. If you think the Genzler is expensive... well I've got bad news for you, that's on the low side of the price scale.
You might be a good candidate for the classic preamp gateway drug; Invalid Link Removed people crap on them, but every working bassist I know has (or had) one in their gig bag.

 

[hennessybass]

With the active preamp in that Sadowsky, you should be able to use a good passive DI such as the Radial JDI...

Not a bad suggestion. General rule is: active bass / passive DI,, Passive Bass / active DI.
I don't think you are going to get what you are after from simply making the DI active. I use a Countryman Type 85 (very similar to the JDI, but active). It makes my passive bass sound better when plugged into a mixer - I wouldn't describe it as extra gain or juice, but the tone improves.

Not sure why you would want a clean boost - all that does is just give you more signal that will likely overdrive the input of the mixer.
Doesn't make much sense to me. You already have an active preamp on your bass, so you should be getting a nice hot signal from that preamp.

I'm not sure active/passive is really the right thing to be thinking about. A preamp style DI pedal is a bit redundant to me, since you have a preamp on your bass... but I know a lot of guys stack preamps on preamps.

If the Genzler pedal is too pricy ($300) you are going to have a hard time finding something. (TH DI, Q\Strip, Sansamp, Sadowsky, etc, all make nice similar products).

Maybe this... active, has clean gain, and a tube in the circuit... More – Sushi Box FX
Here is another one... https://www.nightowl.industries/edison-preamp
Both are about $100 cheaper than the Genzler. Both do not have a DI output.

 

[Alien8]

https://www.broughtonaudio.com/product-page/bba.

Depending on your pedalboard, you may just need a master volume of sorts, which is what your amp is likely doing.

 

[Christofferson]

RNDI

 

[zippydog]

https://www.broughtonaudio.com/product-page/bba.

Depending on your pedalboard, you may just need a master volume of sorts, which is what your amp is likely doing.

ohhh that’s interesting! Thanks - love Broughton stuff. Would this be best at the front or end of the chain before the DI?

 

[bassbrad]

A @Sushi Box FX Finally Tube DI is worth a look. I love mine.

There is one for sale in the classifieds

 

[Alien8]

ohhh that’s interesting! Thanks - love Broughton stuff. Would this be best at the front or end of the chain before the DI?

Depends on what is between the bass and DI and the headroom. You can probably get a way with a reasonable boost with it at the start.

I personally stay very far away from Sushi Box, too many reports of noise.

 

[MaxSpinrun]

As has been mentioned the Genzler Pre/DI would work for you. I have one and it is exceptional. Operates similar to the Genzler head with a ton of flexibility. If you can swing the price do it. I love mine.

 

[Green Hornet]

I like the MXR M81 preamp pedal. You can affect your signal with its equalizer or bypass it and send a clean signal. It can be used with both passive & active sound consoles.
You might see some on sale on Reverb with July 4th sales coming up.

 

[zippydog]

UPDATE: issues resolved.
I took everything apart and went back to the very beginning, starting with the gain settings on the mixer I was using. Next, I re-worked the pedal board gain structure and ran it directly to the mixer. Sounded good with enough headroom and clarity before it started breaking up the preamp in the mixer.

Next, I added the DI to the end of the chain and it sounded every bit as good and clear may be a little warmer and more clear on the top end. Finally, I ran the full board back through my amp and on to the mixer. I had jacked up some of the settings on the amp previously - I tweaked and got things sounding pretty similar to the way it did coming off the pedal board.

Under headphones, I honestly slightly prefer the tone right off the board/DI as opposed to through the Genzler. Now, I am in good shape to practice at home under headphones + bring only the board to church or rehearsals and plug right in. For gigs that need a full rig, I’ll add the Genzler amp to the chain. Happy camper!