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Favorite D.I. Box

What D.I. do you/would you like to have on your board?

  • MXR

    Votes: 18 5.8%

  • SansAmp

    Votes: 139 45.0%

  • Sadowsky

    Votes: 39 12.6%

  • Aguilar

    Votes: 21 6.8%

  • Fodera

    Votes: 3 1.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 89 28.8%
  • Total voters
    309
#61
Thanks Joe,
I went ahead a ordered a Radial JDI, probably overkill for most of my situations but after a recent gig for a benifit, I was supplied with some of the cheaper new Whirlwinds and they were nothing but trouble, not the IMP2 mind you. Anyway I figured I have all this great gear and I might do some home recording sometime and the Radial is way good with the Jensen. I have the Jensen in my Demeter preamp and just trust them. Plus if I ever want to sell it will retain good resale and sell quickly.
 
#63
Joe, thanks for your help.
As I mentioned before I really never had a remote DI box before yesterday when I received the Radial JDI. It' built like a tank and has quite a few features, some of which I don't understand how to use. I do have a brain picker for you though.

I asked this question before on a Walter Woods string, but want your opinion. The Radial one page manual demonstrates hooking up as follows (#1).

1.Bass - DI input-DI "thru" to amp - XLR output to mixer.
2.Bass - Amp input - Amp out to DI input - XLR output to mixer.

From my brief trial, #1 worked well and showed the strongest signal to my mini mixer. #2 going straight into the amp showed a better/stronger sound and tone than #1, but the signal to the DI/Mixer was very very weak. The Walter Woods amp has a Pre/Post switch for the signal going to the DI. I usually always choose the pre signal so any tweaking I do won't affect the board.

So, I'm little perplexed which way to go. I have all good cables; Monster Bass cable which I swear by; but a simple Monster patch instrument cable coming out of the DI into the amp input. (Don't know if the extra cables and connections are weakening the signal?). Switching back and fourth from #1 to #2 (sounds like I'm in the bathroom, ha!), as I said produced a better bass sound/tone.
 
#68
Originally posted by Big String
1.Bass - DI input-DI "thru" to amp - XLR output to mixer.
2.Bass - Amp input - Amp out to DI input - XLR output to mixer.

From my brief trial, #1 worked well and showed the strongest signal to my mini mixer. #2 going straight into the amp showed a better/stronger sound and tone than #1, but the signal to the DI/Mixer was very very weak. The Walter Woods amp has a Pre/Post switch for the signal going to the DI. I usually always choose the pre signal so any tweaking I do won't affect the board.
Click to expand...
Only thing I can think of is that you need to play around with the pad buttons. #1 Going directly from the bass to the DI to the amp (from the DI's through jack) should NOT change the sound of your signal unless you have one of the pads depressed (or you have a bad cable in the mix).

As for #2, When you go directly to the amp and then to the DI, what are you feeding it, a preamp or power amp signal?
Again, any pad buttons depressed?

BTW, anyone using this DI please chime in.
 
#69
Hiya Joe

No pads were engaged.
Cables all checked out good.

According to Radial, one of the Techs stated that there might be a slight signal change by going through the JDI. I found out that the input impedance on the JDI is 120k which is pretty low. According to Walter Woods who stated that anything less than 500k with a passive bass might affect the signal strength. I'm not very savy with electronic lingo so I hope I got that right. Anyway, I got a matching patch cable and it improved and sounded pretty even to me. I'm a firm believer that there is a difference in cables/connectors. I agree that this should be slight, and it was. I get flamed for this all the time, but I do definatley see a positive difference in "better" or "more expensive" cables and connectors.

When I went directly to the amp my signal to the DI was at the "pre" setting which of course is weaker that the post, but should not be as weak as it was... Mr. Woods also told me the amp path is "buffered" and should not affect the signal. The only thing we could determine was that the fixed output of the WWU amp at that out was maybe not that strong. Since there is no industry standard for that it's hard to make it work perfectly through all equipment today. He recommended to use what ever method worked the best for me since there are so many variables and that all were safe methods of operation.

The best signal to my Mackie 1202 mini mixer was #1. Guess I'll keep experimenting. Others I have asked said to go with #1 for the best bass signal to the board. The Woods sounds incredible :D
 
#70
I'm a firm believer that there is a difference in cables/connectors
Click to expand...
Dean,
Different folks hear different things. I've come to believe in quality cables as well. And I don't tie them in knots anymore, either. :D

Man, I'm certainly no electronics expert, but it seems to me theres way too much variance in what different manufacturers consider "standard" for input and output impedance and voltage. I've run up on this when trying to use a couple different preamp/DIs. When I run the signal out hot enough to properly drive the power amp, it's too hot for the board (neither of these DI's have pads).

Although it's another piece of gear I've been thinking about trying a Ebtech Line Shifter to make the signal to the amp "hotter". Supposedly transparent and passive. This might work for you either between the box and the amp or the preamp out and the box. Or maybe just swap the passive Radial in on an active one (J48)? Does your Mackie supply phantom power?

BTW, did you ever try option #3 (running the DI on the the parallel out of your speaker cab)?
 
#71
Originally posted by Joe_Atlanta
Dean,
And I don't tie them in knots anymore, either. :D

Or maybe just swap the passive Radial in on an active one (J48)? Does your Mackie supply phantom power?

BTW, did you ever try option #3 (running the DI on the the parallel out of your speaker cab)?
Click to expand...

I was a Sailor, so I learned real quick how not to stow away linear items. Ahoy!

Yep, the Mackie is a 1604Vlz, love it...has Phantom. We always have it on for our Horn Dudes. The Woods must have an isoaltion transformer in order to use an active type DI.


Funny you mentioned that. I wasn't sure what they ment in the one page JDI manual. Of course I called them and had it explained to me. You probably know this but by activating both pads of the JDI is creates a parallel circuit but must have a speaker load. For my set up that would probably be the same as coming out of the Woods DI output and selecting the Post toggle. But no, I didn't try it yet and I should. It's kinda weird hooking it up that way after so many years knowing that only speaker cable should be used with amp speaker outputs. I checked on that too. Mr. Woods said to use a sheilded cable although depending some things a speaker cable would work but might cause severe 60 cycle noise and could possibly cause some damage due to high voltage. He told me he experimented and could power a 120v light bulb with the amp. :cool:
 
#72
Originally posted by Big String
I was a Sailor, so I learned real quick how not to stow away linear items. Ahoy!
Click to expand...

This reminds me of one of my inventions: Bullum Linear Cable Cases. I make them out of one-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe. I glue a cap on one end, then leave the other cap unglued. You just order them according to the length of your cable. Let's say you have an 18-foot instrument cord. You've got a Bullum 18-foot Cable Case. You just stand the case on end, open end up, get a tall ladder, climb to the top, and slowly lower your cable into the case. To remove the cable, no need to stand the case on end. You just take off the cap and pull the cable out horizontally. No more kinks, knots or tangles.

Ron Popiel's got nothing on me.
 
#74
Originally posted by Munjibunga
This reminds me of one of my inventions: Bullum Linear Cable Cases. I make them out of one-inch Schedule 40 PVC pipe. I glue a cap on one end, then leave the other cap unglued. You just order them according to the length of your cable. Let's say you have an 18-foot instrument cord. You've got a Bullum 18-foot Cable Case. You just stand the case on end, open end up, get a tall ladder, climb to the top, and slowly lower your cable into the case. To remove the cable, no need to stand the case on end. You just take off the cap and pull the cable out horizontally. No more kinks, knots or tangles.

Ron Popiel's got nothing on me.
Click to expand...

Ron Popiel has one of the scariest smiles I ever saw...yikes. Remember the Pocket Fisherman? I always wanted to see someone catch a lunker on one of those. ChaChing-10K video....
 
#76
To fill out the high end DI's check some of these out. This is an older thread and there have been some new additions to the market. Especially "recording studio" DI's, although I don't make that distinction ....... a fine DI sends a fine sounding signal whether your playing live or recording. It's just a question of being willing or able to spend the extra beans.


[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] ( ~ $210)

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] (discontinued, but will be re-ieesued soon according to Fearn)

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] ( ~ $450)

Link Removed (~ $325)

http://www.adesignsaudio.com/reddi.html ( ~ $500)

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] ( ~ 525)

Additionally, there is a wonderful tube DI called the Evil Twin by Eclair Engineering. I have played through this box and it is gorgeous sounding.

It is pricey ($750) and the company has very little web presence, but if anyone is interested in a great sounding tube DI and has some cash to burn check it out.

Hope this is helpful to anyone searching out some of the higher end stuff.

Peace,
Tony
 
#78
I'm sure the high end DIs sound great, but yesterday I did yet another session using the Model T of DI boxes, the Whirlwind IMP2. Bass was a slab-board Precision with all controls straight up and the recorded sound was what you'd expect: immense pillowy bottom with a nice growl on the top of notes. No amp, no tubes, no Jensen transformer.

If I have to bring my own DI to the gig, I really can't see bothering with anything more sophisticated than an IMP2...sounds good, bulletproof.
 

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