Firefly or Reddi

[TonyP-]

I like Radial products...but for me, if I want to use a Tube DI its the REDDI hands down.

 

[markjazzbassist]

thank you for this thread. the DI shootout is amazing. fantastic knowledge and sound. i've owned the reddi, jdi, evil twin, and countryman in the past.

the evil twin was never fat enough sounding for me, and the countryman just didn't sound good for me. it was always the REDDI or the JDI. For me the REDDI sounded good, but Jimmy and svt and others go a little far with it. not b15 sounding to me (owned a 65 b-15n), not amp replacing sounding enough. It's a nice thick tubey sounding DI (definitely the best of the tube DI's), but it ain't worth 700 bucks and it doesn't tour well (one of mine got totaled when i did a europe tour). the JDI does it for me. That plus a REAL tube amp and i'm golden in the studio or live.

funny cause for the longest i was all against Solid State DI's, but the tube sound i like isn't preamp tubes, it's power tubes being pushed, and i've come to realize a nice passive DI really gives me the clean sound i need and the fundamental, and the amp mic'd gives the color. their powers combined and i'm happy.

 

[svtb15]

I never heard the the similarities of the REDDI to a B15 .. many say thats it.. but i dont know... After 8-9 years i have not switched.. I actually got another REDDI. one for home and one for gigs, best Di i ever played... I sold my Evil Twin, UA solo510. ADL, Avalon,Demeter and a few other stranglers. , .. For me,, the REDDI has been the best thing since sliced bread

 

[f.c.geil]

REDDI. Best DI I've ever played, and I've played quite a few. I hear there are better, but not in this price range.

 

[JimmyM]

thank you for this thread. the DI shootout is amazing. fantastic knowledge and sound. i've owned the reddi, jdi, evil twin, and countryman in the past.

the evil twin was never fat enough sounding for me, and the countryman just didn't sound good for me. it was always the REDDI or the JDI. For me the REDDI sounded good, but Jimmy and svt and others go a little far with it. not b15 sounding to me (owned a 65 b-15n)

Ever hook up a DI to the speaker out of your B-15N? I've done extensive AB recordings with a B-15N from 64 and a REDDI, and if you set the B-15 clean and give it a similar EQ to the REDDI's own frequency response or vice versa, it's darn hard to tell the difference.

 

[markjazzbassist]

Nope, didn't realize that's what you meant jimmy! My bad. From that stand point it might sound similar, but A amp/cab is just so different from a DI I think it's a disservice to both to try and compare. The movement of air isn't able to be captured by a DI IMO so that's why I didn't dig calling the reddi a b15 in a box. There's my rationale for ya.

Yeah I hear you svt and I'm glad you love it. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[JimmyM]

Nope, didn't realize that's what you meant jimmy! My bad. From that stand point it might sound similar, but A amp/cab is just so different from a DI I think it's a disservice to both to try and compare. The movement of air isn't able to be captured by a DI IMO so that's why I didn't dig calling the reddi a b15 in a box. There's my rationale for ya.

Well some don't dig separating the head from the amp and that's cool, but that's what Peter means when he says it was inspired by the sound of the B-15.

 

[Reggie Hamilton]

Congrats to the OP on his purchase. I was going to chime in but no two pairs of ears are alike.

 

[Bassist30]

thank you for this thread. the DI shootout is amazing. fantastic knowledge and sound. i've owned the reddi, jdi, evil twin, and countryman in the past.

the evil twin was never fat enough sounding for me, and the countryman just didn't sound good for me. it was always the REDDI or the JDI. For me the REDDI sounded good, but Jimmy and svt and others go a little far with it. not b15 sounding to me (owned a 65 b-15n), not amp replacing sounding enough. It's a nice thick tubey sounding DI (definitely the best of the tube DI's), but it ain't worth 700 bucks and it doesn't tour well (one of mine got totaled when i did a europe tour). the JDI does it for me. That plus a REAL tube amp and i'm golden in the studio or live.

funny cause for the longest i was all against Solid State DI's, but the tube sound i like isn't preamp tubes, it's power tubes being pushed, and i've come to realize a nice passive DI really gives me the clean sound i need and the fundamental, and the amp mic'd gives the color. their powers combined and i'm happy.

Love the JDI. I have a few radial DI's and I like them for their clean signal. Can't say any DI is the best but you can't go wrong with a good clean signal.

 

[svtb15]

i was talking with my old FOH guy when i was out on teh deb Gibson stuff in the 80s.. He did Modona and dozens of other hit makers back then and current. He' doing some gigs with foreigner and side gigs with Lou graham .. he called me the other day . hes getting a REDDI for their FOH when he goes out on the next run..

 

[scowboy]

Saw the Dirk Shumaker and his enthusiasm for the Radial Firefly thing on the TB front page and it caused me to read this one. Epic de-rail. As a very happy JDI user I'd still be curious to try Firefly if it could be had for short money. I've tried so many pre's in front of my IEM rig in the last two years and the JDI has been the one thing that I've not wanted to mess with. With that said and in the spirt of this de-railed thread I'd also like to try a REDDI.

 

[Doner Designs]

I hesitate to ask this...do you run the REDDI into the LMII and then take the DI out of the LMII? Please say no. Used to have an LMII and thought it sounded quite good, but the DI is adequate at best.

Jimmy - I play an LMIII and used the DI out this weekend. When you say it's adequate at best, do you mean it's noisy or what? Just curious why a good sounding amp would have a bad sounding XLR output. The LMIII does have a pre/post switch so I sent the unaffected signal to the board.

Also, I know this is an old thread but it seems like the right place to ask. I'm browsing tube DI boxes now that I'm playing out some. Not because of need, but truth is I am a gear geek and GAS-aholic.

I'm leaning toward the Radial Firefly because it's cheaper and smaller than the REDDI (small enough for gig bag pocket) and because it seems to be made such that you can feed the same tube affected signal to your amp. Since I play a SS amp I figured that might warm things up a bit (looking for clean warm, not overdrive or grit).

The other one that comes up is the Summit TD-100 as a possibility but I lean toward the Firefly. I really hate to admit this, but one thing I like about the Firefly is that I think it would look great sitting on top of my Markbass combo. Did I really say that out loud? Pathetic I know.

The Demeter seems to get some love but appears to be discontinued. Others I should be pondering? I prefer not to buy used - my aim is generally to find new gear at near-used pricing...usually all it takes is a bit of patience and negotiating.

 

[svtb15]

The only thing that i ever bought for the way that it looks is the bass in my current Avatar. The sparkle Alleva coppolo.. Its a conversation starter. But it also turned out to sound incredible and its lightweight..
A DI is not going to have the same effect.. Dont buy a DI because you think it looks cool.
If you are on IEMs its not only me that says the REDDI makes an IEM mix palatable. Any person that owns one already knows.
If you are looking for a DI with knobs to twist and looks wild, then maybe the firefly is you thing.. Im sure it can sound great. Im sure it does sound great...But for me there are too many variables for any live gig.. What sounds good at home or in a studio wont always sound great in a live situation. and unless you are a headliner , i hope that you will be given enough time to dial in your amp sound than dial in your DI sound.
Too much of hassle for me ...
Thats why i prefer my REDDI.. So much so that i have two.. One for my home studio and one that i take on the road with me or to live gigs,,, I dont take it on $150 bar gigs. well sometimes i will.. But theater gigs, church gigs and my larger bill paying gigs i do. Because i know that the engineer is going to appreciate what im sending him or her. And that makes for an easy setup, and they like you.. Nothing better than when an engineer likes the BASS and then later Brags about it to YOU....
I just did a Mega church gig this week since im home off the road.. engineer LOVED my REDDI.. It helps me get gigs. and keep gigs! What i like about the mega church gigs is its not a super loud gig.. And the tine of the bass really comes through.. Its always a great FOH Meyer or equiv rig...

For me, I dont feel like playing around with knobs on my DI. Plug in , go, set my level.. FOH is happy , then i can spend time preparing my music charts, or posting pics on my Facebook page of my toys from my phone... Although the REDDI is a looker.. It starts many a conversation... Great Icebreaker... Which is good for networking and getting more gigs... Mission accomplished.! And it sounds HUGE

Jimmy - I play an LMIII and used the DI out this weekend. When you say it's adequate at best, do you mean it's noisy or what? Just curious why a good sounding amp would have a bad sounding XLR output. The LMIII does have a pre/post switch so I sent the unaffected signal to the board.

Also, I know this is an old thread but it seems like the right place to ask. I'm browsing tube DI boxes now that I'm playing out some. Not because of need, but truth is I am a gear geek and GAS-aholic.

I'm leaning toward the Radial Firefly because it's cheaper and smaller than the REDDI (small enough for gig bag pocket) and because it seems to be made such that you can feed the same tube affected signal to your amp. Since I play a SS amp I figured that might warm things up a bit (looking for clean warm, not overdrive or grit).

The other one that comes up is the Summit TD-100 as a possibility but I lean toward the Firefly. I really hate to admit this, but one thing I like about the Firefly is that I think it would look great sitting on top of my Markbass combo. Did I really say that out loud? Pathetic I know.

The Demeter seems to get some love but appears to be discontinued. Others I should be pondering? I prefer not to buy used - my aim is generally to find new gear at near-used pricing...usually all it takes is a bit of patience and negotiating.

 

[svtb15]

Ive used the Demeter Tube DI years ago at Sony Studios in NYC... It was a real nice DI.. I think it was on par with a countryman ...

The IRON Tranny in the REDDI does something. it delivered full bandwidth with more 3D heft..
If you want a small DI to put in your gig bag why look any further, just Get an old industry standard Countryman Type 85.. Its small , its light , it works off 9V or phantom power... But its thin sounding compared to the REDDI...

Many records were recorded using the Countryman.. But the REDDI is on another level. Its PRO AUDIO. not consumer audio like rapco, whirlwind etc... .. REDDI is in the class of the Likes of NEVE, API, SSL... You're not gonna make a label deal record on a Mackie mixer would ya? well some people do i guess. But , If your heard the difference between an API, NEVE or SSL compared to a Ramsa, Yamaha or MAckie mixer... Thats the difference.
And honestly , you may not need a REDDI for what you want to do..
A passive Rapco might work fine for your needs. They can sound fine too..

 

[Doner Designs]

The only thing that i ever bought for the way that it looks is the bass in my current Avatar. The sparkle Alleva coppolo.. Its a conversation starter. But it also turned out to sound incredible and its lightweight..
A DI is not going to have the same effect.. Dont buy a DI because you think it looks cool.
If you are on IEMs its not only me that says the REDDI makes an IEM mix palatable. Any person that owns one already knows.
If you are looking for a DI with knobs to twist and looks wild, then maybe the firefly is you thing.. Im sure it can sound great. Im sure it does sound great...But for me there are too many variables for any live gig.. What sounds good at home or in a studio wont always sound great in a live situation. and unless you are a headliner , i hope that you will be given enough time to dial in your amp sound than dial in your DI sound.
Too much of hassle for me ...
Thats why i prefer my REDDI.. So much so that i have two.. One for my home studio and one that i take on the road with me or to live gigs,,, I dont take it on $150 bar gigs. well sometimes i will.. But theater gigs, church gigs and my larger bill paying gigs i do. Because i know that the engineer is going to appreciate what im sending him or her. And that makes for an easy setup, and they like you.. Nothing better than when an engineer likes the BASS and then later Brags about it to YOU....
I just did a Mega church gig this week since im home off the road.. engineer LOVED my REDDI.. It helps me get gigs. and keep gigs! What i like about the mega church gigs is its not a super loud gig.. And the tine of the bass really comes through.. Its always a great FOH Meyer or equiv rig...

For me, I dont feel like playing around with knobs on my DI. Plug in , go, set my level.. FOH is happy , then i can spend time preparing my music charts, or posting pics on my Facebook page of my toys from my phone... Although the REDDI is a looker.. It starts many a conversation... Great Icebreaker... Which is good for networking and getting more gigs... Mission accomplished.! And it sounds HUGE

I'm sure the REDDI beats the Firefly and pretty much anything out there. The looks comment/thought is very secondary - just a nice bonus if it turns out to be a good choice. The real/main reason for thinking about the Firefly instead is that it can be used to feed my solid state amp and I'm guessing it would add some warmth there. The REDDI is not set up for that and some say that using a Y adapter to feed the amp and the house degrades the REDDI signal.

 

[markjazzbassist]

Jimmy - I play an LMIII and used the DI out this weekend. When you say it's adequate at best, do you mean it's noisy or what? Just curious why a good sounding amp would have a bad sounding XLR output. The LMIII does have a pre/post switch so I sent the unaffected signal to the board.

Also, I know this is an old thread but it seems like the right place to ask. I'm browsing tube DI boxes now that I'm playing out some. Not because of need, but truth is I am a gear geek and GAS-aholic.

I'm leaning toward the Radial Firefly because it's cheaper and smaller than the REDDI (small enough for gig bag pocket) and because it seems to be made such that you can feed the same tube affected signal to your amp. Since I play a SS amp I figured that might warm things up a bit (looking for clean warm, not overdrive or grit).

The other one that comes up is the Summit TD-100 as a possibility but I lean toward the Firefly. I really hate to admit this, but one thing I like about the Firefly is that I think it would look great sitting on top of my Markbass combo. Did I really say that out loud? Pathetic I know.

The Demeter seems to get some love but appears to be discontinued. Others I should be pondering? I prefer not to buy used - my aim is generally to find new gear at near-used pricing...usually all it takes is a bit of patience and negotiating.

the summit i believe is a starved plate design, the radial isn't much better. ive looked up specs and the radial is clean tube sound. so you get the sterility of the JDI with a technically not starved plate by definition but still not full throttle voltage Tube and i'm sorry but no.

if you want tube warmth universal audio solo 610, REDDI, Eclair Evil Twin, Groove Tubes Brick/Ditto.

 

[Doner Designs]

the summit i believe is a starved plate design, the radial isn't much better. ive looked up specs and the radial is clean tube sound. so you get the sterility of the JDI with a technically not starved plate by definition but still not full throttle voltage Tube and i'm sorry but no.

if you want tube warmth universal audio solo 610, REDDI, Eclair Evil Twin, Groove Tubes Brick/Ditto.

Thanks. I'll look those up. Do you happen to know if any are suitable for feeding both amp (including effect) and house?

 

[JimmyM]

Steve, what I said about the LMII only applies to the LMII. The LMIII has a Di which I'm led to understand is an improvement over the LMII's DI and I've not tried it, so my comment would be N/A to your situation.

 

[markjazzbassist]

Thanks. I'll look those up. Do you happen to know if any are suitable for feeding both amp (including effect) and house?

feeding a power amp? UA solo and GT Brick can, they're both mic preamps as well. The others i'm not sure on.

 

[Doner Designs]

feeding a power amp? UA solo and GT Brick can, they're both mic preamps as well. The others i'm not sure on.

Not to a power amp. I want to go into the preamp section of my Markbass LMIII to warm things up and still have use of the tone controls. If I'm going to spend that kind of money on a direct box, it will have to enhance the sound from my amp also. The UA looks awesome, but the thru is unaffected - it's a pass through...same as the REDDI.