Preamp vs DI

http://www.ovnilab.com/articles/preamp.shtml

 

How about the MXR Bass Preamp? DI and Preamp all in one box

 

When we are talking about the di, we are talking about those that are especially design for them like the radial

Example: http://www.radialeng.com/j48.php

A di main purpose is to convert unbalanced instrument signal to balance signal so that it can go through longer cable without signal degradation

The joyo American which I believe is a copy of the tech 21 California is a preamp pedal

The mxr bass di is a preamp pedal with di capabilities/vice versa

 

To see whether a preamp can be used as a di, usually it support an instrument input and a xlr output,

If you take a look at the joyo American, it only has a preamp section but does not support di capabilities (no xlr output), compared to mxr bass di which has a preamp section and a xlr output (can be used both as a di and preamp)

take note you don't need to necessarily use the di.output in order the mxr to.operate

 

MXR having two products, both with preamp and DI capabilities, and one being called a DI while the other is called a preamp, is just typical marketing nonsense.

The reason I wrote that article was to clarify the supposed meanings, even though manufacturers throw the terms around like confetti.

 

You are correct on all points.

I wouldn't take as harsh a stance as bongo, but the gist is true. Technically, MXR does make two products that each have both preamp and DI capabilities, and they do give them different proper names outside of giving them successive product numbers. The newer one is named "Preamp" because the focus is on it being a studio-clean preamp with a good amount of control over mids, gain, etc. It has a DI as a sort of bonus. The M80 DI+ came a few years earlier as the only bass DI product they had. Hence "DI" in the name. That it's also a simple/limited preamp and a distortion is kind of weird IMO, but a quality pedal nonetheless. It does have a more modern slant to its voicing, where the M81 is meant to be clean and transparent (if you were wondering why on earth they have two pedals labeled similarly with similar feature sets).

 

BDDI, sansamp bass driver di.

 

I look at it like this: a Pre amp will go at the beginning of a chain to buffer and tone tweek the input to the rest of the board. Negating the need for on board active controls on the bass. Or to apply some specific gain and EQ needs for a specific pedal.
A DI generally goes at the end of a chain to split out an XLR signal to a mixing desk / PA. Sure, it might have tone controls too as a last twiddle before the desk. But it's more of a post amp than a pre amp.

 

Some do one thing, some do many things... depends on the pedal/unit.

Preamp (generally) is tone shaping (think EQ and possibly a signal buffer), DI (generally) converts to an XLR. Some of the pedals mentioned do both of those things (and possibly more), other pedals do one of those things. If it has an XLR plug it's got DI functionality, if it has EQ settings it's got preamp features. Anything after that you'll have to read up on the specific pedal (is there a built in buffer, etc).

 

[This is edited from an earlier version that didn't take account of the onboard preamp / stomp box world]


First, as you have seen, there is no standard definition, and certainly no standards that manufacturers follow. Here's my take on the basic functions of each box - from a studio more than a stompbox perspective.
1. A DI box will "always" accept an unbalanced, high impedance, instrument level input signal and will pass a balanced, low impedance output.
2. In the studio, anything called a preamp will "always" produce a balanced, low impedance, line level output.
Both boxes can offer other features such as tone shaping. There is enough overlap that if a DI box has enough gain to produce a line level signal, it is also a preamp; if a preamp accepts instrument level, high impedance signals it is also DI. The way the manufacturer's marketing department labels the box is pretty random. In particular, if we are talking onboard bass preamps or stompboxes, than anything that provides a boost in level gets called a preamp even if it does not reach line level and if the signal is unbalanced.

 

To make matters even more confusing, there are multiple definitions of "line level". There's a low "consumer" line level, a high "professional" line level, and in between there are scads of rack preamps for guitar and bass that put out a line level somewhere in between those two, meant to match the input stage of an old Ampeg or Fender power amp.

 

I believe OP should be happy with pre/DI combos as with Aguilar TH or MXR. (I am

 

Id take my mxr m81 over a di any day. I really only have it as a backup plan in case my amp goes down at a show. its always on my board but almost never used. I have found it plays nicely with fuzz