Hi. So, my memory doesnt serve me all that well. When using a DI box (radial) with a bass with passive pickups do I use an active box? Is that how it works? Or do I stick with a passive box? Just a little confused is all.
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Radial DI Box?
- Thread starter cdseverance47
- Start date
My understanding is that either will work, but with a passive, low output bass you would normally want an active DI. If your passive signal gets buffered before it gets to your DI, (like an eq pedal, etc.) then it doesn't really matter.
check other threads on this subject for more info.
check other threads on this subject for more info.
You might find this thread to be of interest: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/di-boxes-active-or-passive.1461864/
You can also read Radial’s take here: What Type of Direct Box Works Best for Bass Guitar?
You can use a passive di with a passive bass with radial.
Technically all a di does is converts an unbalanced hi z input into a balanced xlr output. Passive bass output is still hotter than a microphone signal.
Most important thing about DIs is the quality of the transformer in it and selecting the proper DI for the device being used. This is why Radial sells DIs for instruments and DIs for AV devices like IPads.
Technically all a di does is converts an unbalanced hi z input into a balanced xlr output. Passive bass output is still hotter than a microphone signal.
Most important thing about DIs is the quality of the transformer in it and selecting the proper DI for the device being used. This is why Radial sells DIs for instruments and DIs for AV devices like IPads.
Correct, but what's often missed is that many passive DIs use 12:1 transformers which will attenuate the output around 12db from the input. For many instruments with lower output this can result in signal problems at the downstream destination. A passive bass with hot pickups will be just fine through a passive DI. A passive bass with low output pickups may struggle.
I stand corrected
So I guess it would have been better to say a passive di would be suitable for anyone without a weak output or has something to give the signal a little boost before the di like a preamp. If running low output use an active di like a Countryman or active radial.
I’m personally one of those I hate batteries in things when they don’t need to be there, like DIs and pickups, just one more thing that can go wrong. But with phantom power supplied from the board as a basic standard now an active DI is less of an issue. Plus Radial makes some great reliable products.
To geek out a little more on the subject most places are now running digital stage boxes and not going through 200 feet of copper anymore. So the signal to noise ratio is a lot less of an issue than it was “back in the day” when your longest xlr run today is most likely less than 100’.
For as much as I love the analog sound of days past it’s hard not to enjoy the benefits of digital boards and digital stage boxes. I’d say that in most live situations no one in the house is going to hear or appreciate the analog sound over digital sound when they or 3 beers in and yelling over a crowd.
Not corrected, more like "added to"
In general, I find people get way too hung up on the old adage of "passive instruments use active DIs, active instruments use passive DIs." To your previous point; A passive DI can work just fine with a passive instrument.
Passinwind
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- Dec 3, 2003
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- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
The classic Jensen DI 12:1 transformer actually cuts about 22dB, so even "worse"
: https://www.parts-express.com/pedoc...premium-direct-box-transformer-data-sheet.pdf
Wow. That’s quite a drop compared to what I’ve always heard from FOH engineers. Time for me to go read the manualThe classic Jensen DI 12:1 transformer actually cuts about 22dB, so even "worse"
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