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REDDI Tube DI Mega Thread . Potential megathread that is.

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#941
I've been oscillating back and forth between almost buying a REDDI to almost not buying a REDDI to almost buying a REDDI and so forth...


I think I would be on board if only the "Thru" would have the magic mojo that comes out of the DI output.

I'm about to do some recording, and I'll be using two mics and two DI's. The main DI is coming from the Preamp Out of my vintage tube amp into a JDI. I'm also considering using the speaker-out from my amp and implementing the speaker-level pad on the JDI... But that's neither here nor there. My tube amp is VERY bright. I mean, really, very bright. I'm a treble lovin' sombitch, but man, I roll off on the treble big time to get my sound. That being said, the sound is very "open" and articulate. And I love it.

Considering that I have a brighter, aggressive sounding DI, I want another DI to compliment it. I've been tossing around some ideas: Eden WTDI, Tronographic Rusty Box, different Ampeg preamps (I have an SVP BSP at the moment). I think the REDDI would likely best compliment my sound, and it would provide the balance I'm looking for.

However, if I can only use it for a DI... it's almost not worth it. All of these other options can be used as preamps, which is a big deal for me. I don't have a back up amp, so I was looking for something that could be used with my power amp in a pinch. Is there some way to get the actual magic tube tone from the REDDI loud enough to use with a power amp? (I'm not looking to add a rack mounted compressor or EQ at the moment. The price point of adding that would just make it harder to justify. I would also have to buy a bigger rack, which adds even more $$.)

So is this possible at all, or am I just spitting into the wind?
 
#942
Hey Spankles, long time!

The intended purpose of the REDDI isn't to be a preamp, although I have heard of a couple folks who have used it as one. Maybe Peter can shed some light on this better than I can, but I believe it's specific power amps that it works with. Peter mentions specifically an Aguilar power amp that it works with. Not sure what's specific about them, though. And in another thread, one of the REDDI regulars mentioned it working into his Bergantino powered cab, though he didn't know how loud it would go. I once tried it into the effects return of one of my Ampegs using an XLR/1/4" transformer and got nothing but hum, whereas I plug it into my computer's soundcard (M-Audio 2496) with the same transformer and it works fine.

So maybe you better wait for a ruling from Peter ;) All I can tell you is that the REDDI is a very single minded piece of gear, and the reason it works as awesome as it does is because Peter designed it to be single minded (there was a time it didn't even have a thru jack at all) and the best in its category rather than making it all things to everyone and dulling the effectiveness of its mojo.
 
#943
Hey bro! I'm around, you know... Life is a funny thing. ;)

But make no mistake. I have done some tracking with the REDDI by itself. I was in the control room, while the guitarist and drummer were in actual sound rooms. I got to listen to the whole mix through the monitors, and it sounded fantastic. I have no doubts about how bitchen this piece of equipment is... I just wish there was some way I could, you know, use it in a manner that it wasn't designed to be used....?
:help: :hiding:

The fact is that I really like the sound, and I think it would be a perfect preamp... But it wasn't necessarily made as a preamp. I'm just trying to find a way to make it into one of the best preamps I've heard, ya know? Because I really think it would excel at it if we could get the levels right.
JimmyM said:
Hey Spankles, long time!

The intended purpose of the REDDI isn't to be a preamp, although I have heard of a couple folks who have used it as one. Maybe Peter can shed some light on this better than I can, but I believe it's specific power amps that it works with. Peter mentions specifically an Aguilar power amp that it works with. Not sure what's specific about them, though. And in another thread, one of the REDDI regulars mentioned it working into his Bergantino powered cab, though he didn't know how loud it would go. I once tried it into the effects return of one of my Ampegs using an XLR/1/4" transformer and got nothing but hum, whereas I plug it into my computer's soundcard (M-Audio 2496) with the same transformer and it works fine.

So maybe you better wait for a ruling from Peter ;) All I can tell you is that the REDDI is a very single minded piece of gear, and the reason it works as awesome as it does is because Peter designed it to be single minded (there was a time it didn't even have a thru jack at all) and the best in its category rather than making it all things to everyone and dulling the effectiveness of its mojo.
Click to expand...
 
#947
If all else fails, I could have sfx make something like [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], but with an XLR input. I would just prefer to not have to send the DI output through another circuit to be another DI if that makes sense. Not to mention that it would cost $300 alone.

It just seems to me that there could be some way to rout the tube signal to the thru jack or something like that. I don't really know much about electronics though, so I may just be misguided in my thinking, here.
 
#949
I agree that not having a quarter-inch output that takes the affected tone is a severe limitation in the design. There are lots of use cases where having that makes a lot of sense, and only adds flexibility to the unit. Typically in the past when I was on the verge of ordering one, it was this one omission that helped convince me to postpone buying it, simply because I'd want to use it in my home practice which is typically done through a headphone rig to keep the noise low. I don't want to have to break out a mixer just to enjoy the REDDI. It would be nice if I could plug it into something like a Tascam Bass Trainer and get the REDDI tone.
 
#950
Eublet said:
I agree that not having a quarter-inch output that takes the affected tone is a severe limitation in the design. There are lots of use cases where having that makes a lot of sense, and only adds flexibility to the unit. Typically in the past when I was on the verge of ordering one, it was this one omission that helped convince me to postpone buying it, simply because I'd want to use it in my home practice which is typically done through a headphone rig to keep the noise low. I don't want to have to break out a mixer just to enjoy the REDDI. It would be nice if I could plug it into something like a Tascam Bass Trainer and get the REDDI tone.
Click to expand...

It's a great DI intended for professional applications. You could have an XLR female to 1/4" cable made.
 
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#952
Peter, I really think it is. I can appreciate that it's a DI, but since it does offer a very smooth, instantly gratifying tone that easily becomes part of the voice in a players signal chain, not having the flexibility of easily putting that tone coloration through as many devices as possible becomes a design limitation on the player. It is true that the DI can be connected to many things, but there are many convenience-based gear choices out there that will not interface with the REDDI without some extra gear items involved. I mentioned the Tascam Bass Trainer because I use it pretty much every day for practicing and shedding afterhours when my kids are in bed. It takes a quarter inch only. Sure, I don't have to use the REDDI for this, but the dry tone of my bass directly into the Tascam is very uninspiring. I'd love to be able to put the REDDI into that with minimal fuss. Another application for example would be being able to send the DI to the PA, but have the quarter out to go to the FX return on a bass head and still have that REDDI responsiveness. Most inexpensive bass preamp/DI's do this. I understand that you and others here are saying that the REDDI is not intended to be used as a preamp. That's a design limitation IMHO, because the REDDI does in fact color the tone of the instrument and provide a responsiveness that is readily boasted to be tube-like by you and a growing legion of players. That sounds like a preamp to me, but the design makes it hard for us to use it as such.

Another example. One place I used to play all the time required that the bassist use their provided JDI for sending a signal to the house. Their position on this was that it never fails, doesn't require power, and will never clip. I've used many stompbox-preamps in front of that JDI, using the quarter-inch out to feed the JDI. I couldn't do that with the REDDI by itself. Some will say the JDI-only policy is silly, but it is what it is at this place.

I think having the thru output is great, and well needed. I'd love to see a quarter-inch option that provides the same DI tone also. If I could only have one or the other, I'd rather have the latter and not the former.
 
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#953
Peter Montessi said:
OUCH REALLY?

It's a Direct Box NOT an FX box.

You can plug the REDDI into your headphone amp if that's what you are thinking.
Click to expand...

I'll admit that the same issue stopped me the one time I actually had the money to spend (because live, I go to the board's 1/4 jack, not because I was expecting a headphone amp), but I don't see it as a *severe* limitation. If I had the $ today (and didn't have a total money sink in the form of a one-year old), I'd probably just buy the thing anyway.
 
#957
Eublet said:
Peter, I really think it is. I can appreciate that it's a DI, but since it does offer a very smooth, instantly gratifying tone that easily becomes part of the voice in a players signal chain, not having the flexibility of easily putting that tone coloration through as many devices as possible becomes a design limitation on the player. It is true that the DI can be connected to many things, but there are many convenience-based gear choices out there that will not interface with the REDDI without some extra gear items involved. I mentioned the Tascam Bass Trainer because I use it pretty much every day for practicing and shedding afterhours when my kids are in bed. It takes a quarter inch only. Sure, I don't have to use the REDDI for this, but the dry tone of my bass directly into the Tascam is very uninspiring. I'd love to be able to put the REDDI into that with minimal fuss. Another application for example would be being able to send the DI to the PA, but have the quarter out to go to the FX return on a bass head and still have that REDDI responsiveness. Most inexpensive bass preamp/DI's do this. I understand that you and others here are saying that the REDDI is not intended to be used as a preamp. That's a design limitation IMHO, because the REDDI does in fact color the tone of the instrument and provide a responsiveness that is readily boasted to be tube-like by you and a growing legion of players. That sounds like a preamp to me, but the design makes it hard for us to use it as such.

Another example. One place I used to play all the time required that the bassist use their provided JDI for sending a signal to the house. Their position on this was that it never fails, doesn't require power, and will never clip. I've used many stompbox-preamps in front of that JDI, using the quarter-inch out to feed the JDI. I couldn't do that with the REDDI by itself. Some will say the JDI-only policy is silly, but it is what it is at this place.

I think having the thru output is great, and well needed. I'd love to see a quarter-inch option that provides the same DI tone also. If I could only have one or the other, I'd rather have the latter and not the former.
Click to expand...

Jason,

You can place as many stomp boxes as you want in front of the REDDI or am I not understanding what it is you are trying to say?

If you want to use the REDDI to practice with then just take the XLR out to 1/4" and plug into your TB Trainer or headphone amp.

As far as the one place you played that used a certain DI then that was their choice and I can't say or do anything there. I can make a box that uses a 9v battery and never fails (?) but would you like the sound you will get from it?

It's hard to say................

The REDDI was designed 12 years ago and at first I didn't want the "THRU" on there. At that time I wanted people to just use the REDDI and no amp..........BUT I was stupid and we ended up placing the "THRU" after all. It seems more people like to use the REDDI live then I could have imagined.

20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing.

A "design limitation" ?..........I wouldn't call it that at all.
MAYBE an "After Thought" but when you are developing a new product you try and think of everything you can at the time your are doing it.
The thought of producing a great DI was the ONLY thing on our minds at that time.
You never know what people will do with your product once it's out in the world.
Sometimes it just blows me away at what people use it for other than what it was designed for.

But thanks for the input and if I decide to do another tube DI I will keep your suggestion in mind.
But who knows someone else will come up with some other thought that we would never think off 12 years later and say it was a design limitation ..........you never can tell.
 
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