The best DI box for bass

[jdubbass38]

I am wondering what you guys all use for an DI box if you use one? One of the churches I play at just went to all in ear, no stage sound. Right now they have we plunged into a generic DI box and I feel my bass sound is horrible and I am sure its amplified using in ear too. I have been using Ampeg for live stuff if that helps any. Suggestions or comments welcome.

Thanks Justin

 

[GeoffByrne]

MXR-80+

 

[jnewmark]

Any one made by Radial.

 

[dcr]

Any one made by Radial.

What he said!

Have used both the BassBone and the JDI. Like both, for different reasons. JDI has the industry-standard Jensen transformer. BassBone does a lot more that just DI -- makes a great switch if you use two very different basses.



dcr

 

[Musicfreak1988]

I use an Avalon U5 or a Jule Amps Monique. The Monique is a B15/SVT in a small form factor!
I heard good things about Radial and A-Design as well.

You can always save some money and use the DI-out of your amp, if it has one.

 

[Dave W]

I use a Radial JDI, a REDDI, an SVP-CL, an SVP-Pro, or my amps DI. They all sound great. For live work I have been bringing the REDDI lately, and I always get compliments on the tone.

 

[Phalex]

I have a Countryman type 85.

I think in the end the "Best DI for Bass" is one that doesn't suck. Lots of choices meet that criteria.

 

[cchorney]

I get a nice Ampeg like tone from my Tech21 BDDI.

 

[DigitalMan]

I use an Avalon U5 and Sansamp RBI in parallel. U5 has a great warm sound, and the RBI adds the character.

 

[RickenBoogie]

There is no "best", only what's best for you. Though any one would work, you need to take each one's tonal characteristic's into consideration. That means, you guessed it, try before you buy.

 

[bassman314]

I am wondering what you guys all use for an DI box if you use one? One of the churches I play at just went to all in ear, no stage sound. Right now they have we plunged into a generic DI box and I feel my bass sound is horrible and I am sure its amplified using in ear too. I have been using Ampeg for live stuff if that helps any. Suggestions or comments welcome.

Thanks Justin

So you are plugging your bass directly into a DI with no amp? Is it Active or Passive?

If your normal amp has some form of a pre-amp output or a DI output that includes the pre-amp stage, use it.

 

[gumtown]

If you are not using any stage bass amp or preamp, then either the Tech21 BDDI with it's built-in DI and tone shaping preamp, or if you want the ampeg tone and still use the stage DI, then try the TEch21 VT-Bass character series.
You need some sort of preamp to shape your tone, maybe even a floor multi effects like the Boss GT-10B.

 

[AMJBASS]

Since you seem to like the Ampeg tone so much(judging by your profile), I would definitely look at the REDDI by A-Designs. Its a tube DI that is very very highly regarded in both studio and live sound circles. Do a search and check out the mega thread on it.

 

[anderbass]

Right now they have we plunged into a generic DI box and I feel my bass sound is horrible

I have been using Ampeg for live stuff if that helps any.

If you dig the Ampeg tone I'd suggest a Sansamp VT pedal plugged into the churches DI box.
Or a VT Deluxe pedal strait into the board.

 

[1954bassman]

First let me say: I have been running direct for years with IEMs and no amp. There are a lot of good choices. I will share my exprience.

How you run direct and get good results - with no amp - in a church setting unfortunately in controlled by the sound person. Our "sound person" is the pastor's 25 year old daughter who is a volunteer and really knows nothing about sound, nor is she a musician of any type. This seems to be the norm in church situations, volunteers with no clue about running sound.

So, for me, every time I have ever tried to use any type of DI with EQ, etc. on it, my sound always ends up coming through distorted or "invisible". Always sounds great in the IEMs, but not in the house. So all I run at church is my bass into a Mark Bass Compressore into a Radial JDI. She says she "likes that bass because it doesn't rattle the speakers".

So for most church settings, I say the simpler, the better. Passive DI with an actice bass, Active Di with a passive bass.

So I have tried almost every reccomendation above, and I ended up using a Radial JDI, Radial J48, and a BBE DI100X (or is it D1000X?) - the active one with the BBE processor built in. The ones with all the extra knobs just cause problems for amateur sound people.

 

[shizoz]

I like the Radial JDI as well. I've heard another guy using a REDDI and thought it sounded incredible. I own an Aguilar Tone Hammer, and I really like it. Even used it in the studio and I personally think it sounds great. I like having some EQ if I need it as well.

 

[Bassoballs]

REDDI

 

[WormtownBass]

I like the MXR M80+

 

[BassmanPaul]

You mention using Ampeg so you are accustomed to how you sound using an amplifier and speakers. You'll not get that going direct unless you mic the cabinet. As this is not an option for you you have to learn how to compromise. The actual IEMs that you use have a huge impact on the sound you hear. Some are wonderful for vocals but very poor for bass. If you can, perhaps it might be worth trying different 'phones. I found Shure E4s pretty good. That said I often found myself dropping one and listening to the PA.

 

[bongomania]

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^^^^^